Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

October is the month where I feel kind of nostalgic every time it is up for the season. There are several reasons that I could provide to explain why I am feeling that way.

The first of October, which is today, is my father's birthday. Unfortunately, since I have gone from home to Gilead Academy to learn magic here, I cannot get back home to celebrate his birthday like we usually do every year. You know, a family tradition thing.

Moreover, my brother and my mother are born in the same month, but at different dates and years. My brother comes after with our father's birthday. Our mother's birthday is on the 20th .

Mine is a bit extraordinary among us all, for I am born on Christmas Day. Pretty unique, isn't it?

However, if October is my father's birth month, this is also the month where he died because of his illness. It was simply flu, but turned up to be something fatal in the end that the healers of our village can't do anything about it to cure my father of his mysterious disease. 

This month is also where we commemorate his death anniversary, but never celebrate it.

I was thinking about all these things while I was walking towards the hallway towards the classroom of class 1-A. Students from different years and sections have all the time to loiter on the hallways for now since it is kind of early for our first-period classes to start. 

Some just want some time to hang out with their peers and have small chitchat about their lives, while others are doing some god-forbidden couple thing in front of everyone without fair acknowledgment.

I know it has already been a while ever since I moved and started my studies in this school, but it doesn't mean I would learn to adjust to crowds such as this. The only ones that keep me motivated to continue here are my friends.

And speaking of them, I just noticed them waving their hands towards my direction once I reached our classroom and entered inside, All three of them, Ariella, Maggie and Cailin were sitting in some random seats near to mine and waited for me to come.

"Good morning Kris!" Maggie greeted in her usual energetic voice that Cailin learned to adapt ever since she started hanging out with us.

I plastered a smile on my face. "Good morning."

I was placing my backpack on my seat and was about to sit in my chair when Ariella mentioned something about my birthday.

"You didn't tell us that your birthday is exactly om Christmas Day," Ariella said, grinning.

"Yeah. Christmas is just around the corner. Let's plan ahead on what to do on your birthday." Maggie chimed in.

My brows hunched together. As far as I knew, I never told anyone about my birthday nor did I mention it to my friends.

"Wait, how did you know? I even forgot to mention it to you." I said in confusion.

"The board, silly. Our birthdays are posted there, remember?" Maggie pointed something on my right, and that's when I remembered the class board of events that the class president started to make to remember important events, at least that's what he said. 

"We were just looking at it boredly earlier and saw your birthday is on the 25th of December. How cool could that be?"

My birthday is just like any other normal day of their lives. Why post it there?

"Right," I huffed a sigh. "We are not little children anymore to have that kind of silly thing, you know."

"Well, you should have told that to our class president, you know." Ariella chuckled.

And speaking of the devil, the mentioned class president entered the room just now with his arrogant presence, walking inside the room like he owns the place or something like that. 

"Ah, the ever-humble president is in the house," Cailin mumbled.

To my surprise, the class president stopped walking in my seat, turned his head to look at me, and greeted me, "Good morning."

He was already doing this more often than I had ever imagined, yet I still can't help but be surprised with his sudden actions such as this.

"Good morning to you as well, class president," I replied in a more formal way to keep the menacing glares of my classmates away from me and to convince them that nothing is going on between us two.

He plastered a smile across his face, or at least he tried to, before going to his seat and settled there afterward. 

Once the class adviser, Mr. Pumpkin, entered the classroom, all of us went back to their original seating arrangements and the teacher started the discussion of the topic for the day.

---

At the castle, my mentors were still engaged in their business that they said the training sessions would be delayed for several minutes. So I agreed and sought refuge in the prince's office while I waited for them.

On the top of the table, there was a large pouch containing something prized more than everything else. I tugged the strings to loosen the opening, and from it revealed the spellbook that my father once used when he was still the master wizard of our home village and the whole country of Archenland-- one of Gilead's ally countries not far away from it.

I pulled the spellbook from the pouch and hugged it as I whispered these words to myself, my head looking up to the ceiling as if I could see my father from there.

"Happy birthday, dad. I miss you so much."

And then, without warning, a tear appeared from the corner of my left eye. I only knew that it had multiplied not long after, and went down my cheeks like a waterfall.

"If only you're here… I wouldn't have suffered so much just to learn magic just like you did…."

It's been over a year now ever since my father died, but I still can't drive myself to move on from what happened and let go of my sadness brought to me by his death.

I was still weeping here when...

"Sorry it took me a while to finish some errands, but we can now begin your training---"

I have to admit that I did not hear the creaking of the door as Lucas opened it and went inside, hence letting him see me crying here like an idiot. The lad, on the other hand, was rendered speechless and chose not to ask a question.

"T-this is nothing…" I immediately said and tried to dry my tears as fast as I could using the back of my hands.

"Let me do that," 

I stared at the boy who reached into his pocket and gently pulled a clean, white handkerchief from his suit and used it to wipe my tears from my face, removing my hands while he did so.

"Let's begin training, shall we?" I uttered, trying to redirect the conversation away from my concern. 

I started getting up from the seat and got myself ready for whatever he will teach me at the moment. But he only stood there and watched me with great concern.

"You don't seem fit to be on training today," Lucas pointed out, eyeing me seriously. "All you need right now is to breathe from whatever troubles you right now."

"No, I'm fine," I insisted.

"No, you're not." he insisted too.

In the end, I chose not to argue with the royal counselor anymore and sighed in frustration.

"Come, you need some fresh air to clear your head up," 

And after he said that, Lucas began going for the door without even asking me if I wanted to go. He just motioned for me to follow him, and I guess I don't have any choice either but to follow him.

Later on, I am seeing myself getting up towards the same castle tower that he likes to bring me with if situations such as this show up out of nowhere. I brought my father's spellbook with me as we got up here, carefully sitting in between my arms as I hugged it close to me.

"Today is my father's birthday," I finally shared it to the lad standing on my right but without making any eye contact as I said that. 

"And this spellbook that I am holding right now belongs to him. Well, I took it away with me when I ran home actually.

"I see. Well, I am pretty sure your father is celebrating his birthday there." 

Lucas stretched his hand towards the sky, assuming that is where heaven is really located.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said, smiling halfheartedly. "But I can't help but miss him during occasional times."

"You have the right to be. He is your father, after all."

There was a silence after his last statement there when both of us decided to refrain from talking even just for a while. But only after a few minutes, Lucas spoke once again.

"Didn't you mention before that you wanted to become a master wizard in your home country just like your father was?" 

I only nodded my head as my response.

"Then right now, he must be so proud of you for what you achieve so far. You are getting there… just a little more practice and you'll surely reach your dreams someday."

A genuine smile now escapes my lips as I heard his words just now.

"Thanks, Lucas… "