The Elusive Prince

Chapter 37: Breakfast and Other School Related Activities

Merideth

Although the distance between the garden and the open arena itself was considerably small, it would still take time to get there, especially by foot. Well, I was riding a horse but since Cassian was walking, I had to match Night's pace with his and so that left us with quite some time before we could reach there.

"So...what's for breakfast? Are we still going to get breakfast? We're a little behind the usual time for breakfast." Cassian opened up a conversation while glancing at his watch, clearly anxious about the time.

"Don't worry about it, on Sunday's we're allowed to eat whenever. Though, serving starts the same time as usual." I replied while making Night go faster a little bit because I was hungry. As if on reflex, Cassian quickened his pace too, matching with Night's.

"Oh really? How come I didn't know about that?" he asked.

"They didn't include it in the guide here as it seems. I guess we were probably supposed to show you last week but well, things happened."

"Right. Well what's important is I know now. What do you they usually serve?" I don't know if he was trying to avoid that conversation or not but it was fine because I'm tired talking about that event anyway.

"Hmmm...well usually a wide variety of breakfast stuff, most especially eggs. Speaking of, if they have Baked Eggs and Cheese Croissants you should try it. It's the best dish they have for breakfast in my opinion although the others will just tell you it's my croissant obsession speaking but don't let that fool you." I joked and he just chuckled.

"You really are recruiting me into liking things you like don't you?" Although I couldn't see him from up here, I just know that he has an amused smile on his face.

"Play along with me will you? I'm lonely and nobody in class likes the same things as me, atleast for the most part." I humored him while slowing Night down for a bit because as much as I believe Cassian can keep up with the pace, he was going to wear himself down if he continues to match with a horse.

"How about Hailey, she doesn't support you?" he asked just as we passed the clearing near the arena. We were now inside the fence separating the forest from the open field arena and I almost sped up because I was really really craving that cheese croissant but didn't and instead let myself down on Night, holding on his reigns and walked alongside Cassian. We were near anyways and I could use some extra exercise.

"Nah, she might be my aide but I know she's sick and tired of me trying to push my favorites on her. She has been trying food that I liked since we were younger so I think she's sick of it already but alas she can't do anything about it because she's stuck with me." laughing a little, we reached the stables where some of the equestrian team are already at. Greeting them with a curt smile, I led Night into his stable, gave him an apple and promptly left the stables.

Cassian and I changed out of the Jodhpurs and into our own shoes from earlier. Thanking Marshall who was already saddling the other horses for the team, we left the arena and hurried into the mess hall. We were silent for a few seconds after leaving the arena before Cassian continued where our conversation left off earlier.

"Really? She doesn't seem like it. She cares a lot about you." Cassian continued like we didn't just stop talking which is very amusing for me.

"Yeah I know. You can care for someone but get annoyed at them too you know."

"Well you're right about that but if she's tired of you, it'll show."

"Nah, Hailey may be my aide but I treat her like a best friend and trust me, she shows me her tiredness when we're alone. She can't exactly express herself outside where the others would see because they were taught to always bear with who they're assigned to. You should ask your brother about it, I'm sure he knows by now."

"Hmmm...I guess I still have a lot to learn about this whole royal thing. I didn't even know aides were supposed to act like that. You and Hailey don't exactly have that dynamic."

"Well that's why you're here for right? It can be hard to get used to, especially in your case, since you see Shiloh as a brother and no matter how close I am to Hailey, she still has to follow a few rules of being my aide you know? Sometimes I ask her not to but she insists and says it's her job and she likes to do anyway so who am I to tell her what and what not to do right?"

Reaching the mess hall finally, I almost dashed to the counter to grab food but I was a princess and was taught better and besides that would be rude to Cassian who was patiently walking beside me this whole time despite being hungry himself, so instead I walked calmly beside Cassian.

Seeing that it was still quite early for a Sunday for the students standard here in Irini, there wasn't that much people in the mess hall. In fact it was almost empty, save for the few others who decided to eat here. Most of the time, the students just get food here then eat it somewhere because why would you still eat in the mess hall where you usually eat three times a day in if you had a choice not to right?

