SGE His Darkened Heart (A Japaric Fanfiction)

CHAPTER 3 Blue Skies

—ARIC'S POV—

That night, the only eight students in Arbed House gathered in the dining room to enjoy a specially cooked meal of pesto chicken on a bed of Alfredo pasta. It was probably the most delicious meal Aric had ever eaten and it was yet another good thing he found about Arbed House.

Dean Burnhilde didn't show up for dinner and Dean Burnhilde's assistant, Miss Miyflower told the boys that the Dean had some important matters to attend to. Aric would like to think these important matters had something to do with the now ruined garden, but it wasn't likely. Some ruined flowers surely wouldn't drag Dean Burnhilde away from a very enjoyable dinner such as this.

"Remember, Boys," Miss Miyflower told the students as they finished up their supper. "After chores it's bedtime. And must I remind you all to keep to your assigned rooms please. After all, Cooperation earns you rights!"

Aric rolled his eyes at Miss Miyflower's pearly white smile. She was an older woman, older than the Dean, with graying blonde hair pulled into a loose bun and wearing a modest dress. Her hair color fit well with her blue eyes, and the wrinkles marring her face gave her a grandmotherly look.

Aric might've appreciated her presence if it weren't for her overly dramatic happy attitude matching Dean Burnhilde's. She obviously had the same beliefs as the Dean and was good at her job as far as Aric could tell, but she was too cheerful, which totally ruined her warm appearance.

Night had fallen pretty quickly over Foxwood. After humiliating Rhian and Kei, lunch break had come to pass, leaving all the boys to go back to class where they were taught about the history of magic and the greatest heroes that'd ever lived.

It was during a lecture on the past king and queens of all the kingdoms in the woods that Dean Burnhilde mentioned King Arthur. And as soon as she did, all the boys in class stared at Rhian and Kei and snickered, obviously remembering the incident at lunch.

That was until the Dean brought up King Arthur's only son, Prince Tedros. Apparently Tedros was currently residing at the School for Good where he would learn about fairytales and magical abilities. He was the son of Arthur and the ex-Queen Guinevere, who'd been unfaithful to her husband by running off with Arthur's very own best friend, Lancelot, never to be seen again.

Aric didn't pay much attention to the lecture during that time and couldn't help but glance at Japeth every once in a while as if he were the only other person in the room. He did take notice of how all the other students in class seemed to scowl and grumble at the sound of Tedros's name. Apparently, Tedros wasn't very popular around these parts.

Aric thought that Tedros was perceived as some sort of hero, a golden boy, and inferred that Tedros and Rhian could be the best of friends, if only Rhian wasn't obsessed with being Camelot's king.

Aric let Japeth know this by scribbling on a slip of paper and sneakily passing it over to Japeth a few desks down. He read it and looked to Aric with a knowing look causing Aric to smirk playfully as Japeth shot him a thumbs up.

The note read, "Tedros reminds me of a guy, much uglier than you. Think they could be friends, don't you? They can rule Camelot together that way!"

A blush had arose on Japeth's face as he silently tucked the note into his pocket and pretended to pay attention to the Dean's lesson, but Aric could see a slight grin on his face. It was enough to let Aric know his message had come across perfectly, and the Dean didn't catch them.

"Need help?" Aric heard a voice ask behind him, and he turned to see Japeth leaning against the long oak dining table, a rag clutched in his hand.