The academy cafeteria was huge, like everything else in this place. The ceiling stretched high above us, supported by living tree branches that still had leaves growing on them. Long wooden tables filled the room, and hundreds of elven students sat eating their lunch while chattering about classes, gossip, and whatever else teenagers talk about.
I was sitting by myself at a table in the far corner, slowly eating a piece of bread and listening to all the whispers about me. Ever since my fight with Althir this morning, I'd become the hottest topic of conversation in the entire academy.
"Did you see what happened in combat class?"
"He actually beat Althir! Can you believe it?"
"No way that was real. It had to be pure luck."
"Maybe he cheated somehow? Like, bribed the instructor?"
"I heard from my roommate that he distracted Althir by doing something perverted. Like, maybe he flashed him or something?"
I almost choked on my bread when I heard that last one. Okay, now the rumors were getting completely out of hand. Though I had to admit, it was pretty funny that people thought I'd won a sword fight by showing someone my underwear.
Still, I let them keep talking. Their confusion and disbelief were absolutely delicious. The more confused they were about what had actually happened, the better it was for me.
Some students kept glancing over at my table, trying to get a better look at the "perverted prince who somehow beat Althir." A few brave ones even pointed at me while whispering to their friends.
I just smiled and waved at them, which made most of them quickly look away in embarrassment.
This was perfect. I was becoming famous for being both a pervert and mysteriously skilled at fighting. No one knew what to think of me, which was exactly where I wanted them.
---
"Excuse me, Your Highness."
The voice was soft and musical, like wind chimes on a gentle breeze. I looked up from my lunch and nearly dropped my entire tray.
Standing next to my table was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen in either of my lives.
Princess Lira was the daughter of the High Priestess, which made her basically elven royalty even though she wasn't technically part of the royal family. Her golden hair flowed down past her shoulders like liquid sunlight. Her skin was perfect porcelain, and her green eyes sparkled with an inner light that seemed almost magical.
She was wearing the standard academy uniform, but somehow she made it look like the most elegant dress in the world. Everything about her radiated grace, purity, and the kind of otherworldly beauty that made you believe in fairy tales.
She was also the academy's idol. Every male student had a crush on her, and even the female students admired her. She was known for being kind, intelligent, and completely untouchable. Nobody even dared to ask her out because she was so far above everyone else.
And now she was standing right next to my table, talking to me.
The entire cafeteria had gone quiet. Students were staring at us with their mouths hanging open.
"Um..." Princess Lira fidgeted nervously, clutching a thick book to her chest. Her cheeks had a faint pink tint, and she kept glancing around like she was embarrassed to be seen talking to me. "I wanted to... to congratulate you on your duel with Lord Althir earlier today. That was... that was really impressive."
You could have heard a pin drop in the cafeteria. The untouchable Princess Lira was not only talking to the Perverted Prince, but she was actually complimenting him on his fighting skills.
I could practically hear the sound of a hundred teenage hearts breaking at once.
My grin spread across my face like butter on warm bread. Time to live up to my reputation.
"My dear Princess," I said in my most charming voice, "your words are sweeter than honey and more beautiful than a summer sunrise. But if you really want to congratulate me properly, a kiss would be much more appreciated than words."
The reaction was immediate and spectacular.
Princess Lira's face turned so red I thought she might actually catch fire. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, but no sound came out.
The cafeteria exploded. Students were gasping, laughing, shouting in outrage, and generally losing their minds. Some boys looked like they wanted to murder me for daring to suggest such a thing to their beloved princess. Some girls looked scandalized but also secretly excited by the drama.
"I... I... you... that's..." Princess Lira stammered, still bright red. Her pointed ears were twitching like crazy, which was apparently something elves did when they were extremely embarrassed.
She mumbled something completely incomprehensible, clutched her book even tighter to her chest, and practically ran out of the cafeteria.
The noise level somehow managed to get even louder as students discussed what had just happened.
"Did he just ask Princess Lira to kiss him?"
"I can't believe he said that to her!"
"She's never going to speak to him again!"
"Did you see how red her face got? That was hilarious!"
I just sat there eating my bread, trying not to laugh too obviously. That had gone even better than I'd hoped. Princess Lira was now completely flustered and confused about me, and the entire academy was talking about our interaction.
Perfect.
---
Unfortunately, my peaceful lunch didn't last much longer.
"Move."
A shadow fell across my table, blocking out the sunlight that had been streaming through the cafeteria windows.
I looked up to see a completely different type of girl standing over me.
Lady Selindra was the daughter of the War Minister, and she looked like she could personally fight a small army and win. She was tall for an elf, with short black hair and sharp gray eyes that seemed to see right through you. Her uniform was perfectly neat, but you could tell there were serious muscles underneath it.
