The ship didn't take long to arrive. Thanks to the academy's latest technology, it felt like a short trip towards the island. We didn't get out of the cabin assigned to us, but I would often gaze outside the window. Ethan had secretly brought us a few snacks from the palace, and we shared simple conversations about our expectations. Before we knew it, the island appeared on the horizon, and as the island loomed closer, its grandeur became increasingly apparent.
Even from a distance, the island was a sight to behold. The forests appeared as dense green patches, standing out against the deep blue of the ocean. Hills rolled gently, decorated with colorful wildflowers swaying in the wind. Mountains loomed in the background, their peaks disappearing into the clouds. Along the coast, sandy beaches met the sparkling blue waters. Amidst this natural beauty stood magnificent structures, blending seamlessly with the environment while exuding an aura of technological advancement. It was a place where nature and innovation coexisted in perfect harmony, creating a landscape that was both awe-inspiring and enchanting.
As the ship docked at the island's entrance, we could hear the bustling sounds of the famous welcome city, its modest yet well-developed infrastructure offered a warm embrace to newcomers. Ethan and I disembarked onto the welcoming shores of the port city. The air was filled with a palpable sense of energy as students, workers, and management personnel bustled about, each with their own role to play in the island's vibrant ecosystem.
While the butler led the servants to deliver our luggage to our dormitories, the academy's director sent us his aid to greet us at the front.
"Greetings, your Highnesses. I am Angelo Portland, the appointed aid of the academy's director."
"There is no need to be so formal with us, Angelo. Inside this academy we are nothing but students. If you and Reynald start giving us special treatment, others are bound to doubt our identity and figure out who we are." I crossed my arms and smiled gently while sighting.
"I apologize, your High... miss Alicia. If you and master Ethan would be so kind as to follow me, the director is waiting for you both at his office."
I looked over at Ethan as if to ask if we really needed to meet that old man, but he looked back at me and shrugged his shoulders, so we couldn't help it.
"Lead the way, but choose the longest route. We would like to take a look at the academy while we can." Ethan replied, and looked at me proudly like he wanted me to compliment him.
Portland directed us towards the teleportation device carefully placed within the port's city. And in the blink of an eye, an immense building appeared right in front of us, a magnificent castle-like structure standing proudly atop the water, its grandeur accentuated by the expansive bridge leading to its entrance. The building's imposing silhouette is reflected in the calm waters below, creating a striking visual contrast against the backdrop of towering mountains and lush natural landscape surrounding it. The castle's architecture exudes an air of regal sophistication, with ornate details adorning its walls and turrets reaching skyward.
I couldn't help being captivated by the installations. Everything was thoroughly and efficiently organized, the lively corridors were filled with chatter as the students arrived one by one, walking around excitedly for another academic semester.
The walls were delicately sculpted with patterns and adorned with paintings and hanging lights. You could see it is carefully maintained by how perfectly new everything looks even after so many years.
"Sir Reynald, I brought master Ethan and miss Alicia."
"If it isn't the two golden birds! Welcome, welcome! Come give this grandpa a hug~" Reynald looked very excited and quickly got up from his seat to greet us.
"This is what I wanted to avoid..." Ethan sighted, disappointed.
"Let's make this quick and leave as fast as possible." I whispered, and Ethan couldn't agree more.
Reynald Berthold is a very famous mage within the Empire, holding the highest position a magician can get: the Archmage. He is very close with the Imperial Family and used to be our private magic teacher when we were young, in order for us to learn how to control our powers at a young age. He used to be quite stern, but now with his old age he has become quite sentimental. In any case, after the passing of the previous director, he was chosen as the successor to manage the academy. It is a magic academy, after all, so no one is better suited to be here than him.
"Old man... you can get off us now..."
"Right, right, my apologies. It's been so long since I've seen my two genius students that I got carried away. How about your training? Don't tell me you two are slacking off!"
