'Behind The Shadows'

It was lunch time, and as usual Azrael along with his two companions, Caspian and Adham were eating together. 'I don't say it much but I really, really love the food here. The menu are always different, and they're always so well-cooked, even if I don't know what I'm eating sometimes.' 

Right now, he was eating some sort of meat, it looked similar to a turkey leg but it was much bigger and tasted different. He couldn't exactly describe how it tasted accurately because the only thing that came to his mind was the word heaven. 

Caspian opted for something that Azrael could only describe as fish. It did not look like any fish he was used to but the shape was there. 'Caspian eats seafood a lot. I wonder if it's because he's a water mage.' He thought as he continued to munch on his own food. 

As for Adham, his food always looked plain compared to theirs, but it still looked appetizing. Today, he was eating some sort of vegetable stew that smelled amazing. 'I wonder how people from this academy don't get fat. I swear...'

"Ah. By the way, your highness." 

Azrael was pulled from his thoughts as he looked up at Adham who was sitting in front of him. "Yes?" He asked, putting down his fork. 

"I was really impressed with your highness earlier. Your answer, I mean. Though, I'm a hundred percent confident that you're smart, the truth about how night and day started in Celestria isn't thoroughly discussed in general, even in books." Adham explained with a small smile on his lips. 

Caspian nodded from beside Azrael. "I agree. Hearing about the real story made me think a lot, and it was actually really interesting."

Azrael chuckles a bit, his mind remembering his conversation with Caspian earlier that also made him contemplate. "Thanks, guys. It may not be that obvious but I'm really interested in our history. I've always had a feeling that not everything we know generally is fully accurate." He said pertaining mostly to Eirian. 

"I never thought about that. That's very insightful, Prince Azrael." Caspian answered as he took another bite of his food. 

"Professor Cassius seemed delighted when you answered as well, Prince Azrael. It's rare for him to ever be delighted." Adham notes making Azrael tilt his head by how Adham said that. 

'I've noticed this even from the start but...' Adham always told Azrael things in a way that it seems like he's explaining something to a new student. Azrael always find it useful, but sometimes he finds it odd how much Adham adapted to his excuse. 'He's a really trusting person...but not only him...'

Caspian was also an odd ball. When Azrael mistakenly mentions he was looking for Eirian yesterday, and got confronted by Caelum, he never asked anything after that. He didn't even confront Azrael about why he was looking for Eirian. 

It's as if what happened yesterday didn't happen. 

Truth be told, Azrael didn't know whether to be glad or worried that his companions followed his every step with no doubts, but then again, he figured they might just be really loyal towards him. Azrael did save Caspian from his brother, and he also helped Adham get better education. 

Speaking of...

"Adham."

"Yes, your highness?"

"How did it go talking with the head of the student servants? I forgot to ask you earlier." Adham's eyes widen a bit, he seemed very reluctant to answer which confused Azrael. "Why is your face like that? Did something happen? Should I have been the one to talk to him personally?"

"No, no, your highness. Sir Gregory, the head, he agreed to the request and said he'd process it right away and I could most likely get my new schedule tomorrow or the day after that..."

"That's great! But why do you seem so down then?"

"Well..." Again, Adham seemed hesitant to speak. Azrael understood it though, at the end of the day, he was a student servant. Even if Azrael treated him like a friend, at the back of Adham's mind, he wasn't a prince like Caspian who could just befriend Azrael.

'I really hope he'll be more comfortable with me someday.'

"Go ahead, Adham. Say it. I won't judge." Azrael said with a gentle tone as he offered a kind smile to Adham. 

"It's just...are you sure it's alright with you for me to take extra classes? I know that you explained, your highness, that you can feel that I would make a great knight but..." The brown-haired young man sighs. "We won't have the same exact schedule anymore, meaning I won't be able to assist you if you need anything..."

Azrael couldn't help but laugh a bit, not because he found Adham funny, but because he was still in disbelief how much the student servant cared about him. 'He has a chance to actually stop becoming a student servant and become a regular student, but he's still worrying about me.'

