Identity (part 1) & Acceptance (part 2)

Chapter 7

I just finished the fourth chapter of the second part, and I think a bit that I wrote earlier which I've been trying to find a place to fit in, is going to be chapter 5 of part 2 :) and it's pretty long and gives heaps of detail into the history of wielders-ie Arlan, Stee and Lydri/Lyam (yes you get to find out his name and a bit about him this chapter) etc. so yea

Update: picture on the right is of Lydri from the previous chapter as he is first seen fighting then watching Stee.

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Chapter 7

Her lesson was not that bad, it kept Stee focused so that she did not think about him. When planning a nation, there was so much to take into consideration. Afterwards, Stee decided to go to the main dining hall for lunch, maybe he would be there, and then she could find out his name sooner. Some other teenagers were there but he wasn't so she sat by herself because she had never really been friends with them.

Just as she was about to stand up after finishing her meal she felt a hand on her shoulder, "do not turn," a silky whisper purred. Assuming that it was from the whole eye contact thing, she stared straight forward. She was proven partially wrong when seconds later his fair left hand placed a small package on the table in front of her. "For you, so we do not have to worry about the difficulties of eye contact." He said quietly in a voice only she could hear. Inside was a necklace, identical to the one Arlan had given her a week earlier apart from the stone. The stone was a paler blue, the exact colour of what she had seen of his eyes with the same silver sparkles. She had not seen any of his body apart from his face and hands and lust made her want to feel his touch.

"Please put it on for me." Somehow his hands failed to touch her, and Stee felt that he had done so on purpose, but as he let go he saw the other necklace that Arlan had given her. He picked up the chain, finally touching her and pulled it up from beneath her clothes. He held both stones side by side and Stee turned to face him.

"Where did this come from?" He had recognised it at once.

"Arlan, she just told me to wear it, I don't know what it does."

Silly girl he thought, she hadn't even explored its capabilities. "See, mine matches my eyes and the other almost matches your eyes, except it swirls and is marginally darker," he explained. "I'd guess that was from your mum," he bluffed.

"And?" she asked, wanting to make sense of what they were.

"I cannot explain them here, I wish that I could have come earlier, you could know so much more, but your father forbade it. Arlan has done what she can, but she is not that skilful."

"So are you going to teach me?"

"Of a sort, depends how successful I am."

Stee suddenly remembered the name issue Stee blurted while she remembered, "what's your name?"

He looked taken back, "you really are strong, it should have been weeks before you thought about asking me, at least now I have a rough idea of your potential."

"So what is it?"

"Lydri, Lydri Av-Mira," he whispered.

The name sounded familiar to Stee, somewhere in a back corner of her mind, but she couldn't place it, no-one she knew had a name like it.

"Lyam," he said aloud.

"Wait what?"

"Call me Lyam, it is my name here."

"Lyam," she said, trying the name. He smiled. "I need to get to class now."

"So do I, I'll walk with you," he said.

They crossed the threshold to the exit closest to their classroom. While they climbed a spiral staircase to the second floor then walked along to the room, they didn't talk. Lyam was confused; he had not meant to tell Stee his real name, Lydri, and definitely not his last name, Av-Mira. If she told others, then someone may understand it and realise who he was. He doubted that Stee herself would understand, and he would just have to avoid using the three words, which wouldn't be hard so that he wouldn't have to explain their meaning, even librarians and scholars could work it out. With Arlan as her only magic teacher ever, he doubted that she would know the meanings of any words, just the sounds put together to make a spell.

Despite being the last students to leave the dining hall, they were some of the earliest to arrive in the classroom. Stee sat her normal desk, and Lyam took the one beside her. Stee took a brief look at what was on her desk, an inkpot, pen, a few sheets of parchment for notes and a book, although there was only one of them between every two desks. Books were rare in classrooms, apart from the teacher having one, but were otherwise being used increasingly. All the records were now kept in books.

Lyam read the title out loud, "Aharoman Studies." The set of books must have been made specifically for the class, only a school in the castle could have that. He lifted the front cover and found a list of topics, none struck his fancy although he wondered how the information would differ from what he had been taught. He was about to turn the page to find out when a lady walked in, "shut your book," she snapped giving a poor first impression to the class. Lyam wondered if it was too late to get out of the class, he already knew more than what would be taught, but the princess was in the class and he needed to stay with her. Maybe he could get both of them out.

The woman, now at the front of the room addressed the class, "I am Mrs Trepit, we have much to achieve this year and I need your full concentration, bad behaviour will not be tolerated and I will send you to the younger children's class if necessary."

Both Stee and Lyam along with the rest of the class had decided that they did not like her; hopefully she would soften up as the year went on. Lyam also comforted himself with the knowledge that he could help Stee with her work if necessary to stay out of trouble.

"Open the book," everyone did so quickly, "you," she pointed at a student in the back row, "read the topics." She looked like your stereotypical bossy lady, greying brown hair tied up in a tight bun and her eyes were a deep unforgiving brown. The wrinkles on her face showed that she scowled regularly.

"One an overview, two the land, three the climate, four the plants and animals, five the history of Aharoma, six Aharoma today," she read.

Mrs Trepit nodded when she finished. Lyam could finally see what was on it as he quickly skimmed the page, no, nothing new, all things he had known as a three year old.

"Stee, read the first paragraph."

Lyam was glad that she had been called by her name, but the teacher was very rude, the only positive of being called 'you' would be that he would not have to say his name. Stee read beautifully and Lyam was unable to tell if any of the information was new to her, he doubted it.

The lesson was a bore for Stee also, she was an avid reader and as the princess of Aharoma, she already had been told almost everything that there was to know about Aharoma, so she was glad when the lesson was over.