2 Chapter 2 - Surroundings

He was awoken abruptly the next morning by the same maid from the previous night. He glared at her and tried to duck back underneath the covers. He didn't know why, but being awoken by a person was one hundred times worse than being awoken by an alarm clock. The maid didn't seem to mind his behavior and casually ripped the blanket off him as if this was a normal occurrence. 

Immediately he was hit with the cold air. Shocked, he curled into himself trying to preserve some warmth, but it was all in vain. The bed he was on was cold as well and the only source of heat was his body that was rapidly losing any warmth he had accumulated overnight from the comforter that had been cruelly taken from him. 

'Was it winter here?' He gazed towards the windows that were being opened one by one by the maid. A warm breeze wafted through the room, chasing away the cold. That was strange. It was obviously warm outside and yet it was cold inside. He looked around the room. He didn't get a good view last night, but now the sun shed light on how bad his situation truly was. There wasn't much furniture and what was in the room was small, dainty, and in some cases rapidly falling apart.

The bed he was on was the only thing he deemed usable in this room. The rest, though beautiful from afar, were actually wearing and tearing from years of use. The pillows and cushions on the small pair of couches in the center of the room were tearing at the seams. If he were to look closer he could just barely make out the wrongly colored stitches that were keeping the fabrics together. It looked like a child had tried to sew, but failed miserably. He pursed his lips at the thought and glanced over at the young maid who was humming.

'Makes sense.' He let out a small sigh and continued to look around the room.

 The wood of the dresser and nightstand were stained and peeling in some places. The color must have been beautiful way back then, but now it was an ugly gray brown. 

There was no fireplace, no paintings, no rugs, no decorations. It was like the person who had been living in this room had no personality. Or - the thought worried him - no one cared about what happened to this person. 

So, was he a noble child? He had to be or else his maid wouldn't have that emblem on her uniform. But, then why was this person not being treated like a noble child? Could he be a bastard's child? 

"Young Master, it's time for your bath." The maid from before bowed in front of him and gestured to a small door that was hidden in the corner of the room. 

He nodded to himself and pushed himself out of the bed. 'At least I have a bath.' Though given the state of the room, he was worried what the bath would look like. 

There was a knock at the door. His maid froze. Her eyes darkened and her hand twitched as she reached underneath her skirt. He eyed her, curious of her sudden and strange reaction. 'Was she hiding something?' 

"Ex-excuse me?" a hesitant voice called out from the other side of the door. The maid's hand stopped and she put on a warm smile. 

"Come in!" 

The door opened to reveal a man with short brown hair and dull brown eyes. He had light brown skin and had an air of worry that seemed to follow him wherever he went. He was holding a tray of what smelt like food. His eyes were darting to the small table and then back to the tray that wasn't shaking at all. 

'What was he worrying about?' 

"Young Master, this is Neal. Starting today he will be your personal butler." Neal placed the tray of food down, his eyes focused. When he heard his name he startled, almost dropping the lid of the tray on the ground. 

"My name is Neal! It's a pleasure to be serving you." Neal bowed. The maid sighed and strolled over to Neal. With a deadpan face she pinched him on the back of his arm.

"Ouch! What did I do-oh, Young Master! I didn't see you there." he said with a beaming smile. Any sense of worry that had been in the air before had long disappeared. 

He frowned, 'Was he just acting worried? Then why did his act vanish when he noticed I was in the room? Shouldn't it be the other way around?' He shook his head, it was truly strange. He gave a small hum of acknowledgement and turned his focus on trying to stand on his own. His feet ached when they touched the cold floor and when he tried to stand he almost collapsed.

"Let me help you, Young Master." The maid rushed over, a worried look painted on her face. She grabbed his arms from behind and lifted him up so his feet barely touched the floor. For a moment he was flabbergasted by the way she was holding him and then he scowled. He didn't want any help, no, He shouldn't need any help. With a determined look he gritted in pain as he shook his head and twisted himself out of her grasp. 

"Young Master." The young maid dejectedly reached out, once again trying to support him. He raised his hand, silencing her movements and shook his head. He took a deep breath and walked slowly to the bathroom. 