"We are doing well, master." Said Ethan first, as he bragged about himself.
Reynald continuously tapped his shoulder singing praises as he was satisfied. He then looked at me expecting me to follow along with my brother and say something as well, but as he saw I had no intentions of saying anything, he pouted and couldn't help but ask.
"What about you, Alicia? Your destructive sword aura always amazed me."
"There is a new technique I've been trying to master that uses mana to cover your body instead of an object."
"Outstanding as always, miss Alicia. How unfortunate it is that you don't have as much mana as your brother. You would be a great mage with your talent."
"Haha, yes..." My face darkened, but I smiled as usual. Seeing how I looked uncomfortable, Ethan steadily diverted his attention somewhere else.
"We should probably get going now, we haven't seen the dormitories yet, and we would like to rest since classes already start tomorrow." Said Ethan, tapping my shoulder and holding my hand towards the exit.
"Oh, oh! Of course, of course! Let me escort you to the-"
"No! We're good." We shouted in unison, sweating and praying he would give up such a thing.
"... Fine, fine. I will leave you two alone... for today! Get some rest, the dormitories are not that far off. Just head back to the main hall and go straight opposite of the entrance. There will be a garden and the dorms should be right ahead."
"Thank you, master. We shall head out now."
When the door was closed, a sigh of relief filled my nervous body. Ethan looked more relaxed, as well, and he started laughing as he usually does. With his hands on the back of his head, he leisurely started walking.
"Things are already quite hectic from the moment we arrived, right sis?"
"That's true... It's not even evening yet and I'm so exhausted!" I gently fixed a strand of hair, putting it behind my ear.
I looked around and saw that the corridors were already empty. The students were already settling inside the dormitories while we wasted time being held by that geezer.
"I want to quickly get some good sleep. Thankfully the events and classes won't begin until tomorrow, so we have some time to rest." Said Ethan, with a relieved expression.
"Promise me you won't be late to the ceremony! You know better than to miss it, right?" I smiled ominously.
"Right... of course... - Ethan nervously scratched his head and tried to change subjects when he spotted the garden Berthold had talked about. - "Sis, you might wanna take a look at this!"
I stopped glaring at my brother and turned my gaze towards what he was pointing at as we walked through the exit door of the main hall. In the heart of the building, a stunning open garden was right in front of our eyes. The air held a perfect balance, neither too warm nor too cool, as if enchanted to maintain an ideal temperature. The vibrant blooms of the flowers added splashes of color to the expansive greenery that stretched out before me. As I moved forward to take a closer look, I spotted a beautiful light blue butterfly gracefully flying around, which completed the magical scenery unfolding before me. It was a scene of pure enchantment, made even more incredible by the tranquil solitude of the garden, and I could say with confidence that it was even more enchanting than the Imperial Palace's famous Rose Garden. With most students having retired to their chambers, the only sound that filled the air was the gentle rustling of leaves dancing in the breeze.
"It's beautiful. Even more dazzling than the Imperial garden." Said I, with my eyes glimmering.
"That's true, and I know how much you like that garden. You are always found there whenever you get the chance."
"Hehe, that's true. I really love flowers after all."
"Well, the dorms are right ahead, but there's still some time before the curfew. Do you want me to go check whether everything is taken care of while you rest here?"
"I never thought you'd say that to me, haha!" I instinctively giggled and Ethan blushed in embarrassment.
"W-well since you adore it so much I can at least do that for you. What do you say?"
"I'd love that. Thank you, brother."
Ethan kissed my forehead and went ahead to the dorms. As I looked around, I saw a beautiful tree that had a good shade and sat by it, closing my eyes and enjoying the breeze. At last I had a moment of rest.