"Don't worry about me much, Adham. As you can see, I'm adjusting well to academy life and with my classes as well. This is your chance to become a regular student. If they recognize your potential, you'll have a better future."

"I know, your highness, but..."

"No buts. Study and train hard, and if you become a knight candidate, perhaps you can be upgraded from my student servant to my knight. Won't that be fun?" Azrael grins in an attempt to assure Adham. 

"If you say it like that then it does seem okay..."

"It doesn't just seem okay. It is definitely okay."

"I noticed this even before but Adham is such a worrywart for Prince Azrael, I haven't ever seen student servants as dedicated as you." Caspian jumped in on the conversation with a small smile. Adham's face turns slightly red after being called out for worrying too much about Azrael. 

"He's very reliable, is he not?" Azrael decided to tease Adham a bit by responding cheekily to Caspian's statement, the blue-haired prince nodded in agreement. This makes Adham turn redder as he covered his face with his hands. 

"Your highnesses, with all due respect but you're making me feel embarrassed."

Both Azrael and Caspian laughs. "My apologies, Adham, but seriously though. His highness has me to accompany him as well since we also have the exact same schedule."

"See? Nothing to worry about, but ah...Caspian, I'm actually curious."

Azrael turns his attention now to Caspian who also looked back at him. "Why don't you have a student servant? I've been meaning to ask this but never found the chance to." Adham removes his hands from his face, he also seemed intrigue as to what Caspian's answer will be. 

Both Caspian and Eirian are the only nobles without student servants, that was a fact even from the novel, but it was never explained why Caspian did not have a student servant. 

"Oh. It's the same reason I didn't want any friends, your highness." Caspian answered casually with a shrug. "I was concerned that my brothers might target whoever my student servant might've been so I didn't want anyone to go through that."

"Prince Caspian's brothers? Ah...Prince Marinus and Prince Oceanus?" Caspian nods. "Come to think about it, their student servant, Cove, is quite disliked by most of us as well."

"Really?" 

"Yes, it's because he acts all high and mighty. He acts superior, whereas I'm an imperial prince's student servant, but I do not dare utter a word."

Azrael snickers a bit. "Just like his masters." he says making Caspian laugh a bit. 

"At the end of the day, no matter who we serve, we're all the same. The only difference is how our masters treat us, and if we go by that, I would say I was the most fortunate." Adham said with a small shoulder shrug. Azrael blinks his eyes a bit, he was silent for a moment, trying to process what Adham just said and then...

"Aw, Adham!" Azrael couldn't help but exclaim as he really couldn't believe how the real Azrael managed to ignore such a sweetheart. "I feel like you're my student servant as well."

"Oh...thank you, your highness." Adham was flustered, he probably didn't expect such a reaction from Azrael, nor even a response. Azrael just grinned happily while Caspian watched them both in amusement. 

Really, it was moments like this that made Azrael feel really motivated to stop whatever tragedy will befall this empire. Especially now, that Adham and Caspian weren't just characters now. They were real people to him, Eirian was well. 

With that in mind, he decided to stop dilly-dallying and focus on what's important again. "By the way, Adham. Can you assist me with something?" 

"Of course, your highness. What do you need?"

Azrael took a strand of his hair as he twirled it around his fingers, he found himself doing this a lot lately, he doesn't know why but it's becoming a habit. "Can you request for me to leave the academy next Loreday?"

Loreday, in terms of the world he was in, was Saturday. At the moment, it was Celestialday which is considered Friday. 'As much as I want to go out right away, I'm still unprepared, and I wanna dedicate the next few days to figuring out things about myself.'

"Pardon? Leave the academy? You're leaving, your highness?" Azrael noticed the slight panic in Adham's tone. He could also feel Caspian tense up beside him as he frowned and spoke.

"Why are you gonna leave so suddenly, Prince Azrael?"