The bathroom was small, but decent. A single toilet stood in the corner, cut off from the rest of the bathroom and he sighed in comfort at knowing that this world had decent toilets. There was no sink nor were there any mirrors, but at least he had a bath. 

Peering into the water he reeled back in shock. Not only was his appearance concerning, but it also confirmed which family he was part of. 

He didn't look anything like he used to. His skin was now flawless with no blemishes in sight. His pale complexion worried him slightly, but he didn't know if it was because he was sick or if he was naturally this pale. His eyes and hair were the dead give away for which family he now belonged to. His blood red eyes were striking against his pale complexion and he had to admit it gave him goosebumps when he looked into his own eyes. His hair was shoulder length, even though it was barely brushing his shoulders, he still found it annoying, after all, he was used to short hair. He frowned at his new silver hair, the color was strange to him if not shocking. It worked well with his new body's appearance, but once again it made him restless.

He took off his clothes, frowning at the bruises and scratches that littered his body. He couldn't help but wonder how this body had gotten such injuries. He got into the somewhat warm bath and started to wash himself. He would grimace everytime he brushed over a bruise or accidentally scrubbed too hard on a cut. 

His mind wandered to the family he now belonged to. The Frenzel family, one of the three great war families. 

No one else in the world of the Flower of Soline was able to hold both traits of blood red eyes and silver hair. It was a unique trait passed down only to the children born in the Frenzel family due to one of their ancestors helping a spirit when it was in trouble. Besides their unique looks, the Frenzel family was also gifted the unique trait of always being born with a unique ability. 

In the Flower of Soline, every person was born with an ability that would present itself at the age of five. These abilities were the six elements; light, shadow, fire, water, air, and earth. Sometimes, people were born with more than one, but those people were usually found in noble families. Though, in the Flower of Soline it was becoming more common for commoners' children to be born with more than one ability. The rarest ability though, was the use of a unique ability. 

A unique ability is just as it sounds. An ability unique to that child. It could be anything from being able to see in the dark to something more gruesome like being able to puppet others into killing one another. No one knew who would be able to use a unique ability, but once a child showed their unique ability they gained glory and rose to the top of whatever they chose to pursue. 

The King or Queen of the Kingdom of Soline were special in the sense that they were the only ones in the Kingdom to have all six abilities and a unique ability. Unlike royalty in his old world, the heir to the throne was decided by having all six abilities and a unique ability. Unfortunately, for the first time in the history of the Soline Kingdom, all five princes had been born with all six abilities and a unique ability. Which created a rift in the succession process.

He looked at his hands, 'If I'm part of the Frenzel family, then I must have a unique ability as well!' The thought brought joy to his otherwise unfortunate situation. He glanced at his reflection in the water and immediately the joy disappeared. If he had an ability and he was part of the Frenzel family, then he should have been able to defend himself against others, right? Something wasn't adding up, but he couldn't put his finger on it. For now, he focused on trying to make use abilities. He lifted his hands and thought about each element, but nothing happened. 

His frown deepened and he let his hands fall back into the water. He wasn't sure how to use his abilities, after all it wasn't mentioned in the novel. 'Oh well.' He thought to himself, 'Nature will take its course and eventually my ability will come out.' So he didn't think too much about it and turned his focus to a different matter.

The Frenzel family only had two children and he did not look like either of them. This only proved his theory that this body must have died before the novel had started and if that was the case then him being alive could have a drastic change on the story itself. 

"Young Master, it's time to come out." The maid called from the other side of the door. He didn't respond, only nodding to himself. He sighed as he got out of the bath, not expecting that the maid and Neal would walk through the door while he was still naked. 

A deep flush spread on his face and ears and he quickly dived back into the water. 'Wait, wait, wait, wait, are you telling me I have to be dressed by them? When I'm naked!' He was having an internal conflict while the two got to work grabbing a towel and his clothes and escorting him out of the water. 

