"Simon used to call me Dame, but other than that, I don't have any nicknames…."
"That is alright; I like Dame. That will be my nickname for you, then."
"Haha, alright, Dame, it is. Now that we are on a nickname basis, will you tell me what bothers you?" She looked surprised and was touched that he knew her so well already.
"Is it that obvious?"
"I don't know how obvious it is, but I can see through it."
Faintly smiling, she took a deep breath. "It is just a lot to take in, and not having Georgina by my side through all of it makes it more difficult." Her gloomy mood came back immediately.
"What exactly is a lot to take in? Are your classes too challenging? Are people not nice? …Or is it Nigel?" He was probing her relations with him.
"No… - I mean, yes, the classes are challenging, but I like them and the teachers a lot. Nigel is also very nice. It is just… It is just that I don't know how much of my background I should share with them. I am not ashamed to be an orphan, but at the same time, it is nice to leave that part behind as well. It seems like Georgina and I can start fresh here, and I want to take advantage of that."
Damien took a second to think before responding. "I think that is understandable. You have been labeled since birth and didn't have the opportunity to form a reputation on your own, and you are right to use this chance. There is no reason for you to feel bad about it." As a prince, he knew what it meant to live up to a definition that was made up of circumstances and not based on a person's quality.
"You really think so? Wouldn't that be lying?"
"No, it wouldn't be lying as long as you still kept being yourself other than mentioning you are an orphan." He smiled warmly at her making her feel much better. Every time she spent time with him, she felt whole. It seemed like Damien appreciated every aspect of her character, encouraging her to be her true self, which she greatly loved. Even though she couldn't tell him she was a vampire, she still could be herself on all other accounts.
"Is he a nice guy? Do you like him a lot?" Initially, he didn't want to ask her straightforwardly, but he couldn't sleep last night worrying about what Nigel could become in Eliana's world. She didn't feel the same pull as a human and could still fall in love with someone else.
Catching Eliana off guard, she wasn't sure who he meant until she realized that she had mentioned Nigel just a second ago. "He is a smart and friendly guy who will become a good friend. Also, his other two friends, George and Charles, seem to be good people. But I have known them only for two days. That is not enough to establish a close friendship."
He didn't know if he should be happy about her seeing them only as friends or getting more annoyed that two more boys were constantly surrounding her. "It is good to hear that you are making friends," he lied, "- by the way, do you still want to learn self-defense from me?"
"Oh yes, I completely forgot about that. I think I have Friday afternoons off; Would you have time then?"
Although the afternoons before the weekend were the busiest, he couldn't let this chance slide through his fingers. He would change his whole schedule if he had to, if it meant spending more time with her. "Yes, that should work."
Arriving at the palace, Eliana thanked Damien for accompanying her and said goodbye until dinner.
--
For the rest of the week, Damien accompanied Eliana after her study group sessions at the University which was why the guard only dropped her off and then left. That was part of Damien's plan to win Eliana over by spending more time with her, which seemed to work. While the two grew closer each day, Simon and Georgina drifted apart more. Simon worked her harder than anybody before her, so much so that her soreness sometimes didn't let her sleep at night.
Georgina's training started early and ended only before dinner. She would usually learn the techniques in the morning and then practice them in the afternoon, but her physique was not fit enough to keep up with the amount of exercise. The goal set for her was that for the first couple of weeks, she would learn the close-range combat techniques before moving on to use weapons.
After Simon realized that having her in his proximity made it difficult for him to control his urges, he decided to make the training a living hell for her, hoping she would give up. Little did he know that his game plan only fuelled Georgina further. Her utter ignorance of his treatment was another thing that angered him, making him meaner toward her – it was a devil's circle. In the meantime, unbeknownst to Simon, she had made friends with the other cadets and gained their favor. They all rooted for her to pass these times and join their regiment.
Finally, on the last day of the week, Darrel, who was Simon's right hand and had become one of Georgina's closest acquaintances, couldn't take it anymore and interfered. "Prince Simon, I think that is enough." Both Simon and Georgina looked at him wide-eyed, surprised by his opposition.
"What did you just say?" Simon stood only centimeters before him, pushing out his chest and lifting his chin slightly to show his dominance. From afar, he looked like a puffed-up bird. If Georgina hadn't been too exhausted, she would have giggled.
"Sire, she just did five repetitions and looks like she is about to faint. It is only her first week. Shouldn't we start the training a little easier?"
"Who are you to oppose me, Darrel?!" Simon was highly irritated and could barely hold back his aggression. But it wasn't about Darrel's objection. Rather, it was about him protecting Georgina from him. Darrel had known Simon almost all his life and was also his friend. He knew he could be a little much, but usually, he listened when he was made aware of his mistakes. His current reaction was unfamiliar and exaggerated.
"Sire, you know me, I don't mean any disrespect, but I am merely worried about our cadet. Shouldn't we take care of our soldiers?" He glanced worriedly at Georgina's ashen face and darkened circles under her eyes. She was breathing heavily and barely listened to their quarrel, trying to neutralize her breathing. But it was already too late. She had been at her limit, and within seconds, her dizziness blurred her surroundings until her swaying body was caught by Darrel - just in time before she hit the floor.
Darrel looked at Simon for support, but instead of helping him, he took Georgina's unconscious body from him and carried her to the infirmary princess-style. Darrel followed his General without another word, realizing that Simon was regretting his actions.
While the nurse was caring for her, both stood quietly in the corner. Simon observed the nurse with his arms crossed before his chest, lost in his thoughts. Looking at her fainted form, which looked drained and had lost some of its radiance, he became disgusted with himself. Did he do that to her? Were mates capable of hurting each other this badly? He was shocked by his capabilities.
To his relief, it didn't take long for Georgina to wake up, which was just in time before Eliana arrived, along with an angry Damien. They had been training her self-defense close by and had overheard two soldiers mentioning how Georgina had fainted. Eliana, of course, ran to the infirmary right away, worried about her best friend.
"Georgina, you are awake! What happened?"
"Jesus, you never call me 'Georgina', haha – don't worry, it is nothing serious. I just overdid it a little today."
Although Georgina seemed alright, Eliana wouldn't have any of it and needed confirmation from an expert first. "Nurse, what is her situation? What happened?"
"Nothing serious as she said, my dear. She must have trained too much this week and, by the looks of it, didn't sleep much either. Such a combination can lead to a collapsing body signaling that it needs a break."
"See Eli. All is well. Come hug me now." Eliana looked at her skeptically but gave in and hugged her in the end. "You scared me, Gio. Please take better care of yourself."
The two girls were too engrossed in their conversation to notice the deadly stares Damien was giving Simon and Darrel. He couldn't believe that his tête-à-tête with Eliana was interrupted once more by Simon's drama, no less. What was his goddam problem? Was he adamant about blocking his good fortune or something? He nodded to his brother without alarming the girls and tilted his head toward the door, asking him to speak outside in private.
Closing the door behind him, Damien could hardly hide his frustration. "Please tell me, what in the four continents is happening with you? Since when do we overtrain our new cadets like this?"
Seconds of silence weighed heavily in the air as Simon was reluctant to answer. "I honestly don't know, brother, it looks like I have lost control…." He looked at the floor, too ashamed to look his brother in the eyes.
"I think you know the reason, Simon. What made you lose control?"
Taking all his courage, he stared into Damien's eyes and told him the complicated truth. "Georgina is my mate."