Chapter 31: Training Class is Evil
LILAC
"How will you attend your classes if you are supposed to be guarding me?" I ask Roman once we are on the highway.
Silence. He keeps a straight face without replying me. I sigh. "Why won’t you talk to me?"
He snickers. "Because you lied." He finally speaks and I can’t believe what comes out of his mouth.
"What?"
"You lied Mikrös"
I tilt my head back to stare at him clearly. His grip tightens on the steering. "I didn’t lie. I never lied to you Roman."
"You didn’t tell me you were a princess. That you were fucking married to Prince Kael!"
"Well that’s because we only met once. Was I supposed to spill out everything about me in that moment?" Goddess! Why is he talking like I did something so terrible. "Is that why you’ve been giving me the silent treatment?"
"I’m sorry," he mumbles, "I just don’t like the monarch." Maybe because they took his brother?
"Then why did you accept the job? Of guarding me?"
He scoffs as Lupin’s gates comes into view. "Who dares says no to the monarch?"
I want to ask more questions, but I decide not to. Does he know about his brother escaping prison? And I really have to ask Kael what happened to him - Alvin.
"I got my schedules changed." Roman suddenly says. I squint my brows at him in question.
"You asked how I will guard you? I’m taking all your classes so it’s all good."
"Ha." I nod in understanding as we make our way to my first class. Lykae History. I suddenly remember that I will be seeing professor Carla again after she had promised to train me. Would she still do that? I think I might be needing it soon enough. It is a bugging, a feeling that keeps hammering in my head. Why though is what I do not know.
My head hurts from too much thinking.
"Hey Lilac!" Kira settles on her seat beside me grinning at me. Roman sat somewhere at the back, far enough to give me space but close enough to keep me safe. His words not mine.
"Hi Kira." I muster up a grin back.
"You look beautiful this morning, what’s your secret?"
I blink. "Excuse me?"
"Oh come on, you know what I’m talking about.. Everyone has heard it too. Is it true?"
"Sorry Kira, but I don’t know what you are talking about." I say firmly. I do not have time for Kira’s gossip mode this morning, I have a lot on my mind as it is. I grab my tablet from my bag and place it on the table, starting to scroll through it in a bid to avoid her excessive talks, but Kira does not take a hint.
"Stop being a killjoy Lilac! Is that why your name says Lilac Hirav Aspen? Because you are the Prince’s wife?"
I freeze, almost dropping my tablet. "What?"
"You are Prince Kael’s mystery wife aren’t you? I mean that is the only logical explanation for a human to suddenly appear in Lycania, she says, very confident with her findings that she keeps bubbling on her seat.
"You can’t be so sure," I say, clearing my throat.
Giving me a look like I’m crazy, Kira bunches up closer to me. "Everyone believes otherwise," she notes, gesturing around to the noisy filled up class. I follow her hand and notice that almost everyone is staring at me and whispering. This is not good.
I revert my gaze back to Kira, giving her a grim smile. "Well-"
The class suddenly goes silent
"Good morning students." Ha. Bless the interruption. It is the Dean, Professor Rana alongside Professor Carla. Seeing the dean makes me remember that I still have not registered my major. I make a mental note to do that later even though I still do not know what major to pick.
"So in light of the recent murder case at the beach," there is a series of gasps at that statement. Professor Rana continues. "Arrangements have been made that a compulsory class of defense arts should be implemented for the first year and second year students. As you all know, the third year students already take this class. The new change in schedule will be sent to your school tablets and you are to be very punctual when the classes start. Your first Defense art class should be tomorrow, but Doctor Carla here has volunteered to teach you the basics this morning." With that, she heads out of the class.
"Defense art! That shit is freaking tedious!" Kira remarks once Professor Rana has left the class completely.
Of course it is tedious, it’s defense art for crying out loud! I want to call her bluff, but I remain quiet; that is until I see Beryl walking over to our side.
"Find somewhere to sit Miss Caulder and stop disturbing the class." Professor Carla scolds.
Beryl only scoffs and then she gets to our row. No please don’t! Only if wishes were horses. Beryl gives me a sour smirk and then settles down right beside me. "It will be my pleasure to sit with you, Princess," she whispers, dark humor thick in her tone. She knows. So much for keeping this a secret, King Alvarez.
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So professor Carla decided that the basics needed some practicality. She brought us to the gym to warm up, paired us up with partners. You can guess what happens right? I get paired up with fucking Beryl Caulder while Kira got paired up with Roman. The gym stinks of sweat worth of hundred years, if that is even possible but the equipment are shiny and new. Punching bags line the wall and blue wrestling mats are positioned around the area. There is a weapon stand at the far end and different weapons are lined on them.
I am wondering what professor Carla knows about self defense until I remember she promised to teach me. She has a serious expression pulled up on her face, her jaw set in a tight line.
Beryl raises her hands. "Are we going to be training with the weapons?"
Heavens! This girl is actually set on killing me.
Professor Carla follows Beryl’s gaze to the weaponry stand and then shakes her head. "It is a basic class, Caulder. So no you won’t."
Beryl huffs at that while I mentally offer a silent prayer of gratitude. Heavens know what she will do if she were to handle a weapon now. Professor Carla watches Beryl with a narrowed expression and then she asks us to do some warm-ups and burpees. My head spins when we are done. My stomach churns and I feel like I’m going to puke.
I assume we are done until professor Carla’s eyes starts scanning the room and then lands on me. "Come up Lilac," she says. "And you too Caulder.
Goddess. No!
Who gave a rule of pairing people with their nemesis during any defense class? I’ve read books with this particular trope but never did I think that it would come to life in front of me. Beryl is smiling down at me with that dark glint in her eyes. That kind that says, ’I will destroy you.’ She is cracking her ring bones.
We are right in front of the walls of mirrors. I look like a zombie with stray hair from my messy bun pasted all over my forehead like soggy noodles. Red patchy spots dots my neck and the tight black gym outfit we had changed into clings to me like a second skin. Beryl does not even look like she just finished the same gym exercise like myself. So composed. What sorcery is this?! She is a Lycan. My subconscious nicks at me. Right.
"Okay, in this second round of practice. It is all about testing your flexibility. The rules are simple; anyone who brings the other down first-" Professor Carla’s eyes flicker between Beryl and I- "Wins by default."
"Now!" She calls.
My focus fixes on Beryl. We circle each other. The class goes silent. I know nothing of self defense, I will loose but yet I won’t give Beryl the satisfaction of knowing that so I throw the first jab, almost hitting her square in the face. She ducks, swaying gracefully as she throws her own reflex jab. I cannot avoid it so it hits me square on my jaw earning a grunt of pain from me. She does not wait for me to get my shit together before she throws another punch to my stomach.
Unaware. My head is banging again. The worst time to actually start banging. I groan, lifting my leg and sending kick straight to Beryl’s abdomen. She stumbles back, but does not fall. And so it goes on, we throw punches and kicks for the next five minutes. I am close to passing out, but I dare not show Beryl that I am weak. Only if I can just manage to...
"Okay! Stop!" Professor Carla calls out, thankfully.
No one won.
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