While Princess Lira was known for her beauty and kindness, Lady Selindra was famous for her incredible fighting skills and complete lack of patience for nonsense. She was probably the best sword fighter in the entire academy, and she had a reputation for being brutally honest about everything.
She was also kind of terrifying.
Without asking for permission, she sat down across from me at my table. Her movements were precise and controlled, like a predator getting ready to strike.
"You humiliated Althir today," she said in a flat, emotionless voice. "That makes you either very lucky or very dangerous."
I raised an eyebrow at her. "Dangerous? That's not what most people call me. I usually get 'shameless,' 'perverted,' or 'completely hopeless.'"
She didn't smile or react to my joke at all. Instead, she leaned forward across the table, her gray eyes staring directly into mine.
"I don't like you," she said bluntly. "You're loud, obnoxious, and you make a mockery of everything that's supposed to be dignified about elven nobility. But you know what I hate even more than perverts?"
"Bad food? Rainy days? People who talk during plays?" I suggested helpfully.
"Weaklings," she said, completely ignoring my attempts at humor. "I hate weaklings who pretend to be strong, and I hate strong people who pretend to be weak. If you're really hiding your strength behind that perverted fool act of yours... then prove it to me."
The entire cafeteria had gone quiet again. Students were leaning forward in their seats, trying to hear what we were talking about. This felt like some kind of challenge, and everyone could sense the tension.
I chuckled and tore off another piece of bread, taking my time to chew it before answering.
"Selindra," I said finally, "if I show you all my strength, you might just fall head over heels in love with me. Are you really sure you want to take that risk? I mean, I'm already devastatingly handsome and incredibly charming. Add actual combat skills to that, and you might not be able to resist me."
For just a moment, I thought I saw the faintest hint of pink appear on her cheeks. But it was gone so fast I might have imagined it.
She slammed her hands down on the table hard enough to make my tray jump.
"You're impossible!" she said, standing up abruptly. "Absolutely impossible!"
And with that, she stormed out of the cafeteria, her short hair bouncing with each angry step.
The entire room erupted in excited whispers again.
"Did he just flirt with Lady Selindra?"
"I think she actually blushed! Did you see that?"
"No way. Selindra doesn't blush. She probably just got angry."
"Two princesses in one day! How does he do it?"
"I still think he's disgusting."
"Yeah, but you have to admit, it's kind of impressive."
I leaned back in my chair and stretched, feeling very satisfied with myself. In the span of one lunch period, I'd managed to completely fluster the academy's most beloved princess and gotten some kind of reaction out of its most intimidating warrior girl.
"Man," I said to myself with a grin, "this academy is going to be even more fun than I thought."
---
Meanwhile, in a dark corner of the cafeteria that most students avoided, a different kind of conversation was taking place.
Althir was sitting with three of his closest friends, but he wasn't eating. Instead, he was staring at his untouched food while his hands clenched into fists.
"That bastard," he muttered, his voice low and full of anger. "That perverted bastard humiliated me in front of the entire academy. He made me look like a fool."
"It was just luck," said one of his friends, a thin elf with nervous eyes. "There's no way he's actually skilled at fighting. Everyone knows he's completely useless."
"I don't think it was luck," said another friend, this one with red hair and a worried expression. "Did you see how he moved? Those weren't the movements of someone who didn't know what he was doing."
"It doesn't matter," Althir said, his voice getting colder. "Lucky or skilled, he's made an enemy of me. And now he's embarrassing Princess Lira and bothering Lady Selindra too. He's getting too bold, too confident."
"So what are we going to do about it?" asked the third friend.
Althir's eyes gleamed with malice as he finally looked up from his food.
"The Academy Trials are coming up next month," he said with a nasty smile. "Combat competitions, magical tests, academic challenges. Everything gets judged in front of the entire academy, all the instructors, and even some members of the royal court."
His friends started to understand where he was going with this.
"If the Perverted Prince wants to play games and act like he's actually competent," Althir continued, "then we'll give him a chance to prove it. And when he fails miserably in front of everyone who matters, his reputation will be completely destroyed."
"But what if he doesn't fail?" the nervous friend asked. "What if he's actually good at the trials?"
Althir's smile turned even nastier.
"Then we'll make sure he fails anyway. One way or another, that perverted freak is going to pay for what he did to me today."
The three friends nodded in agreement, already starting to plan their revenge.
And so, while I was enjoying my successful day of flirting and fighting, my enemies were beginning to plot my downfall.
The Academy was about to become a much more dangerous place.