𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓢𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 (𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓢𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓞𝓷𝓮)

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝔀𝓮𝓷𝓽𝔂-𝓣𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓮

The past few days have been pretty unremarkable. Really nothing has stood out to me or was important enough to remember it. 

What's definitely not important enough for me to remember is this lesson that Mistress Betty has been droning on and on about for the past forty-five minutes.

"Remember class, table etiquette is very important when being a part of the monarchy. You must have prestige and grace when you're dining with royals. This will prove your diplomacy, and your attitude with them, and may help you deal with business much easier with other monarchs."

Does it really matter that much how you act at the table? As long as you're not acting like a child, you should be fine.

Snores start coming from the side of me, and I turn to see Necolineis sleeping with his head being held up in his left hand. A little bit of drool is coming down onto his dark green suit.

I laugh a little to myself. I'm surprised she hasn't heard him over here for the past few minutes. Or maybe she did, and she just doesn't care.

"Now class," she clasps her hands against her red dress. We're matching again today, "I hate to inform you that next Friday we will be having another quiz on this table etiquette. Obviously, we will review on Monday and Wednesday though."

Another quiz? So soon?

That's pretty fast. 

Hopefully it's at least easier than the silverware thing.

"This quiz will cover things like proper behavior at the table, how to use certain objects, and attire. Make sure you remember all we've discussed, as long as you remember that, you will be fine."

I can assure her that I probably won't remember most of this in like the next ten minutes.

"Now for the last few minutes of the period, you may talk amongst yourselves," She goes to sit back down at her desk.

Great. We can just sit here for the next like seven minutes. It's much better than being lectured.

Necolineis' snores are now the only thing that's able to be heard in this classroom. I shrink down a little in my seat.

I can't stand snoring.

I have to wake him up somehow. But how? 

It's not like I want to touch him or anything, and the last time I woke someone up I got a blade to my neck. So I need to be careful.

Maybe just a little poke with the pencil?

Yeah, let's try that.

I take one of the pencils that I carry around, and angle the eraser point towards him. I lean over, and tap him once in the middle of his forearm. He doesn't even stir under my touch.

What the-

I tap him again and again, about at least five times before I even get a small stir out of him. How is this man such a sound sleeper? 

I start tapping him again, and he finally stirs and shakes his head. His brown eyes slowly open, and he plays the awkwardness off with a smile.

"How long was I asleep for?" His tired, raspy voice asks.

I put the pencil down on my desk, and put my shaky hands in my lap, "Uh- a-a-around a few m-minutes."

He nods and licks his lips a few times, "I don't know how you're still wide awake. Listening to that old lady was like listening to a textbook."

I shrug.

Maybe because I sleep all through the rest of the afternoon, and night to avoid everyone here.

He stretches both of his arms and runs a hand down his face, "So did I miss anything important?"

A quiz is important right? Yeah.

"Q-quiz on Friday?" I let out in a weak voice.

"Oh great," he mutters, "Another quiz I'm gonna fail."

Well he's optimistic.

I look down, and push a strand of hair out of my face. He looks to the side of him and back at me.

"What?"

I shrug, "Y-you sound o-optimistic."

What am I even trying to do? 

This is becoming painfully awkward.

He laughs though and replies, "Hey, I was probably the only one who got a zero last time. I gotta keep up with my record."

I shake my head. He wants to keep up with his record of failing?

I raise an eyebrow, "Y-you w-w-want to keep up a record of f-failing?"

He shrugs, "No but I mean come on. Do I look like someone who would behave at or even be invited to a royal dinner?"

Drooling and sleeping in the middle of class... yeah he really doesn't.

But I don't voice my claim as the bell rings, and we all exit to our next classroom.

                                                          *****         

Mister Jordan has been pacing the front of the class for the past thirty minutes. Pacing with his hands on the rim of his black pants that match his black suit. For what? I'm not sure.

All I know is that the past few days in this class, we've sort of been talking about how to write speeches so maybe that's playing a part in it? Or maybe he's just nervous, and doesn't know what to teach today.

Either way, it's causing me to sit here with my shaking hands clenching the sides of my dress, and my face heated. Hopefully he explains himself soon.

He stops pacing and stands right in the middle of the classroom. He takes a deep breath and starts talking.

"Well hello everyone. I hope everyone is having a good ending to your third week at the Academy. As you are aware, we have been talking about different ways to write speeches the last couple of days, and the different techniques you could use. So, we are finally going to have our first graded assignment for the first few weeks."

First graded assignment? 

Oh no.

Hopefully I don't have to actually speak in front of all of these people. But this is a class about public speaking, so it would make sense.

I'm gonna fail this. I'm gonna fail this miserably.

"So like we were discussing with our techniques, each speech must have an opening line to intrigue the audience, a clear subject matter at hand, your honest opinion on said subject matter, and a concluding statement summarizing the speech. I want you to do just that with the prompt I'm about to give you."

Hopefully the prompt is a somewhat enjoyable topic to write about, or something I'd at least have an opinion about.

He clears his throat, "Your prompt is: How do you feel about the current state of Alumbridge? Your objective is to write a short five-hundred word speech detailing your feelings on this country as of now."

We have to write a speech about how we feel about the current state of this country? But I've barely seen this country!

"You won't have to read them aloud, but I will read them privately and grade them on a scale of one to five."

Well at least we don't have to read them out loud.

But a speech detailing how I feel about a country that I barely know? When is this even gonna be due?

"You have until next Friday to turn in this speech. Good luck."

I have until Friday to write this thing? A speech? About Alumbridge? With absolutely no guidance? But I've never even written a speech before. How does he expect-

I'm screwed.