I could never even dream of having a peaceful rest inside the palace. There are eyes and ears everywhere, the constant watch and expectations from everyone towards the future ruler of the Empire. Even when I sneak out to the gardens, I must uphold perfect mannerism and elegance expected from an Imperial Princess. Most of the time, I am forced to constantly attend classes for the heir and intense physical training. There is nothing I do not lack, and there should have been no reason for me to attend an academy. But the thought of escaping those expectations, even for a little bit, and the desire to live as a normal citizen just for a while, made me want to come to this place. Despite everyone's praises, I know that I am still greatly lacking.
"Sister, there is no need to shoulder all responsibility. More than anyone, you must learn how to rely on others. You won't ever be alone, I am always with you."
For a moment, his words came to mind, and my fearful thoughts finally dissipated, replaced by the feeling of relief. Maybe within the academy's halls, I could discover a path of my own, free from the weight of royal duties.
Without even realizing, as I was immersed in my own thoughts, I fell asleep. And with that, the sun slowly started to set. As I remained in a deep sleep, someone slowly approached. His dark silver hair shone bright under the moonlight and fluttered with the wind. Upon approaching me slowly, his silvery rose eyes smiled as if they were seeing an amusing scene. He sat beside me and leaned on the grass slowly, as careful as possible not to wake me up. And there, he waited patiently until I woke up.
As I was slowly regaining consciousness, I felt something very close to me and opened my eyes, just to see a dazzling presence's gaze fixated on me. I opened my eyes in surprise but quickly regained composure, abruptly sitting up and looking back at him with a stern gaze.
"Young Master Leonard, are you trying to pull a prank on me?"
"Hardly, your Highness. I thought it was a befitting welcome to my dearest Alicia." Leonard got up as well, and smiled gently.
"You are certainly hilarious. - I looked around and saw how evening had already arrived and frowned - You could have woken me up when you saw me here. Ethan said he'd come back, where in the world is he... so embarrassing."
"Embarrassing? You looked adorable sleeping like a child on the grass. - He approached with his hand and retrieved a leaf from my hair - Besides, I knew you probably haven't been sleeping properly lately, so I thought it would be good to let you rest while I guarded you."
"Guarded me? You didn't need to do that, I can very well protect myself."
"How so? You didn't even sense me when I approached. - He smirked - You see, it doesn't hurt to say thank you once in a while. I haven't seen you in a long time."
My face reddened in embarrassment, and I lowered my gaze to the ground, since at this point I couldn't look him in the eyes. As gravity did its work, my hair slowly fell along with my head, and he approached me yet again to get the strands off my face.
"It's been two years, Leonard."
"For you, it's Leo. It's good to see you again, Ali."
I gave him a reluctant smile, and slowly started to get up. I've thought many times of what to say when I saw him again, but for some reason I couldn't utter a single word.
For generations, the noble system worked around two factions: the Imperial faction, and the Aristocratic faction. The Aristocratic faction is formed by noble families who wish to weaken the Imperial Family's power and increase the noble's grasp within politics. The leader is Marquess Raypani, who is slowly starting to gain recognition. Naturally, the Imperial faction is led by the Imperial Family, where noble families who support us form a strong base to balance power within the nobility. And on top of the entire food chain, second only to the Imperials, resides the Archduke Heint's family, who swore their loyalty ever since the Empire was founded. Leonard Kesman Heint is the second son of the Archduke, and a childhood friend of mine. We haven't seen each other ever since he left for the academy two years ago, abruptly, as he cut off contact entirely.
"Are you good to go, princess? I can escort you to the dormitories."
"I mustn't leave until Ethan comes back. He said he would check if everything was ready at the dorms and come back to fetch me."
"There isn't much time until curfew, so it would be good not to stay here much longer. Besides, knowing your brother, he most certainly passed out on a couch and forgot about his previous arrangements."
With a startled expression, I looked away. I would make sure to have a good and peaceful talk with my beloved brother the next time I saw him.
"...That's fine, the dorms are not that far off."
