Chapter Nine: Squabble in the Hallways

“You?”

It was the annoying little girl with the black hair from the market. Jasper was there, too, albeit seemingly a little too happy to see her. He nodded to Henry as a greeting before turning to Selina, bright eyes sparkling with mischief and a smirk plastered on his face.

“Hey. We keep bumping into each other.”

“Yeah. I’m starting to think you’re stalking me,” the princess said as she lovingly wrapped her arm around Henry’s. Selina stood there watching Jasper’s brows furrow, the horror in his eyes as realization dawned on him, wiping the smirk from his face. It gave her wicked gratification.

“Oh, that’s right, you’ve met, haven’t you?” Henry looked at the both of them, oblivious.

“At the fair,” remarked the raven-haired girl, as Selina said “No.”

The younger girl looked at Selina as if she had grown two heads. The princess stared back at the girl, daring her to say anything.

“Okay,” the monarch awkwardly said. He tapped Jasper’s shoulder. “Selina, these are the Otxoas. This is Jasper. You’ve met his twin sister Jade.”

Henry nodded towards the sister in question. Selina’s perfectly styled brows furrowed a little. There was a bit of family resemblance, they have the same skin color, but aside from that, Jade and Jasper were quite different. They’re probably fraternal twins.

“—this is their baby sister, Bridgette—”

“It’s Jet!” The girl stomped her feet. “And I’m not a baby. I’m fifteen years old, a college girl like the rest of you!”

“Oh, sorry. Jet,” Henry acknowledged. “Guys, this is Selina Rozenberg…”

“His fiancée,” Selina interjected, smiling stiffly at the siblings.

“And I am his sister-in-law.” Jet placed her hands on her hips, looking at Selina with a smug smile on her face.

The comment did not sit right with the princess. Was this little girl insinuating something? Her smile was insinuating something. Selina looked between Henry, Jet, and Jasper before landing on Jade, who was coming over with a bunch of young people following her. Were Henry and Jade dating behind her back? The boys looked at each other. There was also something in their eyes. Were they conspiring against her?

“What did you say?” The princess was seeing red.

“It’s not what you think—” Jasper tried to come between his little sister and the angry aristocrat.

“It’s exactly what—” Jasper wrapped his palm around Jet’s mouth, silencing her. The young teenager kept speaking while wiggling to get away. Selina wanted to go into full-on psycho-girlfriend mode.

“Jet is dating Eric!” Henry exclaimed. Selina gave him the side-eye although it calmed her blood. He immediately grabbed his phone and quickly scrolled through it before showing her a photo of a young couple who appeared to be in love. Jet was there, along with Frederick II, the monarch’s fifteen-year-old younger brother.

Selina stared at them for a few seconds more before relaxing her shoulders. She smirked at the youngest Otxoa. “Didn’t you know it’s improper to count one’s chickens before they hatch?”

“Likewise,” Jet responded before kicking her brother in the shin. “Jerk.”

Selina was about to say something back when Jade clapped and called out. “Since everyone is here, let us start the tour, shall we?”

Henry took his girlfriend’s hand in his and pushed his way to the front of the throng. Jasper and his younger sister stayed behind, quietly squabbling by the bulletin board.

“Aldervolf University is one of the top universities in Volfenheim and in the world. It was home to the greatest scholars that ever lived, including Marion the Great, Lord Volfenheim’s first-born son and heir to the throne,” Jade was saying as they walked through halls and lecture rooms, museums and other historic places inside the university.

Selina was oblivious to her since she was preoccupied with Henry, who had been holding her hand the entire time. He was concentrating on Jade, but he often smiled at Selina and inquired about her well-being. He also introduced her to others as his fiancée. It almost made every sacrifice and every pain worthwhile. Almost.

“The University of Aldervolf’s mission and core values,” Jade continued, stopping at the center of the hallway leading to the university dorms. “Are to improve society by pursuing education, learning, and research at the highest levels of excellence. Giving people the right to think and express themselves freely, as well as the right to be free from discrimination. This is why we are very proud to be the first ever university to open its doors not only to human students, but to Occults as well.”

Selina froze. She looked at Henry and then at Jade in horror.

“Recently, we offered full scholarships to vampires, witches, and were-folk, from all walks of life, from all over the world.”

There was murmuring among the group of new students. Like Selina, they were visibly upset by the announcement.

“We were not made aware of this fact when we enrolled here,” a guy said, and most of the group nodded in agreement.

“What do you mean?” Jade tilted her head to the side, her tight smile was back. “It’s in your student handbook, in chapter four, article four.”

“Who reads that crap—” the guy said again.

“I do—” came an answer from somewhere within the group.

“Shut up, nerd.”

“It’s also stated on the disclaimer sheet at the back of the handbook,” Jade said, frowning. “It said that if you scanned the code, you all agreed to the school’s rules and regulations, including the acceptance of Occult students and some faculty members.”

“Teachers as well?”

“If you have a problem with it, you can always go to the king who allowed it to happen.”

All eyes were on Henry, who simply stood there, a deadpan expression on his face. Nobody, not even Selina, said anything. Everyone knew that the word of the king is law.

“Fellow students,” Henry said. “I know you’re all worried, but I assure you that we’re all completely safe. For years, the Great Volfenheim Empire has coexisted peacefully with Occults. You don’t have to like this decree; I’m not taking away your right to do so. All I ask is that we respect them in the same way that you respect me or any other human being. Let us give them a fair chance. We are not enemies here.”

“Are these students and teachers outfitted with muzzles and chains to keep us safe?” Another guy joked. Selina recognized him as the third prince of the Kingdom of Bedrock Isles. A few people around him laughed.

“I don’t get it. What’s so funny?” Henry asked.

“Well—because… you know…”

“No, I do not know. Please explain it to me.”

“Because they’re animals…” another prince answered for him. It was the heir of the Quernstones, another kingdom outside the Empire. “No. They’re more than that. They’re monsters. We are their food, they hunt us for fun. And I do not believe, not for a second, that we are safe here, no matter what you say.”

“If you can’t take my word for it, maybe the data will change your mind.” Henry took his phone and tapped it a few times. “I’ll be happy to send it to you right now.”

“No, thank you. For all we know, that could be manipulated.”

“Oh, my gods. You all act as if our coexisting with humans is recent news,” Jade said, her clear brown eyes now turning yellow. “It’s been three hundred years. We’ve evolved. Get over it!”

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