After Raya left Damien's room, he went to the training ground to check on his men. As the pack's Alpha, he was the head of the elite fighter group, which they called the Ravens. Currently, it was only made of five men, and all of them had combat experience. They were extremely loyal to Damien and were responsible for getting the next generation ready, besides being sent to various missions. Every morning Damien got a report and made random tests to see if their teaching tactics worked.
On the other hand, Simon was the general of the Agoran army and led the military forces in case of war. As Damien was the king-to-be, he couldn't always go to battle in person, so Simon, as his Beta, took over that position. He, too, went to the training grounds every morning to check on the advancement of his forces.
They swiftly exchanged visual contact but didn't talk about their discussion yesterday. Simon knew he had been an a****** to his brother and Georgina because of things he was going through and was thankful that his brother didn't take it personally. Nevertheless, Damien had decided to take the girls to the University by himself later.
Eliana and Georgina had a pleasant morning, eating breakfast and chatting happily. They didn't want to dwell any further upon the happenings from yesterday and focused on what was lying ahead. Meeting Damien by the palace exit like yesterday, the trio made their way to the university. This time two of his men came along and became the girls' personal guards, although they didn't know anything about that yet.
The university was enormous and beautifully crafted with sandstones, while each major had their building. Damien once again had explained to them the history of the university. Apparently, his great-grandfather's grandfather had highly valued education and wanted to build one for the whole nation, so there were five different majors, all of which were taught at the highest level. There was the medical school, the economics chapter, another one for law, the fourth one for engineering, and the fifth for arts.
Currently, the campus was empty as the students had their semester holidays which would end this week. Since many came from all over Agora, they used this time to visit their families, leaving behind a ghost-like atmosphere. They went straight to the medical school, and upon entering the building, they were greeted by the faint scent of medicinal herbs that lingered in the air. The corridors were adorned with paintings and anatomical illustrations, showcasing the human form and its intricacies.
"As you can see, we work with the newest technologies and tools. Also, all kinds of species are allowed to study here so that you will see a mix of enchanter, werewolf, and human students roaming in these halls."
"Oh wow, enchanters as well? That is amazing. I have never met one, I think."
"Yes, but they look like humans, so even if you met one, you probably couldn't tell. Especially since they are not often in Paxos because of obvious reasons. Anyways, your application has already been officially approved, and you will receive your schedule on your first day."
"Thank you so much." Her excitement was clearly visible.
"Don't thank me yet. You missed three months of courses because our terms start earlier than the ones in Paxos, meaning you will either have to catch up or redo the year."
"Goodness, another round of Eliana locked up in her room for months, yikes." Georgina couldn't empathize with Eliana's enthusiasm.
"Ah, Gio, it is amazing to learn all of this. To understand how the body works and how well it can contain itself is truly fascinating. I am sure I can catch up and finish my studies on time."
Damien giggled at her confidence and was overjoyed that she was looking forward to her time here. "Great, I already assumed you would say so and asked the faculty to prepare your books in the headmaster's office right around the corner. I will go get them; you guys can continue looking around." The girls nodded and watched him retreat until he was gone around the corner.
"Gio, did you think about what you would like to do? Why don't you study something as well? They have all the programs one could ask for."
"Hmm, I am not sure if studying is something for me. I don't like to sit down and read for hours, doing research and such. Being active is more to my liking."
"So, you want to find a job rather than study?"
"Yes, I think so, but I am not sure yet in what."
At that moment, Damien returned with the books under his arm, leading the girls out of the building again. On their way back to the palace, they passed the training grounds, which caught Georgina's attention.
"You also have women in your army?" She asked the same question as Eliana last night.
"Yes, we do. Eliana actually asked me to train her for her self-defense. If you like, you could join her training?"
"Hmm, I don't think I only want it for self-defense. I might be keen on joining the army." She kept looking at the soldiers who were in the middle of harsh training, jumping and climbing over obstacles.
Eliana frowned. "You cannot be serious! That would mean you would go into battle if war broke out, plus you would only develop on a physical level."
Damien touched his chest in a dramatic pose. "Uff, that hurt. You know my main occupation is to look after those soldiers and train with them?"
"I didn't mean it like that, and your main occupation is being the crown prince, not a soldier. You are someone who already received the best education, is knowledgeable about war strategies, looks after the economic welfare of his people, etc. You probably know more than all of us combined." Georgina looked at Eliana, surprised about her candor praises for Damien. Did she realize what she said and how much she admired this man?
"Are you saying I am uneducated, Eli?" Georgina didn't understand Eliana's words like that but wanted to tease her and had to hide her smile.
"What? No, I meant to say that Damien is much older than the two of us and has more life experience, so he has already finished his studies. We, however, have only finished the mandatory part of school and don't have any proper work experience either. We were factory workers who did the same job every day. That is not something that develops your skills."
Damien, who had caught up with Georgina's teasing, winked at her to signal that he would continue the joke and asked Eliana seriously: "How old do you think I am?", but looking at Eliana's pale face, Georgina couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.
Eliana stood there dumbfounded and didn't know what to say anymore. "Stop laughing, Gio. I just thought that because you seem so wise, Damien… I just had a feeling that… you know you look…" She couldn't put a whole sentence together, and at that moment, Damien couldn't hold it in anymore either and laughed along with Georgina, confusing Eliana further.
"I feel like you two are making fun of me." Eliana pouted, making her incredibly adorable.
"Eliana, you are too cute. I was kidding; I don't care if you think I am older." He became stiff when he realized the word 'cute' had slipped out. "I mean – ho- how would you know if I studied or not?" he tried to divert, but it made Georgina laugh even harder because she had noticed his mistake.
"I don't know. It was just my intuition that you did. I am sorry if I offended you." She really made him weak; he wouldn't be able to refuse her anything if she asked him with her eyes looking at him like that.
"No worries, I am not offended, but to set the record straight, I am 25 years old, and yes, I studied economics, engineering, and law while training as the Alpha and crown prince."
"Right now, you are just trying to show off! How would one be able to do all of that in such a short time?" Georgina couldn't believe his words.
"Werewolves sleep less than humans, and I had private teachers all my life; hence I didn't have to take the classical steps to get to where I am today. Although I want to point out that I still had to work hard to complete it."
"And I didn't think otherwise, Damien." She still didn't get the joke and was insecure about what she had said.
"Don't worry about it. If Georgina wants to join the army and simultaneously learn more about war strategies, I am sure we can organize that together with Simon."
Although Eliana wasn't happy with the idea of Georgina becoming a soldier, she couldn't disagree with it as it wasn't her decision to make.
"Wait, I must work with Simon if I join the army?"
"Yes, he is the general, after all. I don't know what he said to you in the Flower Temple, but he is usually very kind and understanding. He is going through some things and lashing out at the people around him."
"Hmm, yes, he apologized for that incident."
"He did?" Eliana asked disbelievingly. "That would be a first," Damien added.
"Yes, he gave me this necklace." She pointed at the jewel around her neck, stunning Eliana and Damien. "Still, I will think about it and get back to you regarding my final decision."
With that, the three went back to the palace, where Damien went to his study to review some papers, and Eliana asked Georgina to spill the tea concerning Simon's apology. After gathering all the details, she went to her room to review her books, and Georgina made pros and cons list about joining the army.