Arian was impressed by her beauty. So much so, that he even moved his head, giving the people around him a sign of where he was looking. His maid, who was standing next to him studied the prince curiously.
She hesitated momentarily before she bowed slightly and mumbled with a subdued voice. „It seems like you have noticed the girl with the ridiculously long hair as well. She seems so… odd here. She kind of looks like she doesn't belong here."
Indeed, even though she wore a simple, washed-out garment, she still looked fascinating. Her posture was perfect and her movements flowed like water. She was hypnotizing. Arian couldn't take his eyes off of her.
She stirred something in him and he wasn't sure what it was.
„She is way too beautiful to be around all these ugly people", Arian whispered, his voice sounding strangely excited. „If I didn't know better, I would have thought her to be of noble birth."
„You sound quite fascinated" His maid turned fully towards him, her eyes fixing on the prince's face. „ With all respect, your Highness, I would like to remind you- you have a wife."
She bowed while saying the last few words in order to show she didn't want to insult her superior.
Arian let her flippant comment pass without scolding. By now, all the students had arrived. They headed into what Arian assumed were their respective sleeping dorms.
He relaxed in his wheelchair. „You're right. But my wife is miles away, almost at the other end of the empire. In her absence, who is going to entertain me? You?"
Arian watched with delight as his maid's face turned red as she turned away slightly. Her hands balled into fists at her side, yet she didn't have the guts to tell him no.
He waited for a few moments, but his maid said nothing.
Did she take it that seriously?, Arian sighed inwardly.
"That was only a joke. I guess I should apologize for my bad humor."
He didn't want to cause a rift between him and his maid. She was the only servant, that he knew for longer than a few years. In fact, she had been there since he was born, which also meant she was way too old for him.
And somehow, at some point, she had replaced his mother. Even though Arain would never admit that out loud, deep down, he knew the truth.
The prince looked at the girl with long hair again. This time his eyes glided over her body, noticing the big breasts and wide hips.
"My prince, please, a bit more dignity. You basically look at her like you want to undress her right here," my maid signed to me, probably ashamed to say these words out loud.
Arian chuckled mischievously. "What's wrong with me thinking about my entertainment for the night?"
Again, his personal maid hesitated. She took a step towards the prince, this time speaking with a subdued voice
„Would it be wise to betray your wife so soon? I know you are far away but still, rumours always spread. You are only married for a few months. Of course, most of the time since your marriage the two of you spent apart. She is in the palace, whereas you have traveled to this place."
Her gaze grew more intense, as she got even closer to Arian and bowed slightly. "But before you left, you consummated the marriage. For all we know, your wife could very well be pregnant by now. Do you really want to hinder your own child's birthright by immediately conceiving a bastard? After all, you of all people should know, how troublesome bastard children could be."
A child...
There was a momentary silence before the prince grabbed the hind wheels of his wheelchair and turned himself around. He gestured for his guards to carry him down the watchtower again.
You just had to ruin my mood. As if it wasn't terrible enough already, Arian added in thought.
I could have a fucking child...
As his guards heaved him on one of the knights's back again, Arian noticed from the corner of his eyes that the beautiful girl, who was about to enter her sleeping dorm, suddenly halted, turned around, and stared at him.
Without bowing or keeping her head low, like it was usually expected from someone of her standing when facing royalty, she looked directly at him. As if she had known we were talking about her.
But that was impossible, we were too far apart and we all had whispered, the prince thought.
Besides, what commoner looks at a prince so defiantly?
On second thought, Arian remembered teacher Javis, shortly after his beatings, when he walked away without help and a straight back.
Normally, he would find the girl's behavior outrageous, but now there was something else clouding his mind
I might really have a child...
The thought didn't leave him until he got into his sleeping chambers. Somehow the principal had managed to escort him and his party from the watchtower to their sleeping quarters on the other side of the academy grounds. Despite his injured back, teacher Javis showed no sign of weakness.
He even offered to give them a private tour of the school jard, before tomorrow, when they would normally have one together with the new students.
But Maloc declined, noticing his prince's bad mood.
Arian was thankful for it, as all he wanted to do now was to sleep.
When he entered his room, his maid immediately asked him, if she should make him a warm bath, but Arian shook his head.
