Chapter 9

The initial security check at the academy went smoothly, and the four of us were shown to the women's dorm. I noticed Audrey looking around with vivid interest as we walked through the hallways. The smooth walls seemed to be made of wood, and all the furniture and decorations gave an antique impression. It is a different experience compared to her time at the Duke's estate or the castle. I thought, entertained by her amazed expression.

The room we entered was meant for two people, with two single beds in either corner. Each one had a desk and chair at the foot for studying, and the walls had individual shelves attached meant for decor and books. A wardrobe for each student followed their respective wall. The room carried the same theme as the hallways, the only difference being the red carpet stopped at the threshold of the rooms and transitioned into a hardwood floor. All dorm rooms were identical and moderately sized, and students could opt for a single or double room at the start of each year. That wouldn't guarantee they got what they requested, but it usually worked out.

There were adjoining rooms for the attendants, and the double rooms had two, though we wouldn't need our extra one. Audrey and I sat down on our receptive beds, sorting through the personal bags we had carried in. Leah and Lucia had left to go unload the rest of the luggage. When Audrey and I offered to help, we were firmly rejected. So I just sat restlessly while they finished unpacking. Audrey seemed anxious about being excluded, but she was no longer my attendant, so she'd have to get used to it. But this means we don't have to hold back on being friends… I've never had a real friend before. Simon and Leah are more like family to me, and the other noblewomen tend to keep a healthy distance from me. I had hopes that being freed of the subordinate relationship would allow us to grow closer.

Once they finished with mine and Audrey's belongings, the attendants moved to unpack their own in the adjoining room. Audrey and I peeked our heads in. I already knew what they looked like, but Audrey was curious. It had the same feel as the rest of the building but was a little smaller than the student's room. There was a bunk bed along one wall. And a set of oak dressers and a wardrobe opposite. A small window set above the dressers allowed for some natural light and ventilation. When the girls finished rearranging the room (Leah took the bottom bunk), we all changed into our uniforms.

The student's uniforms consisted of a black button-up blouse with a dark red blazer. The skirt was also black with red pinstripes following each of the folded pleats down below my knees. I tied on my silver ribbon and glanced casually at Audrey's. When I received this ribbon in my first year, it had been a pure black, but it was enchanted to brighten a shade with every successful year at the academy until it reached its current gorgeous shade. When I graduate, subtle waves of magic will pulse across its surface. Every student received one upon admission and could take it home after graduation as a souvenir. Audrey's ribbon was navy blue, signaling her status as a transfer student.

Transfer students were rare, but it did happen every few years. Usually, it was royalty from neighboring kingdoms studying abroad. Since their stays varied by instance, the ribbons they received were static but would receive the magic effect upon their departure.

The attendants' uniforms were similar to the students', but the blazers were black, with red accents following the edges. Lucia wore the pants from the boy's uniform. Honestly, she'd pass for a pretty boy and struck a handsome image. On the other hand, Leah wore the same skirt as Audrey and I, giving off her usual cute look.

After we finished changing, we took turns touching up each other's hair and makeup. Audrey and I also helped out. This is one of the things I love about the academy. I thought to myself as Audrey, Lucia, and I finished brushing and tying up Leah's hair. Afterward, we all pinned two badges to each other's lapels. The first was the academy's emblem; it was our identification to leave and enter the grounds. The second symbolized the royal family: a sword vertically bisecting the sun and moon. Audrey was under the guise of a guest of the royal family, so she also wore the same one.

After doing the final check on each other, we made our way to the assembly hall. The first day consisted solely of the opening ceremony, quick introductions in classes, and then a casual dinner party for the students to socialize. It was more for the incoming first years than anything else. We joined the throngs of students and attendants moving toward the auditorium, and the crowds split as they noticed the insignia we carried, and Audrey shrunk under the curious gaze of the crowd. Being used to this treatment, I kept my head up and grabbed Audrey's hand to give her a reassuring squeeze. She squeaked cutely but didn't try to separate from me. Leah and Lucia smirked at each other, but I decided to ignore it.

When we arrived, I led us to the front of the auditorium, and the space the other kids maintained steadily shrunk as more students filtered into the room. I noticed Audrey looking around the crowd anxiously as she stood beside me, so I leaned over.

"What's wrong, Audrey?"

Her eyes swam with uncertainty as they met mine. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just not used to so many people…"

I gave her a slight smile. "It'll be alright; I'm right here with you after all." I held up our still joined hands, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

"You're right, Lydia. Thank you."

Her casually calling my name wasn't good for my heart. I was the one that asked her to do that… so I can't complain.

