Another boring class, Elizah thought as she sat at her desk. It was a few days until her sixteenth birthday, and oddly enough, for the first time, the prince was going to be having a parade for his birthday.

Elizah found it paradoxical that even though she and the prince had been born on the same day, yet their ways of life were very different.

It was a few days after the prince had joined the schoolhouse. He, like most of the others, chose to ignore her existence, despite her multiple attempts to try and get on his good side. She was still as lonely as ever. The rumours had never changed, and neither had her lonely state.

She looked out the window and sighed. The teacher, as usual, was going on in length about a simple topic, and Elizah’s mind was more focused on what was outside the room than what was in it.

She observed the bare trees and the white splotches of snow spread on the ground. It was odd that they still got sheets of snow in the winter in a region so close to the shore. She remembered what her aunt had told her about how magical abilities became stronger in different seasons.

That’s just folklore; there’s nothing true to it she chided herself for remembering those stories.

She continued to think, and then the grim realization settled upon her that these couple days were probably her last at the schoolhouse.

The norms of society on the island were that girls stayed at home and learned how to maintain a household at sixteen. At the same time, the boys were sent for training on fighting with any weapon they found suitable.

Elizah hated this system with everything in her heart. She always wanted to fight like her brother and didn’t enjoy being at home and looking after the household.

Elizah turned to look at the teacher and gave an ear to what the teacher was saying.

“Destinies existed for a long while as a way to find out about someone’s future to set their path of life as they grew up. It was a tradition of the Larkspear territories until the ban on magic. All of you were lucky enough to get one since you were all born before the decree which banned magic. Can I hear some information about your destinies?” the teacher asked.

Elizah suddenly sat up upon hearing the question, knowing this was going to be a difficult question to not just the prince but herself as well.

Elizah remembered that she and the prince were the youngest in the class, so all the others had destinies. For once, Elizah didn’t want to be picked on for answering the question. It wasn’t that she didn’t know what destiny was. It was that she was never told about her destiny.

She’d tried asking many times, but she never got a response from either her mother or Micah, and she eventually got tired of asking about it.

“Elizah, how about you?” the teacher asked her.

Elizah shook her head at first to try and avoid the question but saw a stern gaze from the teacher in return, so she let out a sigh and bowed her head and whispered, “I don’t know. I was never told.”

A few audible snickers and laughs were heard, and Elizah put her head against the desk. She couldn’t look anyone in the eye then, but frustration and embarrassment were welling up in her chest.

The teacher did no more than give her a questioning look before turning to the rest of the class. “Prince Jayden,” the woman called out.

Elizah slowly lifted her head and looked up to see the prince’s lanky frame in the last seat. His green eyes were fearful, and he seemed scared once again.

“I don’t know either. I was never told,” Jayden responded softly in a barely audible tone.

There were no snickers or whispers this time, and instead, there was a silence that set over the room.

“It was the cause of fear in the heart of the kingdom from that small destiny. Surely there has to be something important about it?” A student, who Elizah recognized as a higher official’s son.

“The Prince has made it clear that he doesn’t want us to know even if he does know,” The teacher said, and they glared at Jayden before they went back to the discussion.

Elizah buried her head in her hands to avoid the stares of the others and their questioning gazes. The whispering only grew louder around her. She knew that the words she had just said were going to land her in more trouble than usual.

Jayden waited until he was the only one left in the class. He enjoyed the peace in the empty class. He spent time walking around the room and walked to the big open window and saw a group of students huddled around someone.

He stepped outside to see what had caused a commotion. He put the hood of his cloak up and watched from the sidelines.

“Didn’t your father ever teach you to leave the fighting for the men only? Oh right, your father ran away didn’t he? What a coward, just like his daughter,” A boy’s voice was evident over the commotion.

“Don’t dare insult my father, and fighting is for anyone with the heart for it,” a girl’s voice, with fury in her tone, “Are you challenging me?”

“You’ll go down easily, wimp, no challenge,” the boy’s voice said, “You better run when you have the chance.”

“I’m not running away unless you’re scared of me,” the girl’s voice said.

The boy laughed, “Give up when you have the chance to.”

“You asked for it,” the girl’s voice responded.

Jayden had made his way to the edge of the circle and had a complete view of the two in the centre. The boy was tall and quite muscled for his age, and the girl was none other than Elizah, who stood no chance against the other boy with her skinny and petite build.

Elizah’s fist moved and connected quickly with the boy’s stomach causing the boy to stumble momentarily as if stunned by the attack. But after that moment, the boy recoiled back with a swift blow, which Elizah managed to deflect with ease.

The boy, however, took advantage of Elizah’s position and struck at her face, which she couldn’t dodge away from in time and landed hard on her cheek. She didn’t fall back yet and continued to lash out, but her tries were in vain as the boy took advantage of his larger build to land a punch on Elizah’s stomach which made her fall into the snow. She tried to get up but slipped due to the snow.

The boy landed another kick to her stomach, and Elizah coughed. While the boy was focused on her coughing, he didn’t notice Elizah’s hand at his foot. Elizah pulled his foot, and the boy fell flat on the ground. Suddenly, the crowd fell silent. They couldn’t believe what they were watching. Slowly, the boy’s friends helped him up and tried to move him away. The crowd suddenly dispersed, and Elizah was still left on the ground and was unable to get up.