He was frozen in embarrassment the entire time they dried and clothed him. He hadn't been dressed like this since he was an infant and he didn't even remember those times! Only pictures were left to mock him. 

"I-I can do this myself." He reached for his clothing, ready to finish dressing himself in order to get rid of this embarrassment, but the maid and Neal had other plans. 

The maid laughed at him and pulled the clothes away from his reaching hands while Neal just smiled and continued on with his job. 'Were-were they ignoring him?' 

"Young Master, please don't make jokes. It is our duty to dress you until you become of age." The maid helped him put on a simple white under shirt.

'Coming of age?' He frowned at that. Coming of age didn't give him enough to go off of. Depending on the setting and time period, the coming of age could be anywhere from sixteen to twenty one. At least he had an idea of where his age may lie. 

Neal held out a uniform in front of him and he once again froze. 'So even this body had to go to that wretched place.' He thought while looking at the golden flower embroidered on the chest of a Royal blue uniform. 

The Royal Academy. A generic name that even he thought was rather stupid, especially for what type of students study there. It was an academy for only the rich and powerful. A place where only the strong survived. Originally created for the royals and their education, it slowly expanded into a place where those who seek power and fame fought with one another in order to secure their position among the highley elite. The Royal academy sells itself as an academy open to all, but only if you have power and potential. It wasn't surprising that over ninety percent of its students were of noble status, with only a small percent hailing from commoner families. 

He couldn't blame the commoners' hesitancy. After all, attending The Royal Academy as a commoner was a death wish. It was an unhidden truth in the academy that those deemed unworthy ended up dying in their pursuit. No questions were ever asked about those few unlucky students.

'Is this where this body got all these injuries? If so, it looks like I might be one of those unlucky students.' He clenched his fists and glanced away from the uniform. He was trying to figure out a way to either avoid attending that hell hole or finding someone or something to protect him, but with what little he knew, it was a lost cause. 

"Neal, If you would please." The maid came to the front and gestured to him. He watched intently with some curiosity as Neal got behind him and held out his hands. 

'What was he doing?' 

A gentle breeze danced around his head, enveloping his hair in a new warmth. He watched in a daze as his hair dried on the spot. A stray wind gently touched his cheek and like a switch went off he froze. 

His head hurt and a scene flashed through his mind like a snippet of a movie. A hand reaching out, laughter, wind slashing at his skin, and above all pain. So much pain. He whimpered and curled away from Neal and into the warm embrace of the maid. She opened her arms, and gently patted him on the head. 

"There, there, it's okay. It's just Neal, nothings gonna hurt you." she whispered into his ear until he calmed down. 

'What was that? What did I just see?' he couldn't wrap his mind around it. Had he seen a memory of the previous owner's life? Was he supposed to see memories like that? If so, he didn't like it, not one bit. 

"Now, let's get you some food before you head out." The maid guided him out of the bathroom and into the bedroom once again. This time it was warm. The windows were wide open and the room had been cleaned while he was in the bath, well had been cleaned to the best of their capability. The dust no longer clinged to the furniture, but the obvious wear and tear were still there.

"Here Young Master! I was able to get you some eggs to go with your breakfast today." The maid sat him down at the small table between the couches. Her words concerned him, but the food looked so appetizing, that all concern flew out the window. 

He scooped up the egg with some bread and stuffed it into his mouth, instantly regretting it. It was cold and hard. He held it in his mouth, glancing up at the maid only to find her smiling with big eyes as if she were a puppy waiting for praise. He looked back at his food knowing what he had to do. 

He ate the food in less than ten bites. 

"I'm so glad Young Master liked it!" the maid fretted over his appearance, guiding him to put on the dreaded uniform. She didn't give him time to digest what was happening as she ushered him out of the room and into a deserted hallway. 

He froze. 'Wait...do I live in an abandoned part of the estate?' He looked down the hallway. There was dust, cobwebs, and the occasional hole in the wall. Just like his room, no decorations hung from the wall and the candles were not lit. The windows were closed and he suddenly knew why his room had been so cold. 

'If the place I live in was like this, it's no wonder I'm freezing.' 

