Eternal Awakening

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

The Winter Festival

By the time Monday came around, word of Richard's engagement had reached every single student at the school. It was all anyone could talk about, and Richard was constantly followed by questions wherever he went. It was mostly for that reason that he had spent the majority of the weekend in the privacy of his room, where only male students could come and bother him. It also didn't hurt that Lythia no longer lived in that room with him, as she no longer had a reason to. Now that he was engaged it was assumed that he was safe from women trying to come after him anymore.

Richard really didn't see how that worked, but he wasn't arguing. If it meant he didn't have to deal with Lythia almost all day, every day, then he was happy.

However, even though he had some much needed peace and quiet with Lythia no longer in his room, it did not mean that his weekend had been all that great. Not even three hours after he had gotten back to the school from that stupid engagement party, Aura had come and paid him a visit. And it was not a nice visit either. She tore into him about leaving so early and not telling anyone about it, and lectured him for close to an hour about it being inappropriate behaviour. She also wasn't very happy about the news that he had just blown Daiya off right after their engagement had been announced.

What did she expect him to do though? He still wasn't happy about what had happened, and even days later he still felt betrayed. It wasn't as bad as it had been that night, but it still stung. Although, he was glad that news about what happened with Reiea hadn't reached her ears.

Richard now felt bad about the things he had said to the Princess, and he knew he would have to make it up to her at some point. It still wasn't cool that she had kissed him like that, but he really didn't think she knew any better. She had been sheltered her entire life, and he was the first man that she was able to be around without having a fit, so he couldn't really blame her for blurring everything together.

He really didn't have much time to be worrying about all of that though, as the Winter Festival and the tournament loomed over the school like a cloud. With each day that passed they got closer and closer to it, and some of the excitement was beginning to get to Richard. He wasn't excited about the same things that everyone else was though. No, he was more excited about his chance to get back at Dawkins in front of the entire school and people from across the kingdom. That was all that mattered to him now.

He, Karo, Lisbeth, and Lythia continued to train together outside of the school walls. They worked on their basic techniques and ways to protect themselves in the arena, and oddly enough it seemed like the training was actually paying off. With the knowledge Richard gained in his advanced magical classes, and Lythia's experience in the tournament the previous year, they were all learning new things and becoming stronger and more skilled. How much stronger and more skilled they were becoming was a mystery though, and they would only learn if their hard work paid off once they stepped into the arena for the first time.

Richard was confident though; at least in his own chances. He wasn't trying to win the whole thing, or even really make it that far. All he cared about was getting to Dawkins and then destroying him in the most brutal and humiliating way possible. And he had been working on something just for that. When the time came, he was sure that no one would ever forget what had happened during their duel.