Chapter 3 - School begun
[Luan's POV]
The first day of term at the Royal Academy felt less like a celebration and more like a calculated military operation. As the Rank 1 scholar, tradition dictated that I was supposed to deliver the opening speech at the freshman orientation. The mere thought of standing in front of hundreds of high-ranking Alphas and Omegas made my already weak stomach churn.
Before the sun was fully up, I navigated the opulent, mahogany-lined halls of the faculty wing and found the head coordinator's office.
The professor, an older Beta with a pinched face, looked me up and down. His eyes lingered on my faded trousers and my small stature. When I asked if I could politely decline the speech, he scoffed, a sound thick with class prejudice.
"Hmmp! Since you are just a commoner Beta, I don't see any issue with not having this approved," he sneered, crossing my name off a ledger. "Let's just skip it, then. How about we ask the Crown Prince instead? You know, to boost our juniors' spirits here, hahaha."
I bowed my head, hiding my relief. "Thank you, sir."
He slid a small parcel across the desk. "Your uniform, your dormitory keys, and your meal card. It grants you free lunch in the cafeteria. As a scholarship student, you are assigned part-time work to cover the rest of your boarding fees. You will be the assistant librarian."
My heart leaped. Assistant librarian? To me, it wasn't a chore -it was a sanctuary. I thanked him again and hurried out to find my dormitory.
The academy was a sprawling estate, but the dormitories were a marvel. Because this was the most prestigious school in the kingdom, there was no need for roommates, every student, even a commoner scholar, received their own quarters.
Upon entering my assigned room, I slowly walked inside, tracing the polished wood with my fingertips. A single, soft bed. A sturdy oak desk for studying. A large cabinet. And most importantly, my very own private bathroom. To a noble, it might not look like much, but to a boy who had grown up bathing with a bucket of cold pump water, it was a heaven!
I quickly unpacked my few meager belongings and stepped into the bathroom to shower and change into my new uniform. The hot water felt like a luxury, but it was the dorm's provided shampoo-rich, foaming, and smelling of faint cedar-that surprised me.
When I stepped out and wiped the fog from the mirror, I paused. My hair had always been a dull, dirty gray. I had assumed it was just my natural color. But stripped of the years of soot, coal dust, and slum grime, the clean strands caught the bathroom light. It wasn't gray at all. It was a bright, sparkly silver.
I ran a towel through it, feeling a strange sense of pride. I felt clean. I felt new. I grabbed my satchel, took one last look at my face, and hurried out the door so I wouldn't be late for the orientation.
[Prince Alaric's POV]
The Royal Academy courtyard was bustling with the usual morning chaos, a sea of velvet and silk. I stood on the balcony of the administrative wing, the morning sun warming my golden hair. I scanned the area, my mind drifting to a conversation I had a few days prior.
-flashback-
"Your Highness," my childhood friend, Luscious Noctis, had said during my return banquet from the neighboring kingdom. "I heard you are returning to the Academy for your final year. My youngest brother is enrolling there this term. Please take care of him. He is very clumsy and soft. He has light gray hair and blue eyes."
Blue eyes? I had thought at the time. Luscious had two brothers: Victor, the imposing empire secretary, and Kaelen, the sheltered Omega everyone whispered about. The rumors were conflicting. Some praised his delicate, untouchable beauty, while others cruelly whispered about how he didn't look one bit like a true Noctis, lacking the signature silver hair and silver eyes. I hadn't cared much about noble gossip, simply nodding to appease Luscious. "I cannot really promise you, but I'll give you some news if I see him."
-end of flashback-
Pulling myself from the memory, a flash of movement caught my eye.
Down in the courtyard, a boy was running toward the auditorium. His hair caught the sunlight-a brilliant, metallic silver.
I watched him slow down, pressing a hand to his chest as he tried to catch his breath. Why is he running alone? I frowned. Where are his escorts? If that is a noble, his household is entirely incompetent.
I found myself studying him carefully. He had a remarkably delicate face and a frame that looked far too thin for his age. His skin was incredibly pale, currently dusted with a soft, red blush from his exertion. When he blinked, I noticed his long, trembling silver lashes. There was a fragile, quiet beauty to him that arrested my attention completely.
I must have been staring too intently, because the boy suddenly stiffened. He turned his head and looked directly at me.
Up close, I was struck by his eyes. They weren't silver or blue, but a wide, innocent brown. He blinked at me, his chest still heaving, his moist lips parting slightly.
"Uhmm... can I help you, sir?" he asked, his voice soft but clear.
I jolted slightly, the haze breaking. "Ehem... nothing. You seem to be in a rush."
"Ah... yes," he replied, gripping the strap of his satchel. "I was planning to go to the auditorium for the orientation."
