As the morning birds chirped beneath the rising sun, Arthur slowly opened his eyes, only to feel an immense weight pressing down on his chest.
What is this feeling…? he asked himself, groaning slightly. I feel so heavy… Is it sadness…?
He slowly looked around, realizing he wasn’t in his own room. When he attempted to sit up, he found he couldn’t move. Something soft and warm was draped over him, but it felt far too firm to be a regular pillow.
As his vision fully cleared, he saw Eleanor sleeping soundly on top of his chest. She looked so peaceful that he hesitated to even breathe too loudly, let alone wake her.
What am I supposed to do…? he thought. If I move now, she’ll wake up… but she looks so comfortable.
Before he could figure a way out, a familiar, teasing feminine voice echoed directly inside his head.
“Had fun with Eleanor last night, Arthur?”
Very funny, Aunt Alice, he thought back, chuckling internally before glancing back down at Eleanor’s sleeping form. I really need to get out of bed. I haven’t even changed out of yesterday's uniform.
He reached up and gently caressed Eleanor’s cheek, which immediately elicited a soft giggle from her.
“Hmmm… so you were awake this whole time, huh?” he smirked.
Eleanor opened her eyes and smiled softly. It was a genuine, vulnerable smile—one that made her look incredibly cute, and a side of her he hadn’t seen until now.
“Thank you, Arthur,” she said softly.
Arthur tilted his head in confusion. “For…?”
“For staying with me when I was… scared,” she replied, her voice filled with quiet gratitude. “For being there when I needed someone the most last night.”
Eleanor squished herself even closer against Arthur, making a few cute noises, until a plant vine suddenly squiggled its way through the gap beneath the door. It snaked across the floor toward the bed, wrapped tightly around Eleanor’s ankle, and violently yanked her away from him.
“Ow!” Eleanor hissed, tumbling off the bed. “Flora!”
Having successfully separated them, the vine immediately slithered back out the way it came.
Arthur chuckled before finally sitting up. “We better change our clothes.”
Eleanor slowly stood up, brushing herself off with a nod. “Yeah.” She then turned and smiled softly at him. “Hey… don’t be late for my class.”
He chuckled, swinging his legs out of bed. “Of course.”
Just as Arthur was about to leave the room, Eleanor called his name.
“Arthur?”
He looked back over his shoulder. “Hm?”
Eleanor looked him straight in the eyes, her expression dead serious. “Free Elaine… Break the cycle.”
Arthur’s face hardened to match hers. “Leave it to me.”
He stepped out of the room, leaving Eleanor behind as she stared into the empty space, her eyes looking toward somewhere far away.
Moments later, Arthur had changed into a fresh uniform and stepped out into the main hallway. Shoot… Hopefully, that glowing sphere comes out and guides me again, he thought, scanning the quiet corridor as he walked.
James is extremely territorial, so triggering him should be easy enough. Still, I have a feeling it’s going to take more than a basic insult to force him to challenge me to a formal duel with two kings as witnesses, he calculated.
A familiar voice suddenly spoke in his mind once again. “Arthur? Come to my office.”
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Hm? That’s most likely something important, he thought.
A glowing sphere of light materialized directly in front of him, letting Arthur breathe a sigh of relief.
“Well, that solves half of my problems,” he chuckled, following the wisp.
It didn’t take long for Arthur to reach the headmistress’s office. The moment he arrived, he knocked three times before pushing the door open and entering the room.
“Aunt Alice?” he called out.
He found Alice standing near the window, gazing out at the horizon. After a few silent seconds, she turned around and walked toward her mahogany desk, pulling something out from the top drawer.
“Here, Arthur,” she said.
“What’s this, Aunt Alice?” he asked, stepping closer.
“This is Elaine’s hairpin,” she explained, handing over a clip adorned with a flower design that closely resembled a fully-bloomed rose, crafted entirely out of luxurious glass.
Arthur tilted his head, a knowing smirk spreading across his face. “That’s really smart, Aunt Alice.”
“Just make sure that James sees you putting this hairpin back into her hair,” Alice said, her eyes flashing with a sharp, calculated glint.
Alice mirrored his smirk. “My hands may be politically tied, but that doesn’t mean I can’t nudge the boat a little.”
