Chapter 3 ~ W-What?

{Ava’s POV}

~ The Next Day ~

As I’ve said before, I’m not the proud type. Neither do I act like one.

But yesterday, I decided to make an exception.

I decided to cut off the wings of a proud male whom I had just been meeting for the first time…

Of course, I won.

I know that’s the first question that comes to mind regarding this topic, so yeah, I won— landing the chap on his back within the first two minutes of our fight.

After an initial taunting laughter and some hesitancy, the fair male had tried to attack me but then I had evaded all his blows easily and when I had exhausted his strength enough, I struck once and he landed on his face at the end of the two minutes. 

And with that, I won against— what’s his name again?

I think his friend who had been praising him yesterday had called him Lima— yeah. 

So I had won against Lima and I was shocked by how rageful he was at the defeat. He appeared like I had taken his soul from him… but then that hadn’t been the only shocking thing.

Following my win, instead of the normal victory cheer you would expect from a crowd, I got gasps with odd intervals of whispers. 

Everyone had been staring at me in a way that made me uncomfortable so I decided to leave that axis hastily. 

Edna and I also didn’t end up sleeping in the Academy boarding rooms yesterday but then that didn’t have anything to do with the odd reactions to my victory. 

There hadn’t been any accommodation for us so Edna had placed this complaint with the Matrons after which we left for a neighboring Pack to hunt for an inn or hotel.

We eventually found one and paid for a room for which we slept in and now, we were out and on our way back to the Academy. 

The sun was barely out but we were on our way already and this time around, it wasn’t because of Edna’s excitement to get to the academy on time— No. 

Today, something special was happening.

The Alpha King, Luthar, was visiting the Academy today with the Queen, and the Prince… so this was the reason for our haste. 

It has been one of my dreams to meet the Royal family and know what they look like as I’ve only ever heard whispers while being locked inside a stuffy prison which was my room back at DarkClaw Pack. Hence, today I was looking forward to seeing them in real life— Edna and I both.  

On the other hand, there was also my plan to conclude my humbling mission today as I’ve decided to taunt Lima, the Chap from yesterday, a little once we reach the Academy.

This is to make sure his wings and ego are completely cut down so that he sees that there's no benefit in being loud and proud. 

Additionally, I would be doing this with a friendly vibe to make sure I didn’t create an enemy on my first day at the Academy. 

My attempt might be intruding but it will be me doing him a favor because no one likes a dude who is too full of himself no matter how good-looking he might be. 

“What do you think he will look like?”

“I bet he’ll be good-looking—gorgeous!” Edna said from beside me now, breaking the silence. She looked gleeful to see the royal family and although I was excited, my glee didn’t match hers. 

“You mean the Prince?”

“Of course, I mean the Prince. Who else?!” She responded.

I smiled. “I don’t know, Edna.” I replied to her and then decided to give her the answer she was expecting. “But I guess he’ll be gorgeous.” I said and she squealed before continuing with her silent reminiscing.

I might have told her what she wanted to hear but then I wasn’t necessarily lying. The Royals are known for the chief genes and godly appearances so gorgeousness wasn’t a question, but then that’s not all. They are also known for their remarkable abilities— strength, unmatched skills, and godly endurance alike, which is why they lead us and their lineage has not been cut off from the Throne for ages.

The Royal blood is something no one can toil with. 

“But what do you think it’s going to be like when we see them?” Edna asked me again and I sighed. 

“I don’t know, Edna. I’m a newbie just like you. I don’t know what Royal visits are like.” I responded and she frowned at me.

“You’re such a mood killer. You don’t like me smiling!” She retorted and I smiled but didn’t say anything else so that the air grew silent.

“Speaking of smiling, how’s your smile?” Edna broke the silence after a moment and I pretended her question was weird when it was not— as I perfectly understood what she was talking about.

“What?” I muttered. 

“Oh, come on. You know what I’m talking about.” She said. “The one who makes you smile.” She winked. I blushed a bit. 

