– Uncle Eric made me do it. He said that we need to demonstrate to everyone the seriousness of the upcoming changes. But you understand why they really did all this?
– And for what? – Jed asked, looking with admiration at the bright brunette, who violated all the rules and canons with her appearance, starting from short-cropped hair, styled in a picturesque mess, the color of a raven’s wing and bright scarlet provocative lipstick, and ending with clothing that followed all the curves of the body, in appearance too light for such cool weather.
Beata looked Freckled up and down with an appraising look and said nothing.
– So why were you hiding in the bushes? – she repeated her question.
“Ethan wanted to know which of the…” Jed began again, but Aiz grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to the side, whispering something angrily in his ear.
I looked at him gratefully. I had no intention of sharing my plans with Beata yet.
– Well, you wanted to meet the new ones, but the Ogress came with you. “I had to hide,” I explained.
– Ogre? Oh, you're talking about the dean's office! – the distant maternal relative guessed and smiled predatorily. – An unpleasant person, I agree with you. But she can't eat the dragon. By the way, why did she scare you all so much?
– Points are deducted for every sneeze, but do you know how difficult it is to earn them? Oh yes, of course you don’t! – I faked it.
– Are you really afraid of losing some points? You are the heir to the throne! – Beata made an incredulous face.
“I am the heir, but only the second in line, so I must study no worse than Mikael, you understand, right?” Uncle chooses which of us will sit on the throne after him. I can’t concede on anything, but Mika, he’s an excellent student.
– Your Mika is a complete idiot! Do you know what he did the other day?
– No. I was here.
I actually flew to the academy the same day I stole the Focus, and I didn’t know what was happening in the capital.
– ABOUT! So you don't know? – Beata’s eyes sparkled. “Then I’ll tell you the latest news!” Let's go!
Bea grabbed me by the arm and pulled me away.
– How long will you stay? “I’m hungry,” Aiz called out to us.
– And sleep! – the guys added in unison.
We were all not in the best shape after that night and looked rumpled. In my mind, meeting new people was worth postponing at least for the evening in order to be fully prepared.
– Go! See you later. Don't wait for me. If I have time, I'll join you in the dining room.
My sister and I headed towards the park, Bea continued to cling to my elbow to the envy of all the guys I met. I could understand them; my distant sister’s figure was just right. Although there is nothing to envy. Beata is a dragon, and also my, albeit distant, relative, and I knew perfectly well that we were not a couple. Happens between dragons when no Focus is needed to determine the truth. It also works the other way around.
– So what about Mikael? – I hurried my sister, who seemed to be simply enjoying the walk.
The wind changed and died down, the rain stopped, and the sun came out from behind the leaden clouds. The gray stone sparkled, becoming completely not dull, and the foliage began to sparkle with brighter colors. And this time the external did not cause me any contradictions with my internal state. I don’t even know why.
– Mikael is under house arrest, can you imagine? – Beata suddenly said.
I even stopped and pulled myself together.
–What happened?
Bea looked around, and then stood on her tiptoes and whispered in my ear:
“They say something very valuable has gone missing from a cache in the ruler’s office.” The uncle finds no place for himself, the servants have turned the entire palace upside down, the guards and security officers are combing the most dangerous places in the capital. They stirred up everything, and even arrested someone. And this idiot managed to distinguish himself once again. He attacked some girl right on the street. She and Mika's company were seen in several places that day. They say they literally followed her.
– Nothing new. My cousin had done this before, but everyone turned a blind eye for years,” I shrugged it off.
– This time everything is different. Mika almost killed her with his own hands, and in front of witnesses! Used a combat spell. He was seen by residents of houses in the Workers' Quarter and…
– And it’s okay. Uncle Olaf will give them money or scare them, as usual. They will immediately go blind, deaf and forget everything. – I grimaced.
– Do not interrupt! What kind of bad habit do men have of doing this? – Bea pushed me in the side.
– Sorry.
“Sorry,” my sister meowed like a lazy cat. – So, this time Mikael crossed all boundaries. There was a carriage there, and in the carriage was none other than the well-known Grymza, the headmistress of the boarding house for the noble Eshsheri named after Teresa the Magnanimous.
The whole capital knew Grymza, and besides, she was friends with Uncle Eric. I even saw her a couple of times.
– Yes, yes, I know. Who hasn't heard of Grymz?
– Here! Can you imagine, she was not afraid to stand up for the unfortunate woman and even scolded Mikael, threatening to complain to her father. She kept her promise the very next day. But she didn’t go to Uncle Olaf, but went straight to Uncle Eric. I burst into his office without an appointment and laid it out as it was.
– Scary woman! – I admired, and Bea smiled.
