The Ether Walker

Chapter 8

I was so relieved when the most excitement during dinner was Camden spilling his stew all over Zach. Which was funny, no doubt about it, except for the stares from the rest of the students. Afterwards the whole gang decided to tag along to get me a uniform and forced me to model the small choices till they agreed on one that fit the best. And the best wasn't much. The former owner was much taller than me, so I had to role the sleeves up a few times. I was lucky that the skirt was longer rather than shorter at least. But the major problem was that the uniform was quite tight in the chest area.

This probably was why Zach protested so much but was overruled by Camden. I rolled my eyes at their obvious testosterone driven opinions but I regretfully had to use the uniform since the others were way worse and vowed to get it altered as soon as possible. Apparently my built was completely different from high-class noble girls.

But that night I couldn't sleep. I kept tossing and turning from nervous excitement before finally drifting off into a restless sleep. I was awake but not rested by the time Ivan knocked on my door. I quickly dressed myself in the uniform and pull my hair up in ponytail, knowing I would have to ask Finley about baths after class. Zach had also brought up threadbare but thankfully clean blankets last night as well. I had to climb over Khagan to get to the door, as there was barely any room left with him curled up in the center of the room.

I pulled the door open to see Ivan fully awake and looking the exact same as yesterday.

"You ready? We'll head down for breakfast before class," Ivan said as I came out of my room.

I will meet you downstairs; I cannot fit through your small walkways here, Khagan called behind me. Now that I thought about it, how did he get into my room in the first place? He was already inside by the time I came up after dinner last night. I decided that I could ask him later seeing as Ivan was already disappearing down the stairs along with a few other students. I race after him, barely remembering to close my door behind me.

I caught up to Ivan as we reached the bottom of the stairs. We walked together down to the main hallway where Khagan was waiting by the dinning hall doors. I was about to ask him through our mind link about it when I caught a whiff of the heavenly food that was inside and completely forgot about anything besides filling my empty stomach. I hadn't even noticed how hungry I was, my nervousness for class distracting me.

The dinning hall was for the most part empty, only a handful of students scattered. Finley was already seated and waved us over. We sat down with her after getting our food first. I looked around and found no sign of Zach and his crew or even Caith who I was relieved not to see.

"Hey, where is everyone?" I asked Ivan and Finley.

"Oh, because we don't have enough teachers, since most of them are needed at the front lines, first years start earlier. Which I don't mind since we get first dibs on food plus we end earlier," Finley answered.

"We have lunch and dinner together, and occasionally a joint class with the upper classes," Ivan added. I was both disappointed and glad about the arrangements. I wouldn't see Zach or any of the others, but I also wouldn't have to deal with Caith or the Prince, which I was kicking myself for still not knowing which one he was. I decided I should just suck up my embarrassment and ask.

"You know the Prince?" I tentatively asked. Finley looked up from her food at my tone.

"Yeah? It's hard not to when he's the only royalty in a tiny academy like this one?" I flushed a little, embarrassed of my lack of knowledge. In a tiny faraway town like where the orphanage is, we were lucky to even know there were two Princes.