Blooming Life (Fate's Intent Book 10) (7 page)

“Yeah.” Bryce sighed. “No powers.”

“Precisely.” Troy replied. “No one is supposed to know about them so try to stay under control.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem.” Seth smiled.

“Dirk, that means you
especially
.” My father said.

“Yes, father. I know.”

“Don’t worry, Darius.” Seth laughed. “He’ll be too distracted to get angry over anything. In fact, you’ll be pleased to know that he already has a lunch date.”

“Really?” My father smiled, moving his eyes over to mine.

“Ah—yeah.” I hesitated then came out with a smile.

“Her name’s Janie!” Bryce leaned into me with a teasing voice and a poke in the cheek.

“Quit it.” I immediately pushed his hand away. “It’s nothing.”

My eyes met my father’s so he knew that I remembered about what we talked about and he nodded. “Good. Let’s get you boys ready. You’ll have to get to your first class soon.”

“Did you get everything?” Seth asked as we started to leave the North Hall and head back to the main building.

“It’s waiting for you.” Zayden answered. “From today on, you’ll look like everyone else.”

“Yeah, says the normal looking one.” I muttered.

“Dirk!” My father’s deep voice jumped me. “Do something for me. Keep your comments to yourself.”

“Yes, father.”

We went into the West Hall where we were to put on the Royal Academy’s uniform for boys. A white long sleeve shirt with white pants and a gray and silver sleeveless dress tunic with a high collar.

“Oh, no.” I muttered with an obvious tone of dislike. “Can we change our minds?”

My father laughed while he waited with me and made sure I was doing it right. “No. You know you don’t really want to.”

“But look at me. It’s so colorless it makes my head look like it’s on fire.”

He could only laugh again at my lifeless expression. “Oh, it does not.”

“How would you know? You don’t look like me.”

“At least not your hair but your mother will think you look rather dashing.”

“Yeah, well, she’s not the one I need to impress.”

“Hey, remember what I said.”

“I know, father. I do. I’m just—starting the experience. Like you said.”

“Just watch the attachments. If you think it’s becoming too much, walk away.”

“Mother wouldn’t like that advice, you know?”

“I know but I’m not her and your mother doesn’t know I told you about this. It’s going to stay that way, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now let’s get you out there. You only have a few minutes to get to your first class for orientation.”

I nodded and we walked out into the hall.

“Hurry up.” Seth said, looking around the nearest corner for me. “Don’t want to be late.”

“Yeah. I’m coming.”

“Well, here’s your schedule.” My father handed me a small sheet of paper. “Just follow it and you should be all set.”

“Okay. So, when does this get over?”

“Around sunset. You can walk home, can’t you?”

I was startled by the question and looked up. “Alone? Mother never lets me go anywhere alone.”

“Well, again, I’m not her. Don’t worry. I’ll take the heat from her later when she gets back.”

“Okay. So, I guess I’ll see you tonight.”

“Good luck.”

We parted ways and I stood and watched until my father was out of sight before looking down at the paper in my hands again.

“Dirk!” Bryce shouted.

“I know! I’m coming!”

I jogged to catch up and we headed to our very first class in the East Hall.

More students have arrived while we were dressing and the scene was fuller than before.

It seemed everyone was trying to get to classes at the same time and the halls inside quickly became crowded with hustling feet in every which direction. The uniforms all blended in together in one sea of gray and white that it would have been impossible to find any one particular face among all the moving traffic but that’s not how I was feeling.

I felt stares coming from every direction and though they may not have all been on me, I felt like they were. My rose red hair surely stood out above everything else in this dull scene like it was just glowing from the lanterns. I could see locks of it around my eyes just hanging there, mocking me as if it had a mind of its own and purposely laid there to make me suddenly feel self-conscious for the first time in my life.

I couldn’t bear to see it. I kept trying to push it off to the sides or even over my head so I could get it out of my sights and hopefully out of my mind but it just fell back in place.

Untamed indeed.

Nothing I did seemed to work. I eventually gave up and knew I would have to deal with it. This is how things were going to be from now on but it just aggravated me seeing the stares. Whether it was really for who I was or what I looked like, I fought my hardest to keep my anger in and my eyes on the more realistic side of normal.

What felt like the longest walk of my life soon came to an end when we reached our first class for orientation. Seth and Bryce didn’t seem nervous or agitated about any of this at all. They wanted to be here and have been waiting for it. I soon remembered that I did too and dropped all thoughts of mental abuse due to my appearance and took my seat with them all in a row.

“So far—” Seth smiled in a whisper.

“So good.” Bryce whispered back, finishing his sentence.

“Yeah.” I laughed under my breath. “
So far
.”

“Order, please! Order!” The instructor said to calm the class of talking students. “Let’s get started, shall we? Welcome to the Royal Academy, the finest institute the world has ever seen for its fresh young minds. Here, you will grow strong-minded and sure, right to adulthood. Now, let’s familiar ourselves with each other since this is just the first day with quick introductions. I am Master Colbrid and you will address me as such. I will be your assigned advisor and your new best friend for the time of your stay here. I will also be your instructor for physical science studies. Who would like to go next?”

A boy sitting close to the front raised his hand up in the air to volunteer. “I will.”

“All right.”

Master Colbrid waved him up to the front of the class and the boy turned to us, speaking in a confident voice. “My name is Chester Brig and my father is the King’s personal tailor.”

