Crown and Cloak

Chapter 2

Aoife

Three weeks had passed since my run-in with Erik.

Erik-who-is- dating-the-worst-person-in-the-school-Erik who had casually dropped the fact that he was the son of King Edvard. If it had been anyone else, I might not have been as frustrated as I am now. Patria is divided into four kingdoms, the biggest of which Erik's father rules over. It's been an unspoken fact for years that Auris is the most intimidatingly powerful of the four, therefore putting them on a high pedestal when it comes to royalty. None of the royal families are related, but people started referring to all of the royal families as charmings some years ago, presumably when Erik's father began using the name.

In my opinion, 'Erik charming' sounds incredibly entitled. The school day was coming to an end, and thankfully, I had managed to avoid him for the past three weeks. Teryn would chastise me for avoiding a very handsome-looking prince who was interested in me. She didn't know that all he could talk about was my magic and eyes. If that's what it takes to get a girl to swoon these days, he doesn't live up to his name. Ter and I made plans to meet under the oak tree in the middle of the campus courtyard.

The school was surrounded mainly by forest, so sneaking off campus would get you nowhere but lost. Even though the courtyard was almost always full of people, they were often wrapped up in their own worlds. Leaning over one of the bathroom sinks, I studied my reflection: baggy eyes, lips slightly chapped because the salve I'd put on this morning had worn away during the day, and light application of red lipstick Teryn forced me to wear before we left the dorm.

She'd blocked the door, lipstick in hand, and demanded I apply it, or she would lock us both in. I battled with her for a good five minutes before caving.

Glancing at the clock, there were about three minutes before the last bell. Just one more class. I had to push Erik and the classroom incident out of my mind. I'd thought about it so much that I'd inadvertently given it a name when I told Teryn about it as soon as classes ended that day.

All things considered, things have been going well with the whole avoiding Erik thing. If I haven't seen him for three weeks, there is no chance I'll run into him again. We likely run in much different circles so the chances are slim to none. I take a breath, hardening my resolve before reapplying my lip salve. The bell rang as soon as I was done, and in my next move, I was out the door. Every step I took brought me closer to an hour-long lecture from Professor Avinia on botany and enchanted plant life. The room was a quick sprint down the hall, so I sprinted.

Nothing mattered except for getting through this class. Two hours and I'd be free to meet up with Teryn, who might actually let me get a reprieve from thinking about boy charming. Unfortunately, my three-week-long good luck streak shattered as I collided with another student. I opened my mouth to mutter an apology, but once I saw who I was faced with, my mouth snapped shut. Leonora White was examining me with her big, brown eyes, her lips tugged into a frown. "I-I'm sorry. I must not have seen you." The look on her face wasn't even whole, which only stoked the flame inside, which was my anger at her even more. Even to people who didn't like her, it seems, shes taken it upon herself to be fake to even me. I say nothing as I walk past her and towards my seat. As I entered the classroom, I heard the mutter of words, but coming from her, I couldn't care less. She and Charming are made for each other. I opt for a seat in the back, hoping I could get through this class undetected. Next to me was Meredith Hart, who was my current favorite person in the world because she normally kept to herself.

She was nice enough from what I could tell and always let me borrow a quill when I forget mine sometimes. Living with Teryn is like living with a tornado. She moves so quickly you have no time to respond or think, but i love her for it anyway. Meredith is the opposite but i truly appreciate her silence. I felt hopeful as I unloaded my usual things. This class would fly by, and I'd be under that tree with Teryn before I knew it. I'd avoided Leanora and hadn't seen Erik, which were both great facts for me. Maybe-- he was walking towards me. No. No. "Hey," He greeted. "I never got your name." I stared at him. Again. Him showing up unnanounded is close to becoming a pattern and i dont like it one bit. "That was on purpose," I snap, crossing my arms. It doesn't seem to trouble him. He looks exceptionally calm which makes me more mad at him. "Why?" He fires back quickly. I look at him again, more calculated than my previous staring.