Caelum prepared for the exams diligently.
The tutor assigned for the three children was amazed at the rate Caelum was able to grasp the concepts.
'This is basically high school math and Shakespeare-style literature. All I had to concentrate on was astronomy, which I knew nothing about in my world, except for a few constellations thanks to my father, and potions and alchemy,' Caelum thought as he read his books on alchemy.
He was finding alchemy becoming his favourite after arithmetics. Potions was something he could follow, but a career in potions was a big no for him.
Astronomy wasn't his thing, and he came to peace with it. Stars were for his father, not him.
"Best of luck, Your Highness Amanda, Your Highness Nathaniel, and Your Highness Caelum," the tutor wished, her voice warm, as she parted with them at the examination hall entrance.
Caelum took a deep breath. 'You've written way too many exams to be this tense,' he told himself, a faint smile playing on his lips. 'You've got this,' he encouraged himself.
When he sat down in his assigned seat, he saw that he was sitting beside the second prince, Elias Vance Sol Ingris.
The prince's black hair and red eyes, along with the soft, almost serene smile on his face, made the atmosphere feel peaceful.
Caelum nodded respectfully, a brief acknowledgment, and took the question paper when it was passed to him, immediately beginning to answer the questions.
When he walked out of the exam hall, he sighed in relief. He knew he had gotten almost all of the answers right.
He looked at his half-siblings, who looked noticeably pale and exhausted.
He was confused. 'Was it that hard?' he asked himself as he looked at the faces of the other noble children. Everyone looked like they had fought and barely survived a war.
He shook his head slightly.
Then his eyes landed on the second prince, Elias, who was smiling softly as he looked down at his hands, seemingly unbothered.
'Looks like only the second prince and I have some confidence in our answers,' he thought as he climbed into the waiting carriage.
"How was the exam?" Alaric asked, looking up from his desk as the three of them entered his office.
"It was okay, Father," Amanda said, being the oldest of the three.
"I think I got about half of them right, Father," Nathaniel admitted, prompting Amanda to look at him as if he had confessed to cheating.
Alaric looked at Caelum with expectation.
"I did the best I could, sir," Caelum replied calmly. "I don't think I'll fail," he assured, managing a small, tentative smile.
Alaric nodded slowly and then sent them back to their rooms to get ready for the practical exam the next day.
Caelum registered that he could perform healing magic, so all he had to do was heal a wound on a soldier.
The invigilator was surprised at the speed with which the soldier had healed and immediately handed Caelum a letter, a request to join the healer wing of the mage division.
Caelum informed the invigilator that he also had a swordsmanship exam after lunch and excused himself, but not before thanking the invigilator for the offer.
When Caelum was asked to fight his own brother, Nathaniel, for the test, he looked at the invigilator and asked, "Should I really hurt him?"
The invigilator shook his head. "This is to estimate your combat skill. Winning or losing will not affect your score."
Caelum nodded once and unsheathed the standard-issue sword he was given.
In just a few minutes, his brother was struggling noticeably to fight him, and the invigilator stopped the test and pulled Caelum aside.
"I heard that you received the letter from the magic division's healer wing," the invigilator said, his expression impressed. He then gave Caelum another letter. "This is from the knights' division," he said. "We would like you to join us."
Caelum, who had hoped for this exact situation, went to Alaric with both letters in hand. "I don't know which one I should pick, sir," he said, feigning confusion.
"Choose both," Alaric said, his eyes gleaming with pride. "I spoke with both divisions, and they have made arrangements for you to take both courses, just like the other royals," he said with a proud smile. "I'm proud of you, son," he added, his voice sincere.
Caelum gave him a teary-eyed smile, as if that was the best thing he had heard in his life. "Thank you, sir," he choked out, placing his hand gently, but tentatively, on Alaric's arm, and then walked out of Alaric's office.
The moment he walked out, his expression completely changed. The teary smile was instantly gone, replaced by a sinister smirk. 'Exactly as planned,' he thought triumphantly. 'I didn't think I had manipulation skills, but being reborn evidently unlocks skills you never knew you had,' he mused as he walked back to his room.
When he walked into his room, he thought back to the slight smile on the second prince's face. That smile hadn't reached his eyes. 'He is hiding something,' he concluded.
A week later, the written exam scores were announced at the Royal Academy.
The Second Prince had come in first, and Caelum had ranked second overall in the exam.
Caelum had smiled then, his first truly genuine smile since Artemisia's death.
On the day of the joining, Alaric called the three children to his office. "You will not cause any harm to our family name," he said, his gaze sharp. "I do not want any complaints from the other students or the staff about you. Am I understood?" he asked, his voice stern, sounding more like a military general issuing a command than a father sending his children off to school.
Amanda, Nathaniel, and Caelum nodded in unison and went back to their rooms to pack their belongings.
Caelum walked to the room which had his name plate on the door. He put his trunk beside the bed and checked the nameplate to see with whom he was sharing the room.
He gasped quietly when he read the name.
ELIAS VANCE SOL INGRIS
"I seem to be really down on luck," he whispered, a hint of dark amusement in his voice, as he walked inside the room.
He unpacked his belongings, neatly arranged his books and stationery on his study table, and then sat on the bed, taking off his outer coat and placing it neatly beside him.