“And there is something else,” said Professor Dekela.
“Yes, Professor.”
“After you are feeling better, come and see me. I would like to arrange some extra classes for you. It seems you have a lot of untapped power, and it would be a shame for it to be overlooked.” He glanced at Penelope, who I noticed nodded slightly.
“Thank you, Professor,” I said appreciatively, following Penelope and Vivienne out of the room.
As we walked along the flowering paths and down the main avenue of cherry blossoms, I told them what I had told Professor Dekela. Vivienne shared Penelope’s anger, but they both agreed with me that if the mastermage expelled Damien, it would definitely bring the Blackwaters down on my head, and I didn’t want them snooping around into who I really was.
I felt humiliated. How could Damien do this to me, eight against one? He was a coward, bullies usually are, and that’s why he always had his cronies following him about. I was sure I could beat him one on one, even with my binding amulet on.
I decided that I was going to give more interest and time to my studies and training. I was suddenly extremely determined to be better than him. I knew I could do it, but I needed help. And now the mastermage of the university was willing to look into my studies personally. If I applied myself and worked hard, I was sure that I could challenge him to a public duel and beat him in front of the whole school.
I hardly slept that night. Nightmares of Damien and his cronies hunting me down plagued me every time I tried to fall asleep.
I woke up in a cold sweat. It was still dark, and Vivienne was sound asleep on the other bed in the corner of the room. A light sea breeze wafted in as moonlight shone through the little window and the trees threw rustling shadows on the bedroom floor. A shadow moved near the curtains, and my breath caught in my throat. Had Damien come to finish off the job, or had Morgana finally found me?
“Rafe!” I whispered, relieved beyond belief as the moonlight finally lit up his face. He wasn’t wearing his mask.
Rafe came over, knelt down by my bed, and hugged me.
“Are you all right?” he asked softly, holding my face in his hands, his gray eyes glittering in the moonlight.
I nodded, lowering my eyes. Did he really care what happened to me, or was he just upset that he wasn’t there to save me this time?
I glanced over at Vivienne’s side of the room, but she was still sound asleep. “What are you doing here?” I kept my voice low. “What if someone sees you?”
“Penelope told me what happened.” Rafe held both my hands in his. He spoke quietly. “I had to come and see how you were. I thought I told you to stay away from the Blackwaters.”
“I tried,” I said indignantly, “but they cornered and attacked me when no one else was around. What was I supposed to do?”
Rafe muttered something about needing to teach them a lesson.
“You can’t do anything about it, Rafe. Promise me you will leave it alone. The Blackwaters are powerful nobles related to the king. If they catch you, you will be hanged.”
Rafe laughed. “Don’t worry, Aurora. I can handle the Blackwaters.” He got up and sat beside me on the bed. “The only person I can’t seem to handle is you. I wish you would learn to listen, especially when it’s for your own good.”
I tried to look offended, blood rushing to my face. I was lucky it was dark and he couldn’t see my embarrassment.
Vivienne stirred in her bed.
“I should go,” Rafe whispered. “But I want you to meet me tomorrow night in the cellar of your dorm house.”
“Where are we going?” I asked, but only because I was curious. The truth was, I would follow him anywhere.
“Well, you said that you wanted to learn how to use a weapon,” Rafe said, smiling. “And I think it’s about time you learn how to protect yourself with and without magic.”
My eyes lit up. “You’re going to teach me?”
Rafe nodded. “I will see you tomorrow. Get some sleep.” He got up and moved toward the window. He looked back at me, and his stormy eyes narrowed. “And please stay out of trouble for a few hours, at least.”
I smiled and, in a dance of shadows, he was gone.
I sat in my bed and thought about what he’d said. Rafe was right. I finally realized that now was the time to enhance my training. I had taken things too lightly so far. I was enjoying learning to use magic, but I’d never understood what having all this power really meant.
Damien and his friends were just students with limited capabilities. But Morgana, Lucian, the Shadow Guard, and especially the Drakaar were another case altogether. They were all experienced mages and sorcerers, and I would have to learn to do more than cringe under a defensive barrier if I were to face them.
Ever since I’d found out who I really was, I had been trying to run from my destiny. But the reality was that, whether I liked it or not, I was the true Queen of Illiador, and I had a responsibility to my people to free them from Morgana’s tyranny.
I had to stop running. I had to turn and face my life head on. It wasn’t enough being like everybody else; I had to be the best, and I was going to show everyone what I was truly made of. I was done with being a terrified princess, constantly waiting to be saved. I was going to be a queen, and like Vivienne said, I had better start behaving like one.
Queen in Training
The next morning I got
