The next morning, Caelum woke up to an empty bed.
"Did he leave?" he asked aloud, his voice slightly rough from sleep.
"No," Elias replied from where he was sitting patiently on Caelum's bed. "I was waiting for you to wake up."
"We don't have classes today, your highness," Caelum said, sitting up. He shifted back and leaned against the smooth wooden headboard of the bed.
"I know," Elias said, a hint of excitement in his tone. "We're going out."
Caelum was puzzled. "Out?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Elias nodded. "I need to make sure you're truly alright," he explained. "We're going to my manor, which is only about three leagues from the academy."
"You witnessed the healing capacity I possess," Caelum pointed out. He wasn't complaining or arguing, but he genuinely wanted to know the real reason behind being taken out just on the second day of school.
Elias nodded again, his gaze steady. "My mother has summoned a healer I trust completely. They wouldn't need to undress you. All they need to do is hold your hand and appraise your wounds and your overall condition," he assured Caelum. "Please," he requested softly.
Caelum sighed, a soft sound escaping his lips. "It can't be helped then," he conceded, and a genuine smile immediately appeared on Elias' face.
It wasn't a vicious or mean smile, nor was it a calculated expression meant to deceive. It was a pure, authentic smile, the kind given when a person is released from a heavy burden of stress.
"You were stressed about having hurt me, weren't you?" Caelum asked, walking out from the bathroom twenty minutes later, fully dressed.
Elias' cheeks flushed a pale pink, but he gave a small nod, confirming Caelum's observation.
Caelum smiled gently and asked, "Shall we depart, your highness?"
Elias returned the smile, his demeanor lighter as he walked beside Caelum. "Call me Elias," he said, his voice warm.
"Then, please call me Caelum," Caelum requested in return.
"Alright," Elias replied simply.
When they reached the ornate carriages waiting outside, they saw a prince standing right before Elias' personal carriage.
Caelum sighed inwardly. He immediately placed his hand before his heart and bowed his head respectfully. "Crown Prince Aurelius Ingris," he greeted, his voice polite but devoid of warmth.
"Brother," Elias greeted in return, his voice suddenly sounding quite dour and his expression clouding over.
'Why did his mood change all of a sudden?' Caelum thought, watching the subtle shift in Elias' demeanor.
"Where are you going, Elias?" Aurelius asked, his voice possessing a demanding edge.
"To my mother, brother," Elias said, his voice flat. Without waiting for another word, he took Caelum's hand and, with a sudden flash of royal magic, they teleported instantly inside the carriage. He then immediately instructed the driver to drive to his mother's manor.
"You're able to use the royal family magic so openly?" Caelum asked, slightly surprised by the sudden, overt use of powerful magic.
"Not most of the time, but there are a few specific conditions where we can use it freely," Elias explained. "I can use it when there are only royals around, when the only other person present is someone who has shared a bed with me, or when there is a dead person nearby."
"I'm glad," Caelum said with a noticeable sigh of relief.
"Why?" Elias asked, his curiosity piqued by Caelum's strong reaction.
"I don't like how his magic feels to me," Caelum admitted. "It doesn't feel natural, there is a certain wrongness to it."
Elias smiled, but Caelum sensed a subtle reservation in his expression, an indication that he was hiding something.
"I won't pry into details that don't concern me, so rest assured," Caelum said, giving Elias a reassuring look. "Whatever your brother wants to hide can remain his secret until he reaches his grave."
"Do you really wish for his early death?" Elias asked, looking at the slightly murderous aura that Caelum was unintentionally radiating.
Caelum shook his head, his dark gaze still intense. "I didn't like how he treated you just now. It was as if you were a servant reporting to him, not his equal brother. Demanding to know exactly where you were going. What does he think you are? His personal guard?" he fumed, his displeasure evident.
Elias let out a hearty laugh, the sound filling the carriage.
It took a comfortable three hours to reach Emerald Manor, the beautiful estate where Elias' mother was currently residing.
"Elias!" a joyful shout was heard from inside the manor as a woman approached them swiftly. She had long, flowing blond hair, bright green eyes, pale, delicate skin, and a healthy, vibrant face.
"Mother," Elias greeted, pulling her into a warm hug as Isolde Margret Solas reached them. He then pulled back slightly and gestured toward Caelum. "This is Caelum Valtheron, the one I wrote to you about last night," he said. He looked at Caelum and added, "She's my mother, Isolde Margret Solas."
Caelum gave her a respectful, formal bow. "Your highness," he greeted.
"Please, rise," Isolde said warmly. "You've helped my son, and for that, I am deeply grateful to you," she expressed sincerely.
Caelum offered her a soft, appreciative smile and straightened up.
"Is he here?" Elias asked, referring to the healer, and Isolde nodded. She then led them to one of the elegant guest rooms within the manor.
"I'll leave you here now," Isolde said gently as she walked out, closing the door and leaving Elias and Caelum alone with the royal healer.
"Your highness," the healer bowed deeply and respectfully to Elias.
"Nathan," Elias greeted, recognizing the man. He looked at Caelum and said, "He's Nathan, Nathan Storm. He is one of the royal healers."
Caelum nodded courteously at Nathan.
"Your hand, please," Nathan requested, extending his bare hand.
Caelum placed his hand in Nathan's, immediately feeling Nathan's healing magic pass through his body, a cool, searching sensation.
"He's fine, your highness," Nathan told Elias, who let out a long breath of pure relief. "His magical reserves are so high that you wouldn't even need me to help you if you were hurt and he was nearby," he added, a slight, good-natured disheartened tone in his voice.
Elias laughed light-heartedly. "I'll still call you if I really need you, Nathan," he promised with a reassuring smile and then sent Nathan away.
Elias and Caelum enjoyed a pleasant lunch with Isolde before leaving the tranquil Emerald Manor to ensure they reached the academy before the main gates were closed for the night.
"What is your magical level?" Elias asked as they finally sat on their respective beds in their shared room later that evening.
"Sixty," Caelum replied simply.
"Fifty five," Elias stated. "Will you be my partner in the knight division training?" he asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.
Caelum nodded with pleasure. "I have been meaning to ask if you would be my partner as well," he said with a soft, genuine smile.
"But remember this, not many nobles respect me because of the poisoning incident," Elias warned, his expression becoming serious. "They might strategically leave us behind during exercises because they know we are strong, assuming we can escape any danger on our own."
"Being abandoned isn't exactly new to me, Elias," Caelum said with a comforting smile, his past experiences making the warning less potent.
Elias simply nodded. "How did you manage to get accepted into both the medical and the knights divisions?" he asked, genuinely curious about Caelum's unique dual acceptance.
"I healed a severely wounded soldier. Since I was the only person in my manor, I could only practice on myself, forcing myself to get much faster at healing my own injuries. So, when I healed the soldier, the invigilator gave me the official appointment letter, telling me that my healing speed was faster than that of students who had already graduated, and they didn't want to miss the opportunity to have me," Caelum explained.
"And the knights division?" Elias prompted.
"I fought my older brother," Caelum said easily. "They thought I had a surprisingly good technique and innate fighting ability," he said.
"Did you get hurt at all?" Elias asked, knowing firsthand how brutal the Valtherons could be when training their children.
Elias shook his head, a faint amusement in his eyes. "I don't know if he's simply mediocre or something, but he couldn't even land a single strike on me," he confided.