“Uncle ordered Mika and his father to appear immediately, and then your cousin made a fatal mistake. From the doorway he screamed that he was not to blame, and that… Tada-a-a-am! You stole the focus.
– Focus?! “I pretended to be surprised, and goosebumps ran down my spine. – But…
– Right! Uncle Eric didn’t tell anyone what exactly was stolen, but Mikael found out about it from somewhere. And he even dared to denigrate you in front of everyone. Can you imagine how angry the ruler was? – Bea smiled contentedly.
She, like me, hated Mikael, and for good reason. One day he humiliated the dragoness in public. I walked over the girl’s pride with dirty boots, one might say. Bea did not forget or forgive.
“It looks like Mika set himself up,” I noted.
– Exactly! After all, Uncle Eric didn’t say why he was calling him and his father. That's why even Uncle Olaf was powerless. He had to put his son under house arrest, and their house is being searched secretly. Can you imagine?
– Beata, how do you know about all this?
– I have my own sources. – The dragoness winked.
– Oh, you'll finish the game! – I shook my head disapprovingly.
– Ethan, the Hyugels have protected the Derbergs from time immemorial, serving them faithfully. I want to do the same thing, that’s why I’m preparing. I have to be aware of everything, because sooner or later you will sit on the throne, and then get married. Your wife will need a bodyguard, and I will be ready to take on this burden.
I shook my head.
“Sister, I…” Even though we were distant relatives, by calling Beata that, I showed her the highest honor, thereby bringing her closer to me. “I am grateful for this with all my heart, but sooner or later there will be a dragon who will take your fancy, and you will get married and have children.” Maybe it would be better to devote yourself to your family rather than someone else’s?
– I don’t want to get married, Ethan! – The girl flushed. – Well, we got it right! I am a dragon and a battle mage of the highest category! – slightly embarrassed, she added: “The future.” And I want to be useful to the throne.
I just shook my head and hugged her tightly.
“Then go and look after the adepts.” Find out everything about them. Who knows, maybe my uncle is right, and my true one will really be found among them?
I grinned, as if I didn’t believe in this whole idea.
– Ethan? – She was worried.
– I just assumed. Anything can happen. That’s exactly why my uncle sent the girls here, to increase my chances, right? I selected only the best. The very best! – I spread my hands and smiled.
– So that's what you think? – The sister opened her scarlet mouth.
Several first-year adepts passing by immediately froze in place, staring at her in fascination.
– Why are you staring? Go away! – she growled at them, waving her hand imperiously.
The guys perked up, as if rising from sleep, and hurried on about their business. The park was getting crowded, and my sister came closer to me:
“Now I understand why uncle is so angry with Mika.” I probably wanted to give Focus to you so that you could try searching here. After all, Miki has a better chance of finding a bride, he is not locked in this male kingdom.
Bea's conclusions were very logical, although I simply made up stories about the adepts to fool her.
We said goodbye warmly, and Beata went to campus, and I went to my room to change clothes and take a shower. There was little time left before breakfast. Standing naked under the elastic hot streams of water, I was thoroughly soaping myself when I suddenly froze, staring at my own hands.
– I'm an idiot! – he cursed and threw the washcloth at his feet in anger.
I did not recognize the true one, simply because she was not among these adepts, otherwise there would have been a pair of bracelets on my forearm! But there was no bracelet, which means the ritual did not take place. So what now? Where to look for the artifact? The dream was cancelled. Until I find Focus, I can’t give up!
I got nervous again. If Bea was right, and Uncle Eric was going to give me the artifact himself, then I was in a hurry. And if I lose him, I won’t lose my mind! I will be accused of rebellion and other sins, and Mika will certainly rule the Onyx Rocks. I'm afraid that he will bully people and they will start a rebellion.
The artifact had to be found as soon as possible. It couldn't be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Having quickly gathered myself, I went after the guys, but there was no one in the rooms, so I had to act alone. I checked everything carefully at the main porch of the academy building and even attracted a couple of air spirits to comb the bushes and flower beds, but to no avail.
Thinking about what had happened and about the news that Beata had reported, I went to the dining room. There was always a center of attraction there, and if someone found a strange ball, they were probably already chatting about it left and right. The girls walked past me one by one. I had the opportunity to look at them, or even get to know them, but I wasn’t in the mood. And suddenly, already at the entrance, another one crashed into me from a running start.
The girl would have fallen, flying off like a ball, but I instinctively grabbed her by the thin waist and barked before I realized who I was dealing with. She trembled and tried to free herself, looking at me like a rabbit at a boa constrictor. It seems she even babbled something, but the meaning of her words passed by. The delicate aroma of the body caressed the sense of smell. Plump lips, slightly parted in surprise, attracted the eye. Large eyes of an interesting gray color stared at me in fear from under fluffy eyelashes, the shadow of which lay beautifully on delicate porcelain skin… Long silk hair, styled in a travel hairstyle, hung below the waist. Perfection!
