Nigel and Eliana entered a large space used as a canteen with many lunch tables neatly distributed in the room. There was a counter in the far back where three ladies handed out food trays. It was a messy and loud atmosphere where everyone chatted about their holidays and discussed topics covered during the last session. The discussions were diverted to them as soon as the two entered the room. The currently hottest topic was their new Paxon student, Eliana.
Ignoring the gossiping students, two guys called Nigel to their table, and Eliana followed him there. "Hi guys, this is the new student, Eliana. Eliana, these are my best friends, George and Charles." The two young men were amazed when they saw Eliana and were immediately jealous of Nigel that he got to spend his time as a buddy to such a pretty girl. They were aware of the people glaring at her, but they weren't very faxed by that.
"Hello, George and Charles. It is very nice to meet you." She said, smiling shily.
"Come sit next to me -" Charles said but was abruptly interrupted by George. "No, come sit next to me. I can tell you all about our school." They both looked at each other angrily.
"Don't mind them; they can be two idiots at times. Come, we get our food first before sitting down." Nigel said apologetically.
The lunch passed relatively peacefully, with Charles and George fighting over who gets to tell their stories first and Eliana quietly listening to their conversation. They managed to occupy Eliana's mind so that she forgot about the jealous looks from the girls sitting around them. She was happy she didn't have to talk too much because she was unsure how honest she could be about her background.
After the class in the afternoon, the day drew to a close, and students gathered in small study groups, pouring over their notes and engaging in discussions about the day's lessons. Nigel took Eliana to his study group, of which George and Charles were also a part. Besides the three boys, two more girls looked at Eliana suspiciously and were unhappy about her addition to the group. But with Nigel being the study group's leader, no one could disagree with his decision.
After two hours with the study group, it was almost dinner time, and Eliana made her way to return to the palace. Her personal guard waited outside to accompany her back, just as Damien had promised. The guard would drop her off and pick her up by the University daily. Back in her bedroom, she gathered her thoughts and went to the dining hall, making it just in time as everyone was sitting down.
"How was your first day in the medical school?" The queen asked during their meal, surprising everyone because she usually didn't speak to the girls directly. Unbeknownst to everyone, she had decided to groom Eliana to be the best queen there ever was and wanted to get closer to her. With Damien getting more attached with every passing day, she had no other choice, and after confirming her approval today, she had to get started with her teaching.
Eliana composed herself from the shock and quickly answered. "It was fascinating. My very nice buddy shows me around and includes me in everything, making it easier to integrate. He also freed up some time to tutor me on the difficult topics."
"He?" This time it was Damien who asked her with his brows furrowed.
Eliana looked at him quizzingly. "Yes, his name is Nigel, and I guess being so forthcoming is part of him being my buddy." She explained innocently, not realizing that Damien's mood changed 180 degrees.
Ignoring Damien's reaction, the queen continued with her conversation. "That is good to hear. What about you, Georgina? How was your experience with Simon?"
Georgina awkwardly looked at the queen and then at Simon, who continued to ignore her and was focused on his dinner. She was exhausted as well and felt sore all over. Simon had been patient with her however worked her all day to the point that she almost fainted. But she would be persistent in becoming a soldier and wouldn't let him know that it had been difficult for her.
"It was a tough first day, but I liked it very much."
"Great, so you two had a great first day. I am happy to hear that, indeed. Now that you two are integrating into our community, you must become more familiar with our customs. I want you two to keep next weekend free for me to introduce you to our traditions."
Both girls nodded, unsure if they should get excited about the sudden attention they received from the queen or be worried. Damien sitting next to Eliana, was deep in thought, concerning himself with Nigel, Eliana's new male buddy. What was the headmaster thinking by pairing her with a man? Or should he say, boy? He would have to investigate that guy further to know who she was associating herself with. He couldn't risk anybody stealing her from him – not when he was so close to getting her.
After the meal, Eliana and Georgina met on their balconies to speak freely about their day. Both were drained and had to share the negative points they didn't mention during dinner. "So, this Bradon guy made fun of you because you are from Paxos? Oh, you just wait, you little brat! When I improve my fighting skills, I will reign hell over him."
"Haha, Gio, that is not necessary. The teacher already gave him a suspension. Apparently, racist remarks are an absolute no-go at the University. And I assume that the gossiping will fade over time as well. It is just a shame that you are not there, you know."
"Ah, I feel you! I almost quit three times today because the training was so difficult! I am used to us pushing each other. I swear, Simon has some issue with me and is making me pay for it even though I don't know what I did wrong."
"Yes, he is very peculiar. When we met them at the town fair back in Paxos, he had been the one to hold back Damien, and now they switched roles."
Their conversation went on for a long while before both went to bed, mentally preparing themselves for another hard day tomorrow. As expected, the next day was like the first one for the two girls and got even more challenging for Eliana when George asked her the questions she had hoped to avoid forever. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but the rumors say you are a human Paxon. Is that true? And if so, how come you are here?"
Nigel jumped in to protect Eliana right away. "Dude, did you want to make a list of questions for her?"
"No, I just didn't want to bombard her with all my questions on her first day, so I waited for her second." His response made everyone giggle except for Eliana, who smiled uncomfortably.
When the three boys turned their concentration back to her, she knew she had to answer. "Well, yes, I am a Paxon human, but the story of how I got here is long."
"Aha, so you don't want to talk about it. Alright, fair. Maybe some other time when you know us better. One last question, is it true you know the princes?" Nigel was about to say something but decided against it because he wanted to know the answers.
"Hmm, yes, I do." It was incredibly awkward for her, and she wanted them to stop the questioning.
When she saw that George was about to continue his interrogation, she quickly said she would return to the classroom to read through some material. Nigel joined her, and the two went to the classroom a little before class started.
"I am sorry about George's questions. They are all very curious about your background, that's all. I hope you didn't misunderstand."
"No, that is alright. I don't like to speak too much about that and would like to focus on my studies instead." Getting the hint, Nigel nodded and focused back on his book, as did she.
After class, Eliana took her leave without joining the study group because she needed a break from the scrutinizing glares. On her way home, she had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed Damien, who had seen her walking in his direction, and stood on the side of the street waiting for her to reach him so they could continue their way home together.
Giving the guard a sign to disappear, he greeted her. "Hey Eliana- Eliana!" Although she already knew who it was, she looked a little confused but was happy to see him.
"Damien, hi."
"You seem lost in your thoughts. Is everything alright?"
"Yes, of course. It was just a tiring day and so much information." Her expression didn't convince him, though.
"Why don't I walk you home." His endearing eyes enveloped warmth around her heart. They hadn't known each other for long, but he had become someone very dear to her without realizing it.
"I would like that."
Strolling up the hill to the palace, they both appreciated their surroundings and kept looking around. "I really like it here," Eliana said out of nowhere.
Surprised, Damien turned his head toward her." That is good to hear, Eli." Her eyes widened, surprised while he pretended as if he hadn't just used her nickname for the first time.
"I don't remember permitting you to call me like that.", she teased.
"Oh, you wound me, Eli! We have traveled from Laros to Lothaire together, you are staying in my home, and I have shown you around and saved you from an awful situation. Don't you think we are close enough to call each other our nicknames?"
"Haha, I guess you have a point there. Alright, you may call me Eli from now on, but what is your nickname?" Her laughter brought Damien indescribable joy, and he was satisfied that he could change her mood like this.