Jayden just looked over at her and thought for a moment about what people would say if he helped her. But he immediately pushed those thoughts away before walking up to her.

“Here take my hand,” Jayden offered to Elizah, and she accepted the gesture.

She winced slightly but managed to stand up. “Thank you,” She said and managed a small smile.

She tried to walk and clutched her side, but still, it was evident that she was in some amount of pain.

“Here, it’s best if you rest a bit before you head home. I know a silent place where no one usually is,” Jayden said as he put an arm around her. Elizah was surprised by all of this, but she reluctantly nodded as Jayden led her into the forest.

“We aren’t supposed to be here,” Elizah said as she broke the silence.

She hadn’t said a word since the two of them left the school grounds. Mostly she was wondering what exactly the prince was doing this far in the woods. The woods were a place of forbidden entry by order of the king due to some magic around the region.

“It doesn’t matter. The guards don’t usually do checks in this region,” Jayden responded.

They soon reached a small clearing with lush green grass and warmth and tall trees surrounding it.

“How is that even possible…” Elizah said as she gasped and looked around, limping her way forward.

The area was like a small springtime oasis amid the cold winter outside. The grass was still fresh with dew, and small white flowers were blooming around. There was a large pond, which surprisingly hadn’t frozen over in the cold, and its water seemed like a mirror. On closer inspection, the water even appeared to be glowing. The sky wasn’t seen under the canopy of the large, green trees, but it wasn’t too dark or too bright.

“I was always drawn to this place. It’s where I can be alone and peaceful,” Jayden said as he rested on the trunk of a tree.

“It’s beautiful,” Elizah said in awe as she settled in the grass. She put her hand close to the glowing water, and Jayden stopped her instantly.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, the water has some strange abilities,” Jayden said, and Elizah retracted her hand.

An utter silence settled over the two of them, which was only filled by the chirping of birds and the occasional ripple of water.

“Thank you,” Elizah said with a small laugh, “If you hadn’t shown up, I would have probably been there in the grass for hours, your Highness.”

“You have no reason to thank me,” Jayden said, “I’m impressed by your skill if I am being honest. If the boy had challenged me, I would have been in big trouble, and please call me Jayden.”

“What do you mean?” Elizah asked, mildly confused.

“I can’t even aim a dagger right, let alone fight with it,” Jayden responded with a bitter laugh.

Elizah’s eyes widened as she turned to look at him.

“Are you serious?” she asked incredulously.

“I’m not lying. I’m terrible with a dagger or a sword in general,” Jayden said.

“But you’re the prince-” Elizah began.

“So what if I’m the prince? Does that automatically mean that I have to be perfect? Because I know I’m not,” Jayden said, with a mild note of frustration in his voice.

Jayden’s sudden change in tone had surprised Elizah, so another awkward silence set over them.

“I’m sorry about that. It wasn’t directed at you. I just hate how everyone expects me to be flawless at everything,” Jayden said softly.

“It’s alright. I’m a bit of a hothead myself,” Elizah said with a small smile, “Besides, it’s okay if you’re not the best at everything, no one is.”

“Can I ask you something?” Jayden asked her.

Elizah nodded and looked up at him from the blade of grass she was toying with.

“Why are you always looking at me with so much curiosity?” Jayden asked.

Elizah turned slightly red at that and said and said, “I was surprised to hear there was someone else like me, and I wanted to get to know you if you give me a chance.”

“Hm. What do you mean give you a chance? I doubt you have done something despicable,” Jayden said as he looked at her curiously.

“You know, the rumours about me. I assume you have heard them,” Elizah said as she buried her head in her knees.

Jayden raised his eyebrows, he had heard people telling him to avoid Elizah, but none of it made sense.

“I heard them, but none of them make any sense,” Jayden said, and Elizah looked up.

“What’s so hard to understand? My father was a traitor, so potentially I could be one too,” Elizah was nearly shouting now, and tears were brimming in her eyes. Because of the number of times she had heard this, she had slowly begun to accept it as the truth.

“That has nothing to do with you, you are your own person after all,” Jayden’s voice was gentle, and Elizah was surprised by his reaction.

“Then explain to me why my brother was taken. If he isn’t bound by my father’s mistakes, why haven’t I seen him in eight years now?” Elizah asked accusingly, and Jayden gave her a confused look.

“Your brother was taken as payment for your father’s mistakes?” Jayden asked, and Elizah nodded.

“He was taken when I was young, so I don’t know the details. All I remember was my mother’s friend blaming my father’s mistakes. He joined the ground troops is what he tells me in his letters, but I wish I could see him again,” Elizah said with a sigh, and Jayden was surprised by this accusation.

Elizah was suddenly startled as she looked at her pocket watch and said, “I’m so sorry, I have to leave. I have to help my mother with chores back home. We’ll talk another time.”

Elizah slowly stood up and winced slightly but could walk soon enough with a limp. She waved at Jayden, and he waved back. After Elizah disappeared into the woods, Jayden laid down on the grass, wondering what truly happened to Elizah’s family.