chapter 6

“You were determined to be nice to her, even stood up for her when she was bullied by Elaine and her friends. It was the first time I felt awed that you would even care about someone who wasn’t a noble and inspired me to want to work harder to help this kingdom. To protect it against those who do us injustice” Rowan said now looking at Skye with determined eyes stunning the prince to silence.

“I respect you sire but seeing how you are now... I don’t know if what I saw was just a trick” Rowan said as he looked away with a withered look “whatever happened, I hope...” Rowan faltered in his words as he turned to walk away.

“I’ll tell the teacher you’re not well” Rowan said looking more deflated than ever, this caused Skye’s jaw to slacken. This had to be a trick right?

“What are you up to? Surely there must be something in it for you” Skye asked before he could stop himself.

Turning to look at Skye, Rowan’s dismayed expression stunned Skye once more.

“Not everyone is out to get you, but I can understand why you are paranoid” Rowan replied softly as he left the prince to himself.

"You promised to be nicer, so why are you behaving like this?" the voice said weakly, causing Skye to groan and place a hand to his face.

“I’m going crazy, I must be to hear things” Skye muttered faintly before walking through a few passage ways without paying attention to where he was going, stopping at a door Skye froze as he realised where he was and where he had ended up at.

"Why are you scared?" Skye hearing this flared up in anger.

"I am not scared! I will show you scared!" Skye turned the knob and entered the room to see Anberine staring at him oddly as her books, mini cauldron and ingredients were on the table in front of her.

“Yes?” Anberine asked dryly as she held a light blue tube in her right hand, staring at her Skye was left bewildered to the point he nothing to say.

“I... I uh...” Skye noticed the cauldron was releasing a putrid smell immediately groaned loudly as he covered his nose.

“What is that?” he yelled as he went to open a window, raising a brow Anberine stared at him blankly from where she sat.

“It’s a spot remover potion” Anberine replied blankly as Skye continued to cover his nose, tears flew out of his eyes from the unbearable smell.

“Did the teacher assign you to make that abomination? How are you able to deal with that smell?” Skye cried in disgust as he fanned the smell away from the room.

Anberine continued to stare blankly at him.

“I am making it, someone wanted a spot remover and is paying to have me do it” Anberine replied stunning Skye enough to stop him from fanning the smell, only as soon as Skye stopped to stare at her he immediately choked from the smell.

“If you’re going to die, go outside I have work to do” Anberine said tartly as she resumed working.

“What are they paying you?” Skye muttered as he managed to resume fanning while coughing at the window.

“A diamond necklace” Anberine fished out a pendant that had a diamond the size of an egg with her free hand.

Gawking at the pendant Skye was left stunned to the spot.

“They paid you that?!” Skye yelled in horror.

Surely this had to be illegal.

“Gold is nothing, besides I can just pawn it off if I feel like it. I didn’t ask for it, she dumped it on my lap and told me to make the potion” Anberine shrugged as she tipped two drops of the blue liquid into the cauldron and stirred it after re-corking the vial.

“And you agreed to this?!” Skye asked without lowering his voice.

This had to be a joke, she couldn’t be that stupid to agree to something atrocious.

“If it helps me learn something new, it’s worth it” she replied bluntly as she stirred the potion slowly, mindful of what she was doing while she spoke.

“No wonder people take advantage of you” Skye muttered as he sat at her desk without thinking about the distance between them.

“Actually it’s because they see you bothering me so they use it as an excuse, the joke is on them though because they need me to help them. I could easily say no but why take away the reason for gaining new knowledge” she commented to his disgust, of course they would.

“This should be illegal” Skye added before watching her work.

“That’s why they do it behind closed doors, no witnesses” Anberine replied blankly as he rested his head on his arms.

“Right” Skye muttered without moving.

As he watched he began to notice the potion had turned a light shade of green and began to smell less compared to before leaving him to puzzled.

“Right wing bat, sliced without the bones” Anberine explained as she took an empty vial and filled it up with the brew.

“Done” Anberine said before she waved her waved her hand causing the cauldron to become empty.

Blinking in surprise Skye stared at the inside to see that the cauldron was completely clean to his amazement, not that he would admit it aloud.

“Is there something you want?” Anberine asked as she began packing up the vials into her bag.

“Teach me” Skye said before he could stop himself.

"Seriously...? Again why am I always going to her? She’s... smart" Skye’s face darkened as he realised how useful she was.

“No” Anberine replied bluntly to his dismay.

“I’ll pay you” Anberine paused in order to flash him a look.

"And he hints that I'm cheap" she muttered darkly as she assumed what he would give as payment- nothing.

“Seriously? YOU pay me?” Anberine asked with a look of disbelief.

“You, who have royal tutors want a peasant like me to teach you?” she asked while eyeing him oddly. Skye flushed from her words.

“I get it! I’m an ass I’m sorry” Skye scowled as he scratched the back of his head as he avoided her confused stare.

“I... I had someone in Defence Class, he actually admitted that he respected me and... I- look I don’t want to be a disappointment, the last thing I need is my father and the courts to have a go at me for failing a subject and since you are capable of achieving THIS” Skye gestured to the continents on the table.

“I really need help” Skye mumbled softly as he slowly looked at her with a deflated look.

“Don’t ever call me names and make my life here harder than it already is” Anberine said as she took her bag strap and placed it on her shoulder.

Blinking in surprise Skye perked up from her words.

“You-?!”

“Six o’clock morning tomorrow, don’t be late” Anberine said bluntly before leaving him to his own devices.

“And make sure you give me something useful” she added causing him to wince from his own words.

"I really need to think before I speak" he muttered wearily before slouching on the chair, looking up at the ceiling Skye withered at what he agreed to.

"You really do" The voice agreed to his dismay.

“Do shut up” Skye muttered darkly.

"Make me"