Veil of Shadow and Rain ✓ [TSC #1]

Chapter 12 - The First of Iridia

'Miss Wren Carezby, are you with us?'

Wren jerked awake. Jake nudged her from beneath the table. Wren winced out of her dreams and her eyes blurred to focus on the wavering image of Alastair Xandon tower over her in the middle of Potions class.

'Daydreaming again, I can see,' drawled the professor, flashing his eyes. 'Allow me to remind you Wren Carezby; I do not care if you are blood of a royal lineage. You have to remember even though you are a princess,' he sneered, 'you are also an ordinary teenage girl - meanth to study and be treated equally like the rest of your classmates.'

Lucian Ailwood sniggered. Wren looked like she wanted to say something to him when she felt someone nudge her shoulder from behind. She turned around angrily to see Matteo Sternflair. 'Just shut up or you'll get into detention. He's not worth it.'

Jake turned around too to face him. 'He's a -' Jake hissed a name rude but worthy of Alastair. Matteo glared at him and put a finger to his lips.

After class, Lucian Ailwood swaggered over to Wren. Wren slung her backpack over her shoulder savagely, but Lucian caught the end of her bag to stop her escaping.

'What do you want, Lucian?' snarled Wren.

Lucian laughed his irritating laugh. 'Nothing from you, Princess,' he sneered. 'What makes you think I want anything to do with you?'

Wren couldn't think of a retort to that, so she just glared at him.

'You know, what Professor Alastair said earlier today in class,' he continued, 'don't you think being, you know, royal and all gives you an excuse for not paying attention in class?'

'You know very well I don't like being addressed by my title,' Wren hissed. 'And I'm in for acting like a normal wizard.'

'Of course,' Lucian said mockingly. 'Who wouldn't want to be, when a witch is on the run for them?'

It took Wren a moment to process what he meant by that. Then, outraged, she said, 'You know?'

'Of course I do,' Lucian said smugly, smoothing his hair. 'Funny, really, how you aren't used to how everyone knows how famous you are - you're like our mini celebrity now - everyone knows your life and all -'

'Put a sock in it Lucian,' Wren said fiercely.

'How's it feel, Princess, to be on the chase, to have your life in danger?' Lucian went on, pretending not to hear her. 'Had any injuries, lately?'

'Keep talking and I'll give you a real injury,' Wren snapped.

'No need to be so harsh, Princess,' drawled Lucian.

'Go to hell,' spat Wren.

'That's not a very nice thing to say, is it, Princess?'

'Stop calling me Princess!'

Lucian smirked.

⋆‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙⋆

'How come everyone knows?' Wren muttered, infuriated. 'Can't keep everything private now, can I, now I'm a bloody princess?'

'Language,' Ladislaya reminded her lightly.

Wren ignored her. She, Jake and Ladislaya were in the school grounds, sitting on a bench and doing their homework.

'Well, privacy is more of a personal thing,' Jake said to Wren as he scribbled something furiously in his notebook. 'But a lost princess dying? Nah. Pretty sure it's right of the whole world to know that an all-powerful, feared by everyone witch is stopping at nothing to kill you.'