Wicked Games Academy

CHAPTER 16

I wondered often how life would've been different if I was a girl. It wasn't that I was unhappy with being a boy—I was completely happy that Clive and I fell in love despite the "abnormality" of it. Yet I still wonder.

My father would have no interest in me but put me in a boarding school to learn etiquette and marry a knight, of course. Daniel and Jonathan would not be close to play much less play with me when I was young.

I think I would be sheltered and quite popular as a quiet girl with status and single brothers of knighthood. Girls would become my friends to simply go over and maybe see my brothers. If we were in school, we would go to Graycotts, because I knew my father would want me to marry a knight.

Here I imagine a lot of things happening. My father would tell me to go straight for the Whitecastle boy, or maybe Samuel Goldings, ranked number one in exams. But my eyes would undoubtedly go to Clive.

He would attract me like how he attracts all the girls, a princely yet humble boy with a bright future and smile. I'd be too shy or prudish to reach out and watch from a distance. From then on I would wonder if I'd choose Will, who I think would be alone but understands me, or maybe even Hale or Cory. Anyone but Wyatt Whitecastle or Samuel Goldings.

***

As the boys slowly began to talk about the girls again, popular names constantly popping up such as a Heloise, a Clara, and Marlene.

"Which girls wrote you all last year?" Hale asked when we gathered in the lounge. We were not playing chess or cards but just sitting together, maybe they were secretly glad Clive and I were talking again. It was awkward when the boys had to choose a side except Will and Wyatt.

Around this time I stopped calling Wyatt by his surname, not that I was close to him, but Will called him Wyatt, and so did his friends. If I called him Whitecastle it would be evident I didn't like him.

And he called me Nathan, so two could play at playing "friends".

I was curious about Will and Wyatt and their role as knight in trainings. I believed they didn't kill, unlike the twelfth years we countered, Stein and Vic.

"Ariana Dove wrote me," Hale said, eyes on the rest. "She's the daughter of a duke but has been bullied for being nobility although they support knights."

"I don't really care," I said. "I won't be writing anyone." I could feel Clive's eyes and went I casually turned to him I saw a huge grin.

"Hmm. I might choose a girl this year," Clive said.

What?

He wasn't supposed to write anyone but me!

"Oh no, you're definitely going for the high knight families, right?" Samuel said. He had made his way into our circle and we referred to one another by first names.

"Which girls belong in knight families again?" Clive asked.

I knew he had a patron and might need to seduce certain families but to say this in front of me was too cruel.

I narrowed my eyes at him but he only smirked.

"Or should I not write, Nathan?" he suddenly asked. Everyone looked at me, who stopped making a face.

"I mean, sure, I don't own you."

"Exactly!" Wyatt was laughing like a stupid ass. "The Leon house has a daughter named Heloise. She's pretty to boot!"

"The prettiest girl would have to be Julia Damian!"

"The Constance house isn't exceptional but they are looking to marry her to a knight, I heard," Cory said.