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The pleasant welcoming session was over already and carriage from Mazin was
already taking off. The horse took off as its white wings reflected the golden sheen
of sunlight. Bellise watched it drift into a realm which made her vision hazy her
from the porch and marveled to herself, " Now, I am all to myself, aren’t I? What
should I do to utilize my time most regally? What must I do to stay true to myself as
well as fit in here?" She stayed quiet for a while, only turning around to take in the
view of her quarters. It was rather small compared to her palace, but it still
was bejeweled. She moved to the greeting hall as she was enveloped in a mashup
of feelings.

Her things had already arrived earlier and been organized by the maids, as it was
supposed to be. Nothing she was supposed to be bothered about anyway. But
what perturbed the peace of her mind was the buzzing solitude. Even a royal could
enjoy company, perhaps the Jade Vale authority did not emphasize on this matter.
Why else would they put up a rule banning ladies-in-waiting from entering the
manor? For her, it was kind of rueful as those ladies had been her only companions
for all these days.

She heard a knock on the door. ‘Would it be another student?’ She was sort of
nervous. Being homeschooled all her life, she rarely ever made friends. That too on
only political events, but it should be different here, right? She had seen her
parents’ having good friends from other nations making her solemnly crave what
they had.

‘Okay I’ll make my first friend,’ she thought to herself, ‘also I’ll make a lasting
diplomatic impression too,’ she went over her priorities to add that. She jerked off
the thoughts and went to the main gate. She pasted a pretty smile as she opened
the cedarwood gate. Thanks to her impeccable manners, her smile did not falter
though her jaw was about to drop. “Gorgeous,” she blurted out before she even
realized it. The boy in front of her was splendid.
“Oh no, sorry, it just came out!” She was embarrassed.
“I was just stopping by to say hello to my new neighbor, didn’t expect such hearty
reaction however,” The guy chuckled. “Thank you though, you’re not bad either. “

“I- oh thank you too. “And here she was thinking of making a cool impression on
people. ‘I failed miserably…’ she thought to herself. “I’m Bellise Arliano, by the
way, from Mazin. And you?”

“It’s duke Lizters of Sherings. Pleased to meet you,” he took her hand gently and
pecked on it. He did it while holding onto her digits lightly, as if unwilling to touch
her. ‘What a gentleman!’ Bellise amused to herself. She flashed him a true smile
this time. ‘My time here won’t go too bad I think,’ she thought, ‘the people aren’t
the worst of the picks.’

The auburn-haired duke, as if he suddenly remembered something, searched his

pockets. His long black coat over silver and green overall tuxedo failed to hide his
hot body from mortal eyes. The bright red of his hair contrasted with his sparkling
viridian eyes. His sharp jawline enhanced his pale features.
‘Whoa he is really perfect!’ Bellise scanned him top to the bottom, gambling with
all her dignity as the princess at stake hoping he will not catch her.

“Here you go, I thought it would only be natural for me to bring you a gift, wouldn’t
it your Highness?” Ilyan Lizters presented an emerald ring to her. She really was
going to have a lasting impression of him, because the ring really shone the way his
eyes did.
“Gladly I’ll accept your gift, but it’s only natural to do so if you are friends, isn’t it?
So how do you think of being my first friend at the Jade Vale? “
“It’ s utmost flattering, princess, I’ll happily oblige,” Lizters beamed a smile at her.
‘Oh, how is he so beautiful,’ she thought, entranced even as he curtsied and made
his way out of her quarter. A while later, Bellise was seen in her library studying on
the profiles of the other students at Jade Vale. She was excited about making many
friends as awesome as Ilyan Lizters. But when she had switched the lamps off and
was clad in soft duvet, she reminisced about her time back at home. She wondered
if her parents missed her or not. And soon, she was asleep, thanks to the calming
potions swirling around in the atmosphere.
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As blazing the scorching sun above, the Crown of Excellence that awaited the
students that gathered up at the school auditorium in the show-case podium. It was
the closing ceremony of the welcoming session for the newcomers at the Jade Vale
and many students were already inattentive to the officiation of the school Dean.
The grey-haired man with gold rimmed frames looked stern and wise, as he should
for his position, seemed quite used to this kind of situations. However, somewhere
behind those plain brown eyes shone a flicker of disappointment. It was a place
where royals made important connections as well, how they could be so ignorant
was all that buzzed out to him. His tone, however, did not fall even though he was
also tired watching the uninterested royal off-springs.

“For the last part of today’s agenda, I would like for all your undivided attention
towards this right here, young Lords and Ladies, the Crown of Excellence! Yes, it
indeed is the legendary Crown of Excellence. Many of your ancestors might have
had been glorified with this souvenir from the school for their extraordinaire,” the
Dean spoke thereof, smirking in his mind as thousands of orbs glittered with hopes
before him. ‘Yes, indeed, these are the same old bunch of overachievers,’ he
thought, ‘eyeing the prize like it belongs to them already… how unfortunate!’

“Today you see this trophy once. In your time at here, I kid you not, you’ll but see
this only twice. The other time will be at your Farewell Homecoming, where if fate
is willing, I’ll honor the most honorable among you with this mighty possession.”

Bellise just sat there in the front row, eyes glossy and romantic just as every other
student present there. She knew for a fact, her heart desired for glory. All she
wanted was to be the best version of herself possible.

The Duke of Sherings from last night, was sitting beside her. It came off as kind of
obvious that since they had but a rather amusing interaction the previous day. And
while the princess tried her best not to think too hard of it, she could not resist
herself from gushing over how striking the Duke’s eyes were in face of sunlight. It
almost shone as brilliantly as an emerald. And as her train of thoughts left station,
she suddenly remembered how dashing the duke was the day before with his ring
stunt. ‘Oh stop it Bellise! You are a princess, cut the loose thoughts! You cannot
really fall for a man you have met yesterday!” But she could not be at ease
anyway, because he was her first such heart-fluttering encounter.

“Work hard, my disciples! And while we are it, we might as well wrap the session
up with the Oath of a Disciple! I request you all to stand up and repeat after me,
with your whole heart. Say, I..” the Dean’s words broke her trance. She stood up
from her seat, like the rest of her year-mates. As she uttered the words of the Oath,
she was again lost in layers of sweet flashbacks.

“We meet again, “ the Duke said as he took his seat beside her, “Your Highness.”
As sweat droplets hung on to his temple and nasal bridge, he looked prettier as his
visuals were more human and lovable in this way.

“Hello there,” Bellise replied with courtesy.

“The crown is really gorgeous, don’t you think?”

“Yes , of course. Aren’t your Highness curious of who started this tradition?”

“Certainly, I’m all ears!”

“It was actually the late king Leore Augusta I of Sherings, you know. “

“No wonder you were so eager…He was actually a king from Sherings,” the
princess laughed.
The eyes of Lizters flared up for a second. “ Yes, that’d be the reason, princess
Bellise.”
It was kind of nice having him say her name. ‘I really am hopeless,’ she rebuked
herself in her mind, ‘why else would I get such heart thumpings when it’s just a
new friendship?’ She did not have any friends of her age, but she knew a lot. She
was bookworm, after all.

“And the oath is done. Congratulations,” the old professor said, “You are bound
here with the sacred pledge, so be good. I wish you only the best.” The ceremony
also ended soon. A butler took her bag and showed her the way to her next class.
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