Most likely she is an air mage, but I haven’t seen her among the adepts before. And she definitely wasn’t there at the porch. Then where has she been all this time?
– Let me go! This is not appropriate! “The girl once again tried to free herself, but I didn’t even think to listen to her.
Our short dialogue only amused me. Oh, those boarding school girls! They are not taught life at all there. Or they teach, but all sorts of nonsense. Allegedly, men like shy women, so then every second woman pretends to be hard to touch. Oh well.
Having dropped the veneer of charm, I admitted that I had given in a little. I really liked this Shy One. Watching her pour paint was a special pleasure. Yielding to an impulse, he decided to embarrass her even more. Slowly he began to lean towards her lips, pulling her a little closer…
It worked! The girl instinctively closed her eyes in anticipation of a kiss and trembled in my arms.
Here you go! What did I say? She decided that she was more cunning than everyone else, and could so easily get into my pants, and then down my aisle? Attacked the wrong one, Shy One!
I still remembered Mallory’s arrival and her tricks when she tried to get to know me on the first day. But this girl did not have such outstanding charms, so she decided to take me with her virginity?
“You don’t know what’s indecent, baby.” It would be indecent if you and I were without clothes right now,” I whispered obscene language in her ear.
The girl couldn’t stand it and, turning into a hurricane, escaped from my hands. She ran away from the cafeteria to the approving cackling of the guys, and I threw my jacket to the elemental in the locker room and headed to my table, where Jed and Kayu were already sitting.
– What a walker you are, Derberg! Already squeezed one! The account is open! – one of the guys admired when I passed by.
– Don’t repeat it, it’s dangerous for life! – I answered him.
– Why so? – asked his neighbor.
Probably, the dragon spoke in me, which did not recognize competition, but I suddenly realized what needed to be done. Not paying attention to the guys' indignation, he unceremoniously jumped straight onto the table where Curly was sitting and addressed everyone: And I suddenly got thinking. And really, why? But looking at the curly-haired earth mage with protruding incisors, I realized that I didn’t want someone like him to even stand next to my Shy Girl. Only I have the right to embarrass her. That's all. Dot!
– Listen carefully! New times have arrived at our academy. Now girls study with us.
Not everyone, but many, attended the breakfast. Nothing, they will certainly pass everything on to the others. The people started talking. Cheers and whistles were heard. But what they all expected from me was not exactly what I was going to say. Leaning my head forward, I looked around the room at the dragon. My irises have now completely turned yellow, and my pupils have become vertical. I knew what an impression it made.
“So, if I find out that one of the new guys has offended someone, or dared to let go, I won’t spare anyone.” It is clear? – I spoke insinuatingly.
I knew that such a tone was more frightening than a scream.
– Hey, Ethan, why can’t we talk to them now? – someone drawled disappointedly.
– Well, why? Talk as much as you like. Communicate, be friends, but treat with respect. No “squeezing” or other nonsense. If someone has romantic feelings, mutual, naturally, I will not interfere. Just remember, these are not tavern girls, these are noble eshsheri. Act like it, guys!
Against the backdrop of my action, these words seemed unfair, but I had to urgently correct the situation that I myself had created. To nip in the bud the impression that everyone can do exactly the same. It is forbidden! It’s possible – only for me!
There were pops. Ezeroth stood next to me.
– Bravo! Couldn't have said it better, Ethan! Did you all hear? “He looked around the room and nodded with satisfaction.
Jumping off the table, I headed towards my friends, and Aiz followed me. The dining room was as quiet as a graveyard, except for Fat Ben's loud slurping sound. Never learned to eat silently after all these years, idiot!
Something happened in my soul, I couldn’t understand why I did this. First he launched Focus, then he embarrassed the girl, and now he pushed this speech. Three inexplicable actions in a day. Isn't it too much? The theft of the Focus was probably to blame. Once you break the law, you become more and more uncontrollable and do some crazy things.
For example: “The rest are not allowed, is it only possible for me?”
Where did this thought come from in my head?
“What did you tell Dean Blackrock’s daughter that she ran away like a thousand angry wasps were chasing her?” – Kayu asked when Aiz and I took our places.
I didn’t answer, silently grabbing the menu. He opened it to the third page and, without looking, pointed it with his finger. Over the years, I learned by heart where and what was written.
– And you, you cunning ass, Ethan! – Jed admired. “I think I understand what you’re up to.”
“Just keep in mind, if you offend her, she will complain to daddy,” Kayu warned me.
“And what will Dean Blackrock do to him?” – Jed grimaced, but immediately realized. – Exactly! Points!
