Chapter 8: Chapter Eight

Iris:

I understood what it meant to be under Cirdan protection. People apologized and wanted to be certain that there were no hard feelings between me and them, people I was not even aware of. And then the room switch in which I was taken to an exclusive dormitory which a lot of people did not have access to, by Cirdan commanded. It was enough to make me wonder about him, what was special about this guy, it was clearly more than just his looks and the Principal was willing to eat out of his palms if Cirdan wanted that. He was acting the same way he acted towards me.

“Finn,” I called during lunch one day, I was watching Cirdan as he ate and sketched something, he was an artistic Folk, one of the few which could bring their drawings to life, I had learned of that little nugget about him when he gifted me with a page out of his sketch book in public. I had wondered what he was doing at that time, but he was really just showing people that his protection was true.

I had told him that I would frame the page since the necklace on it was very beautiful and detailed, but he frowned at told me that it was not for my room but rather for me and then he told me to reach into the picture.

At first I had doubted him but to humor him, I did reach into the picture and brought out the necklace and the pendant swinging on it. I wore it immediately by myself since it was long enough to pass through my head without removing the clasp and since I wore it, I had never taken it off.

“Yes?” Finn raised his head to look at me with his spaghetti half in his mouth.

“Chew without talking.” I stated with my nose wrinkled at his action, he quickly ate his mouthful before he frowned at me. “Well, you were the one to call my name were you not? All I did was the answer.”

“What’s so special about Cirdan?” I asked.

Finn frowned at me, confused. “I am not the one half in love with him, you are, I should be the person asking you that. What’s so special about lover boy, he gifted you a necklace and you still are not in bed with him yet? Is he losing his touch, or does it not work on you?”

I blinked at Finn, apparently he had been burning with questions to ask me about Cirdan and since I never asked anything about him, he had been holding his breath since, Finn had even shifted his food to the side to give me his attention fully.

“Hold on, it is not like that between us.” I denied quickly even as my cheeks went red. Finn just raised an eyebrow at me. “It's not!”

“You know, you being this vocal about it means it is,” Finn responded, and my blush went deeper, I stole a glance at Cirdan who seems to be smiling even as his hands were moving fast, I wondered what he was drawing.

“It’s not okay, I just want to know why it seems like the whole school gravitates around him,” I stated.

Finn sighed. “And that throws out my idea that you are a folk because if you were, you would have known him.”

I froze at first thinking Finn had gotten my heritage right before my brain caught up with his words. “Oh.” I let out a nervous laugh. “Why? Is he important to the Folks?”

Finn shook his head and muttered about how backwater schools need to be destroyed. “Yes, he is. His whole family line is. His line is next only to the king. You do know the king has been out of this realm for years and he recently returned right? At least tell me that you know that.”

“I do.” I responded, thankful that at least, I was not a complete lost cause even though the only thing I seemed to know was about me and the king and if they had wanted I could give a summary of all the years that the king spent outside the realm, the places he spent them and how he had spent them.

“Good, other races tried to attack the folks many times, trying to take them down but Cirdan family was strong enough to protect the line.”

“One family?” I asked skeptically.

“Yes, you do know how blood is very important to our people. Power lies in blood and his is one of the strongest in existence. That was why he could reach 33 without much stress. I am sure if he wanted to retake the power test, he would complete all thirty-five stairs.” Finn explained and I nodded.

I really need to talk to my father and tell him about how horrible he is as a teacher because I did not know anything which people my age knew. I was literally a newborn baby in the body of a teenager.

“Okay. So, I guess that is the vibe surrounding him.” I nodded.

“Good, now your turn to answer my questions.” Finn responded.

“What is going on between you and him?”

“I thought I already gave you the answer, nothing.” I returned and Finn rolled his eyes.

“Please, spare me the standard answer, I know something is up?”

“Really?” I asked. Finn paused and looked at me, like really looked at me and he saw I had no clue what he was thinking and why he was thinking Cirdan and me had something going on.

“Somehow, I am not blaming your school before this one again. If you can be this dense about what is happening in your life then I don’t want to imagine how many times they tried to teach you, but you didn’t understand.” I glared at Finn.

“Would you be more specific let me get what you are trying to say.”

“He placed you under his protection, he had only done that once before, that was before he entered the school and to a little Folk baby that was being hunted after her parents were killed because of their special power. The girl is like his personal assistant right now. He drew you a picture and gave you a pendant that I am sure worth twice the amount this school is worth and the most shocking one of it all is he smiles when he is with you and actually talks.”

“He doesn’t smile normally?” I asked.

Finn shook his head. “You need serious help.”

“Well, I didn’t know any of these details that you had just mentioned, if I did maybe it would have been a big deal but now, I don’t see it as a big deal, all except the fact that he does not smile or talk. Come on, Cirdan is not that bad.”

Finn blinked at me. “Trust me Iris, he is the biggest douche in this school, everybody knows that, he does too.”

I shook my head. “Thanks for filling me in but I want this conversation to stop now,” I stated and before Finn could reply, I stood up and went to drop my tray, I could not let Finn fill my head with ideas of me being important to Cirdan. Not when I am beginning to see that my little crush is not just a crush on him, not when with every moment I spent with him, I am drawn in deeper, this feeling was too much. I made up my mind to ask Finn about it as I turned back to my seat after all he already saw me as naïve, what’s one more question and I taking the taunting that comes with it?”

A body slammed past me as I moved towards my seat. “Bitch,” The voice hissed but a loud noise drew my attention to Cirdan who was staring right at me with his eyes burning, slowly standing.

“I-I’m s-sorry,” the voice stuttered as she ran away from me. I looked to see Cirdan, already sitting and acting like he did not chase away someone who was causing me issues from across the room.

I sat down smiling and Finn shook his head. “You are just too dense if you think that nothing is going on between you and Cirdan.”

“Oh, Finn, I wanted to ask…” I started only for my voice to be drowned out as the doors opened and teachers swarmed in, all wishing Cirdan congratulations.

Their voice was loud enough that from where I was sitting, I heard enough of the conversation to put together and come to the realization of what just happened.

Cirdan's father had just been made the prime minister and that was the second most important role or chain of command with the Folk. Cirdan was just officially made the prince, even though he held that title unofficially before.