Finally reaching the counter, I hurriedly greeted the server which was the same lady who served food here ever since we started school so we were quite familiar with her already.

"Good morning Merideth! It's been a while since I saw you get your food in here." the lunch lady, Rosie, greeted me. See I told you she was familiar with me, well she was to everyone so it doesn't really matter. 

"Yeah, Hailey insisted to be the one to order for me lately but luckily I woke up early today so I can eat whatever." I grinned and she chuckled before giving me the Baked Eggs and Cheese Croissants and a side of Caesar Salad and two hotdogs in a lunch box.

"Here you are, I assume you will be eating outside right? So I just had it packed for you already. I know Hailey got you Baked Eggs last time but I know you're still going to order it anyway so I just prepared it ahead of time. Here have an apple too."

"Thanks! Don't tell Hailey about the hotdogs though, she's going to flip." I winked at her and she just chuckled fondly.

"I won't tell if you wont." she winked back then turned her attention to Cassian who was just standing there, watching our exchange with a very fond expression.

"Oh I didn't notice you there! Cassian was it? I'm terribly sorry for ignoring you! What do you want for breakfast dear?" she fussed while I chuckled in amusement because Cassian flushed a little, clearly taken back by the sudden attention on him.

"It's okay Rosie, he'll have the same thing as me." I intervened and Cassian didn't even protest so Rosie went and prepared the same thing, with the apples and everything.

"Here you are! Have a nice day you too! See you in lunch!" she waved and we waved back before she went back to serving the other students that went in while Cassian and I went out the mess hall, carrying the lunch box for breakfast.

"So where to?" he asked and I just led him to the garden again. Sitting down on the same spot we sat at when we first came here, I settled myself and inhaled the scent of my breakfast. Cassian did the same and looked at the baked eggs with apprehension.

"It's good trust me. Just try it." I giggled and took a bite on the cheese croissants and let out a satisfied groan because it tasted divine as always. The cooks doesn't disappoint as always.

Ignoring Cassian beside me, I went and devoured the contents of the lunch box but gracefully of course since I was a "proper lady."

"Well..." Cassian suddenly said and I turned around to face him while biting on the hotdog.

"I'll give it to you. This is indeed delicious." he said after a while and I grinned at him after swallowing the hotdog I was chewing because you do not ever speak with your mouth full.

"See?! I told you so!" I swayed side to side in excitement and ate the remaining piece of the hotdog on the fork as we fall into comfortable silence, just eating in peace. We stayed like that for a while before I decided to talk as I move into the salad.

"Anyways, I'm glad you liked it. Hopefully I wasn't being too pushy, ordering for you and all that." I said and munched on the piece carrot my fork pierced through.

"You're saying that now that we're already halfway through the whole thing?" he prodded me on the side, teasing me and I just jut my tongue out to him playfully which earned me a hearty laugh from him. I didn't care if I was acting childish on him anyway. It's not like he would see me differently, not after what we've been through now and what we know of each other.

"Yeah yeah, but hey i'm just helping you explore beyond your usual. If you were on your own you probably wouldn't have tried it anyway. You probably would've picked something basic like, I don't know, an omelette."

"Hmmm how did you know?" he rode with it and I just rolled my eyes at him.

"You seem like the type. Anyway, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" changing topics suddenly certainly didn't faze Cassian because he just laid back on the tree and seemed to be in thought.

"I don't know. What do you guys usually do on Sundays?" he asked while mixing the salad.

"Depends really. I usually hang out in the open arena, watching the equestrian team practice but I got my free ride now anyway so I don't think I want to go back."

"Then, what do else do you do?"

"Read I guess or play sports with the others. Depending on our mood and schedule really. They go do club activities usually so sometimes I just go with them after my practice."

"Wait wait, there's club activities?" he asked, suddenly sittiing up straight. I gave him a look of confusion before sitting up too.

