Not As it Seems

Chapter 3: Garden of Secrets

Laura stood there, completely paralyzed by what had just happened. She could barely believe it... Elizabeth had taken a swing with her sword at Laura, and if she hadn't turned around when Anna shouted, she could have been killed or seriously injured! And to make things worse, the teachers only gave Elizabeth a warning! It was unbelievable... Normally, the murder or even attempted murder of a member of a royal family was seen as the worst crime possible and was only punishable by death. Rare exceptions could be made for accidents, but not many people could say they accidentally attempted murder on a royal. Even then, it was hard to believe Elizabeth hadn't done it on purpose.
"Laura, you alright?" Glen asked, running up to her.
"Of course not! I could have been dead!"
"Something definitely isn't right, I think it's better if we leave." Laura nodded, and she, Glen, Astrid, and Felix left the training grounds.
"What was all that about?" Levi inquired.
"What are you talking about? It was an accident!" Elizabeth responded.
"If you think I'll belie-"
"Elizabeth! Just the person I needed!" one of the Theros nobles cut in. Levi sighed and walked away. Elizabeth felt a small sense of guilt, but no one noticed.

Laura and the others walked through the hallway.
"I can't believe Elizabeth could get away with that..." Astrid sighed.
"Something's wrong with the teachers here, what if they're corrupt?" Glen wondered.
"Let's bring what happened to Principal Mary's attention, she could punish Elizabeth," Felix suggested. Everyone agreed, and they went on their way to the principal's office. Laura knocked on the door.
"Come in." The group entered the office and Mary smiled at them gently. "What can I do for you?"
"Principal, something terrible happened earlier. Elizabeth of Theros nearly stabbed me with a blade during magic and weapon practice, and we have reason to believe it was deliberate. To our great surprise, no teacher reprimanded her, so we wanted to take the matter up with you," Laura explained.
"I see... that is worrisome indeed. I will make sure the proper punishment is given out, no need to worry." Laura thanked the principal, and the group went to the cafeteria.
"I hope she gets detention for the rest of the year," Glen laughed.
"Let's not focus on Elizabeth," Astrid said, "I've heard there will be a late-Summer ball in a few weeks! Isn't that exciting?"
"A ball? Sounds boring," Felix responded.
"Are you kidding me? A ball is the perfect place to woo someone!" Glen exclaimed.
Laura sighed, "a ball is supposed to be a sophisticated and formal gathering, Glen, not a county fair."
"We're teenagers, Laura, I wouldn't expect it to be too much like a ball at home," Astrid explained, "I can't wait to pick my dress!"
"That I can agree on. Picking out a dress never becomes any less magical."
"I could spend hours just gazing at them..."
"How I wish we could go to Moonlight Square," Laura added, "my parents told me that the silk weavers there are the best on the continent..."
"They are!" Astrid smiled, "they made this beautiful dress my mother wore on her birthday with the Divinian emblem weaved into it..."
"Really? That's amazing!"
"You girls are crazy..." Glen said.

The next day, everyone decided to just go to the after school activities they wanted alone. They all hoped Elizabeth wouldn't try to kill anyone again. Astrid enjoyed church study, but felt lonely, because there were only a few students. Glen was doing physical exercise but found that the girls who were also participating were better than him, and no girls came to watch at all. Felix was practicing with his sword but realized that he found practicing against real people more enjoyable, but that was strictly forbidden. Laura was having a wonderful time in the garden, watering a whole patch of her favorite flowers, Marigolds.
"Pardon me," a girl with a blonde ponytail and a very stylish outfit spoke, "but are you princess Laura of Falmar?"
"Yes, that's me. Have we met before?"
"No, but I've heard a lot about you. My name is Eleanor, daughter of lord Darren."
Laura immediately recognized the name, "lord Darren? He always speaks so fondly of his daughter... How wonderful to finally meet you in person! Do you like gardening too?"
Eleanor shook her head, "no, I'm here to look for inspiration."
"Inspiration? For what?"
"My clothes, I make them all myself."
Laura smiled, "that's wonderful!"
Eleanor nodded, "I should probably go, though. It was nice to meet you!" Laura waved at Eleanor before returning to the plants of the garden. She was still completely blown away by the beauty of the garden, and it felt like she was still seeing new things around every corner. It was also a blessing that Elizabeth wasn't there, because Laura feared Elizabeth might have thrown a flower pot against her head or pushed her into the pond. Gardening flew by, and before Laura knew it, it was already over, and she was leaving the garden to prepare for dinner.

After dinner, Laura decided to return to the garden for an evening stroll. The sun was setting on the horizon, and it reflected beautifully in the ponds. Laura loved the gardens back home in Falmar, but nothing could top this. She approached the hedge maze, debating if a visit to the greenhouse this late was proper, but before she could decide, she heard footsteps approaching her. Laura turned around and saw Felix standing there.
"I hope I didn't startle you," he greeted her.
"No, you didn't. What brings you here so late?"
"Just taking a walk to clear my head, you?"
"I'm merely admiring the garden. This place is so colorful and lively."
Felix suddenly turned around, "I hear footsteps. Someone's coming."
"And what's so bad about that? Anyone is allowed to take a walk here in the evening."
"I'll explain later," Felix grabbed Laura's hand, and the two of them took cover behind a bush. The footsteps came closer, until they stopped at the entrance to the hedge maze.
"That should be far enough," a voice spoke. Laura couldn't recognize who it belonged to. They likely weren't a staff member at Royale High.
"Has the package arrived yet?" That voice was definitely principal Mary.
"It was delivered to the storage this morning."
"Good. When do we use it? I'm getting weary."
"Be patient. There are still a few things we must do, and they are slow processes. It will be a few weeks at most."
"Very well," Mary sighed, "let us continue elsewhere." Laura and Felix waited in the bushes for at least five more minutes, just to be sure that Mary and the other person were gone, before coming out from behind.
"What was all that about?" Laura questioned.
"I don't know," Felix answered, "but we shouldn't stay here." Laura nodded. The two of them quietly sneaked out of the garden and entered the school again.
"Laura, Felix! I was wondering where you went," Glen greeted them.
"We saw-"
"We were in the garden, Laura wanted to show me the flowers," Felix cut in.
"Really? Just the two of you?"
"For Iola's sake, Glen..." Laura sighed. She didn't know why Felix didn't tell Glen about what they'd heard, but she would definitely ask him tomorrow. For now, she'd had enough mysteries for one day.