Chapter Nine

Rielen spent her days studying. Constantly having her nose in a book, jotting down note after note. 

She caught a rare glimpse of Eon. She would catch him staring at her across the dining hall, always at a distance. 

The other girls grew used to her quiet nature. They would talk among themselves and leave her to her books. 

She was like a starving animal with the way she dug into each book, and each new thing.

Alfred began showing Rielen different plants in the Plant Nurseries around the Palace. 

Her gift grew each day, until finally, she was able to grow plants just as well as Alfred. 

She began to understand them. What they needed, and the purpose they were meant to fulfill in nature. 

Her favorite thing to do was to sit among the flowers and breathe in their sweet smells. 

She would imagine Eon sitting with her in a meadow, and what they might talk about there. He was so close, yet so far away. 

Rielen's least favorite subject was with Ms. Humphreys. Her cool demeanor never once faltered over the course of the year. 

Even though she never acted out and always turned her assignments in on time. 

Ms. Humphreys always looked like she was waiting for Rielen to pull some kind of prank on her. Maybe one day she would soften. 

Rielen usually got along well with adults. She wondered what kind of students the teacher had before she came to the palace to learn about magic. 

Rielen's thoughts were always on Eon. What was he doing? What kind of magic could he wield? Were the boys treating him well? Did he eat enough? They were both sixteen now. 

Did the boys have a party for him, like the girls did for her? Anything about the boys was taboo with the girls, so she could not discuss her connection with Eon. 

She couldn't explain that he was the one person she wanted to see every day. The one she wanted to be with so badly.

Eon's POV

He had made it to the capital. Just a day behind Rielen. Although he was surrounded by all kinds of new things, his mind was set on his objective. 

To be with the one he loved. 

He had to meet with the headmaster of the school he was attending at the palace. The man told him to call him Grend. 

"I am amazed by two selections of the same town in the same week." Grend motioned for Eon to sit. 

"Not to mention, each of you has rare magic. It's too bad we have to separate the boys from the girls now, due to past incidents." 

Eon's heart fell at this comment. "We are to have no contact with them at all?" He couldn't help himself from asking. 

Grend laughed and replied, "Apart from lunch and dinner, the girls are now taught separately. Don't worry though. Once you finish your studies, you are sure to be assigned to some cute young lady."

Apparently Grend had misunderstood his question. It wasn't that he wanted contact with cute girls. 

He only wanted contact with one beautiful young girl who he would do anything for. 

Would they be assigned to the same team if he worked hard enough? 

The thought of spending his life working by her side brought butterflies to his stomach. 

"Your reinforcement magic is in high demand in the Military. You're sure to make a great warrior. Here is your class schedule. A boy from the same year as you will be assigned to show you around and give you advice."

Eon glanced down at his schedule. It was filled with classes. 

"Are you able to read and write?" He nodded as he noticed all the classes were clearly marked Boys. 

He got all the way there and was still so far away from her. 

Eon noticed he was crumpling the edge of the paper and relaxed his grip. 

Grend went over some basic information, then motioned him out. 

A young boy was waiting for him outside the door. 

"You will love it here," the boy said. "They let you eat as much as you want, and besides from the General Classes, we get to learn all kinds of cool magic. They even teach us combat!" 

The boy looked to be about two years younger than Eon. 

'Am I going to be stuck with a bunch of thirteen-year-olds?' he wondered. 

The idea did not seem appealing to Eon. 

'Maybe I can sneak into Rielen's room.' 

The thought amused him as he listened to the young boy prattle on about this and that.

When he finally made it to his room, he was exhausted. 

'I wonder if Rielen felt this way after traveling all the way here,' he pondered. 

"Eon... Eon!" Eon looked up at the boy he had stopped listening to too long ago. 

"It's time for dinner." He nodded at the young boy. 

What was his name again? Oh, it was Alex. 

"Let's go then, Alex." 

Alex showed him to the dining hall where his eyes immediately fell on her. She was sitting next to four other girls, listening to what they had to say. 

He tried to approach her, but Alex pulled him to another table across the hall. 

"You don't want to go near those girls. It isn't right that they get to have magic, too. What are they good for? They should just marry themselves off." 

Eon restrained himself from punching the young boy.

  "Girls are not bad. I think it's a wonderful thing that they can do what we do." 

His opinion was lost in the rabble, though, as boys descended upon him.

Having new students was apparently rare here. They wanted to know where he was from, what magic could he use, and about the territory he came from? 

He was bombarded with so many questions, he barely recognized when Rielen left the room with the other girls. 

He sighed, with his first chance at speaking to her about being foiled. All because a boy didn't understand how wonderful she really was.

Before he finished his meal, he caught a conversation of two boys laughing that made his anger rise within him. 

"You should have seen her face when the food landed on her. I can't wait to pull another one over on the new girl. It's not often we have someone new to mess with." 

The fury inside Eon was more than anything he had dealt with his entire life. He felt his mana build inside him, and his whole body began glowing. 

The boys nearest him backed off, as they had never seen a new person with so much power. 

Realizing what was happening, Eon focused his mind and controlled his breathing. 

There was no point in making a scene. He would just teach them a lesson later, just as he had done in his town of Vale, when he found out that the boys had been picking on Rielen. 

'No one is allowed to hurt her. She is mine.'

Rielen's POV

Rielen had just left breakfast by herself to get to class. The guards had left their posts to point their spears at a boy sitting on the ground. 

"I only want to speak to her!" The boy cried, as Rielen tucked herself into an alcove. Eon. 

"No boys allowed in this wing!" The guards grunted in authority. 

Her heart was racing. What could be so important? 

She rushed out of her hiding place to stop the guards. 

"Miss, you must not make it worse." Hyla was by her side with a hand on her arm. 

"He is a friend from my hometown." Rielen argued weakly. 

Hyla shook her head, letting her know nothing she said would sway her. Rielen sighed, and called out, 

"Eon!" He looked in her direction just as he was hauled out. 

"I understand the need to separate us because of gender, but why must we always be separated? Surely, having a conversation could do no harm!" She had enough of this situation.

  'Eon wouldn't let anything happen to me.' 

Hyla's grip was like an iron shackle, though, and Rielen could not go after him. 

"These rules are set by the King," her attendant told her. 

"I cannot let you go after him." She felt defeated. 

One word from the King. That is all it would take to never see him again. 

Hyla quietly let her gather my emotions together. Rielen's fists were clenched as she said, 

"I just don't understand. Why? Why can I not speak to him?"

Hyla kept her mouth shut. Rielen let out a sound of annoyance and stomped her way to her class.

******

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