Chapter 7
*Aria*
"Hurry up you two. If you don't care about your records, I do damn it." Lina barked, leaving us behind and rushing towards the hall.
Mira and I rushed after her and into the hall which was now even more filled up than when I first entered. My breath caught as almost all eyes turned to me while I walked to stand in line.
I was used to my hair drawing a lot of attention to me but this...this was too much. This many people, I just wanted the floor to open and swallow me.
"What is she doing here?" I heard someone whisper, her voice filled with disdain.
"I wonder. Did she think we wouldn't find out about her filthy background? How was she even admitted"
"She must have pulled some strings to get in. I thought Royal Academy only admitted the best. I'm disappointed."
They didn't even try to hide their disgust. Had they somehow found out about my father? But how? Who would do this? They weren't supposed to know. Damn it. My chest tightened as the pressure of their judgemental glares pressed harder.
Mira noticed how uncomfortable I seemed, she held my hand, squeezing with reassurance."ignore them...your father might have been a traitor but you're innocent."
I swallowed, turning to her. " You knew? Who my father was."
She nodded, "Umm, Yes. Everybody does. Your family name Vale...it hard to forget."
I clenched my fist, a humorless chuckle escaping me. And all this time I thought my white hair was the reason they were all looking at me that way. But still, who gave them the damn right to judge me? To call my background filth when they knew nothing about me.
Something in me burnt, I turned to the girl who'd said something about my filthy background. I was supposed to ignore, to pretend I didn't hear and just move on, but right now I'd lost the interest in keeping peace I had nothing to lose.
I walked towards her even though Mira tried to hold me back. "Hey." I said with a forced smile, "What did you say just now? Can you repeat your words."
The girl looked me up and down slowly, like I was something stuck to the bottom of her shoe. She smirked. "I said I'm surprised they let trash through the gates. Did you not hear me the first time?"
A couple of cadets behind her snickered.
Mira tugged my sleeve. "Aria, leave it."
I didn't. My smile didn't drop. "Trash?"
"Yes," she said sweetly. "Daughter of a traitor. What else would you call it?"
My fingers trembled. My father wasn't a traitor. Who the hell did she think she was to call him that.
She leaned closer. "You should be grateful they didn't execute you along with him."
And that was it. My control snapped. The sound of my palm slamming against her left cheek echoed through the hall before I even realized I'd moved. Her head snapped to the side and the e entire assembly froze.
For one full second, there was absolute silence, then chaos followed.
"You—!" She lunged at me, her nails aimed straight for my face. I caught her wrist on instinct, shoving her back. She stumbled but didn't fall, instead she grabbed a fistful of my hair.
Pain shot across my scalp and gasps erupted around us. "Fight! Fight!"
"Is she insane?"
Mira shouted my name, trying to wedge herself between us, but the girl swung at me again. This time her palm grazed my cheek.
Something ugly and furious tore loose inside me.
I shoved her hard and she crashed into the cadets behind her, dragging two of them down. Someone fell over a bench. Another yelled as boots scraped against the marble floor.
She scrambled up, face red and eyes wild. "You think you can touch me?!"
Before she could swing again, I stepped forward and shoved her again, harder. "Say it again," I hissed. "Call my family filth one more time." I'd never lost my composure like this, but I had lost every sense of reasoning.
"Your father betrayed the kingdom! He deserved worse!" she yelled.
A sharp ringing filled my ears. I didn't remember deciding to hit her the second time. But my hand connected again, this time with her right cheek. Louder than the first one.
This time she fell from the force of the slap.
The hall exploded. Some cadets cheered. Others shouted for guards. Lines dissolved completely as people crowded around us. Someone bumped into me from behind and I staggered.A pair of strong hands grabbed my arms.
"Enough!"
"Have you both lost your minds?!"
Two senior cadets forced themselves between us. The girl on the floor was crying now, not the quiet kind, but loud, furious sobs. "She attacked me!" she screamed. "In front of everyone!"
I let out a short, breathless laugh. "You were running your damn mouth."
"Silence!" The command boomed across the hall. The crowd parted instantly.
At the far end of the assembly platform stood one of the academy officials, his robes trimmed in silver. His eyes were cold, his presence overwhelming.
Every sound died. He walked down the steps slowly, gaze shifting from the girl… to me.
"And what," he said evenly, "do you think you both are doing?"
No one answered. I could feel my pulse in my throat. My palm stung. My hair was a mess. My uniform slightly torn at the collar.
The girl pointed at me with shaking fingers."She assaulted me!"
He looked at her swollen cheek. Then at my reddened hand. "And you," his gaze settled on me, "have anything to say in your defense?"
The entire hall watched. For a split second, I considered apologizing. Backing down, pretending I lost control.
But I was tired, tired of lowering my head, tired of pretending their words didn't hurt like hell.
"She insulted my family," I said flatly. "Repeatedly."
A murmur spread again. The official's expression didn't change. "And you believe violence is the appropriate response inside Royal Academy?"
No. But I didn't regret it either.
"She should be expelled!" the girl cried.
"She started it," Mira snapped in my defense before she could stop herself.
The official raised a hand and the noise dropped once more. "Both of you. Forward."
My stomach dropped. Around us, cadets stepped back to clear a path.
"First day and she's already fighting…"
"Of course she is. Look at her bloodline."
I walked forward anyway, ignoring every word. I let them talk. If they were going to hate me for a name I didn't choose… then maybe I didn't need to beg for their approval anymore.
The official stopped a few feet away from us.
"Royal Academy does not tolerate disorder," he said calmly. "Punishment will be decided after assembly by his highness."
My heart skipped a beat. The prince?
"And until then," his gaze shifted back to me, sharp and measuring, "you will both stand at the front."
"There'll be no need for that. I'll decide their punishment right here." A deep voice rumbled in the hall, and all eyes turned to his direction. My breath caught as I met his cold gaze. He was here.