Chapter 26: The Greenhouse

Esmeray:

The moment my phone vibrated against the desk, I already knew who it was before even looking. There was only one person whose calls could instantly drain every ounce of peace from my day.

My mother.

The glowing caller ID confirmed exactly what I’d expected.

For several long seconds, I simply stared at her name. The temptation to ignore it was stronger than I would like to admit. Just once I wanted to let it ring until it stopped. I wanted to know what it felt like to make her wait, to remind her that I wasn’t a machine waiting for orders.

My thumb hovered over the decline button for barely a second before I sighed. The consequences wouldn’t fall on me. They never did. Whenever I disappointed my mother, someone else always paid the price.

And I had no intention of letting that happen again.

With a quiet exhale, I accepted the call.

"There you are."

As usual, there was no greeting, no asking how I was, and no "good afternoon." She got straight to business.

"Did you finish first in last week’s field quest?"

Of course. It was about the field quest.

"Yes, I did." I answered her as calmly as I could.

There was a brief pause before she asked, "Your score?"

"The highest recorded so far."

There was another silence that lasted for about five seconds before she finally dropped a - "Good."

I leaned back in my chair. Honestly, for one fleeting moment during that assessment, I had genuinely considered coming last just once to see what expression Mother would make when she found out. I wanted to watch her composure crack. But the fantasy hadn’t lasted long. Because I recalled exactly who would bear the punishment for my little rebellion.

So, like always, I’d become the perfect son. Again. I’d finished first. Again. Broken another academy record. Again. And done everything she’d expected of me. Again.

It was exhausting. But at least the achievement seemed sufficient to satisfy her for the moment. Or so I thought.

"I have heard," she said after another pause, "that the Argentis girl has officially begun attending classes."

There it was. The real reason she had called.

I closed my eyes briefly before replying, "Eleanora Argentis. The Lost Princess. I know who she is."

"You’ll get close to her."

The statement was delivered so casually it almost sounded like she was asking me to buy groceries.

I frowned, not understanding where this was going. "What?"

"I said you’ll get close to Princess Eleanora." Mother repeated just as calmly.

I remained silent for several seconds. Then I reminded her of something she’d apparently chosen to forget. "And what about Kaitlyn Lauren?"

She was the heir of House Lauren and also the woman Mother had personally selected as my future wife. Kaitlyn was the daughter-in-law my Mother had spent years grooming.

I honestly wasn’t sure why her answer surprised me. Perhaps because she’d spent years insisting that House Lauren represented the perfect alliance.

"Kaitlyn has been moved from Plan A to Plan B." She informed me in a perfectly composed tone.

"What?"

"There isn’t a young woman in Starfall with greater status than the Crown Princess." Her tone left no room for discussion. "If Eleanora Argentis sits on the throne - which she will sooner or later - then she naturally becomes the most suitable candidate."

My grip around the phone slowly tightened. "So... Kaitlyn is no longer my future wife?"

"Kaitlyn remains valuable." Mother answered calmly. "But circumstances change. So do plans." She spoke as though discussing pieces on a chessboard and not human beings. "I trust I don’t need to explain what this means."

No. She didn’t. I knew she wasn’t giving me a suggestion or advice. She had delivered her next order.

"Get close to Princess Eleanora. Earn her trust. If an opportunity presents itself, you’ll take it."

The line disconnected after that. She hadn’t even waited for my response.

Slowly, I lowered the phone. Silence settled throughout my dorm room, while something stirred inside me, making my magic surge to surface.Cold air swept violently across the room while tiny frost crystals spread across the wooden desk beneath my hands. The nearby curtains fluttered despite every window being closed.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I wasn’t angry because Mother wanted me to become acquainted with Princess Eleanora. That part honestly didn’t bother me. Because unlike Reign, I had no personal grudge against her. If anything, the princess intrigued me. She had arrived in Starfall less than a week ago and had already stood against Reign Valemont twice. Not many people possessed that courage, or that recklessness.

So no... that wasn’t why I was angry. I was furious because Mother’s phone call had once again reminded me of something I’d spent years trying to ignore. To her, I wasn’t a son, but an investment. A bargaining chip. A pawn carefully positioned on her chessboard.

First Kaitlyn Lauren. Now Eleanora Argentis.

Tomorrow... who knew? It would always be whichever woman strengthened House Ashbourne the most. My opinion had never mattered. It still didn’t.

A loud crack echoed through the room as frost spread across the edge of my bookshelf.

Wonderful.

If I remained here much longer, I’d destroy the dorm again. And Lorien would undoubtedly lecture me for another hour about emotional regulation.

I grabbed my phone and jacket before walking straight out. There was only one place capable of calming me down.

The greenhouse.

Unlike junior and high schools, Moonveil didn’t offer Herbology as an official subject. Plants weren’t glamorous enough and students preferred learning real magic. Very few people cared about growing herbs. As a result, the academy greenhouse had been quietly forgotten.

It was located behind Feeb Tower at the very edge of the academy grounds, it stretched across more than five hundred meters beneath enchanted glass panels. It had medicinal herbs, flowers, ancient vines, fruit trees, wild plants, and even weeds. Everything grew together, or rather... everything had grown out of control.

Since summer break had begun almost two months ago, I hadn’t visited once. And with the rainy season, I could already imagine the chaos waiting for me.

The moment I pushed open the greenhouse door, the familiar earthy scent of damp soil and fresh leaves wrapped around me. And almost instantly, some of the tension in my shoulders eased.

I stepped inside and headed toward my favorite section only to stop barely after a few steps.

Someone was already here.

A young woman knelt beside a long row of rose pots with her back facing me. Her long black hair was tied into a high ponytail and the silver highlights shimmered beneath the afternoon sunlight filtering through the enchanted glass roof.

I recognized her immediately - Princess Eleanora.

She hadn’t noticed me. At least, I didn’t think she had. Instead, she continued working. Only, she wasn’t fumbling around randomly. Instead, she knew exactly what she was doing. She loosened the soil before carefully gripping each weed close to its roots, pulling it free without disturbing the surrounding rose bush. Every few moments she separated useful seedlings from invasive weeds before placing them into different baskets.

Interesting.

Most people saw weeds. But she identified species, handled the roots correctly, and even checked soil moisture before moving to the next pot.

Who had taught her that?

Without realizing it, I remained where I was.

Watching. Princess Eleanora Argentis was undeniably beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. But beauty wasn’t what held my attention. It was conviction. She had looked Reign Valemont directly in the eyes and had refused his help twice. Most people couldn’t even maintain eye contact with him, let alone dismissing him.

Maybe Reign was right. Maybe she simply didn’t understand Starfall yet. Maybe one day reality would crush that confidence until she came seeking his protection. Yet, some instinct deep inside me doubted it.

There was something stubborn about her.

Something that refused to bend.

I found myself wondering whether I should quietly leave and return another day. But just as I made the decision, her calm voice drifted through the greenhouse without her turning around.

"How long are you planning to stand there and watch me?"