Maria - The Blind Princess

Chapter 8

"GERALD, ACTIVATE EMERGENCY SECRET TECHNIQUE! NUMBER 21!!"

"ROGER!!"

Fast and furious, Gerald activated his assassinate mode, dashed through Jacques like a scary monster, in order to close the room's door. Not only that, he closed the window in a split of second and turned off the light from a magic devise.

Jacques was confused and asked himself what was happening. In front of him now, there was a little candle as the unique source of the light. He saw Richard came and sit opposite him, but in half n***d state that Jacques couldn't look at the opponent.

"Maria, shall I kill him?" Gerald, in assassin's mode with a knife on his hand, asked Maria "We can also take it as a revenge for bullying you last night."

"Wait! Just a minute to understand everything please!!"

Jacques took his courage, looked at the one opposite him that he always thought it was Richard. He wanted to confirm again that what he saw was true.

"Richard... are you.. a girl?"

"Don't you have a shame anymore?! To ask the one you bullied like that??"

Gerald was angry and pointed his knife toward Jacques. Maria then had to stop him.

"It's enough, Gerald. I could hear his voice is very different comparing with yesterday, like a complete different person. I think he will listen to us."

When everyone of both sides went silent, they discussed together. Jacques felt awkward so he began first.

"Richard... Who are you actually..?"

"Before answered you, please assure us that everything you will listen is within our high secret. It's f*******n to spread it outside."

"I promise." Jacques confidently replied.

"...my real name is Maria, daughter of Baron Beauvallet. The one accompanying me is Gerald, my old servant also big brother."

"Baron Beauvallet.." Jacques got stunned "Wait a minute, I heard from the palace that The House Beauvallet was massacred and went extinct 6 years ago..."

"That's right, and we are the only survivors from that disaster."

"Hmm, then let me ask you." Jacques's face went serious "The purpose you entered this academy... is it for finding the clues of the one murdering your family?"

"Not only that, I also have another purpose."

"Which is?"

"I have a dream, to become a royal knight."

Jacques felt interested. Normally, royal knight was a honorable position for the best and strongest warriors to protect not only the royal members, also the entire of kingdom. This job was for the graduated students of academy only so it was impossible for a girl to do that. It hasn't counted another fact... she was blind.

Jacques could feel the noble aura surrounding Maria. He got convinced and gave a relief sigh.

"Alright... I think I understand the position now." Jacques said "Trading back, to give you more trust on me, I also have a secret to tell you too."

"About your different personalities?"

"Correct. Actually..."

Jacques told Gerald and Maria everything about the hardship of his royal life since his childhood. He had to pretend to act cocky, arrogant and dictating in order to become a good child in the king - his father's eyes. He was currently waiting for the right time to make a revolution. But he needed to gather the strongest warriors and alliances to support him.

"But you don't have to throw my cane away like that..?" Maria spouted "Now I don't have the cane anymore and have to depend on Gerald almost every time."

"I'm very, very sorry my lady." Jacques even hit his face on the ground. "Within tomorrow, I will order my servants to make a brand-new cane for you. Also.. seeing you not being feared in front of me.. I wanted to release my stress, entertain myself by bullying you."

"That's why I want to say: You're a nasty person." Gerald took his knife back to his waist "But after knowing you're just pretending to do that, it can be understandable when you have this kind of father like that."

"So lady Beauvallet, will you join my group of revolution? Trading back, I will try with my best at investigating the m******e of your family 6 years ago, and drag the murder to the Council of Justice."

"If you can help me achieving my dream, I will."

Maria and Jacques shook their hands together. It was how the alliance between two Houses Alexandre and Beauvallet had been formed.

"Anyway." Jacques asked "Why do we have to discuss inside a dark space?"

"This is for additional effect, Maria said that."

"Effect? What does it mean?"

***

As the academic life smoothly went on, every students dropped their mouth when they saw a scenery never happened in life: The dictator prince Jacques Abraham Alexandre walked and talked happily with his new friends: Gerald and Richard (as known as Maria).

"Get out of OUR way!" Jacques yelled in front of everyone.

At the restaurant area of the academy, Jacques even helped Maria getting her requested breakfast because she couldn't see and of course... couldn't touch to distinguish the food.

"Richie, you want to become a knight so you will choose Advanced Martial Art right?"

"Yes, Gerald had to guide me the lesson so he had to follow my option too. How about you?"

"I'm now 3rd year at Academic and Magic Management."

"Wait." Gerald intervened "So we are at the same age?"

"How old are you Gerald?"

"I'm 16."

"Oh I'm 16 too! So let me call you 'buddy'!"

