The School for Good and Evil: Another Story

5~To Be a Prince

With how well Rose was doing lately, Rose was elated. He practically ran towards the armory where he was to meet Professor Espada. Rose walked in and found the Professor waiting for him.

"Good evening. So you are the boy that has been causing the stress in the faculty. I believe every boy should be prepared for a fight, even boys in pink."

Rose held back a retort. He wanted to stay on this professor's good side, after all. This was as close to prince classes he would get.

"Very well, let us see what you've got. Choose your weapon."

Rose glanced at the weapons off to the side and picked up two foot-long daggers.

Professor Espada scoffed, "I suppose we shall have to work up towards the big boy swords, but we'll make due. En guarde."

Espada let out a playful slash which Rose easily dodged. Espada let out another which was brushed aside with one of Rose's daggers. "Very good, I suppose." Espada struck again and again, increasing the complexity of his slashes. Rose blocked or dodged each and every one of them, the final one slicing for his neck which Rose crossed his daggers and bent backwards as he held the sword well away from his face. "Impressive. Where did you learn to use daggers like that?"

After Espada withdrew the sword Rose answered, "Millicent taught me."

"Millicent? A girl?"

"She was here during the fight between girls and boys and new and old. She learned."

Espada seemed satisfied with this answer because he struck again, once again dodged by Rose.

Half an hour of this and Rose and the professor began to sweat. At this time Espada had Rose go offensive and to try and disarm him. Rose advanced towards Espada avoiding his long blade with one dagger and pushing back with the other. Rose pushed Professor Espada back like this for a while, finding the perfect moment. Then he found it. With a flick of the wrists Espada's sword was tossed to the side and Espada gaped at the dagger pointed at him.

"I will not lie, I am very impressed with you. I do wish you would use a sword, though. Swords are viewed as noble and daggers as tools of deception. You are quite nimble and certainly would make an intriguing swordsman, Rose. I look forward to tutoring you, honestly. It is a shame you cannot attend our classes." With that Espada gave Rose a curt nod and headed down to the dining room. After all, fighting Rose had riled up his appetite.

Rose grinned into one of the shining shields on the weapons rack as he looked upon his sweating body. With his hair wet and face red, he grinned at the two daggers he held in his hands. He was becoming a prince.

Grinning, Rose went down to the dining hall and found a seat beside Lily and Julie. Mia scrunched up her nose when he sat down.

"You smell like sweat," she commented.

"How did it go?" Lily asked, ignoring her friend.

"It went well, I think. Professor Espada said he looks forward to the tutorials. As am I!"

"That's wonderful, Rose! You'll do great in this school!"

"Until he fails." Everyone looked at Mia. "What? He will fail. Fact. Anyone taking the princess courses will fail if a boy doesn't ask her to the Snow Ball. Fact. No prince would ask Rose."

Lily and Julie looked at Mia in horror. Not because what she said was false, because both knew it was true, but because they couldn't believe Mia would actually tell Rose this. Rose tensed and suddenly lost his appetite. Mia was right. Rose would inevitably fail.

"Nonsense," Lily began, her voice wavering, "I am sure that Rose will be fine. After all, look at him! He's wearing the boys' uniform. Perhaps he won't need a date to the Ball?"

Julie and Lily wouldn't look at Rose. They didn't quite believe what Lily was saying. Mia's eyes bore down upon Rose. She was telling Rose there was no hope for him.

Rose fidgeted with the food on his plate while Mia stood up and headed to her room. After all, a princess needs her beauty rest. A few minutes after Mia left, Lily and Julie left him as well, feeling awkward with the conversation that they had just experienced. Alone, Rose contemplated what was going to happen to him here at the school while he mixed his potatoes with his carrots. Was he destined to fail? Would he really have to go to the Ball? He looked at a passing fairy and frowned. Millicent had told him what would happen if a student failed and he was going to try his best not to. Now that he was in the School for Good, the only way out was through a fairy tale. He had hoped that his fairy tale would be him rescuing a princess from a wretched witch, but right now it looked as if he was the one in need of rescuing.

Rose left the dining hall with both an empty stomach and empty of hope. He walked up the stairs to the room he had to himself and cast of his new uniform he had loved so much and threw on his blue silk pajamas. He sat on his bed with his legs curled up wondering. Why wasn't trying enough? Why couldn't he just pass all the stinking princess classes? Why would he fail because he was a boy? Because none of the boys would ask him.

Then a glimmer of hope entered Rose. Rose was a boy. Why couldn't Rose ask one of the girls? Rose opened up one of his textbooks and started reading. He was not going to fail.

[+nxx@