"I can still take you to the common area, since I'm headed there as well. Is that okay, princess?" With a graceful bow, he lowered himself slightly as he extended forward his hand, palm upturned in a gesture of invitation, while the other rested gently on his back, the way one would expect an escort to behave.
"How persistent you are." I placed my hand on his, accepting his invitation.
I felt a little sad to leave the garden, but since I will be here for a while, I should have plenty of opportunities to stay here, and so we started walking towards the dormitories.
Upon seeing the dorms in the distance, it almost felt like it was bigger than the academy's main installation. The common area in the first floor is the place where all students can access, having the cafeteria, the library, a resting area and both outdoor and indoors training grounds, along with other installations. The other four floors are where the dormitories reside, one for each student year. And within the floor, the left side is reserved for the male students and the right side for the female students.
"I guess we are here." Leonard looked visibly sad.
"Thank you for escorting me. I shall get going now."
"Of course, Ali. I'll see you later." He kissed my hand, and waited for me to leave before moving. I left with a pained expression.
The building was bustling with students, reencountering their friends after the break. Besides Leonard, I didn't know anyone else, so I simply went straight to the first floor to find my room while I looked around to see if my brother was somewhere among the students
It took me some time to find the exact room I would be staying in, since nobody guided me through and I was too shy to ask for help, but eventually I found it. Destani instructed me that I would be sharing the room with three other girls, so I must say I am excited to make friends. I opened the door, and the room was bigger than I expected. There was a square desk with four chairs, with drawers ready to keep all of our academic books and materials. Moving further inside, a living room with three sofas and a table prepared for tea time. By the side of the entrance door was the corridor with three other doors. One of them had two bunk beds and a pretty carpet. The second door was where the dressing room resided with all of our belongings, divided by four. The last door was the bathroom, which even had a bathtub.
"So you're the fourth member, welcome!"
A bubbly girl appeared from the dressing room. Her pinkish straight hair was tied in two side braids, and her big green eyes looked at me with curiosity. By the way she carried herself, I could see she was a noble.
"Hello, I am Alicia. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"My name 's Naomi! I'll be in your care. The other girls who will be with us are already at the canteen waiting for us, so now that you're here we can go meet them together!"
She looked very happy and bubbly, excited to meet another roommate. I was a little stiff by the sudden presence so I looked a little awkward, but she seemed not to mind it.
"Let's not waste more time and go, already! Your stuff is already inside, so don't worry. Let's go meet our new friends!"
It seemed like the only reason she stayed was to wait for my arrival, as she was incredibly prepared and quick on her feet to drag me out of the room without me even have the chance to breathe.
Before I could respond, she dragged me outside the room. And with that, we headed to the canteen. Most of the students were already there, chatting and reminiscing about their break adventures and experiences. Not long after we arrived, Naomi had already seemed to spot a group of 3 people and headed straight there.
"Hey, guys! I brought the new girl at last!" Naomi waved at the group of people, sitting at one of the tables.
"Naomi, took you long enough! Come sit, sit down~"
A cheerful guy signaled for us to sit down. His dark green hair reminded me of a deep, dark forest, contrary to his personality. He looked rather small, and you could tell he did not care much about etiquette or rules. The other two girls beside him seemed to be the other roommates Naomi was talking about. The first girl did not express any desire to open her mouth and talk, she looked quite shy and seemed to follow along with others. Her blondish brown hair and eyes could be seen as plain, but she had her own charm. The other girl looked quite eccentric. She had a deep purple shade of hair which left quite the impression upon looking at her. Her facial expression wasn't exactly welcoming, she truly felt like a snob noble looking down at others, and I knew who she was at first glance. Anastasia Raypani, the first daughter of the Raypani Marquisate, the Aristocratic faction's strongest source of influence who aims for a marriage within the royal family, ironically. She, despite her looks, is not a bad person. If I were to say anything, maybe she would suit the tsundere title.
"Who is this one with you, Naomi?" Anastasia, who had been staring at me for a while, spoke up for the first time."