Okay, fine. She was talking about Dylan, my boyfriend. Yes— I have a boyfriend whom I call ‘my smile’, hence Edna’s reference. I had not mentioned him before now because he’s not a topic I discuss frequently. 

Dylan was the third significant person in my life— a he-wolf who, just like Edna, likes me despite what people say about me.

We have been dating for eight months now but our relationship has been secret— but relax. Dylan has promised to mark me as his mate when he completes our Pack training program.

Before Edna and I had left the DarkClaw yesterday, I had gone over to his house to talk to him. I had taken the risk of being seen together publicly because I needed to tell him about the new development of my going to Moonspire.

Thankfully, nobody had seen us and we had made our plans. So now that I was going to be spending my time at the Academy until graduation, Dylan was going to habitually pay me visits as we had planned. 

“Dylan is fine, Edna. Can you leave me alone now?” I responded to Edna now, blushing a bit. 

“Okay, lover girl. I’ll leave you alone. Hopefully, when we get to the Academy, I can find a smile of my own.” She said playfully and I chortled a bit before gazing ahead. 

“Well, looks like you’re in luck, Edna.” I said now. “We are here.”

With my utterance, Edna gazed ahead and realized that we had gotten to the Academy. We had taken another route so she hadn’t easily noticed the tall Academy walls due to the thick vegetation around but then I did.

We were here. 

**

I don’t like being in crowds.

But it appears that it’s something I would have to get used to, no matter how overwhelming and loud it becomes.

“Let’s gooo!” Someone yelled beside me now and I tensed and almost fell.  

There were a lot of people here today, double the number I had seen yesterday, and to make matters worse, most of them threw their gazes at Edna and me the moment we got into the premises.

The air was choked and people were looking at us like they had been doing yesterday. It was making me really uncomfortable, confused, and self-conscious… and then there was Edna who decided that this was the perfect time to abandon me. 

“I’ll go check to see if our room is ready. I’ll be right back.” She said now and turned to walk away

I immediately grasped her arm. “No. Don’t leave me!” I voiced. 

“I’m not leaving you, Ava. I have to make sure our accommodation is ready otherwise we won’t have a place to sleep once the visitation is over. We are already short on money.” She told me and released her arm slowly from my grip. She motioned to walk away but then she noticed the distressed look on my face.

“Are you good?” She asked. 

“You know I don’t like crowds, Edna. I don’t know anyone here apart from you.” I told her sincerely now.

I would feel very uneasy being alone here and I couldn’t go with her to the Matrons because she was going to make arrangements for a one-person accommodation, a small room, for which both of us would secretly be sharing. 

This was because upon enquiry, my savings could only cover tuition and not accommodation so I couldn’t get a room of my own. Thankfully, I had Edna. 

“I’ll be back in a jiffy babe. You’ll be fine. Plus you know someone— you know Lima. You said you wanted to tease him and rub your win in his face just like he was doing to everyone yesterday, remember?” 

Right. 

I don’t think I want to do that any longer. I’m too self-conscious to talk to anybody right now. 

I didn’t respond to Edna now. I only frowned, but Edna just kissed my cheek and dashed off — leaving me to face the crowd alone.

Now, the chatters all around me became overwhelmingly louder and it felt like I was dropped in a pool of bodies. 

The Royal family wasn’t here yet. Turns out we had arrived a bit too early, but so did so many other people. And as seconds ticked by, I grew more uncomfortable. 

I know you’re probably wondering how I stepped out to fight Lima since I’m claiming I’m not crowd-friendly now. Well, yesterday was a different scenario. There had been provoking emotions at play, plus I had had Edna on the side, waiting for me, so I hadn’t been disturbed. 

But then now it was only me and it felt like random gazes were boring holes inside me.

I left the general fields and strolled towards the Hex building, planning to hide within the Hex space. But then when I got there, I realized that it was also crowded. I immediately motioned to leave but then I spotted someone. I spotted Lima.

He was standing, not at the Centre of the Hex space, but at one of the corners. But then the way people hovered around him made him look like he was at the center of everything. 

He must be one of the popular dudes— that explains a lot. 