"Okay, buddy haha!!"

Suddenly, one of the prince's servant came and called him.

"Your highness, the merchandise you requested have been delivered."

"Oh! Faster than I thought!" Jacques then whispered beside Maria's ear with naughty smile "Just give me one minute, My Lady."

Gerald looked at Maria's smile, somehow it made him happy too.

"Jacques is actually a good guy right, Maria?"

"Yeah he is. I cannot even imagine how I could become like him with a bad father."

A minute later, everyone inside the restaurant was like "what the hell ?!" when the prince brought something like a shiny stick.

"Richie~ It arrives!! Your brand-new cane!! Very suitable with your height, light weight. I even ordered it to made by the purest gold~!"

"What the hell is that??" Both Gerald and Maria yelled.

However, Maria couldn't expect herself that thanks to that cane, in the future she will become famous in royal community as "The Golden Blind".

"Okay it's time for my class. See you at the lunch time Richie, buddy!!"

"See you!"

After Jacques left the restaurant to go to his class, Gerald and Maria went silent and awkward together.

"The prince is more energetic than I think."

"I agree too, Maria."

Their two classes in this morning were Eurydian Geography and Introduction of Magic. They could survive the geography class since she could listen and imagine. But at the magic class, both Maria and Gerald felt so doomed.

"Oh no. It's not good..." Gerald was confused. He didn't know how to illustrate the magic patterns to a blind like Maria.

"Don't panic, Gerald. There must be a way." Maria calmed him down "Now, don't waste your time to be worried. Ignore me, listen the professor's lesson and take the note first."

"You're right, better than we both don't understand anything."

At the lunch time, Jacques already waited for Maria and Gerald at the restaurant. He became worried when seeing his friends coming back with exhausted face.

"Something happened to you two?"

"Uhm... we are in difficult state now."

"Tell me, as a prince I can do anything."

How coincidently, William accidently heard the conversation between his familiar students as well so he joined as well.

"Long time no see, Jacques. You have changed a lot since the last time I saw you appearing here."

"Bro..brother?"

"Good afternoon, professor."

Everyone then discussed another super rare scenery: The two princes William and Jacques were eating lunch together. Not only that, they were with the two new students Gerald and Richard (as known as Maria). They wondered what kind of magic the new students did to make those two - who never talked each other, appearing at the same time.

"Ah I see." William understood after listening Gerald's explanation "It's indeed very inconvenient for Richard to learn magic."

"Can you report Richard's case to the Academic Council? He can skip the Magic exam." Jacques asked.

"I'm afraid I cannot. Even if I'm the eldest prince. In this academic area I'm just a professor. The accident at the entrance test was just my luck. However, it's worth to try though.

Anyway, I just notice, we can talk again each other like this.. thanks to the Tranchant brothers?"

Hearing the name, Maria took the attention to the origin of the voices while eating.

"Still I'm glad that you two can talk again." She smiled.

"So cute..." Jacques and William thought when they saw a blind's innocent smile.

William then changed the topic.

"Of course to prevent the case I can't convince the Academic Council, I'm thinking about borrowing Richard to my office for the research..."

"No, brother! I will be the one who will help her.. I meant HIM!!"

Jacques fixed his word immediately when he saw Gerald's scary glance. Still, he hugged Maria, hissing in front of William like a threated kitten.

"How about we all work together?" Maria suggested, she could guess the two princes were going to have a war in this rate "To find a way to teach me magic again."

"I have no problem." William calmly answered. Then he looked at Jacques "Jacques, since you're at 3rd year at Academic and Magic, you must prepare a graduate project made by magic right?"

"Yeah. But still... I don't know what to do yet."

"Now you know what to do."

"What? ....wait... Oh!!! I got it!! A magic devise helping Richard getting back the vision!!!"

"That's impossible for our current magical knowledge right now. Instead, you can invent something helping Richard reading and writing. We haven't ever had anyone who targets the student with disability yet so it can bring a new soul to this academy.

If you want to do this project, I will become your tutor professor."

"Alright that's the deal then, brother!!"

Four people kept chatting happily through the lunch time. Unexpectedly, it also brought a cheerful atmosphere to the restaurant to their surroundings, from the students to other professors and the restaurant workers. They finally could witness their future kings having fun together for the first time.

Maria felt relieved and happy after chatting with Jacques and William. However, the time for their noon class was near so she called Gerald to leave the restaurant right now.

"See you two later!!"

"See you!"

Maria didn't notice, someone tossed a paper inside her pocket which was badly written.

"Meet me at the eastern backyard square after your noon class."