Soon, the lights dimmed, leaving only a spotlight on the stage. An elderly gentleman took the podium and welcomed the new and returning students. After the headmaster bored the student body with a long-winded speech about maintaining decent grades and respecting the academy's traditions, he announced the student council president would give a speech. I signaled for my attendants to stay with Audrey and made my way to the podium. Whoops, I don't want to drag her up with me. I thought while reluctantly releasing Audrey's hand.

I scanned the crowd from my new vantage point, looking for any sign of House Rose. I had never met the girl, but Audrey had given me a description of her little sister, and I knew how both the Duke and current Duchess looked. I'm sure that's the true reason for Audrey's restlessness. As I searched with my eyes, I spoke about my hopes for the academy to be a place for the students to learn and ingrain in themselves the expectations of proper nobility and citizens of the kingdom. After a few more minutes of speaking, I smiled and bowed, and applause filled the room. Most high-ranking nobles would have positioned themselves in the front, but I didn't spot even a hint of Audrey's sister.

I rejoined Audrey and the girls, and the headmaster concluded the opening ceremony. A few people greeted me quickly while we waited for the room to clear out, but most of the socializing would happen at the party. The students all made their way to their respective classes to do the initial introductions to their classes, and we were no different. We soon arrived in front of the building where Audrey would have her lessons. It was separate from the main building due to her status as a divine guardian. We were greeted by a man in his late twenties with wild brown hair and eyes when we entered. His face was plain but good-looking, and a set of simple silver glasses sat on his nose, and he was adorned in the robes of a court magician. Luke never told me who her teacher would be, but he's much younger than I expected.

"Ah! It's a pleasure to meet both of you. I am Siegfried Tressum, a court magician and your instructor on all things magic. As well as fine arts, history, and etiquette." He said with a flourished bow.

"Likewise, Mr. Tressum. I am Princess Lydia Venyth, and next to me is my dear friend Audrey Mays Celestine." I curtsied in response, and Audrey did the same while stammering.

"T-Thank you for your guidance."

The man only smiled widely. "There's no reason to be so nervous. The king has informed me of your situation. You can trust me, rest assured. It's a great honor to teach a divine guardian." He turned around to indicate a desk. A crystal ball sat on it, so clear it was almost invisible. "This instrument will measure your magical affinities. Every mage is capable of casting at least the four basic types of magic, but each individual has attributes that are stronger compared to the rest. Once we know them, I will create focused lesson plans tailored to your stronger elements." He motioned for Audrey to sit and had her place her hands on the ball. "Have you ever used magic before?"

Audrey shook her head. "No, I've never been taught…"

Mr. Tressum ran a hand through his hair. "I see. Then I'll give you a crash course on how to sense mana." He took her hands, and I desperately pushed down the sudden jealousy I felt.

***

"Close your eyes, and let your mind relax. Almost like you are falling asleep." I followed Mr. Tressum's instructions, recalling the warm sensations of being in Aurora's divine plane. Being there is super relaxing… "Okay, I'm going to push your mana around with my own slowly; try to focus on that feeling." I nodded slowly, still keeping my eyes closed. I could feel something start to flow through my body. It started at my hands and moved slowly through my shoulders, leaving a pleasant sensation wherever it went. The sensation moved down my body, through my legs to my feet, before circulating up to my heart and back to my hands again.

"I think I feel it…" I mumbled.

"That's great. I'm going to let you go now; try to keep it moving on your own." He didn't elaborate on how to do that, however. The flow started to stagnate, and I tried to move it again. It kind of feels like water… The image of a flowing river came to mind, and as I focused on that, I could sense my mana moving even more consistently than before. Focusing intently on the exercise, it didn't take me long before I could move the flow wherever I wanted, and I experimented by moving it all over my body from the tips of my fingers to the top of my head. I lost my sense of time as I sunk into the mana.

A while later, I heard voices break through the surface. Mr. Tressum and Lydia seemed to be talking about something.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"T-That's incredible. Not even I had so much control of my mana when I started." Came Mr. Tressum's voice.

"I learned quickly myself… but it still took a whole day of meditation." Lydia's voice was tinged with amusement.

"You did it in a day?! It took me a week!" His voice went quiet. "Maybe I'm not the prodigy I think I am…"

"Well, I am the youngest certified mage in history." Her voice was proud. "But Audrey might just take that title for herself at this rate. It's only been half an hour…"

Only my subconsciousness registered their words, and as I continued to circulate my mana, I glimpsed something underneath it… something more. It shone white against the blue of my mana in my mind's eye; it moved slower than my mana, and I felt resistance when I tried to move it. Allowing my consciousness to surface a little, I spoke.

"I feel… something else. It's heavy underneath my mana. What is it?"

I still hadn't opened my eyes and was still somewhat working on my mana control. Mr. Tressum sounded confused. "What do you mean?"

