Moonveil Academy: Trapped With The Five Kings

Elara:

I absolutely did not like the idea of going to a gathering where I would most likely be the only sane person... or maybe one of the few... surrounded by insane supernatural students. However, Violet had already decided that my opinion was nothing more than an annoying obstacle standing between her and whatever grand plan she had already created in her head.

I had been trying to get rid of her plan for the past twenty minutes, throwing excuse after excuse in her direction while sitting comfortably on my bed and refusing to move. I had homework. I needed to practice magic. I had barely recovered from the attack two weeks ago. I was tired. The weather was freezing. I had a headache that didn’t actually exist but could potentially develop if she continued bothering me.

Unfortunately, Violet had an answer for every single excuse.

”You have been studying since the moment you woke up,” she pointed out while leaning against my study table with her arms crossed. ”You practiced wind magic for nearly two hours this morning. Your homework is already done. You are perfectly healthy enough to walk around just like you told me yesterday during combat classes, and if you are tired, standing beside a stream and doing absolutely nothing requires very little physical effort. As for the cold...” She glanced toward my thick blanket and sighed. ”You have clothes, Elara. You don’t have to go outside wearing only your underwear.”

I slowly lowered my book and stared at her. ”That isn’t even remotely funny.”

”It wasn’t meant to be funny. It was meant to be informative.” She pushed herself away from the table and came to sit beside me. ”Listen, you have been hiding lately. Don’t even bother denying it because you know I’m right.”

My mouth opened, prepared to do exactly that, only for the words to get stuck in my throat. She was right. Ever since the attack, I had been unconsciously trying to keep a lower profile. I went to class, spent time in the library, practiced magic, ate meals with Myra and Violet, and returned to my dorm. I avoided the parts of the academy where large groups of students usually gathered and stayed out of trouble whenever possible. Fortunately and unfortunately, trouble had stayed away from me too.

Violet seemed to notice the moment my resistance weakened because she leaned closer and added, ”You cannot keep hiding in your dorm forever just because some people hate you. And avoiding the men who have made your life miserable won’t make them disappear either. If anything, I think you should go somewhere and remind everyone that Princess Argentis is still breathing and perfectly capable of enjoying herself.”

I would have loved to point out that enjoying myself at a gathering surrounded by supernatural students and, quite possibly, the very people who had spent the past several weeks making my life difficult sounded less like fun and more like volunteering for a headache, but before I could say anything, Violet’s eyes brightened with realization.

”You are going,” she announced before jumping to her feet.

”I haven’t agreed to anything.” I frowned, but my protest meant absolutely nothing because she was already walking toward my wardrobe.

I watched in growing disbelief, and a smile, as she pulled open the closet door and began examining my clothes with the seriousness of someone inspecting a crime scene. I should have stopped her. I genuinely should have. But I had already learned that once Violet focused her attention on something, distracting her was almost impossible.

A few moments later, she let out a deep, dramatic sigh and turned around, planting both hands on her hips. The disappointed look on her face made me feel as though I had personally betrayed her. ”I genuinely cannot decide whether I should praise you for having such an elegant wardrobe or reprimand you for being an absolute tragedy when it comes to having fun.”

I blinked at her. ”Excuse me?”

”You heard me.” She pointed toward the open closet. ”Look at this. Comfortable sweaters. Comfortable trousers. Comfortable coats. More comfortable sweaters. Beautiful dresses that make you look like you should be attending a noble gathering. Matching sets that make you look like a wealthy businesswoman.” Her expression turned even more horrified as she continued searching. ”Where are the fun clothes?”

”I didn’t know clothes had personalities.”

Violet looked as though I had insulted her entire bloodline. ”I knew it.” She placed a hand over her chest. ”I just knew you would say something like that.”

Unfortunately, she wasn’t completely wrong. Whenever I went shopping, I usually focused on buying clothes that were comfortable enough to wear every day and a few elegant dresses and coordinated outfits appropriate for my so-called princess identity. Anything overly flashy, revealing, or impractical had never interested me much. The only truly daring dress I owned was still sitting untouched inside its gift box at the very top of the wardrobe - the black dress Kairo Greymark had chosen for me during our first meeting.

My eyes immediately shifted toward the box, only to look away just as Violet’s gaze followed mine.

”What is that?” she asked suspiciously.

”Nothing.”

”Elara.”

”We are going to a gathering, not discussing my wardrobe secrets.” I immediately changed the subject. ”And before you start searching through my things again, I should remind you that I am not going outside in freezing weather wearing some tiny piece of fabric simply because you think it looks fun.”

Violet stared at me as though I had just informed her that I had voluntarily chosen to give up breathing.

”A tiny piece of fabric?” She repeated.

”Yes.”

”It is called fashion.”

”It is called getting pneumonia.”

”Supernaturals don’t get sick that easily.”

”I’m not that much of a supernatural yet.”

She went silent. For several long seconds, she simply stared at me, probably trying to find some magical argument capable of changing my mind. When she finally realized that I wasn’t going to surrender, her shoulders dropped in defeat.

”Fine,” she muttered. ”Fine. I accept your ridiculous obsession with warmth.”

”Thank you.” I was genuinely relieved, knowing fully well that if she had continued pressing for few more minutes then I might not have survived it.

”But I am still judging you.” She reminded me.

”I can live with that.”

Violet threw her hands into the air before turning away from me with a frustrated huff. ”Go get dressed, you impossible woman.”