Free Blooming Life (Fate's Intent Book 10) by April Bowles

class in the East Hall.
    More students have arrived while we were dressing and the scene was fuller than before.
    It seemed everyone was trying to get to classes at the same time and the halls inside quickly became crowded with hustling feet in every which direction. The uniforms all blended in together in one sea of gray and white that it would have been impossible to find any one particular face among all the moving traffic but that’s not how I was feeling.
    I felt stares coming from every direction and though they may not have all been on me, I felt like they were. My rose red hair surely stood out above everything else in this dull scene like it was just glowing from the lanterns. I could see locks of it around my eyes just hanging there, mocking me as if it had a mind of its own and purposely laid there to make me suddenly feel self-conscious for the first time in my life.
    I couldn’t bear to see it. I kept trying to push it off to the sides or even over my head so I could get it out of my sights and hopefully out of my mind but it just fell back in place.
    Untamed indeed.
    Nothing I did seemed to work. I eventually gave up and knew I would have to deal with it. This is how things were going to be from now on but it just aggravated me seeing the stares. Whether it was really for who I was or what I looked like, I fought my hardest to keep my anger in and my eyes on the more realistic side of normal.
    What felt like the longest walk of my life soon came to an end when we reached our first class for orientation. Seth and Bryce didn’t seem nervous or agitated about any of this at all. They wanted to be here and have been waiting for it. I soon remembered that I did too and dropped all thoughts of mental abuse due to my appearance and took my seat with them all in a row.
    “So far—” Seth smiled in a whisper.
    “So good.” Bryce whispered back, finishing his sentence.
    “Yeah.” I laughed under my breath. “ So far .”
    “Order, please! Order!” The instructor said to calm the class of talking students. “Let’s get started, shall we? Welcome to the Royal Academy, the finest institute the world has ever seen for its fresh young minds. Here, you will grow strong-minded and sure, right to adulthood. Now, let’s familiar ourselves with each other since this is just the first day with quick introductions. I am Master Colbrid and you will address me as such. I will be your assigned advisor and your new best friend for the time of your stay here. I will also be your instructor for physical science studies. Who would like to go next?”
    A boy sitting close to the front raised his hand up in the air to volunteer. “I will.”
    “All right.”
    Master Colbrid waved him up to the front of the class and the boy turned to us, speaking in a confident voice. “My name is Chester Brig and my father is the King’s personal tailor.”
    A few gasps were heard and everyone started whispering.
    “Watch this.” Seth said quietly while laughing. “I’d like to go next.”
    “Very well.” Master Colbrid nodded while Chester retook his seat.
    Seth stood tall in the front of the class for a second like he was giving everyone time to look at him. “If you have yet to notice, my name is Seth Vendel and the King is my father.”
    Louder gasps spiraled around the room and Chester shrunk in his chair.
    “Well, thank you for informing us, young Prince.” Master Colbrid said, allowing Seth to take his seat. “It would seem we have the honored class this year. Seni’s young Lords are also with us.”
    Everyone turned their heads to Bryce and I and we just smiled, trying not to act shy about all the sudden stares. “Hi.”
    “Let’s continue, shall we?”
    The rest of the class took part in their introductions, thankfully we didn’t have to and Master Colbrid went over the basics of how each day would work.
    We followed our schedules precisely and were most eager to attend our last class of the day, Combat