"It's hard to describe, but I guess the best way to put it is that my mana looks blue in my mind, but this other thing is white…"

"Hm…" he seemed to contemplate it. "Sorry, I have no idea, but it's very intriguing. Can you move it?"

"A little, but it's difficult compared to mana."

"Well, if it doesn't get in the way of your mana, then it shouldn't be a problem. Let's move on for now and test your attributes."

I finally opened my eyes and put my hands on the crystal ball. "So I just push some mana into it, I assume?"

"That's correct, and you only need to use a little."

I nodded and circulated mana into my hands before releasing it. The crystal ball started to immediately swirl with a myriad of colors before settling into a storm of purple, blue, and white, with mottles of red, green, yellow, and brown. I looked up at Mr. Tressum for an explanation, but his jaw was hanging open in shock.

"I-I've never seen so many strong attributes at once…"

"I've seen two before, but never three. I recognize water and holy magic, which is already incredible." Even Lydia looked at me in amazement. "Those are blue and white respectively, but I don't know what purple is… I've never even read about it." She then gave me a quick rundown of the elements: Red is fire, blue is water, green is wind, brown is earth, yellow is healing, and white is holy. She counted them out on her hands as she spoke. "There are also combination magics, but those won't show in the measurement. An example is plant magic, which utilizes water and earth magic together."

"As I said before, most mages can use at least a little of the four basic elements, with a strength in one or two. I myself am strong with wind and earth. There have only been a couple dozen people with strength in three throughout history."

Curious, I tilted my head, "Has there ever been someone with all four?"

"As far as I know, only the founding hero-king." He shook his amazement away. "Having holy magic is already a massive achievement, but having an unknown element on top of that? This is an amazing discovery!" His eyes were alight with passion, and he grabbed my hands again. "Let's go test this out right away! We must figure out what you can do!"

"And how do you expect her to do that, Mr. Tressum?" Lydia's cold voice froze him in place. She moved closer, her blonde hair waving with each step, before peeling my hands away from him. "You haven't even started her lessons. She has no clue how to cast even the most basic of spells."

"Ah. Right. Well, why don't we start then?"

"We can't. The dinner party is starting soon, and we have to get ready. Today was only for introductions anyway." Lydia shot him down.

"Oh well, I guess tomorrow will have to do." he resigned. Lydia gently pulled me from my seat, and we headed for the door. She had apparently sent Lucia and Leah back early to start preparations for the party. We turned to say goodbye, but Mr. Tressum was already writing furiously at his desk, his eyes still burning.

The walk back to our room was leisurely. For someone who was just rushing, she's sure taking her time. I glanced down at our joined hands and felt my face heat up a little.

"Lydia, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" she tilted her head cutely at me.

"What was your measurement?"

"Oh? I've never told you?" She held her other hand palm up, and a blue flame appeared, hovering over it. "I only have fire, like my father. But mine is even stronger than his." She squinted a bit, and the flame turned white. I could feel the heat from where I stood before she extinguished it. "If I really focus, I can burn it so hot it turns white. Father can only get it blue."

I didn't know much about magic, but it sounded really impressive. "So most people can't get it that hot?" I asked.

"Most people struggle even to get it to burn blue."

I paused for a second, stopping both of us from walking. "So, what I'm hearing is that you're really amazing?"

She smiled bashfully at my praise. "I was just lucky to be born with what I had." We continued walking. "But I have put in a lot of effort to get to where I am. Talent will wither away if you don't push your limits."

I nodded thoughtfully. "Between you and Mr. Tressum, I don't think I could ask for better teachers. I look forward to learning from you, Ms. Lydia." I said with a smirk.

"I'll do my best to live up to your expectations." Her grin stretched across her face, and I felt my heart in my chest.

When we finally arrived at the room, Leah had laid out both of our outfits and promptly helped us change. I still felt awful about giving her extra work, but she brushed me off when I offered help. Lydia looked stunning in a semi-formal dress that reached the floor. It was a beautiful dark green that made her hair stand out. Her blonde hair was in a half-ponytail, and it showed the nape of her neck whenever she turned her head. Every time I saw it, it sent my stomach fluttering.

Once preparations were done, we left for the ballroom where the party was being held. By the time we arrived, my nerves were already shot, so I stayed close to Leah and Lucia. I had wanted to stay with Lydia, but she had her obligations to socialize and was soon surrounded by the other students. A sigh escaped my lips as I grabbed a drink from the table and resigned myself to people-watching.

***

People immediately surrounded me. I still had my royal duties as a Princess, which included greeting the children of high-ranking nobles, and I put on my best royal smile and greeted those around me. I could tell Audrey was getting anxious, so I discreetly asked the attendants to take her out of the crowd. As the girls made their way to the refreshments, the students in front of me parted, and I was greeted by white hair and amethyst eyes.

