Ravina enjoyed the courteous conversation she had with Miss Moore, which made a wonderful highlight at the end of her day. The following day marked the first day of her classes, and she readied herself, feeling both excited and a bit nervous. She laughed at herself, thinking, "Public school was as bad as it could get." Perhaps she was just nervous about attending private school for the first time. She chuckled internally at the idea of the academy being nothing more than a private school.

And yet, that was what it really was—a private school funded by her (fake) father. Arriving at the school, she felt less nervous thanks to her internal thoughts. The girl she had run into earlier was waiting for her. The young lady, Eloise, began to mumble something, unable to look Ravina in the eye, but Ravina couldn't hear it.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" she asked, causing the young girl to bring her hands to her chest, nervously fidgeting as she tried to speak once more. However, she was unable to get a word out when a call came from the other side of the courtyard. Ravina was surprised to find that instead of the young prince, it was a man with black hair and golden eyes. He was a charming-looking fellow, filling out his uniform nicely, and it was clear from his physique that he worked out almost daily.

This young man inserted himself between Ravina and Lady Eloise and spat at Ravina, "What exactly do you think you're doing to Lady Eloise?" he demanded. Her eyes fluttered at the moment of déjà vu.

Ravina simply shrugged and said, "I believe this young woman's business is with me, not with you," noting how rude it was for him to join their conversation like that.

"What have you done to make her shake so?" he demanded again, not desiring to listen to her. The leaf is shaking more in your hug, she mused as Lady Eloise’s eyes filled with tears once more.

Ravina sighed. "This has nothing to do with you. Please leave," she said.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

However, the young man wouldn't hear it. Instead, he threatened her. “You think you can bully people just because you come from nobility? It's a privilege—one that you have gained from luck, not talent!”

“What does—” but he cut her off.

"It is a noble's duty to protect everyone, even the commoners," he spat, leaving Ravina to wonder what he meant by commoners. After all, the school was a school of nobles, and such individuals were not welcome here, or so she thought. She shrugged, not really caring either way. By the group watching on the sidelines, she figured it would be better to leave. She didn't care for this man, nor for the frightened rabbit.

"Perhaps we'll talk later," she said to the young lady before turning to leave, but the rude young man grabbed her by the arm, turning her towards him.

"I will not tolerate any rudeness to her," he said.

She eyed him coldly, stating, "I don't believe we've been introduced."

While she didn't know what was going on, she knew she was being looked down upon. Perhaps the man before her didn't know her noble status, and simply revealing it would defuse the situation. After all, she didn't want to escalate things, especially on the first day—or second day. While she was a count, she was the daughter of the Raven, a larger pillar of the kingdom than any of the others.

She chuckled internally, wondering who would accost her on the third day. However, the young man simply stated, "Someone like you does not need to know," and he turned around, hugging the young lady and bringing her with him away from Ravina. Whatever, she mused. The situation was defused.

"Just what exactly is going on?" Ravina wondered aloud before she sighed and shook her head. The only thing she knew so far was that the young lady Eloise was a little dangerous. Sure, she was cute and all, but she didn't have the draw to bring two men to her side with just her looks. Perhaps there was something special about her—a hidden talent that the kingdom needed? That was the only explanation of why a crown prince would be so caring of her, forcing his fiancée to apologize in his stead.

She suddenly felt sorry for the young Lady Moore. It's a shame her charm is wasted on that man. Hopefully, he was a much more caring person in private than in public. Although that's not fair. She didn't really go around in public to notice a difference.