"That's perfect," I found myself saying, stepping forward. "Why don't we go together?"
The boy looked at me. His brown eyes flicked up to my golden hair, then to my golden eyes. I saw the exact moment recognition-or at least, realization of my high status-hit him. A wall instantly slammed down behind his gaze.
"No worries, sir," he said quickly, taking a step back. "I don't want to let people know you are walking with a commoner, as it seems you are a high noble. I should get going. Take care."
He gave a crisp, perfect bow and ran off faster than before.
I stood there, watching his silver hair disappear into the crowd. A commoner? He certainly didn't look like one at first glance, though his brown eyes were typical of the lower class. Yet the image of him, out of breath with that soft flush on his cheeks, refused to leave my mind.
I suddenly realized the tips of my ears felt unnaturally warm. I brushed my fingers against one, feeling a tint of blush. What are you doing, thinking about a fifteen-year-old boy like that? I chastised myself, turning toward the halls. I should get going as well.
[Third Person POV]
The grand auditorium was a physical manifestation of Drakovian hierarchy. The front rows were a sea of plush cushions, occupied by the perfumed heirs of the Great Duchies and high-ranking Alphas. The back rows, consisting of hard wooden benches, were reserved for the commoners and low-ranking Betas.
In the very front row sat Kaelen Noctis. His dull gray hair was styled perfectly, his blue eyes wide with anticipation. When Crown Prince Alaric stepped up to the podium to deliver the opening speech, Kaelen clutched his hands to his chest. 'He is so handsome!' he thought, his heart fluttering. 'The future sun of our nation!'
From the podium, Alaric's golden eyes scanned the room. He easily spotted Kaelen in the front row, surrounded by fawning students. 'That must be Luscious's brother,' the prince noted internally. 'They do not seem to look alike at all. He must have inherited the previous Duchess's looks.'
Far in the back, hidden behind a tall Beta, Luan slouched in his seat. The moment the golden-haired "sir" from the courtyard stepped to the microphone and was introduced as His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Alaric, Luan's blood ran cold.
I just rejected an offer to walk with the Crown Prince, Luan thought, horror creeping up his throat. He immediately took out a piece of parchment and mentally added a new rule: Avoid the Prince at all absolute costs.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur. Luan's first class was Mathematics. The professor spent the hour going over basic theorems and simple pointers that Luan had mastered by the age of ten. History was much of the same. Luan spent the class quietly reading ahead in his textbook, drawing no attention to himself.
When the bell rang for lunch, Luan headed to the grand cafeteria. It was a madhouse. Students were swarming like bees around the center tables, mostly circling the youngest Noctis, desperate to build connections with the rare Omega. The air was thick with competitive Alpha pheromones and sweet Omega scents.
Feeling a headache coming on, Luan simply grabbed a wrapped sandwich using his meal card and slipped out the side doors.
He found a quiet, shaded spot outside under a massive, ancient oak tree in the academy's meticulously manicured garden. He sat down, pulled out an advanced history text, and let out a sigh of relief. Peace, at last.
Unbeknownst to him, the tree was situated directly beneath the large, arched windows of the senior Alpha classrooms.
Prince Alaric sat near the window, a complex political map spread across his desk. But his golden eyes weren't on the borders of the kingdom. He was looking down into the garden.
What a coincidence, Alaric thought, a faint, amused smile touching his lips.
Down below, the silver-haired boy from the morning was sitting against the oak. Alaric watched as Luan took a tiny, delicate bite of his sandwich, chewing slowly while his eyes remained intensely glued to his book. He looked so incredibly serious, utterly oblivious to the fact that the Crown Prince was watching him from above.
A chair scraped beside Alaric. Allen Pontus, the Alpha heir to the Great Duchy of Pontus, leaned over the desk.
"What are you looking at, Your Highness?" Allen asked, following the prince's line of sight down to the garden. Allen chuckled. "Ah. What a cute bunny. That must be Luan."
Alaric's gaze snapped away from the window, looking at his classmate. "You know him?"
"Yeah," Allen said casually, leaning back. "He is the Rank 1 scholar of the juniors this year. Caused a bit of a stir this morning. I heard he went to the faculty and explicitly asked to skip the opening speech."
Rank 1. A commoner who rejected the spotlight, and rejected me, Alaric mused, his golden eyes flickering back to the boy under the tree.
"Hmmm. Interesting," the Prince murmured softly.
Sensing the professor walking toward the front of the room, Alaric tapped his pen on his desk. "Let us focus on our lesson, Allen."
Allen shrugged, turning his attention to the front, but Alaric allowed himself one last, lingering glance at the silver-haired boy before the lecture began.