There were also two figures around that axis who looked like royal guards, but not much attention was on them as I guessed they were sent ahead of the King. 

I stood staring at Lima for a moment and then I realized that Edna was right. He and I were strangers but then, relative to everyone else around me, I felt like I could talk to him. 

Within the following seconds, I started contemplating doing so— contemplating going up to him and completing my teasing attempt as a means of not being alone here, but then I grew confused when I looked back in the direction of where he had been standing and didn’t see him there any longer. 

I instantly shifted my gaze to realize that he was coming in my direction now and seeing this, I was forced to make my decision. I would talk to him and finish what I started, simultaneously using our convo to kill time until Edna came back.

He was pacing slowly now, walking like he owned the place and this was my motivation to actually do this. Plus yesterday, after I had won and was leaving, he had been commanding me not to walk out on him like he was in charge or something. 

“Hi.”

He hadn’t noticed me.

“Lima. Is it?” I said again and he turned to my direction and grew a slightly stunned expression.

The expression crashed into a frown now. “You.”

“Yeah. Me.” I responded as he halted.

“You’ve got some nerve daring to walk up to me.” He said, his voice deep and his eyes fierce. He had beautiful green eyes but then his grumpy countenance was ruining it, and I was not about to let him talk to me anyhow. 

“From the way I see it, you walked up to me.” I returned. “And from how grumpy you are, I’m guessing that you still recall yesterday vividly.” I added and he grew a tighter scowl.

“How dare you—”

“You know it’s crazy that you're this fierce when your fighting yesterday was not.” I cut him off curtly and he grew a shocked expression. 

“At least, if you want to appear this savage, match it up with the way you fight and don’t move like a girl— especially when going against an actual girl.” I said and he looked utterly dazed. It was a mixture of rage and shock, and seeing this, I decided we had shared enough words.

I hadn’t planned for our convo to be this tense but he wasn’t helping either. Nonetheless, I had no regrets. 

Just then, there were cheers from one of the Hex space entrances, cheers sounding like elation and reverence— The Royals family was here!

This was another reason to conclude our discourse as I needed to go find Edna. 

“I had initially planned to talk to you and tease you a bit but you decided to make things aggressive so this is what you get, the savage version of me.” I said and started to back away. 

“Pride comes before a downfall, Lima.” I said aloud as the distance between us grew. “But no hard feelings, we should always learn from our failures as they are stepping stones of the success ladder.” I added and with that, I turned away and started my search for my best friend, leaving Lima growling madly. 

What the hell is the ‘stepping stones of the success ladder?’

That makes no sense. 

Why did I say that?

Gosh.

I continued away, not bothering to look back especially since I knew the reaction Lima was still putting up— his reaction of shocked rage. 

I left the hex area and towards the external fields, I saw the glorious entourage— the King’s guards and warriors, a legion of them. And buried in the middle of it all, was the Alpha King and Queen.

I hastened my footsteps now and searched for Edna. I slid through the crowd easily this time as everyone’s gaze was stolen by the royals and no one was looking at me anymore.

I went back to where Edna had left me earlier and fortunately for me, I spotted Edna roaming not too far off. She was looking for me also so I rushed towards her now. 

“Hey, you!” I said as I almost crashed into her.

“Ava!” She voiced, looking tense as she spotted me. I ignored her expression as I planned to break the news of the royals to her. But first…

“Guess what.” I said, smiling. “I eventually went to meet Lima. It got too uncomfortable standing by myself so I went up to him and I finished my humbling assignment— The look on his face was priceless!” I voiced in my elation. 

“He couldn’t even speak.” I added with emphasis and Edna started to speak but then I cut her off.

“No, Ava, the—”

“That aside.” I butted in. “The royal family is here, Edna! I’ve seen the Alpha King and Queen already!” I announced to her excitedly and then drove my gaze around as my eyes searched the scene. “… but I haven’t seen the Prince anywhere. He probably didn’t come or he—”

Edna suddenly gripped my arm tightly now, cutting me off from my utterance and calling my attention back to her.

“Ava! That’s because Lima is the Prince…”

My face squeezed. “W-What?”