"It's an honor to see you again, Your Highness." Isaac Beldonna greeted with a flourish.

"Please, Isaac. You and I both know status holds no weight here. Address me as you always do." My chest ached at the sight of him. He looked a little worn. I hope he's taking care of himself…

"Of course, Lady Lydia." he smiled in a way that didn't quite reach his eyes. "But it truly has been too long. My father often speaks of your exploits at the palace. I hear you've been causing the cabinet members quite a headache."

"I only intend to fulfill my duties as a royal, if that is what you mean." I kept the smile plastered on my face. When did we become like this? We had been so close as children. There were even talks of an engagement between us. At the time, even I wanted it. As the heir to Duke Beldonna, he was chosen as one of my playmates when we were little, but he changed dramatically once we entered the academy.

"My apologies. I didn't intend to be disrespectful. In fact, I admire the way you press toward your goals, regardless of those around you." Pretending not to notice his biting tone, I put on my best smile.

"Thank you for the kind compliment. I've heard your new medical program has been received gratefully by the citizens of your territory. The royal family looks forward to the day we can use it across the kingdom."

"I'm honored, but I'm afraid it's still in its preliminary stages. We'll let you know when we finish working out the fine details." His House is a leading advocate of the medical field and has made all sorts of discoveries in the last few years. They managed to subdue a plague, utilizing a version of the illness that had been deactivated by magic and inserting it into a patient's body. It didn't help the already infected, but it curbed the spread immensely. I hear that It was Isaac's research that led to the treatment. It really is incredible. On top of that, they started to introduce clinics that charge for treatments based on the patient's income, allowing the poorer citizenry access to professional medical care.

His amethyst eyes met mine again, reminding me of what we used to have. He looked dashing in his school uniform; the red blazer made his eyes and hair stand out even more, and I had to look up to meet his gaze even more than the last time we met. I miss him… but it doesn't feel right anymore… my gaze wandered away from him and subconsciously found Audery at the refreshments. She seemed to have calmed down and was chatting happily with Leah and Lucia, and I felt the urge to head to her. I knew that Audrey would attract a lot of attention as a transfer student, but even more than that, she was drop-dead gorgeous in that deep red dress. Her scarlet hair had been left down but brushed to a shine, and had some cute flower accessories.

When I first saw her in that dress, I nearly fainted. Not wanting some miscreant to put the moves on her, I had ordered the girls to scare off any students who might approach her. Not that she's seemed to notice… This girl needs some self-awareness. Even now, I could see many students eyeing her, boys and girls alike. Isaac seemed to follow my gaze, his eyes widening in surprise before he reigned his expression in. He turned back to me and bowed slightly.

"It seems your friend is waiting for you. Allow me to take my leave." I stared in shock at his retreating figure. It's been so long since I've seen any real emotion from him, and I didn't like the fact it was in relation to Audrey.

Making my way over to the refreshments, I snagged a glass of water, then snuck up behind Audrey, signaling the other two not to say anything. I tapped her lightly on the shoulder and stepped in the opposite direction. Her head turned in surprise over her right side, so I whispered into her left ear.

"Who are you looking for?" The way she jumped was satisfying, and her face started to match her hair. Even I knew that the smile on my lips was devious as I smirked at her.

"P-Please don't do that. I don't think my heart would last…" She raised a hand to her chest and took a few breaths before smiling at me. Her face was still red, but she was trying hard to hide it. How very cute. I sipped my water and leaned my head on Audrey's shoulder. The noise of the hall seemed to increase around us, but that was my intention. My intent was to show that she was under my protection.

Leah and Lucia seemed to be enjoying the show, as usual, and Leah handed me a handkerchief.

"Thank you for the hard work, my lady," Leah said with a grin. She knew just how much I despised these sorts of events. But it's worth it to spend time with Audrey like this. The four of us continued to chat happily about nothing in particular, mostly just waiting for the party to end. I had fulfilled most of my obligations to socialize at this point and wanted to take it easy. Though, I still haven't seen Sasha Rose anywhere… It was part of social etiquette to greet nobles higher ranked than yourself. It wasn't enforced at the academy in accordance with its equality, but it was still a habit that most students would carry.

In perfect timing with my thoughts, I heard Audrey gasp beside me and go stiff. Her eyes were glued to a group of students across the ballroom. There was a cute girl in the center, with soft brown hair tied up in twin pigtails, her light pink dress was adorable and seemed to fit her image perfectly. Her every movement and expression seemed to wrap the crowd around her finger, and I was inwardly impressed at her conversational skills.

"T-That's her…" Audrey whispered, her voice shaking. "That's my little sister."