"Ah. I worded it wrong." Azrael was quick to realize his mistake as he waved his hands towards the two who were leaning towards him with concerned looks. "I have to do something next Loreday, and as you two know, we're all allowed to go out three times a month as long as it's a Restday."

After his explanation, a look of relief washed over both Adham and Caspian's faces. Azrael couldn't help but give them an apologetic look. "My apologies for scaring you two but I hope that clears it up."

"I'll be sure to drop by our Administrator later before going back to the dorms and request for your leave, your highness. Should I accompany you?"

"Oh, uhm—"

"Me too. I can go as well."

'Ah. As much as it'd be fun to take them with me...'

"I can't have you both accompany me. I'm sorry. We can all go out another time, but this is a leave I must take on my own."

The two seemed sad, Adham specially. "Are you sure, your highness? If it's alright to ask, but what are you going to do outside?"

"That..." Azrael tried to think of an excuse but was having a hard time because seeing Adham and Caspian's sad faces, as if they were puppies that were about to be abandoned, it distracted him so he went with the first thing that came to his mind. "It's quite personal. I'll explain when I can, but right now...I can't." 

"If that's the case then..." Adham says as he looked at Caspian, sharing some sort of look with him. "I won't pester you..."

"But if it's something serious, Prince Azrael, like—if you ever need assistance. We're here to help. I may not be that big of a help considering I have less power than a commoner at this academy, I'll still do my best."

Azrael smiles. "You both are kind, but it's really not that cause of a concern. I'll keep that in mind though."

"Alright, your highness."

As soon as that was settled, the academy's bell chimed, a familiar sound that indicated that lunch time was over and it was time for their next class. "Time for our next class. That was quick. I feel like an hour went by too fast." Azrael said as he got up from his seat. 

Adham and Caspian both followed as they also got up. "I really dislike our magical ethics and law class. Professor Aurelius seems to hate princes." Caspian whispers as he began walking back to class. Azrael nods in agreement. 

He doesn't think about his professors much because they all seemed to hate him specifically, but their magical ethics and law professor, Magistrate Aurelius Lightbringer, obviously hated his noble students and greatly favored the student servants. 

But again, it didn't really bother him that much. Since Aurelius didn't target him, though he did have it out for other nobles in his class, especially the only other Prince, Caspian. 

"I wonder what he'll make you recite this time." Azrael joked, laughing a bit making Caspian groan slightly. 

"He might make me recite all one thousand ethics and rules of a forgotten clan who practiced whatever magic." He grumbled. 

Adham, who was chuckling a bit beside them as well, spoke. "I actually asked about Professor Aurelius to the senior student servants, and I believe there's a rumor that he used to be a student servant who served a very ill-mannered prince when he was younger. It wasn't mentioned from which family but that's the alleged reason for his distaste towards princes."

"If that's the case, isn't that a bit immature?"

"I agree. I was not the one who was ill-mannered towards him." Caspian said as he crossed his arms against his chest. "I didn't even take a student servant. That should've at least given me a pass."

For the first time since the three of them got together, Adham bursts out laughing as he covered his face. "M-My apologies. I didn't mean to laugh out loud, but what prince Caspian said is quite funny."

"It's true though, right? 

"That's right, prince Caspian."

Azrael watched as his two companions spoke more comfortably now compared to the first day. It was quite a development, and it just boosted his mood further. 'I hope Eirian could be part of our group at some point. I don't think Adham and Caspian ever had any interactions in the novel. Now we're all becoming close.'

It wasn't bad for his first week. Not bad at all. 

'Let it stay this peaceful longer. The novel hasn't started yet officially, so before then...just continue being this peaceful.' Azrael was hopeful, despite his adversaries, he remained positive. He thought as long as he managed to convince Eirian, and now he had to companions; nothing could ruin his good run. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

'Why is he with them?'

A figure hid behind a pillar as he watched Azrael laugh along with two of his friends. "I didn't want to believe it when I heard, but it's true?" He whispered, his eyes narrowing. 

'This can't possibly continue. He'll ruin everything.'

He had to do something immediately.