His Majesty And I ✔️

Black Sword Academy

Chapter 73

Wei Li Lian
Princess Elora
Imperial Concubine Wei
Nevoria

Black Sword Academy was nothing like she had imagined it would be, considering the horrific dark dungeon she woke up in. Oren stated that it was a servant room, abandoned at the corner of the academy, but they had put her there because it was the consistent dark room for her body to stay in the state of hibernation when she was unconscious.

The academy held its own prestige. It was the size of both the middle and lower palace combined, a lot of expansive land to train on, ride their many horses and try out archery, plus the lone library near the waterfall. It was brilliant that they could have aquatic training at the waterfall.

The buildings were distinguished architecturally, with pale golden bricks for the juniors' section, red bricks for the seniors, and green for Oren's territory. The bright colours artistically contrasted with each other.

Notably, their walls were the tallest she had ever seen just as the palace walls. Li Lian began to wonder whether the academy was similar to the jailing palace, although the good thing was the lack of securing guards. The only people they met while walking around were working servants.

"Where did Oren get so much money to build all this while he is a foreigner?"

"The fallen dragon built the academy in order for the emperor to train in the company of other students, back then. It was however not this big, until Oren decided to expand it. In terms of where he gets the money, well, it costs a lot of money for each student to be admitted into the academy, and even now the emperor pays a huge sum to Master Oren for the safety of his heart. I guess Master Oren is a river of money."

"But he is a wanderer, thus he is barely around. What is the use of having him as your master?"

"He is not here when the juniors have long projects, thus they can rely on the seniors that are on duty for help in his absence, while the other seniors get to travel with Oren and also get the privilege to venture on missions with him."

"So I am going to be with the juniors?"

"Your skills are not much to talk about, of course you are a junior. You will eat, dine, sleep with the juniors, but you must not worry about being bullied there because I am the Juniors Vice Leader. I will look after you."

"You are mocking me when you are also a junior?" Li Lian rolled her eyes.

"I am a senior. Only seniors can take the responsibility to lead the juniors," Lance said. He then gave her a speculating gaze. "Are you sure you do not want me to carry you?"

Li Lian dragged her feet using the crutches she rested on. They were walking to the dining halls for their supper. "You have carried me all day, showing me around, I think it is high time I exercised." Other than sleep, she spent the whole day with Lance, and beside him playing the facade of calling her, 'Wife', he was not so bad.

He explained so many things that she was still trying to wrap her head around; that the queen of Furia was her mother, how they used magic and energy levels of the earth to help her heal and so on. Though, it now made sense why Oren was willing to let her stay and cover for her against Nevoria. It was his own nation's queen who had asked him to look after her daughter.

So what was Li Lian to Oren?

Will he call her, Her Highness, Princess Elora or Imperial Concubine Wei?

No, no, too weird, all of them too weird.

"You have to admit that as your leader, I have been treating you well."

"Not so bad," Li Lian shrugged, "but since you are the Vice Leader, who is the Main Leader?"

"Ruo Xi is your main leader. You will think good of her. She has been the only girl so far until you, thus she will like you as her sister. And to start with, you are dressed in the same manner."

Li Lian liked the clothes Lance gave her. They were comfortable, light and not the many garments she wore as an imperial concubine.

When they got to the entrance of the dining halls, the double doors were opened for them and the nice aroma of food greeted them. Apparently, she slept for a month, which was considered a long time for reflex eating.

"Remember the greeting I taught you," Lance whispered.

Not that again. "Are you sure I am supposed to do it? I am a princess, after all, I cannot bow to anyone who isn't a royal."

"Even the emperor bows before Oren, who are you?"

The thing that brought relief to Li Lian's heart was that, even though Lance called her, 'Wife', he clearly was not interested in winning her heart. Calling her his wife was just a facade, something he did for the benefit of him feeling good about himself.

When she asked him whether he really intended to marry her, he mentioned that he was more focused on being the best student of Oren, and beating Yuwen Hong. If she did not want to marry him, it would not hurt him. At best he just wanted a friendship between them and if something happened, it should happen naturally.

Oren made her like Furia. If in that nation, they lived at liberty and willfully, then there was a bright and happy future ahead.

This was a good ending between her and Yuwen Hong too. He would not have someone who was as deceitful as her and soon after, he would find a good consort as her replacement, a woman who was honest and loved him deeply, although just the thought of it made Li Lian jealous.

"There he is." Lance pointed at Oren who was not far from the entrance, with rows upon rows of tables and chairs behind him, that had his students feasting on their meals and chatting, while some were at the walled tables filling their plates with piles of food.

The crowd was an estimate of fifty. How great! She just leveled up from one harem to the next. At least this one wouldn't whine, poison her or be as nasty.

Li Lian trudged along to Oren, who had a servant reporting to him. He wore his usual black cloak, obscuring his wings.

When she approached him, she rested on one clutch and knelt onto her one leg, her hands palming the floor.

"Oh, oh, great master!" she hailed.

Oren stopped listening to his servant and looked at her, his one eyebrow lifting.

"Oh, oh, great master!" She did her second bow.

The room went quiet and everyone stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Oh, oh, great master!" It was her last, Lance had said three.

When she finished, everyone roared with laughter. They guffawed, chortled and howled that she gained a shade of colour on her cheeks. Even Lance was clutching his stomach, hooting loudly and leaving her behind on the floor to join the others.

Li Lian had never faced such humiliation, not knowing what to do, but wishing for the ground to swallow her. For the second time since being separated from Yuwen Hong, she felt his absence significantly. If he were there he would use his cloak to cover her, then wave his sword at all of them for laughing at her.

But again, maybe he would laugh at her too. She didn't know what was funny, anyway.

Oren looked down at her with liquid eyes and stretched his hand towards her to help her up. She guided herself on his hand, then used her clutch to stand.

"Don't take it to heart, you just got initiated, it is not that you were laughable, but just the initiation part of it was what made them laugh. Are you alright?"

An initiation?

What was that?

She nodded. Although, to be honest, she was not that fine. She felt out of place than anything else.

"I am going to lift you and get you seated," Oren offered.

What? No!

That was an extremely embarrassing idea. To be lifted by Oren, Yuwen Hong's master.

Heavens! The embarrassment was too much.

S.V