The ride to the castle feels like torture. I'm sitting across Flora and Zara, who keep talking loudly. The main theme of their conversation is gossip. I can feel the blood pumping in the vein on my forehead, as they mention the bethrotal. The only thing, that's keeping me from smashing their heads together, is imagining the looks on their faces, when I manage to prevent it.
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to keep staring through the window and observing the streets of Dairelis. It's even colder here, than at the Academy. The people are all wrapped in warm cloaks, a lot of them staring at my face as the carriage passes them by. I see a little boy waving at me and his mother, who pushes his arm down in fear. I raise my hand, waving back at him and his face lights up with the brighte
