"Watch where you're going!" a haughty voice sneered.
Raena stumbled and looked up to see a trio of students dressed in elaborate robes, each emblazoned with the sigils of their respective houses. The boy who had spoken stood tall with an air of superiority, his light blue eyes filled with disdain.
The first thing Raena looked into was the color of his hair. It has put her long, wavy silver hair to shame when the boy wore a hair so white it looked glowing. The princess knew from that moment on that she was up with someone with who she should have gotten good relationship from the start.
Instead, reality barged right into her delusions, making sure that the difference between the highest and lowest Houses of the Kingdom of Elaria can be distinguished.
Raena's eyebrows curled. The image of her grandmother dying in her hands because the family of this boy she is looking at right now stripped them of their right to live abundantly as much as they deserved before.
She thought to herself, 'What could have been his relationship with the king?'
Of course, the guy raised his eyebrows to the questionable look of Raena. He was flanked by two others, one with fiery red hair and the other with a cascade of golden locks.
"Well, well, if it isn't the shadow dwellers," the boy with blue eyes said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I heard from my family that the Thorn has chosen unlikeable candidates, but I never knew I'd meet them right away."
Everyone's ears jolted as they heard the guy's words.
Either it was because they recognized the very voice of Lucius Solarion, the seventh prince of the Kingdom under the House Solarion, or because the name Shadowmen had finally reached the prestige walls of Thornwood after decades of being unwanted by the Thorn.
"They dared to cross the seventh heir of the Kingdom?"
"Hah, how bold of these country laborers!"
"It is the first time I've seen someone from their place... they look scary!"
"She looks like a witch..."
"Shouldn't you two be skulking in the dark where you belong?" The glowing-haired guy smirked.
Vladimir stepped forward, his expression calm but his eyes flashing with anger. "And you must be the famed candidates from House Solarion, House Pyrus, and House Zephyr. Quite the welcoming committee."
The girl with golden hair, clearly from House Zephyr, laughed. "Oh, look, the shadow prince has some bite. How quaint."
Raena felt a surge of anger but also a pang of insecurity. She knew the reputation of her family, the Ravenscrofts, paled in comparison to the war-waging Darkbanes. Before she could respond, the red-haired boy from House Pyrus stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Listen, shadow girl," he hissed, "you're out of your league here. Thornwood isn't for the likes of you. Maybe if you crawl back to your decrepit tower, you'll be spared the humiliation."
It was not long before the entrance of Thornwood was filled with laughter. The poor princess shrunk to what she thought she looked like — small, powerless, ludicrous, and simply a laughingstock.
"So... So this is my fate here?" Raena could not help but think to herself.
Her hands clenched into fists, finding it difficult to accept the sheer fact of the differences between her and the other candidates.
However, Vladimir placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Enough," he said coldly. "We may come from the Shadowlands, but that doesn't make us any less capable. You might want to remember that."
Lucius carved the most annoying smirk he could ever do. "We'll see about that, shadow prince. But don't think for a moment that your presence will go unnoticed. We'll be watching you both very closely. And as for you, Ravenscroft," he leaned in closer to Raena, his voice a venomous whisper, "don't think we've forgotten what your family is known for, you witch. You might want to keep your head down if you want to survive here."
With that, the trio turned and walked away, their laughter echoing behind them. Raena's heart pounded in her chest, a mix of fear and anger roiling within her. Her gaze found its way staring at the back of the three great Houses walking away, making her so little as if everything they did was wait for her arrival just to pin her down the ground.
Raena gulped. She bit her lip in utmost embarrassment when she saw the other students staring and whispering about her. If anything, she was dressed greatly by her governess! She prepared so much for this day — she spent hours combing her hair, fixing her nails, choosing the right dress, and even wearing a bit of makeup just in case!
But all her efforts were in vain just because of how lowly her family is.
Ravenscroft... the witches of the Kingdom. The ugly bunch. The House which was deemed useless ever since the Great War was finished.
Is it even right that she was here in the first place?
Maybe they were right all along. Maybe she should have just stayed in the shadows, crept up on her chambers atop her old, looming tower, crouched and bored to her death.
"I still have time... I still have time" Raena whispered to herself, all shivering. Slowly, she took one step back, as she looked at the worsening crowd watching her like some zoo animal!
"I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have...!"
Before she could ever break into character and expose the soft-hearted princess that she is, a pair of thick, warm hands grabbed her shoulders gently.
"Don't let them get to you," Vlad said softly. "We have just as much right to be here as they do. We'll prove ourselves."
Raena took a deep breath and nodded. She looked up to whom they called the Shadow Prince, and realized how different they were treated even though they were both shunned to have come from a disastrous place.
'I am just a shadow witch...'
But instead of blurting that thought, she took a huge gulp and reorganized her mind once again.
"You're right. We will."
They continued their walk to the grand hall where the banquet was to be held, their determination renewed.
The hall was a sight to behold, with long tables laden with sumptuous food and drink, and banners of all the noble houses hanging from the walls.
Raena felt a comforting hug when she saw her family's banner, a Raven, although it was hung at the farthest corner. The room was filled with the chatter and laughter of students, but Raena couldn't shake the encounter from her mind.
The shadow dwellers took their seats, trying not to mind the distracting stares of others. It did not take much time before the attention was shifted away from them as a grandiose figure barged into the huge doors of the banquet.
"This is it," Raena whispered as she saw the Headmaster gracing the new future of Elaria.