The week passed by quickly, with everyone being busy. As Georgina had predicted, Eliana locked herself in her room to prepare for University. Georgina made the decision to join the army and would start her training on the same day as Eliana started her studies.
Simon and Damien had to prepare for the yearly army exams, where the soldiers would be evaluated and listed among the different divisions. It was always a big happening with a festive ending where the whole city would celebrate the ones who passed the tests.
Although everyone was engaged separately during the day, they all met for dinner, as the queen set a rule that everyone had to be present. The queen started to get used to the girls and admired Eliana for her ambitions and determination to become a great student and learn as much as possible. Still, she kept a distance and wanted to see how everything would unfold before she showed any positive feelings toward her daughter-in-law-to-be.
"What do you think, mother? You said you would observe us for a few days and then decide on Eliana's character." Damien asked Queen Clara one afternoon when she visited him in his study.
"I am not fully convinced yet, of course. It had only been a couple of days, but she seemed suitable, and my most preferred trait is that she doesn't differentiate between the species and appreciates all of them."
Damien gleamed. "That is very pleasing to hear, Mother. I knew you would warm up to her."
"Don't be too happy yet. She must still learn about our customs and get an etiquette course."
"Yes, I am sure she wouldn't mind that with her natural curiosity."
While Damien was finally getting the approval he had been seeking from his mother, Simon, and Georgina barely spoke to each other. Despite him showing some kindness by secretly gifting her the necklace from the market, it still irked him that she was his mate. It had been his consciousness that didn't let him rest until he showed some form of remorse that led him to gift her something but other than that, he was adamant about ignoring his feelings and choosing someone more suited for him.
He had to hide his outrage when he found out he would see her daily. That had been the last thing he wanted – to see her every day, all day, even though he subconsciously was excited to spend more time with her. Funnily, Georgina had similar thoughts and felt anxious about working with Simon. She as well wanted to keep things purely professional with him. Although he had gifted her the necklace, he had never spoken to her again, making it evident that he didn't want to be friends with her, and she wasn't one to beg. So, she would learn what she could from him and see him only as her boss.
With those set intentions, they met early Monday morning on the training grounds. From Simon's perspective, Georgina moved slowly when she entered the arena. Her hair was braided and then gathered in a bun. The black linen pants and tunic barely left anything of her figure to his imagination. She was beautiful, and he realized she would be his doom.
Composing himself, he was reminded to stay professional. "Good morning, cadet. Please be here earlier next time. Being on time in the military means you are late."
Georgina had hoped he would start their collaboration on a nicer note but wasn't surprised at his actions anymore. She would focus on her goal and not let him annoy her. "Yes, sir, that won't happen again, sir."
And so, her day began with a tour and introduction to the other cadets, followed by her first training session. Simon would do the training for the first two weeks, after which one of his top-ranked soldiers would take over as he had other matters to attend to.
On the other side of the city, Eliana started her orientation day at the University. The headmaster personally explained her schedule and introduced her buddy, who would help her integrate better. "Eliana, this is Nigel, one of our top students here at Lothaire University and is also doing his major in medicine. I hope you two will get along." Headmaster Claire said with a kind smile.
"Nice to meet you, Eliana. If you don't mind, headmaster Claire, I will take Eliana to our first class this morning."
"Yes, go ahead." With that, the headmaster left the two alone.
"Follow me. We need to hurry not to be late. This professor is very tedious regarding punctuality."
The echoing footsteps reverberated through the halls as students and professors made their way to various lecture rooms and laboratories. Nigel took Eliana inside one of the lecture halls with wooden desks and benches arranged in a tiered fashion, facing a central podium. Large windows let in natural light streams, illuminating the room and casting a gentle glow on the students' faces. The walls were lined with shelves of books and medical instruments, offering a glimpse into the vast knowledge and techniques she would learn here.
"You seem very eager," Nigel remarked, seeing her glowing eyes.
"Hehe, yes, I am. This has been my dream ever since my first biology class." Her beautiful smile and passion for medicine impressed Nigel right away. He wasn't too content when the headmaster asked him to become her buddy. Everyone knew she was a Paxon, and most people already had their prejudgments which would complicate her integration. Plus, he was very driven and wanted to get one of the few spots available for an internship in the surgical department of the Lothaire Hospital. But seeing her pretty face and excitement started to change his mind.
"That is good because you missed one semester, and it will be difficult to catch up. So if you at least love it, it won't be too bothersome. – Oh, the professor just arrived. Let's find our spots."
Being one of the most popular kids in school, Nigel typically would have all the student's attention, but with Eliana at his side, their observing gazes multiplied. The whole classroom started to whisper while the two took their seats in the middle of the second row next to Nigel's best friends.
The judgmental stairs were overwhelming for Eliana, but she stood her ground and didn't show her insecurity. Before the professor started his lesson, Nigel whispered to Eliana. "I will introduce you to some of my friends in the break." And winked at her in the end.
Eliana nodded happily and turned her focus to the professor dressed in a formal coat radiating wisdom. Standing at the podium, he started his lecture by welcoming the students back from the semester holidays and going through the itinerary for this semester.
Looking around the room, the professor noticed a new face. "Ah, it seems we have a new student among us. How lovely. Can you introduce yourself quickly?" He looked at Eliana, whose face turned crimson red. Hesitant, she stood up and looked around shily. She didn't like to be exposed like this, but she didn't want to ruin her first impression, so she tried hard to overcome her anxiety.
"Oh- Uh- Tha- thank you for the opportunity, professor. My name is Eliana, it has always been my dream to study medicine, and I am very excited to learn from all of you." She sat back down while Nigel smiled at her giving her a nod as an appraisal, but a guy in the far back interrupted the peaceful atmosphere. "Oh dear, not only is she a Paxon, which she forgot to mention, but she also stutters, haha!" All the other students joined his laughing except Nigel and his friends making Eliana feel utterly uncomfortable.
"Please be quiet!" the teacher screamed. "Bradon, you may see me after class unless you do not shut your mouth, in which case you can leave my classroom immediately." The last remark made the class go quiet again, and the teacher resumed.
"Excellent, Eliana. Thanks for the quick intro. Then let's proceed with our class. I gave you all homework and will test your knowledge from the last semester with a short quiz."
The quiz was challenging, but Eliana got a decent grade since most questions were regarding the book she had read for this class. At the end of the course, the professor called Eliana to the podium to have a private conversation and told the guy named Bradon to wait until he was done speaking to Eliana.
"I quickly checked your answers in the quiz, and I am relieved that you at least know the book's contents. That is a good base, but try to get notes from other students and review the topics we discussed last semester. Otherwise, I don't think you can pass the finals."
"Yes, professor, and thank you for the advice. I will most certainly get more insights from my fellow students."
"Good, you may go now. Bradon, you are up next."
Without further ado, Eliana left and was happy to see Nigel waiting outside the classroom because she didn't know where to go next. "There you are. Did the professor give you harsh feedback?" He asked the minute she came to his eyesight.
"No, he only advised me to get the notes from someone to catch up."
"Ah, that makes sense. You can have my notes, and I also freed up some time to tutor you on the basics."
"Oh, you didn't have to do that! But I would be lying if I said I don't need it, so I greatly appreciate that." Eliana gave him another gorgeous smile making his knees weak.
"Don't worry about it. Let's go to lunch, and I will introduce you to some of my friends." Nigel tried to seem cool, although he was affected by her pretty face a lot.