"Wait you didn't know?" I asked and he just shook his head.

"Oh my goodness! Well..." I didn't know how to continue because I was at loss.

"Well...what clubs are even there? I don't see them...that active you know?"

"Well that's because it isn't time yet. Mid-terms are coming so people are more focused to actually studying for now. After mid-terms though, the whole school is as lively as a marketplace." I chuckled at the reminder of the enthusiasm surrounding Irini after mid-term exams are done.

"Why? What's after mid-terms?" confused, he asked suddenly and I couldn't help but look at him incrediously.

"Oh gosh...right. It seems as if I failed as your guide."

"No no that's not it. Look you did not fail okay? You can still tell me now." panicking, he tried to comfort me and I couldn't help but giggle at his actions. Gosh he can be so cute sometimes.

"I'm kidding Cassian, no need to panic. Well...where do I even start with this?" leaning back, I try to find the best place to start. I don't know how much he knows so I'm just going to start from well the start.

"Okay so...there are a grand total of four exams in Irini. The first two are based on academics so you can see why people around are buried in their books mostly. During the first two exams, the whole place is like any other school you know? Bleak and almost serious but what comes after mid-terms is where the fun begins. You see Irini has an unique system, and it became even more unique when Reince, the current headmaster, took over." I began and Cassian was going through the salad while engrossed in what I was saying.

"You see, the second half on the school year here in Irini is spent on practicals. Meaning, we actually get to apply what we learn and what we know through specific activities and not just on paper. That's where the club activities come in. First on the list of the activities lined up for the practicals is the Sports Festival where schools from all over Kaia and sometimes outside of Kaia, come together to compete in sports. It's usually held in Irini though, since we have the biggest space."

"Wait wait, about the practical, does that mean we don't go to class?" he suddenly interrupted and I just flicked his forehead because it was a stupid question.

"Don't be silly. Of course we still go to class. It's just that, the tests don't really matter that much as the first half." I explained and he just rubbed his forehead.

"Anyway, continuing on. After the Sports Festival, there is the Winter Festival or more commonly known as the Arts and Music festival where each class holds a performance and is graded based on the performance. Of course, we still take the paper exams but how our performance gets graded is what's important. Well there are a lot of events in Irini but I'm just going to explain the important ones okay?" he nodded.

"Right, the last and most important event in Irini is the final exam which we call the Survival."

"Why is that?"

"Well...remember the forest we went into earlier? That's the place where the final exams are usually held. It doesn't have an official name other than finals but for the rest of the student body, its called as Survival. Basically, we go into the forest by year. We are also separated by groups of 5, which are based in your class. During this duration there are missions to do and points to rack up. The group or class really who has the highest points gets of course high grades and a prize of sorts. The activities and prize is different each year so I can't tell you what the whole thing is but that's basically the point."

"So wait...are all extracurricular activities held right after the mid-term exams? Isn't that a little crowded?"

"No, we had the school festival earlier already which is where the club recruitment happens and well...for most schools the extracurricular activities are scattered but here in Irini, that most certainly isn't the case. Reince proposed it to the Council of Kaia years ago that all extracurricular activities should be split from the academics that way we can focus on one thing at a time. If we had to mix it, then the others could have their focus directed on other things so in the end they agreed for all schools to have that curriculum. I know it sounds ridiculous if you come from a school outside of Kaia but this arrangement helps really."

"As I have said, we still go to class but you can see how we have so much workload now right? That's mainly because most of the important stuff from our classes are squeezed into the first half of the semester. It may seem much at first but if you get used to it, it isn't so bad."

"Well...this school get's complicated the more I learn about it." he chuckled and I joined him because it was indeed a little ridiculous.

"I know right? It's always a pain to explain but that's how it works here. Anyway, I don't really want to talk about school related stuff on a Sunday so...I'll just explain each event in detail if it comes around okay?"

"Yeah sure. So...what do you want to talk about instead?" he proposed and I just gave him a smile.

"How about which clubs would you want to join instead?"