A long week passes and you're still avoiding the 'Ivy trio', instead sticking with Binah, Raphael, Anastacia and your new friends Lola, Micky and Percy.
"Binah? Do you know what's going on with those mysterious three?" You ask as you bite into an apple, sat with everyone but Micky and Percy on a table outside.
She doesn't respond but her eyes meet the ground, you look to the others, all avoiding eye contact with sheepish expressions.
"Seriously!?" you snap, dramatically dropping the apple, "You all know but Lottie won't tell me what's going on?"
"I don't." Raphael chips in, confused as to what's happening.
"Maybe you should talk to her." Anastacia says, gloomy as ever and rubbing a mark on the base of her finger that looks as if a ring had been there.
"She's been avoiding her." Lola's sweet voice adds to the conversation.
"Jamie would get mad at us if we told you." Binah explains softly, trying to calm you down.
You stand up and grab your bag,"I'm going to class" you mutter.
Raphael follows, and you walk together, but your mind is elsewhere.
Was Jamie stopping Lottie from telling you about this big secret? It had hurt the most from the whole conversation.
"Y/N?" Raphael prods you, waiting for you to say something.
"What's Jamie like Raphael?" You ask expectantly, ignoring his childish poking.
Raphael frowns slightly, recalling the mysterious Jamie, "Well...um... he has like no emotion, enjoys running with me, reads all the time, loves knowing more than the people around him and yeah, he might be a little cold, but he's a decent guy. He's started training Lottie or something too."
Your mind instantly leaps to the big secret, linking the two ideas, "What? Why?"
"I dunno," He shrugs, the frown falls off of his face and is replaced with his usual relaxed smile, "anyway, we need to get going for our next lessons."
"Ok." Your eyes return to the ground, your mind spinning and trying to make sense of all the random facts and clues being thrown at you.
Raphael places a hand on your shoulder and you glance up at him, "Bye, Y/N."
You smile half-heartedly in return, and the two of you head in opposite directions.
As you are walking to your next lesson in the art corridor you overhear talking in one of the cupboards in the hallway.
One voice is high pitched and familiar, so you press your ear against the door.
"We can't tell her!" It's Ellie, is she talking about you?
"Everyone else knows!" Lottie protests, "well part of it at least. I miss my sister."
"As my Partizan and Portman I command you not to tell her." Ellie responds.
You're taken aback by what Ellie says, is Jamie there? He must be if Ellie's talking about her partizan... What's a Portman?
"We have to tell her, if she lets the others know she's your sister, then they'll work out that you're not actually the princess, only Binah knows at the moment. So, we have to tell her so she can come up with a random surname." a new voice utters, Jamie is there.
"You didn't want Ollie to know!" Ellie says.
Ellie knows Ollie? Lottie's childhood best-friend?
"But he does doesn't he? Y/N's not stupid, I'm going to class." Jamie says, you jump back but it's too late, the door opens and you're face to face with him.
"Y/n..." his voice seems to strain as his eyes search yours. You turn and walk into your lesson, trying to hide all emotion in front of the other pupils.
You don't look up as the trio walks in, but Jamie sits right next to you at your desk. His arm brushes yours and your whole body tenses at his touch.
"Good afternoon everyone," The teacher smiles brightly down at everyone in the class, "I'd like you to discuss what techniques are used in this art piece." He flicks on the projector.
The pupils burst into conversation, energetic and in complete contrast to how you feel.
"I don't really want to speak to you Jamie." you state, roughly scribbling notes in your art book.
Jamie leans towards you, whispering in your ear, "Ellie's the real princess."
You face him with wide eyes, "What?!"
"Ellie's the real Maravish princess."
You scoff, astounded, "Why is Lottie pretending to be her then? And why does everyone believe her?"
"Lottie is something called a portman, Ellie hid for years from the public and when she met Lottie, people thought that she was the princess so Ellie asked her to pretend to be her so she wouldn't have all the attention. Lottie agreed and at the end of the year the royal family made it official."
"She works for the Maravish royal family?" You splutter, flooded with disbelief.
"Yes, and we need you to lie about being related to her, if anyone asks, tell them you're from Maradova too, and you're her friend."
"What if something goes wrong?"
"I'll sort it out, and there's something bigger going on, there's a group called the Leviathan, they are trying to capture the Princess, but they think it's Lottie like everyone else. Last year they nearly succeeded in kidnapping Lottie with the help of Saskia (Anastacia's Partizan and ex-girlfriend) but me and Ellie stopped them."
You stare blankly at him, not knowing what to feel or think, "Is she in danger?"
Jamie sighs and runs a hand through his dark hair; he then picks up your pen and starts clicking the button at the end of it. You reach out to grab it but he stops your arm with his other hand.
"What are you doing Jamie answer my question!" His hand feels cold on your forearm through your thin school shirt, you roll your eyes and stop pushing back, the teacher is oblivious, reading something on his laptop screen.
"Let go of me." You demand, annoyed.
He releases your arm and looks up, the green of his eyes illuminated from the sun outside, "Yes, she's in danger, and you are too if anyone finds out that you're Lottie's sister because of her job. That's why it's my job to protect them."
"I'm sure you're great at that." You mutter with cutting sarcasm.
"What? Why wouldn't I be."
"You don't have the best communication skills Partizan."
He smiles at you, amused, and you think it's the first time you've seen him genuinely smile, "Yeah but have you seen my reflexes?"
You smile back, "That arm catch was amazing."
He laughs and you're glad that he's not dead cold serious for once.
"Anyway back to important stuff." He ruins it.
"Ugh." You groan.
"You have to take this seriously!" He says, grinning again.
"You don't look serious, I just don't want to worry all the time, do you know what we need to do? And how to avoid the Leviathan?"
"I'm not going to lie to you, we never know what to do, but we work it out, I'm normally the one that worries all the time, but if that burden is shared it will make stuff easier."
"Shut up, the burden won't be shared, it will be like bacteria, doubling and growing as it spreads from person to person. And how do I know I can trust you? I met you barely a week ago."
"You can trust me y/n Pumpkin, and you will."
Despite everything, you find yourself smiling softly at him, starting to like the mysterious boy.
The teacher speaks over the class, "Right everyone any suggestions? How about you Jamie?"
"Uhh." Jamie looks up, trying to think of something. You hold back a laugh and shove your notes in front of him.
"It uses aerial perspective and divisionism." He replies, semi-confident.
"Very good! I'm sure that wasn't of any help from y/n." The teacher gives you a knowing look but smiles too.
"Thanks," Jamie whispers to you, "and also," he waves your pen in front of your face, "this is mine now."
You snigger and elbow him but he doesn't even react, already using the pen.
When the lessons over you rush over to Lottie and give her a big hug. "I'm so sorry about how I acted. I know it won't make it any better but I felt awful about what I said. Jamie told me...everything and, I can't believe what you've gotten yourself into! I might not be much help, but I'll try my best to support you and prevent you from getting hurt."
"It's my fault y/n. I'm sorry, I know it's a lot to- take in, but I'll answer as many of your questions as I can and I know with your help we'll be even better than before." She smiles sincerely but stood next to her you notice how worried and wary Ellie appears, as if something might jump out at any second.
Or...someone.