Chapter 3-1
964 Words
3
The Magical Structures class was even harder than last semester, and the math was getting beyond my abilities. But at least I wasn't struggling as much as the previous semester. The course was harder, but I knew more.
While I had to study like crazy just to pass the course (with a D), at least now I could kind of get the gist of the lecture. Still, that only meant I could take notes, now that I understood the symbols for magic. It's not like I understood what I was scribbling down.
There was no time for chitchat during the lecture, so I only got to greet Yllana at the beginning of the lecture, as we both bent ourselves over the notes, trying to catch everything Professor Strasser was saying.
Marty and his friends were sitting behind us, as had become his habit. But he didn't pay much attention to me during the lecture. He wasn't the best student for nothing.
But when the lecture ended, he bent over the back of my chair, and looked directly over my shoulder into my notebook, looking at what I'd written.
"Would you like to go over the lecture this afternoon, my queen?" he suggested, whispering into my ear. "We could meet at the library."
So he would not drop it.
"Ah," I said. "I can't meet you alone in the library. Pops and Azzie said I can't be with you alone. Ever. We're only supposed to be in public places or accompanied by a chaperone."
"But they were OK with it before," Marty said, frowning.
"That was when I was in ghost form," I said.
"I see," Marty replied. Then he looked at Yllana, who was standing in the corridor, waiting for me to pick up my things before we headed to the next class.
"I have to go back home after class," she said quickly. "Afraid I can't help you."
He then looked at his friends.
"Pops won't count them as chaperones," I said, joining Yllana and walking toward the door.
That was true.
Besides, I wasn't sure I liked his friends.
Scratch that, I don't like his friends.
He joined me, walking beside me, while his friends lagged behind, probably listening in to our conversation. They were huge gossips.
"Don't worry," I said, patting his shoulder. "Emere helps me. She's good, you know. And sometimes Aegisthus comes, too."
Since I started coming to sit with the baby during the day, they would pop in as I sat with my books, the baby sleeping (she always slept very well in my presence, to compensate, I guess). Sometimes they would even sit with me and help me.
They were very nice people. Working for them was pleasant, even with all the money I had eliminating the need to work for a living.
"Are you accompanied by a chaperone when you're with Aegisthus?" Marty asked.
"Not always," I said. "But it's not like he would do anything in front of the baby. Besides, there's nothing between us. And remember, I used to live in the same house with him."
Aegisthus Kaffale, the law enforcement Captain who helped me get my first job, was always very nice to me. But there was nothing between us.
"That," Marty said, "doesn't make it better, my queen. Would Mr. Morad approve if I had lived with you?"
"Which Mr. Morad?" I asked.
"Your father," Marty said.
While he knew the truth, that I was the daughter of a man that had been kicked out of the Morad family, officially, my grandpa was my father. My family didn't want to have anything to do with him, so they made up a story about how I was Pops' daughter instead of granddaughter.
"No, Pops wouldn't approve," I replied. "But you're courting me. It's different."
"We're engaged, my queen," Marty said. "That should be enough to calm his fears."
"We haven't announced it officially yet," I said. "And the engagement contract hasn't been signed."
We were having a huge engagement party at the end of the spring semester. Marty already told everybody in the school, and our families knew, but it wasn't official until we signed an engagement contract.
The engagement contract included things like bride (or groom) prize, what surnames we would carry, what surnames our children would carry, where we would live, what we were allowed to do, and a large list of other things. We were happy to leave all the wheeling and dealing to the families. I made clear what was important to me: I would work and study if I wished to, and we would both participate equally in child-rearing, when it came to that. Other than that, the intricacies of marriage contracts escaped me, so I let Pops and uncle Azzie handle it. Mostly uncle Azzie.
And I was glad I made the decision. Marty's mother and uncle Azzie engaged in very heated debates on occasion.
"And will you drop 'my queen'?" I finally exploded. "It was just a joke. It's annoying. Can't you just call me by my name?"
There were more chuckles. Yeah, his friends were listening in.
"Hey, Haldor," Zethe said. "Pay up. She didn't last a day."
So they weren't just listening, they even made a bet how long I would stand for Marty's silliness.
"Even if Pops agrees to them as chaperones," I hissed at Marty, pointing behind. "There's no way I'm spending time with you while you're with your friends. I don't want to be the butt of all jokes."
"I hope I didn't do anything to offend you, my queen," Zethe said.
I glanced at him and stormed off, running into the class and saving a seat for Yllana. I chose one of the busiest rows on purpose, so Marty couldn't sit beside me or behind me.
"Only I can call her that," I heard Marty say before I left him behind.
"I can't stand his friends," I complained at Yllana.
"They aren't bad people," Yllana said, but didn't continue under my skeptical glance.
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