Cursed mage

The knock on the door has me wake up. Hydrangea said there is normally an alarm set in the ID. So we're going to know when we need to be where. It's not the alarm waking me up, though. Someone is knocking on my door.

"Coming." It's not normal. I'd have servants handle door knocking. Then they'd warn me who and get me ready. I think I may prefer handling it myself over all, but maybe not at dawn. I was right to think dawn would come in my window. I'm used to the natural movement of the sun. My normal bedroom's window is massive. I always got to see the sun rise. If I wanted to. "Yes?" I open the door to review the person on the other side.

"May I come in Your Highness?"

I grunt. It's one of those people. Why? It's too early for one of those people. "You can use Thomas. Much prefer it actually."

"Crown Prince Thomas."

My head drops as this person is safely confined in my room. "I did not request title. I said just Thomas. Please."

"Your Highness, that would be beyond rude of me." They look like just another knight. "I came because it is a day for celebration."

"Is it?" I rub my head and look at the mirror. Nothing comes to mind.

"You are a knight now, Your Highness."

"Please stop with the 'highness' nonsense. Did you not hear my father a few weeks ago?"

The knight bows deeply for me. "Apologies, Your Highness."

Yup. One of those people. Impossible to handle. I'll just need to keep distance as much as possible. Hide in the crowd. "Why did you come?" It wasn't just to refer to me as crown prince. They always come with a real reason, but take forever to reach that reason. I hate small talk. I didn't mind the chaos chatter between Jessica and Ryan, but the small talk those people offer me as crown prince? Ugh. Never again.

"I come bearing the royal gift." He kneels before me holding up a white cloth.

Silk binding. That's great. I lift the white silk out of the knight's hand. Unwrapping, I get a eagle wing pin. I don't think I ever saw one before. "What is it?"

"A pin for your uniform." The knight helps me pin it to my outer layer. Glad I'm not wearing that right now. That would be annoying if it was on.

"What does it do? Or mean?"

"You saw the magic? Shocking no one of course that Crown Prince Thomas Crowne saw the magic within the piece." The knight chuckles reviewing the work. I roll my eyes. "This pin will block the tracer magic as long as a knight is within sight of you." The knight steps back scanning the room. "Do you have any need, Your Highness?"

"None. Please leave as I can ready." I hold the door open.

"I wouldn't mind-"

"Leave." I push him out the door and slam it in his face. Why are there knights like that?! Ugh. "I thought I was not going to deal with those people here. But I guess that type of person can be found everywhere." I should request that those who come around with me don't treat me as the prince. I need to be seen as just some random nobody.

Not that I truly can.

I sigh thinking of how Jessica could swear on her grandmother's grave that I was nobility. She knew. I'm glad she never met me personally before today. There has been limited interaction between the various houses. If I had a sister, there'd be a ball at the castle every year starting at her seventh. But for a prince? There's no reason to draw everyone. Mostly because all the princes get a true love finding curse. That would lead to the princess finding her true love easier. The true love spell, though, doesn't work on the direct line. Xavier and myself cannot find our true love using the curse. Nor can the king.

"Maybe that annoys Father more than anything else." I move about getting ready for my day. Food will be had in the cafeteria, but I want to be fully ready before stepping foot there. "When I... Could he find his true love if I take over as king before he dies? I'll need to research that next time I enter the royal libraries."

Which definitely won't be any time soon. The libraries are full of 'those people'. I hate when I get 'your highness'ed all the time. Can't they just call me Thomas. For like five seconds? Ugh.

I check myself in the mirror. The eagle pin isn't movable actually. Probably won't be removable unless I am wearing another knight outfit. "Annoying." But if I didn't know about the piece and there wasn't a grand celebration to say what it means...

Maybe I'll get lucky and have no one know?

"The knights will know. Father wore it." Had to have. He also had tracer spells on him. This is meant to counter them. The knight halls are within my marked zone, but if we leave for any reason, it would be safer... "Within sight." That was the mark.

