Chapter 15: Oaths in Ashes

We are in front of our Literature class, and Carlen is doing much better physically. He asks me not to request the teacher to get inside, and sit in the designated place. I get the idea that he has pulled his illusion trick, and made us look like we are attending the lecture. 

This guy can skip classes without even getting into trouble. Few people are attending the lecture, and the places have shifted. However, I can understand our places since those two are the only left spaces in the class at that moment. 

For me, I get the window side beside Chelsea. Carlen gets the desk in front of me beside Aurelius. 

The class went downhill.

I want to ask Chelsea about what she meant earlier. Did Chelsea see us jumping down the terrace? I am pretty sure Carlen used his invisibility trick else everyone on the campus would come outside if two people just decided to jump off the terrace out of the blue. 

It is pretty awkward to sit beside her after hearing that warning. However, I do wish to talk it out with her. She has been my first friend, and I cannot believe someone saying that she locked us up there without any solid proof is enough to have a beef in this friendship. 

Still… how am I supposed to start the conversation when she isn't even interested? I try to block my thoughts and take out my notebook. Whatever the illusion Carlen created, it is not affecting me. I do not know how people saw me, but it was not to the point of raising any questions. 

We have a play called "Oaths in Ashes," I have not started with Literature. I like to read stories, but not study them if that makes sense. I do not know what is waiting for me in this play. 

My mind is too preoccupied with Chelsea to even focus on the class. 

"The play is about a place called Velmoria-" the teacher says. 

My mind is rewired to the class, and I now acknowledge that we have a new Literature teacher. I am sure the teacher introduced themselves at the start of the class, but I was not present. I do not know the name of the teacher. 

He has a good build-up much like the ancient Greek rulers. With how he is carrying himself, I will not be surprised if he is some emperor. He is wearing metal glasses, a sharp chin, brick-red hair, and blue eyes. 

If we were back in middle school, many of the girl students would have had a crush on him. I mean at that time a lot of people randomly started to get crushes. Whether it was a teacher or a student, anyone with good looks was popular among the students.

However, I think with time people have got the reality check. Sometimes it is not even a crush, it is admiration. When we are little, we confuse crush with admiration. Sometimes we wonder why we are so attracted to somebody only to understand that it is admiration that takes place in the heart. 

I am somewhat glad that I am thrown back into the class mentally. I wonder what he has to say about Velmoria. The last time I heard this word was from Carlen, he mentioned it as my birthplace or somewhat related to my birth parents. That is how much I recall. 

"A kingdom that suffered a great loss due to the betrayal of a close alliance. This play talks about the tragedy of the kingdom, and how it healed itself up at the cost of losing its princess," he says. 

My heart starts to race. I raise my hand.

He looks at me.

"Miss?" He says.

"Rinette," I say.

"Please ask your question, Ms. Rinette," he says. I stand up at my desk. 

"What sort of alliance, sir?" I ask the teacher.

I usually refrain from asking questions because I have this habit of replying with another question then another, and another… until I realize that most of the class has gone by answering my doubts. 

I plan to keep myself on track this time, but I am not that confident at that. It is not wrong to ask questions but sometimes it takes too much of the class time. It is better to ask it outside class. Since, this is the beginning of the academic year, I feel it is not that of an issue. The teachers usually run the courses in the middle or towards the end of the semester. 

"We will learn about that," he says.

"I like your admiration for Literature, please sit down Ms. Rinette," he continues. 

I sit back in my seat, I want to know more about the place.

-Thanks for reading-