3. The Lycan Princes

The two princes entered the hall like they owned it. Well, in a way, they did. After all, they were going to be the future kings of the two werewolf kingdoms. Right behind them, a beautiful blonde girl walked with her head held high. They walked and stood to the side with the girl in the middle. The Lycan princes didn’t look anywhere as their gaze was fixed on the podium in the middle of the raised platform. The girl cast a single glance at us. I looked at the new students and saw that almost every girl was gawking at the two princes, including Lana.

"Meet your house captains." The principal said, drawing everyone’s attention.

"We have three houses here." He raised his hands towards the prince with short black hair. "Draken Ironvale, the captain of House White Bull."

Then he pointed at the red-haired prince.

"Ares Silverfang, captain of House Black Bull... and last but not least, Victoria Adair, captain of House Roses."

The two princes' facial expression didn’t change. Victoria, on the other hand, waved her hands to us with a sweet smile which was all fake. I noticed the uniforms they were wearing. They were of the same shade of navy blue, with only the colors of the tie different. White, Black, and red.

"We won't waste any time and get to the business." The head teacher, Will David, stepped forward, and all the attention shifted to him. "Here, you all will be initiated into your houses."

Murmurs filled the air as everyone was looking at each other curiously.

"All the girls will go to House Roses. And for the boys, we will decide right now." He announced, and a series of disappointed gasps from the girls filled the hall.

I shook my head. Were they really disappointed that they wouldn't be in the princes' house?

"Silence." This time, the vice president said, stepping forward.

She was a witch, a powerful one. She waved her hand, and a glass bowl materialized on the podium. Everyone watched in awe.

"Form into a line." She instructed the boys. "There are twenty-eight folded papers inside this glass bowl. Half of them have the name of House White Bull, while the other half have Black Bull House written on it. Students will come one by one to the podium and pick a paper. He will join the house written on it. Is that clear?" She described the process and how it would work.

I looked at the boys. They all nodded their heads. They looked nervous and excited at the same time. The initiation began and the first student went. He fumbled inside the bowl for a while before taking out a paper. He unfolded it and showed it to the vice principal.

"House White Bull." Jennifer announced.

The boy smiled and lifted it in the air for everyone to see. Cheers erupted through the halls. When I looked at Draken, he raised his head a little, looking at the boy. Jennifer told the boy to go and stand in a separate line meant for House White Bull.

Another student went and repeated the same process. He got House Black Bull. Ares, just like Draken, didn’t have any expression on his face either. It was like they had become bored of this ritual over time. The process continued. And finally, all of the boys were initiated into their houses.

The two princes didn’t wait for anything and left the hall silently without looking at anyone. Our house captain, Victoria, gave us a welcoming smile before following them. A few girls were ecstatic to talk to her, but didn’t get the chance. I was sure they would be her new lackeys. Some girls found it fascinating to linger around the school’s most popular and powerful girl.

After another speech from the principal, we were dismissed as well. A woman in her late thirties led us down a path. The boys were led in a different direction from us.

After walking for a moment, a beautiful red building came into view. We entered the building, and she guided us to a room that looked like a big hall. At the end, there was a long desk. Two women were seated behind the desk while two other girls stood on either side. We all stood in a line. They handed each student a bag and the key to their room.

When it was our turn, Lana was thrilled to find out that we would be sharing the same room. I had no idea what to feel. She was nice, and I didn’t have any problem having her as my roommate. We headed towards our room together.

.

Our room was on the first floor, serial number 18.

"Ready?" Lana asked excitedly.

I smiled, shaking my head, looking at her excitement. She unlocked the door and pushed it open. My eyes widened the moment we entered. The room was extremely big with three beds. So... we had another roommate. The beds were on the far end of the room on a raised platform with three pillars in between, giving a sense of partition. On the right side of the entrance, there was a bathroom, and on the left side, there were three big cupboards and a sofa set with a small table. It was nothing less than a lavish room.

Lana, as expected, was overjoyed. Even I was impressed too. She placed her things on the middle bed and plopped onto it, bouncing on the soft mattress.

"Wow. It’s really a dream. This is awesome." She shouted as she spread her arms, smiling.

By the look on her face, I could tell she had never seen this kind of luxury. Well, it was expected for a scholarship student.

"I’m taking this bed." She declared.

I laughed at her enthusiasm.

"Quick... choose your bed before the third one comes." She said, sitting up.

I was about to reply when the door opened and I turned around. A girl entered. From her dress and luggage, I immediately realized she was an elite student. An elite student sharing a room with scholarship students? That might create problems. And I wasn’t wrong. Her face instantly turned gloomy as soon as she saw us, or more precisely, our outfits and belongings. I glanced at Lana. She had the same uneasy expression on her face.

"Hi, I’m Lana, and she's Eloise." Lana introduced us.

The girl hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I’m Aspen."

"This is my bed. You can choose yours." Lana said.

Aspen gave us a forced smile and walked towards the bed on the left with her luggage. That meant the bed on the right was mine now.

The room fell silent with Aspen’s arrival, and we quietly began unpacking. I sat on my bed and took out the things from my small bag. There wasn’t much, just the basic things I would need here. Now that I was sitting alone, I began to miss my old life and my mother again. I hadn’t even brought a picture of my mom. She said it wouldn’t be safe. Sometimes, I felt angry and frustrated that we had to compromise on so many things. I wondered if it would ever stop, if we would ever be able to live freely without any fear. I sighed and pulled my file out of my bag. My eyes fell on the invitation letter through the transparent folder. Taking it out, I held it in my hand, and my last conversation with my mother flashed before my eyes.

*(( FLASHBACK ))*

I sat on the couch, holding the letter in my hand, deep in thought. It was the official letter of my acceptance to the Royal Academy.

"Congratulations."

Mom’s voice came as she walked out of the kitchen and sat beside me.

"I can’t live there alone... without you." I said, looking at her.

"You have to, dear. You will be safe there." She placed her hands on my shoulders, squeezing them softly. "It’s the safest place for you." She added, pressing her lips together.

I clenched my jaw and looked at the letter once again. "But what about you, Mom?"

"I can survive, sweetheart. They are not after me."

I looked up at her, my eyes welling up with tears.

"Oh, my baby." She hugged me. "I know it will be difficult for you. It will be for me too. But it’s our best option." She broke the hug and kissed my temple.

I lowered my head. I knew that too.

She affectionately wiped my tears. "You will never contact me. I will contact you. You know where to find my messages."

I didn’t say anything. I just nodded as more tears ran down my cheeks.

*(( END OF FLASHBACK ))*