Blood + Tears (all 15)

Chapter 18

"Well, it seems that we have to get to our class," Aiden spoke.

I smiled, curtsying the way Karen had drilled into me last night. "It was nice to meet you, Prince Aiden."

Aiden smiled, making him look more boyish. "Call me Aiden. You have my respect being able to keep up with these guys."

I chuckled. Although he and his group were powerful, they didn't have any fae shifters which were known to be difficult to be around sometimes. "Thank you."

"Bye, fishcake," Raven smiled at the uninterested kraken shifter. Reo walked away from us with his group but sent him a message with his middle finger.

I chuckled as that group walked away. North was grumbling next to me, muttering in a language I didn't understand.

"They seem nice," I said as we parted from them.

North scowled, his cheek bright red from rubbing at it after Raven's kiss. "They are really nice. They don't treat us differently since we're commoners."

I frowned. "Do the nobles think that way?"

Kota pushed his sliding glasses up his nose. "Most do. They think that we are dirtying Gabe's image. Since we have 'common' blood, we are not worthy enough to be around the 'noblest' of blood." He tilted his head to look at me with a small smile on his face. "But Gabe doesn't see us like that. He's not the type of person who'd look at our blood but our capabilities and behavior."

I looked at Gabriel. Despite being surrounded by nobles and their thoughts, I wondered how he was able to think like this. "Gabriel, may I ask how you are able to think so differently than most nobles?"

Gabriel glanced at me before looking ahead. "Most of it is because of these guys. The nobles who were supposed to be my aides tried to control me, while their kids tried to outdo each other. When I was around the so-called commoners, they showed me how to care for someone else without having conditions. They showed me that not everyone was selfish and snobbish but caring and optimistic."

"How did all of you guys meet?"

Raven started. "Other than Gabriel, I've been at the palace the longest. Although wyverns aren't dragons but are close to them, we are carefully watched. My parents died a long time ago, and I was given a choice to stay at the palace or go into the army."

Nathan spoke. "Kota, Victor, and my parents worked in the castle. Since there weren't many children in the castle, Gabriel and Raven would find their way towards us." He chuckled. "We didn't even know that Gabe was the prince until later."

I looked at Sean. "What about you guys?"

Sean skipped next to me before pointing at Axel, Marc, and Kevin. "Owen and I have been best friends ever since I can remember. Our parents were friends. When we were 10, Axel, Kevin, and Marc appeared and we became friends. When I was thirteen, I had completed my doctor's degree. Owen decided to create a clinic. Axel and Kevin worked with the adventure guild, and Marc fought in matches. When we were sixteen, we had just opened for the day when Axel and Marc appeared on the doorstep with these five boys. They had sneaked out of the castle and had become injured. Since then, they've stuck to us."

I looked at the last trio of the group. Surprisingly, it was Silas who spoke. "I lived with my family near the border. When I was seven, my father discovered two badly injured children in our barn. My family and I took care of them. We didn't care what their past was, only caring about the present. When I was eleven, hunters attacked our village. Luke and North revealed that they were fae to save us. After the massacre, a man appeared, claiming to be their uncle. He had been separated from them when the hunters attacked and had been searching for them for years. Luke and North were going to leave with them, and I knew that I wanted to go with them. My father protested against my wish, but my mom let me go. When we were fourteen, we were traveling when we came across Gabriel and his team being attacked. We helped, and we became part of their team."