"How did we manage to run into a damn princess of all people!" A young noble shouted, two buckets full of water in his hands.
"Lord, I believe we are lucky we have our heads on our shoulders."
"Silence, it's still not too late to find myself a wife while I attend this pathetic excuse of an institution."
"We understand, your highness. We were merely unlucky by stumbling into a royal, I believe we should be able to find a proper wife for you soon."
"That is the only reason I pleaded for my father to send me here, who cares about anything these low-life instructors teach."
He was a noble, there was nothing that anyone could teach him. Whatever he said went, if a higher noble spoke to a lesser one and said that white is black, there would be no space to question it.
"I agree, your highness, this is the best place to find your future bride." The duo of noble goons nodded along, reinforcing his delusions.
"We need to find a way to get out of this punishment, too; this is below someone like me!" He shouted.
The trio slowly made their way into the janitor's shed and left the cleaning supplies. "We will need to head to the academy and find a girl who definitely isn't a higher noble or royalty. Fortunately for us, I know what all of them look like… despite making a mistake with the princess."
The trio slowly made their way toward the academy courtyard and took their position, inspecting the girls passing them.
"Most of these aren't really catching my eye."
"They are unworthy of your gaze, your highness."
He hummed, his gaze scanning the courtyard. Just before he was about to quit searching, his eyes fell on a pair of girls approaching from a distance. One had hair as crimson as blood, and the way she held herself made him feel warm inside.
The second was not as beautiful to him, but still was passable as a second wife. "Those two, they don't seem like any of the royals I know. Let's go talk to them."
He beckoned his goons over, and they waited for the girls to separate. "They seem awfully close, don't you think?" He asked his henchmen.
"I agree, my lord. Perhaps they are scared of being alone?"
"That would be ideal, it would make it easier to convince them to become mine as a way to get protection and guidance." He said, a grin forming on his face.
However, it would be a horrible idea to approach the duo as is, he needed to isolate a vulnerable girl and only then approach. "Let's wait for them to separate."
The trio waited behind the corner, instead of the white one separating, the red lady had disappeared into the academy. "Shame, I wanted the red one first." He said, beckoning his goons to follow him.
The woman was staring at a ring on her finger, not noticing the trio of men approaching from behind her.
He tapped her shoulder, and the woman turned toward him.
"Can I help you?"
***
Azure and Aqua walked together toward where she knew Avaros was. She couldn't help but stare at her new ring.
It was a promise that Aqua would become her bride one day, perhaps not today, in a year or even a decade, but the promise was made that they would marry one day. Thus, she couldn't have been happier, even if Aqua needed to leave the academy.
She suppressed her urge to start happily skipping, just for the fact that Aqua was walking calmly and without any urgency.
Soon they arrived at the spot where she last saw Avaros. "He should be inside, mind if I go with you?"
Aqua smiled, "I like your presence, but this is something personal. Please wait for me here, I will finish quickly," Aqua said, smiling.
Azure let out a sigh. "Of course, I will wait for you here."
Her heroine gave her a hug before disappearing into the academy building. This day was just wonderful.
She looked at her ring again, and her face turned bright red. I will marry Aqua one day! She squealed.
A moment later, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and faced three young nobles.
"Can I help you?" She said, her smile beaming.
"Good day, madam, I had noticed you from a distance and decided that you would become my girl." He said, crossing his arms.
Azure blinked. What kind of moron did I attract now?
"I am sorry, sir, but as you can tell," She said, lifting her ring finger. "I am already taken by the very woman you saw me with."
"You want to tell me that you are engaged to a woman?!" He shouted, his voice seeping with malice.
Ah, he is one of those. "Yes, is there a problem with it?"
"There is! You are supposed to be mine!" He grabbed Azure's shoulders and attempted to push her toward the wall, however she was unmoving like a castle wall.
"Get… your… filthy… hands… off me…" She sneered, her hand already catching the noble's wrist.
"Let me go! Do you not realize who I am?!" The man shouted. "If you harm me, neither you nor that sinful whore you are engaged to will be spared."
The time seemed to come to a crawl, the shock still not settling in Azure's mind. What the fuck did he just say to Aqua?
"Apologize at once, before I pummel you into a paste."
He grinned, assured of his untouchability. "No."
Azure's grip tightened, and the bones crunched.
She cared not for the scream of some noble. Azure could handle insults toward herself or even physical attacks. However, if someone dared to insult her Aqua.
There would be no mercy. She lifted the man and pulled him into herself.
She wound back, and her fist collided with his skull. At the moment of impact, she released him, sending him flying.
These filthy nobles, if someone dares touch my Aqua. She jumped at the man and pinned him to the ground.
His goons attempted to grab her hands and pull her off, but she grabbed their heads and slammed them against each other, knocking them unconscious, leaving only the arrogant noble.
She cracked her fists. A sense of dread ran down his spine. He had made a terrible mistake.
Her fists clenched, her eyes fell on the ring. Can't get this bloody.
"Your youth is no excuse for this poor behavior, let me teach you consequences." She said, her fist colliding with his jaw. A mix of spit and blood escaped his mouth.
Each punch made a crunching sound, his body spasmed, barely clinging to consciousness.
"Don't think that anyone in this kingdom will help you against my wrath. When I am done with you, this academy will forever bar its doors to you!" She shouted, wailing at the man.
With one final punch, she stood up, wiping her hands and ignoring the presence of students who stared at the woman.
What was more, even some professors were descending to the court, one of whom was Mia.
"What happened here?!" Mia shouted, closely followed by Aurora.
The duo of professors glared at her, she was not in the mood to submit to their authority.
"Self-defense, kick him out of the academy before I kill him," She said.
"Where do you think you are going?" Aurora said, tapping her foot.
However, Azure merely glared back at her. "Princess, I am not in the mood to explain myself. Take him to the infirmary before I have to remind you who I am."
The threat was clear; she was not in the mood to play a student now. If any professor or noble dared stand before her in the current state of mind, they would have lost a good chunk of their blood.
I was in such a great mood, but someone always has to ruin it. She turned toward the Academy entrance, waiting for her Aqua.
She lifted her ring finger and stared at it, her face instantly returning from disgust to pure happiness.
"I love her so much, Agh! Just thinking about her makes me happy," She squirmed, bringing her hands to her chest, her feet moving by themselves inside the academy.
She approached the entrance, and in the distance, he saw Aqua and Avaros approaching.
The image of her heroine remained in her eyes before she leaned against the wall, waiting for the duo to walk over.