A few gasps were heard and everyone started whispering.

“Watch this.” Seth said quietly while laughing. “I’d like to go next.”

“Very well.” Master Colbrid nodded while Chester retook his seat.

Seth stood tall in the front of the class for a second like he was giving everyone time to look at him. “If you have yet to notice, my name is Seth Vendel and the King is my father.”

Louder gasps spiraled around the room and Chester shrunk in his chair.

“Well, thank you for informing us, young Prince.” Master Colbrid said, allowing Seth to take his seat. “It would seem we have the honored class this year. Seni’s young Lords are also with us.”

Everyone turned their heads to Bryce and I and we just smiled, trying not to act shy about all the sudden stares. “Hi.”

“Let’s continue, shall we?”

The rest of the class took part in their introductions, thankfully we didn’t have to and Master Colbrid went over the basics of how each day would work.

We followed our schedules precisely and were most eager to attend our last class of the day, Combat Training.

“I just want the day to hurry up to see what it’s like.” Bryce said as we made our way outside to get to lunch.

“I know.” I agreed. “It’s all I’ve been thinking about.”

“Oh, really?” Seth smiled, leaning into me slightly. “Forgot about your lunch date?”

“Oh, yeah!” Bryce laughed. “Where is she?”

I casually looked around as everyone was swarming towards the South Hall to get in line to eat.

“I don’t know. She said she’d find me.”

We found our place in line and waited quietly like everyone else. It was strange to us as we looked around. There was some light chatter among the line but not much and mostly everyone was facing the same direction.

“I hate order.” I muttered.

Seth laughed in front of me. “It is a bit odd. It’s like everyone’s afraid to step out of line.”

“That’s because if you do, you lose it.” A boy said, standing stiff in front of him, his body turned just slightly so he could look at us. “And I hear you’ll have to wait until everyone else has gotten their food and eaten it then you’re stuck with the floor scraps.”

“That’s an unnecessary punishment.” Bryce replied.

“It’s how they keep the order so well here. I’m Brock by the way.”

“I’m—”

“I know. Bryce, Dirk and of course, Seth, the Prince. Everyone knows of the three of you.”

“I should have just guessed that.”

“It’s okay. It’s an honor to get the chance to attend the Royal Academy with you.”

“Thank you.” Seth said. “How long does this usually take?”

“Normally not that long, depending on where you are in the line.”

“There shouldn’t be a line. They should be serving us.”

Brock laughed, trying to keep it quiet and orderly. “That would be nice since we’re the ones that work all day.”

“Good point.” I said. “Seth, we should look into it.”

“We’ll see but I doubt they’re much on change around here.”

“At least they left us food.” Brock replied.

We were up in the line and able to get our trays, putting dinnerware and flatware on them.

“Great.” I sighed. “No salad forks?”

“Nope.” Bryce replied. “Looks like they’re all one size.”

“Seth, we seriously need to do something.” I griped.

He laughed. “Just use what they have. It’s all we can do.”

“Actually, you could turn this one into a salad fork.”

Seth and Bryce both paused and looked over with wide eyes. I knew we weren’t supposed to use our gifts but they couldn’t believe that I even mentioned it.

“What? You could.”

“Be quiet.” He muttered through his teeth. “And deal with it.”

I rolled my eyes and we continued through the line, picking out what we wanted for lunch and putting it on our trays.

“Now what?”

“We sit.” Seth said obviously.

We looked around at all the full tables and found an empty section by the doors.

The dining hall still seemed unusually quiet. There was only just a slight more sound of chatter but I could still easily hear myself think.

“May I sit here?”

My eyes lifted from my tray into a beautiful pair of blues. “Janie. Of course you can. I’d pull out a chair for you but they’re attached to the floor.”

She smiled and sat down next to me.

“You could try though.” Bryce laughed, already knowing what would actually happen if I did.

Seth nudged him.

“What? It’d be only a little funny. That’s all I was saying.”

“It’s okay.” Janie replied. “How has your day been so far?”

“Very unusual.”

Janie’s expression became confused.

“We’re just getting used to being around other kids.” Seth said. “Normally, it’s just the three of us.”

“I see. Well, I’m kind of glad you decided to do that here.”

I was looking at her with a smile while she looked back.

“Well, so it’s true.”

Janie’s happy demeanor faded when she sighed and looked at the end of the table at an older boy in similar resemblance to her. “Kent, please go away.”

“You were quick to jump on the new ones, weren’t you?”

“Get out of here.”

“So you can continue your work? All right. Watch out, boys. She’s a heartbreaker.”

He walked away and Janie sighed again. “Please excuse my stupid brother. He likes to cruelly joke at my expense.”

“It’s all right.” I replied.

“He’ll thankfully be gone in a few months. He’s almost sixteen if you can believe it. I surely can’t.”

“So, that’s how it works?” Bryce asked. “You turn sixteen and no longer have to come here?”

“Yup. Adult age. Most boys will take up a military position and the girls hopefully get lucky enough to marry one right out of school.”

“That soon?” Seth wondered.

“Mostly because they say women become less appealing with age. It’s better to snag one early than wait and possibly never get married which isn’t what I’m doing right now so don’t freak out.”

“Of course not.” I said. “And I don’t think it’s true. Women can be appealing at an older age.”

Janie smiled and looked between the three of us. “That’s sweet but you say that because your mothers are the three most beautiful women ever. It would be wrong for you to think any less.”