Chapter 3 - Intentions

Dove was now being escorted by the third prince himself, who was extremely angry, not at him, but at the people around him.

He didn't take well the fact that the people in the duchy don't see much in him.

___

"What do you mean your own people don't respect you? You're Duke Abaddon, for Mortpheus sake! You're literally the reason we have food and all year around even when things are bad! Your soldiers are the best in all Empires and there is no drink that can compare to the ones produced in your territory even in other Empires! You should be the first after the royal family being called"

"Finally someone who sees my point!"

___

It was easy to say that Frida liked the prince.

She even let the prince guid him to the Academy.

Said prince was mumbling about how disrespectful people were.

Well, that he had to agree, he could feel the stares and hear the murmurs no matter how long they walked, but he didn't want to hear any more of this.

"Where are we going now?" he asked.

The prince immediately stopped on his tracks, then hummed, probably thinking.

"Everyone is going in a same direction" He said, them paused "I see someone calling out the freshman ahead of us, she should take us to the Academy"

They then started to move again, the voice around them getting louder, one being much louder than the rest.

"Freshmen come this way!"

It was a female voice, it was sweet and welcoming, but there was a melodic and captivating tone on it that made him recognize something familiar.

Just after they passed by her, he spoke his mind.

"She's a Spirit"

They halted for a moment, the prince probably looked back at her before they continued.

"How can you tell? She looks really average to me"

"Her voice, Spirits voice and appearances tend to attract attention easily, I'll assume you spotted her quite easily even though there were many people around her?"

There was silence for a moment, then a groan.

"I would have fallen into a trap if this was the Tower"

"Most definitely"

The prince chuckled at that.

"Still doesn't explain how you noticed"

"Frida taught me how to recognize them to not fall in their traps, and I'm kind of immune to them now"

"How do you even acquire immunity to Spirits?"

"Well, it's simple, you just need to…"

They chatted on the way, and Dove had to admit, the Prince's presence made this more pleasant.

How unusual, a member of the royal family that Frida liked and isn't trying to take something from him or talk him into something.

So there's a first time for everything, huh?

"There's a teleportation circle ahead, it'll take us to the Academy!"

Well, he's not gonna dismiss the guy, especially when he sounds so happy.

***

"I feel like puking"

"Me too"

They arrived at the Academy in an instant, but they both became nauseous after the teleportation.

"At least we're not the only ones"

There were several other students that were in the same situation as them, some even worse, having been guided to the side where they could put their breakfasts out of their systems.

It took a few moments for them to recover, but they soon started to move.

The Academy was gorgeous, with gardens full of color, birds and bugs, and a beautiful sun shining the golden walls of the castle-like building.

"By Morpheus, what is this sound?"

Leo watched in amusement as Abaddon's head moved around, leaning towards every sound je heard as they moved.

"That brings so many memories!" He said as he leaned in the direction of the sound of a bird "Great Morpheus, is that a Thunder Bird that I hear!?"

Certainly, a Thunder Bird flied past them, but Leo gave it little attention, he was more focused on the Duke in front of him.

Abaddon, the only duke in this generation of Dreamers, was acting like an innocent child in a zoo.

It was so different from the rumors that he started to wonder just how much of them must have been made up by his mother.

He couldn't help but smile at the giggly duke he was now helping.

Unfortunately, the happy child turned back into a ruler the moment the sound of birds and insects was left behind as they followed their guide.

"You guys will now be assigned to a room and receive your uniforms"

He guided the wheelchair until they got into the line.

"Nobles have personal rooms, right?"

Leo groaned at the question.

"Yeah, well, more or less, there are room for specific families, I'll be sharing with a few half siblings, but I don't want to! I'm gonna ask them to give me a commom shared room, I rarther not atay with them… and you?"

"I'm still thinking if I should do the same or not"

He looked at the duke.

He needed help, most definitely all the time, he couldn't walk or eat for himself, who knows if he would be able to keep up with the subjects.

Certainly it would be difficult to find someone that would want to help him out, much less share a room with him, yet…

He woukd be staying in the Abaddon room, which is tge same as staying in a room with people that woukd prefere you dead.

He shuderrd as he remembed the last time he met and Abaddon, a terrifying meeting.

That's when he came up with an idea.

"Do you want to apply for a shared room with me? A room can have four people in a maximun, and it might have just us if no one wantes to shate with us"

There was a moment of silence then the duke looked up to Leo.

It was the fist time he saw the dukes eyes.

His milky eyes were of a dark shade of yellow, like faded gold, with no pupils to be seen, they were unfucused and full of life, yet sad and tired.

"Why are you helping me?" He asked "It can't just because of your mother"

Ops, he was caught.

He coughed a little, embarrassed by this.

"I was trying to find some friends" He admitted "That's one of the reasons I wanted a common shared room"

They stared at each other for sometime, well, Leo stared at Abaddon and while the duke stared at his general direction.

Then Abaddon lowered his head.

"Well, I didn't expect that, now that's awkward"

Leo let out a small chuckle at that.

"You tell me? And what did you expect?"

"Many things, but three in particular"

"May I know them in order of the least likely to the most?"

"One of your mother's trap, one of the second princess and second prince's plans to convince me to give Frida to them or you trying to get close to me to get your father's favor like your others siblings since he is bizarrely interested on me"

Ok, apart from the second one, all other two made sense.

His mother did and would try to use him for her plans, but he always found a way out of them, and his father certainly had a strange obsession with the young duke that enraged his mother.

But he still couldn't wrap his head around the second one.

"Why would the twins want Miss Frida for?"

She seemed perfectly normal in all and every way he looked at her. So why would his spirit obsessed half siblings want her?

"She's the Abaddon's guardian spirit, she have been with my family for generations"

Now that makes sense.

Zayne and Jayne, the spirit users. They had made their way into this path the moment they discovered they had affinity to it and became obsessed with it the moment their father praised them for their abilities.

They are currently trying to form a contract with a Spirit King, but they have yet to succeed.

"I'm sorry for their behavior" He said "It'll happen again"

"I know, they have been trying this since I was six"

He cried at that and could only apologize again.

Their turn was getting closer and closer while they stayed in silence.

"Your highness"

Abaddon called for him and he leaned forward a little.

"Yes?"

"Is it really ok for me to share a room with you? Won't your mother be mad"

He paused for a moment, surprised, but then smiled.

"Don't worry about that, she's always mad at me for nothing, this time won't be any different!"

Well, seems like things are going to be fun!