Royal Pains

Chapter 5: Classy

The entire rest of the break had been almost uncomfortably quiet. There was news of the Prince's solo entrance for the Spring Ball, and surprisingly it wasn't you who had stood him up. According to the papers he had been snubbed by Lady Shalria, his originally intended date.

Everyone knew the lady was enamored with the crown prince, so the assumption was that it was her father that had commanded the maneuver to make his position on Doflamingo clear. The level of intrigue floating around a single action was enough to turn your stomach, but you were also quite certain that the person currently in a sticky situation was Marquis Shalria.

Whatever his personal feelings might have been, his political position was being made public regardless of its validity. Other nobles would move around him with the knowledge in their minds, regardless of anything else he may or may not say from his own mouth. The slightest direct validation of his displeasure with the crown prince could cost him his title. He wouldn't likely be stripped of his nobility, but he could be effectively demoted.

But the tension of the final semester was worse than the break had been and from day one you were regretting not just leaving during break. Knowledge was power, sure, but there wasn't enough knowledge to save you from your current quickly developing ulcer.

The Donquixote brothers sat on either side of you.

In every class.

Neither interfered with your note taking, nor did they distract from the topic at hand. The problem was two fold: they had always sat directly beside one another before, and they never sat near or around the same person repeatedly.

You had become the singularly most famous person in the entire Red Line inside of a week. House Shalria was grateful to no longer be a focus of gossip, and that made you feel a little less guilty about their unintentional inclusion into your woes.

But that would've died down on its own, so long as Marquis had kept a low profile for a little while.

To make it worse, after two weeks you still hadn't had an opportunity to discuss this situation with either of them. It wasn't terribly surprising, the princes were exceptionally busy to begin with, and neither had much more than a few moments of time to spare during classes. This had helped you avoid them all the time before now, but now it was keeping you from being able to protest your situation.

Without a conversation you couldn't risk any other actions. If you moved seats after they sat around you, you'd be snubbing them. If you arrived late to class, something you'd rather avoid, and sat anywhere else but with them, that could be taken as a slight as well. Since the professors were extensions of the Emperor's will, it wasn't like you could risk passing notes during class either.

Even the princes behaved themselves.

By the third week you broke rules you had spent your entire life perfecting, and spoke to the prince first. To do so for a personal matter was considered taboo, at least when the one speaking first was of lower rank than the person they were speaking to. Prince or otherwise.

"I assume your grace can find time for a conversation before the semester is concluded?" You state flatly. You're barely even looking at him, and your voice is low while everyone is putting their things away at the end of the last class. Once you're sure he's looking at you, smile on his face, you meet his gaze. "Perhaps even before the week concludes?"

"Perhaps." He replies, gathering his things as he and Rosinante leave. The younger prince meets your gaze for a split second, but the two of you hadn't exchanged any words since his visit weeks ago.

You let a small sigh slip past your lips before gathering your things and leaving for the day. Making your way to the dorm room you utilized while attending classes you spent a few minutes gently banging your head on the desk.