A Fragile Peace
The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass from the academy's central courtyard. Sunlight filtered through the towering stone pillars, casting elongated shadows that danced across the ground. Despite the serene setting, I could feel the tension in the air—unspoken words, cautious glances, the weight of shifting perceptions.
The match against Gareth had changed everything.
I was no longer just the cursed prince. I was a contender.
And that meant new threats.
I walked toward the training grounds, my mind replaying the events of the previous night. The look in Eleanor's eyes. The presence of my brother, Adrian. The way the crowd had gone silent when I had stood victorious.
They weren't sure what to make of me anymore.
And uncertainty was dangerous.
I was still thinking when I heard the familiar sound of footsteps approaching from behind. Light, calculated, almost hesitant.
I already knew who it was before I turned.
Eleanor.
She stood before me, her silver hair catching the morning sun, emerald eyes unreadable. She had changed from her formal academy robes into a simpler training outfit, yet she carried herself with the same effortless grace.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then, she broke the silence.
"You surprised me."
Her voice was soft, yet there was something in it—something I couldn't quite decipher.
"Did I?" I asked, meeting her gaze.
She studied me, as if searching for something beneath my calm exterior.
"Yes," she admitted. "You fight like someone who has nothing to lose. And that makes you dangerous."
I smirked. "Is that why you're here? To warn me?"
"No." She stepped closer, her voice lowering slightly. "I'm here because I want to understand you."
A flicker of emotion crossed her face—something restrained, something hesitant.
This was unfamiliar ground.
For both of us.
---
Unseen Bonds
We walked in silence for a while, moving through the quieter pathways of the academy. It wasn't awkward. It wasn't forced. It simply was.
At some point, Eleanor spoke again.
"When I first met you, I didn't think much of you."
I chuckled. "Honest."
"I mean it," she said, tilting her head slightly. "I thought you were reckless. Someone playing a role they weren't meant for."
I didn't respond.
Because she wasn't wrong.
For most of my life, I had been playing a role—one given to me by others. The weak prince. The disgrace of the royal family. The cursed one.
But things had changed.
And maybe… maybe she had started to see that.
She exhaled softly, her voice dropping just above a whisper.
"But now, I wonder… Who is the real Arthur?"
I glanced at her, searching for any trace of mockery.
I found none.
Only curiosity.
And something else.
Something deeper.
The realization sent an unfamiliar warmth through my chest.
"I don't know," I admitted. "But I intend to find out."
For the first time since meeting her, Eleanor smiled. It was faint, barely there, but it was real.
Something shifted between us in that moment—an unspoken understanding, fragile yet undeniable.
I wasn't sure what it meant.
But I knew that I didn't want it to end.
---
The Gathering Storm
The moment of peace was fleeting.
As we neared the academy's central hall, I felt it—an oppressive energy lingering in the air. The kind that sent a chill down the spine, that made the instincts scream danger.
Eleanor sensed it too.
She tensed beside me, her fingers subtly reaching for the hilt of her rapier.
We weren't alone.
Figures emerged from the shadows, their presence deliberate, predatory. Three of them, dressed in dark academy robes, their insignias marking them as members of noble houses.
One stepped forward—a tall figure with sharp blue eyes and a smirk that didn't quite reach them.
"Arthur." His voice was smooth, practiced. "That was quite the display last night."
I didn't recognize him, but I knew the type.
Entitled. Dangerous.
Someone who wasn't pleased with the shift in power.
I met his gaze without flinching. "Did you need something?"
His smirk widened. "I just thought we should have a little chat. About your place in the academy."
Ah.
So that was it.
I had disrupted the order. And now, they wanted to remind me of it.
I exhaled slowly, the Cursed Mark pulsing faintly beneath my sleeve.
A fight was inevitable.
But I wouldn't be the one to start it.
I didn't have to.
Because Eleanor stepped forward before I could react.
Her hand rested on the hilt of her weapon, her emerald eyes cold and unwavering.
"If you have something to say," she said, voice sharp as a blade, "say it."
The noble's smirk faltered. Just slightly.
Because this wasn't just a warning.
This was a declaration.
Eleanor—one of the academy's most renowned figures—was standing beside me.
With me.
And in that moment, I saw it in their eyes.
Doubt.
Hesitation.
The understanding that I wasn't as alone as they thought.
The noble held my gaze for a long moment. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, his followers trailing behind.
I let out a breath.
It wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
But something had changed.
And as I turned to Eleanor, meeting her unreadable gaze, I realized—
I wasn't the only one who had noticed.
---
A Step Forward
That night, as I sat by the dim glow of my lantern, I replayed everything in my mind.
The fight. The threats. The unexpected shift in Eleanor's demeanor.
Something was happening.
Something I hadn't accounted for.
I had spent so long fighting alone that I never considered the possibility of someone standing beside me.
And yet, today… she had.
I wasn't sure what it meant.
But for the first time in a long while, I didn't feel like a lone figure against an unforgiving world.
For the first time, I wasn't entirely alone.
And that—
That changed everything.