What would the other trainees think if I started blinking red? Everyone always got fearful unless they knew about tracer spells. Those who knew start guessing who I really was. Tracer spells are trouble.

Once properly dressed and readied, I leave my room. I'm not the only one walking the halls toward breakfast. I nod to each while heading in the right direction. We passed. My father tried to stop me, but I still managed to reach this hall as a trainee.

Definitely a good morning.

I'm reminded of the knight who forced me to have the eagle wings. Maybe it was only a so-so morning. I can lie, though. Call it good if anyone asks. For now, food is desired.

After I sit down, Jessica drops across from me. "This food is so common."

I look at her options, my options, and then the room in general. "Because we're just trainees and anyone can be a trainee?"

"You think they give the higher knights something better than gruel?"

I stare at her plate and then my plate. We aren't being given gruel. This isn't noble fare, but it's not gruel either. "Yeah. Hydrangea dined with the king regularly actually."

"That level of access?" Jessica's eyes widen. Then she reviews me. "How do you know that?"

"How don't you?" I switch the question as if everyone knows. That's probably not true. But I can pretend it was her lacking information not my unique information. "Oh. I forgot. You're not from around here. If your family visited with the capital more, you would have lots of new information."

She frowns at me. "I wasn't allowed to join their trips. And they told me nothing. I would even ask for information about Knight Hydrangea. She's my... Idol." Jessica looks completely smitten. Probably because Hydrangea is way passed marriage age and never got married. She's a top classed knight. Holds an important place in the country. Jessica scoffed at marriage after all. Few pull off what Hydrangea did.

"Don't treat her special while here. Treat her as any other trainer. Titles are rarely used."

"Because we're all the same now." Jessica eyes the room. "I think I may be the only one advancing after four months."

"Can't decide if I want to push for four. May wait for November graduation. It's comfortable here after all."

"And then what?" Jessica glowers at me. "Better to finish training as quickly as possible."

Ryan sits down next to me. "This isn't a lover's spat is it?"

Jessica starts coughing. She looks to have something caught in her throat. I didn't think such a bad joke would cause that. Might be connected to trauma I don't have. "No. Please no. Don't even tease about that. I'm never marrying."

I chuckle and look to Ryan. "I don't think we fit well together. If I can escape the duties, I may never marry as well. No interest in it yet."

"But someone will get paraded in front of you and you're given few options." Ryan shrugs. "I'm not gonna rush that. Stay here as long as I can."

"We were questioning how long to stay on as trainees. Whether to push for four months or not. The biggest training is reading and writing."

"Which we have already." Ryan says.

I nod. We're well versed in a lot of fields. "I was thinking of aiming for November graduation."

Ryan leans back thinking it over. "I think October would be better. First missions would be involving the harvests. We always had knights coming through in October. Not to pick anything, but to stop the monsters from getting the harvest before we could collect it. October is tough."

"Sounds good to me. I don't think I'd mind such a mission. We can try requesting to join the troops if we manage in time."

"Yeah." Ryan offers me a high five.

We look at Jessica. She is focusing on eating. There must be a lot more to the marriage nonsense she was being forced into. Knighthood can save her from it.

"What's that pin?" Ryan asks pointing out my pin.

"Gift from my father." I close my eyes wincing. "Pretty sure to find me anyway."

Ryan laughs. "You were caught."

"Ugh. Can't I just be Thomas? I would much rather just be Thomas."

"Sure." Ryan grins. "Right, Jessica?" She nods poking at her food. "Thomas without a last name. Maybe you'll do so well you can skip out on your family titles. I'm gonna try for that. It'll take a lot. I know that much."

"Yeah." Jessica whispers. She stands up. "I... I think I forgot something in my room." She walks off.

"She needs to get used to the meals here." Ryan frowns at the offerings. "Not enjoy it, but accept it."

"That's my thought." I finish my plate. I didn't mind it. "I'm looking forward to what's going to happen next."

"Me too." Ryan stands up. "I can show you the library here. There's a lot of information."