Thankfully, the freckled boy - Loren, it took Katrina a while before she realised she hadn't asked - seemed to not be inept. While not as fast as she was when she created her first construct, it only took him a few hours to pee into his inner world and the next day before he had crafted his first construct. That being half a dozen silver hinges. Since they were much simpler than her first construct, he could create many at a time, constructing about 6 a day for the past week. Although, by the time they reach the Academy Loren might just achieve the ability to create another.
Katrina was not idle during this time either, she absorbed herself into studying the notebook about poisons and when she had memorised about every word, she moved onto reminding herself about etiquette. The Academy was prestigious after all, most royalty or nobles with any magical talent did attend. There were too many kingdoms in the continent for the silver-haired girl to learn all their nobility but she studied all the most affluent royal families.
As well as learning a lot more about poisons. Every town they restocked at, she scoured their library (if they had one) over plants, poisons and even water. There was a strange correlation between medicine and poisons. Too much medicine could become a poison and some poisons could be concocted to become a medicine. It gave her ideas on how to use her poison element to heal but she put it off till she reached the academy.
In a notebook (not her poison one), she detailed all she knew about her elements. their primary uses, secondary attributes and weaknesses. She also wrote a two page list on spell ideas, although they got more outlandish the further you went down it.
"Hey, Katrina." Loren said to grab her attention. She had allowed him to use her first name since the idea of having to endure three long years with the only other mage in her kingdom referring to her as princess was daunting.
"Yes." She replied, waiting for his question.
"What do you know about the academy?" He asked her.
"It's elusive, powerful, strict. Every trainee which goes in comes out different. Tougher, stronger. And it's a political landmine if you are anyone of importance or talented. In other words, be wary and respectful. To students and especially to the mages. You don't know who comes from where. Creating an enemy for our kingdom is not what we need right now." She warned him.
"I'm just a commoner though, my word's don't have the backing of Aurora." Loren said, confusion evident in his face.
"Firstly, you are a trainee. That title supersedes most noble ones, so if anyone asks your name you are to say you are the Trainee Loren. And secondly, word will get out that you travelled with me; the Princess of Aurora. That means the kingdom is indirectly backing you, so anything you say will have the kingdom behind it." Katrina explained to him, hoping he would follow what she said.
"So be careful what I say, who I say it to?" He summarised.
"And work hard. If you become exceptionally talented, no noble or royal will cause trouble for you. There's a reason people say mages make or break kingdoms." The silver-haired girl advised, she could already tell he was quite gifted to create his construct in a day compared to the usual three.
"Yes ma'am." He joked, saluting her.
"I suspect the first couple of weeks will be scoping everyone out, the talented and those who are important. You'll be a target especially since your obviously no noble, so they'll expect talent. And if your not that will make our kingdom seem incompetent, aiding a worthless mage." She added, ignoring his pathetic attempt at humour.
"So let's say we pretend we don't know each other. Where would that put me in every one else's eyes?" He asked her, her eyes narrowing in response.
"Dead. I won't even hide your body, I'm too influential to punish." She vowed, her voice and face utterly emotionless. Like she was stating a fact.
"Your going to murder me?" The freckled boy said, bewildered at her odd response.
"Yeah, I will if you think I'm going to deal with all these aggravating nobles by myself." She scolded. With him here, not only could she have someone to talk freely too but also he would take some attention from her. After all, her triple affinity would make her quite a target.
"Okay, okay fine." He agreed.
"We should be arriving at the next town, you should work on creating spells there. Since we are ahead of our schedule, we can spend a couple hours which should give you enough time to form at least five." The princess calculated.
"Already?" He wondered, after all he had just set on the path of a mage and creating a spell a week in seemed rushed. Which Katrina didn't really understand since she took every chance to approve her skills, whereas Loren was less motivated than her.
"If you want to look talented enough to ride with a Princess, yes already." Katrina pushed.
"Fine grouchy." He muttered, which actually made her laugh a little at the unexpected rudeness to his own princess.