He realized there were two other girls in his room; servants the academy provided solely for him. They asked him, what they could do for him, offering their various services, but Arian declined all of them and sent everyone out.
When finally alone in his room, the prince let out a sigh of relief.
Finally, alone.
He looked around in his small room, a far cry from the luxurious private quarters he had in the royal palace, which were made up of multiple rooms, all five times bigger than this one.
He noticed the gold-rimmed furniture, as well as a two-meter tall mirror, decorated with intricate golden patterns.
Clearly, the furniture and all other items in this room came from the royal palace.
At least, my servants have TRIED to make this place habitable. Arain looked at the ugly grey metal walls, the rusting door, as well as the small windows with tainted glass (or was that not even glass?). It's just that they have failed regardless, though.
He moved his wheelchair towards the mirror, hearing the floor make weird sounds as he did so. This place is beyond saving, it should all be demolished already, the prince cursed in his head.
While staring into the mirror, Arian took off his veil, slowly uncovering what no one except the royal family was allowed to see.
Behind a heavy golden tiara adorned with red crystals and many layers of thin white fabric hid an exhausted face. The prince almost flinched, when he saw himself in the mirror.
His eyes were sunken, with big eyebags underneath, while his face was slim and edgy. And worst of all, he was thin.
The beauty standard dictated that every noble should be thick. Not exactly completely fat, but still a slightly bigger build, for women with nice curves and for men with big muscles.
Arian, with his thin arms, legs, and stomach, where one could see his rips, was everything the empire deemed as ugly.
After all, he looked like a commoner- one that worked heavily outside but got little food regardless.
Of course, this hadn't always been the case.
When he hadn't been paraplegic, he had been a bit chubby, too. Even with a bit of muscle.
Back then, he was deemed attractive, but now...
He was just too exhausted to do anything. Often this included eating.
The prince vaguely remembered, that one of the two academy servants from earlier had offered to bring him a meal, but he had declined.
He was tired, there was no strength for eating left in him. Actually there is no strength for anything left in me. The prince's expression turned bitter.
Of course, he only needed to ask his servants. They would help him. They even offered themselves to help him, since this was his job.
But since he had his accident, Aria always felt embarrassed, when they did something to him and he could do nothing.
When they touched his legs, he felt nothing. When they heaved him into bed and he could do nothing.
He felt so useless.
He felt superfluous.
He felt more than just uncomfortable.
Arian turned away. Not being able to look at himself in the mirror any longer.
Now that his veil was off, some hair strands fell into his face as he moved. He pushed them back, but his hair fell back over his eyes the next moment he moved.
Arian almost screamed in frustration as he tried to push it back again. When his hair was open and not hidden behind a veil, it reached his chest.
It was a necessity for nobles, to have long and healthy hair.
Arian picked up a brush. And then took a chunk of his hair, only to realize… or remember again, that it was all matted at the back of his head.
He tried to brush it, but after three brushes, his brush got stuck and Arian cursed quietly, as his scalp hurt.
He threw the brush to the side, breathing heavily. No, he didn't have the energy for it today.
After all, he couldn't even move himself properly.
But, as always he didn't call for his maid. He didn't want her to see his helplessness.
Arian screamed in frustration. He didn't know what else he should do.
"Are you okay, my prince?", a voice from outside rang. It was his personal maid. "Should I help you? Can I come in?"
Apparently, she had waited outside. Does she make sure I'm safely and sound asleep before she goes to bed herself?
Arian couldn't help but smile softly, even if it was only for a short time.
Arian hurriedly picked up his veil, and threw it over his face, before he looked into the mirror again.
He pushed and pulled at the veil until his head was completely covered. Neither his facial features nor the mess of hair could be seen.
"You may enter", he finally mumbled, his voice not more than a whisper.
Immediately the door opened and his maid walked in.
Her face showed a worried and pained expression as she saw the prince sitting in his wheelchair, in the middle of the room, his body trembling slightly.
She had known the prince since he was little and rarely did he look as miserable as today.
When Arian noticed his maid was carrying a plate with food, he wanted to fall into her arms and cry.
But he was a prince, someone close to a god, a holy figure.
A prince is always perfect, so he didn't make a sound, composed himself, and showed no emotion on his face.