Legacy's Prince

Chapter Eighteen: Questions

The next few classes go by rather uneventfully. We're given assigned seating and I'm separated from everyone I know for Language and Composition class, which is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, I don't have to worry about Drark and his goons. On the other, I sadly don't have Axellia, Seana, or even Dezden to keep me company. Just a group of snickering human girls who can't seem to keep their eyes off of me. No doubt they are some highborn nobles, or maybe even lower royalty looking to use me to climb their way on the social ladder. I wonder if they got the same speech from their fathers that Axellia often got from ours growing up.

"When you arrive at Cristabel," he'd say. "Yes, do make sure to do well in your studies, but also be on the lookout for a husband. There are not many men worthy of a woman of your pedigree, but the few that are will no doubt attend Cristabel."

Of course I'd never gotten any such speech. I don't have to worry about finding a wife. Father will no doubt arrange that for me when the time comes. Picking out a future queen is no small task, and I'm rather positive he wouldn't trust such a job to me. He barely trusts me to be his heir. I'm certain if he'd had any other living son he'd pass the title of crown prince to him, rather than me.

Just another reason why Nicholai should be here, rather than in a mausoleum.

I try not to pay much mind to the girls giggling behind their fans and waving coquettishly to me. I don't want to get their hopes up.

I'm relieved that I'm seated next to Seana for mathematics. Finally someone I can talk to! And the fact that Seana is better with numbers than I am doesn't hurt either. Sadly, seated right behind us is...Drark's friend with the brown hair who's name I can't seem to remember.

Odd.

Drark is the leader.

Frin is the scrawny one.

And the third one...

No. Try as I may I can't seem to remember his name. Good riddance, I suppose. That'd just be more bothersome, useless information taking up space in my head.

Our professor for mathematics is Rune, and seeing a friendly face at the front of the classroom does help ease my tensions a bit.

I soon find myself wishing I'd had Rune as a tutor back home. Her calm, almost genteel way of explaining equations, expression, and terms almost makes the class easy.

Almost.

I still find myself scratching at my head in a few spots. Seana, on the other hand, barely seems to be having any sort of trouble at all, scratching away at her workpad as casually as if she were writing a list for market.

I toy with the idea of peeking onto her paper, and even try to lean in for a better look once, but Seana puts a stop to that plan rather quickly with a sharp kick to my shin.

I wince and lean back into my seat, glaring at her as she gives me a sideways glance.

"Naughty," she playfully scolds before licking her finger and turning the page. I roll my eyes and glance about, hoping no one saw that.

Only the third giant has seemed to notice.

Oh, joy!

Thankfully he doesn't try to bring it up during our politics class, where we're once again allowed to choose where we sit. He doesn't even mention it while at lunch.

I'm starting to wonder if maybe I'd misjudged him. Separated from Drark he doesn't appear to take an interest in me. Or anything for that matter. He just keeps to himself, a permanent scowl on his face.