The maid walked in front of him while Neal walked behind him. He wasn't complaining since he didn't know where exactly he was going, but a part of him couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. He couldn't see the maid's expression, but when he glanced back at Neal, he shuddered.

'If looks could kill.' He was almost certain now that this positioning was not accidently, but on purpose.

They continued to walk, twisting and turning down different hallways like a maze, until they came across a long stretch where the hallways drastically changed. No longer was it cold and dreary, but warm and brimming with life.

The floor was covered in an expensive carpet with intricate designs. The walls were littered with paintings and portraits of things and people he had never seen. Vases and flowers decorated empty tables that sat in between the open windows, the water still dripping from their petals. Even the curtains to the windows looked exquisite. 

He went to touch one. The golden thread looked almost like gold and he wondered if perhaps it was gold, but he was stopped. 

"Young Master, you mustn't touch things." the maid had grabbed his hand. Her touch was gentle, but firm. He glanced at her slightly confused, but seeing her gazing around as if she were searching for someone he quickly took his hand back and lowered it to his side.

"I'm sorry, I must have forgotten." He apologized.

As they continued their walk, they came across a couple of servants going about their day. He gazed at them openly. They never looked his way nor addressed him and if they did catch his eye they gave him a disgusted look and clicked their tongues. After walking towards a large herd of maids making their way to a room, his theory on why the maid and Neal were in this strange position came to light.

One after another the maids made gestures towards him, which resulted in a few trying to hit him, trip him, or sometimes even stab him with a sharp object. They would have succeeded too, if not for the maid and Neal intercepting all the attacks; he was pretty sure that if he didn't have them protecting him, then he would have been severely injured at one point. 

After that he made a promise to himself that no matter what, when he was in the estate, he would never leave their side. 

Due to the little incident, the maid seemed to make a change of plans and escorted him to a different route towards a side entrance rather than continuing towards what he assumed was the main entrance. He didn't mind, after all, he had no desire to see what family he lived with, especially one that didn't care if he was dying. 

The carriage that was waiting for him was no different than his room. There was no emblem, no guards, it was a plain white carriage with the paint slowly peeling off. The only hints of color were a mockery of gold painted around the windows and door. 

A footman stood beside the door of the carriage. He looked to be a commoner. His clothing was barely stitched together and his hair was tasseled in all directions, with a few pieces of straw sticking out. He must have been sleeping on the job. He had a scowl on his face and a single scar that ran down from his cheek to his chin. His hair was a light black and he had matching stubble to go with it. He was muscular, probably the only reason he had gotten the job in the first place. Such a pity, he would have been handsome if he had taken care of his appearance. 

"Hurry up n' get in." His voice was rough and scruffy, matching his looks perfectly. 

He eyed the footman then looked back at the maid with apprehension. They weren't making any move to get in. 'Do they expect me to travel by myself with him?' He didn't get to voice his worry as the maid grabbed his hand and helped him into the carriage, effectively closing it behind him. 

"Have a good day at the academy, Young Master!" she said cheerfully, though he noticed that her smile was strained. It was almost as if she was afraid of him going to the academy. He didn't blame her. After all, the previous owner died from injuries from that academy.

The carriage jostled and he found himself almost falling head first into the window. Scowling he closed the small curtains and moved to the middle of the carriage. 

He had only read about the Royal Academy through the first prince's point of view. Not once did he ever think about what to do in the event that he would have to attend as a potentially weak person. He observed his dainty hands as he remembered the bruises and cuts on his body. It wasn't hard to figure out that he was bullied, but to be bullied to the point of death? He let out a long sigh.

'This body is a child of the Frenzel household, but never showed up in the book. I live in a deserted part of the mansion and besides the maid and Neal, all the other servants despise me. With all the bruises and scars on my body, it is safe to assume that this body was one of the unfortunate souls that died in the Royal Academy.'

He hummed as he thought about the position he found himself in. 

'A dead person's body coming back to the academy the next day like nothing had happened.' A smile graced his lips, 'Whoever hurt this body is going to have quite a shocker.'