Arthur nodded before heading for the door. “Thanks, Aunt Alice.”
The moment the door clicked shut behind him, she muttered to the empty room, “Good luck, Arthur.”
A short while later, Arthur reached Class 1-A without a hitch, thanks to the glowing sphere of light that had guided him through the labyrinth of hallways. He quickly navigated the crowded classroom, spotting Elaine sitting completely alone at the very back.
As Arthur approached her desk, both Owen and Fred’s eyes widened in sheer panic. “Arthur…?” Owen whispered.
One by one, the gaze of every student in the room turned toward him.
Arthur stopped directly in front of Elaine, his silhouette blocking out the bright morning sunlight. Elaine’s eyes, which had looked completely lifeless just a second ago, suddenly lit up with a brilliant glow.
“Arthur…” she muttered, her voice trembling.
Before she could even think to restrain herself, she bolted upright and threw her arms tightly around his neck, burying herself in his chest.
A collective gasp echoed across the entire room.
When Elaine finally unwrapped herself from him, Arthur simply stood there, staring down at her. She tilted her head in confusion like a lost puppy, completely oblivious to the room's reaction. Arthur used the opportunity to reach into his uniform pocket and pull out the glass rose hairpin.
Moving with deliberate gentleness, Arthur brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and carefully secured the hairpin into place.
“He… He…” Owen stammered, his brain completely short-circuiting from disbelief. His eyes rolled back and he fainted right on the spot, luckily caught by Fred before he could slam into the floor.
Arthur remained leaned in close, focusing entirely on Elaine as she looked up at him with wide, trusting eyes. Right at that exact second, the heavy classroom doors swung open, and James stepped inside.
The prince froze, his eyes locking onto the intimate display between his fiancée and the commoner who had thrashed him.
“You… YOU LITTLE—!” James roared, his voice shaking with pure, unadulterated fury.
Arthur completely ignored him, keeping his hands steady as he finished fixing the hairpin perfectly into Elaine’s hair.
After securing the hairpin, Arthur gently brushed away a few stray strands of hair before caressing her cheek. Elaine instinctively closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, letting out a soft, contented purr.
James furiously stormed toward Arthur, each of his heavy steps rattling the floorboards.
“I… Prince James Blackwood III, challenge you to a formal duel!” he roared in a blind rage.
You think you can steal my woman?! I knew my hunch about you was right, Arthur… I’ll make sure to utterly humiliate you in front of our fathers and the entire world! James screamed internally, his face contorting with pure malice.
Arthur continued to caress Elaine’s cheek, keeping her purring, before he finally looked over his shoulder and smirked. “I accept.”
“You don’t get to decide that!” James shouted, completely misinterpreting Arthur's casual tone. “If royalty challenges you to a formal duel, you have no choice but to accept it!”
Arthur’s smirk grew even wider as his trap snapped shut. I've got you exactly where I want you now, he thought.
James stormed off out of the classroom, two male students trailing quickly behind him.
As soon as the doors slammed shut, Elaine opened her eyes, though she didn’t break contact with Arthur’s hand.
“Thank you, Arthur… The headmistress told me about the plan earlier. She was speaking in my mind,” she murmured, looking up at him with deep, unshakeable gratitude.
Later that night, within the stone walls of Sideropyr Castle, James stood before his father.
“I’ve challenged a man named Arthur at the Phoenix Academy, Father,” James snarled.
“Oh? And who is this Arthur you speak of?” King Blackwood asked, swirling a drink.
“He’s a nobody who thinks he can steal my fiancée away from me. He was touching her intimately!” James said, his body visibly shaking with lingering fury.
King Blackwood’s expression instantly turned cold and serious. “Well, you must deal with that man right away, James. We Blackwoods know exactly how to protect what is ours.”
James nodded eagerly in agreement. “This is why I issued a formal challenge to him. He couldn’t refuse even if he wanted to!” he laughed, his arrogance returning.
King Blackwood laughed along, a booming, sinister sound. “That’s my boy. Put him in his place.”
He then made a sharp hand gesture, signaling to the guards stationed by the door.
Once the guards stepped close enough, King Blackwood commanded, “Inform the Sinclairs. A formal duel will take place two days from now.”
The guards bowed and hurried out of the throne room to deliver the message.
To Be Continued…