After they both left the room, Andrew sat on his bed wondering how unlucky he seems to be. Life hasn’t been a teensy bit fair to him. But he quickly gets out of such a mood, takes his bath, gets dressed and ate till his fill. All through these times when he saw Marian, she seems to be avoiding him and didn’t even seem to want to talk to him. He understood perfectly the reason behind such an attitude and knew that one way or the other, he would have to apologize.
When they were about to go, Marian even wanted to board a different carriage from him. Such a lifestyle filled with wealth has started being used to her that she has started forgetting that this wasn’t her home nor was any of the properties owned by her. Or maybe it was simply because Andrew had annoyed her. The old madam just stands at the entrance of the mansion while watching all of this unfold with a nice smile plastered on her face.
Seeing what she was about to do, Andrew quickly hops on the carriage she was going to ride on. Marian frowns at the fact that Andrew was able to get on the same carriage with her but didn’t say anything otherwise. She turns her face away from his direction while the carriage drives in the direction of their potential school. Andrew just smiles wryly while he immediately switches and sits close to her, offering some apologies. He calls her some sweet names and even bows his head in defeat. This went to show how much he values this girl beside him.
At first, Marian didn’t even allow his hands to her and ignores all his apologies, even snorting when she heard him telling her such sweet words. But little by little, she calms down and a smile couldn’t help forming on her face which made her more beautiful. Using her smile as another way to get to her, in no time, he had got her to start laughing and even hug her. But although she seems to have forgiven him, that didn’t stop her from eventually pouting and warning Andrew not to joke around like that again, which Andrew fully accepts without anything as a complaint.
Seeing Andrew behaving this way, Marian couldn’t continue being angry with him and the siblings were able to chatter as much as they want to. Marian being mature, avoids any topic that might lead to talks about the result or even the reason why he faked his illness, they just talked about other random and funny stuff. Andrew notices this action of her and just couldn’t help being more fond of her. He pats her hair occasionally as she lies her head on his lap. They were the perfect example of a very romantic couple.
No sooner than later, they arrived at the school. It wasn’t that far from their new home after all and the journey was very short. On noticing they had gotten to the school, Andrew becomes kind of tensed and nervous. Marian notices this but that didn’t stop her from grabbing onto his hands while they walk towards the direction where a lot of people were gathered.
The results were posted inside the school, at the side of the building where they initially took the examination. People were in joy about being taken in, others were sad but decisive to try again the next year and the last set of people were in tears, after all this was the last time they could try. The place was crowded and most of the examinees have to force their way in, to get to the front while there were some who just choose to stay behind until the crowd dies down a bit.
In order to avoid misplaced identity in the case of identical names, insignias were sketched to which the student initially agreed. But if there was only one of such names, it seems unfounded to add any insignia of any sort. Faces weren’t sketched to avoid being identified by unknown people or those who have bad intentions. There were cases where people who failed to enter took it out on those who entered. They looked for a place to vent their anger, and although in most of such situations, the culprit was caught, it was better to prevent such scenarios.
Andrew stops close by with Marian by his side. Eve has been waiting for them for a while. Immediately as she saw the duo, her face brightens up. She has been waiting for them for a while now and thought they wouldn’t be coming at all. They walk up to meet her and talked about various stuff. Although she has been waiting for a while, she didn’t even think about checking their results for them as she wanted them to be the first ones to know their results and if they wanted to, they could tell her about it, rather than it coming from her mouth.
After talking for a while, the crowd started lessening and sooner than later, there were just a few people who were by the side of the results pasted. And it was at this time that the adopted prince came by, without any guard with him as usual. Maybe it was a coincidence or he got the message but it was at exactly the time when the crowd had thinned that he came by. Although he knew he would pass without any doubt, he just came by to check it out just for formality's sake he could say. On seeing this boy, Andrew snorts this time around, but Alex doesn’t deem it fit to even spare a glance at him.
“We should go and check ours now, we have been waiting for a while already”, Marian's voice sounds out at this moment. “Huh, yes we should go”, Andrew replies. He was shocked that Alex didn’t spare him a glance this time around and just walked past as if he hadn’t seen him. ‘Maybe he has a poor memory or maybe memory issues and probably mistook me for someone else’, that was how Andrew convinced himself in order to clear the awkwardness he was feeling.
While walking towards the result, some words could be heard from the few people gathered around the result. It seems like they all passed and they have been bragging about their results for a while. But discussions enter into their ears that followed along this trail, “Do you know who is at the top of the list?”. “Isn’t it the prince? Is that supposed to be asked?”. “Who else but the prince?”. “I didn’t bother to check since I am sure he would be the one”. “You didn’t check it. The prince stands at the second position. Just below the top person on the list”.
Although they were meant to be discussions, the voices were loud and as such people heard them. Some people even went ahead to confirm this latest news. They have all been tensed before to know if they had indeed passed, but now that they know they have indeed passed, they were able to look at others' results. Since Alex which was present there had the royal family insignia, it was easy to identify him and soon gasps should be heard.
Alex frowns on hearing such talks, he didn’t think there was anyone who could take the top position from him and thought he would be the highest. He had failed just one question on purpose just not to seem too bright, who knew if that worked though? He didn’t think that there would be anyone who would be able to best him in this exam since the examination was known to be very tough.
He immediately flashes with speed to the board and saw his name was really in second place and the third place had an eighty percent score in exams to show how difficult it was and just eight hundred and fifty-seven people made it in out of the thousands of whom had initially registered for it. Thousands of people were cut out from the entry list after the intense screening. Even some who made it, after their backgrounds were thoroughly checked, were excluded. He checks the first person on the list and immediately his face turns super ugly, totally different from the initial easygoing and carefree temperament he has come here with.
It seems like the person who took the first position in the results was someone he knew and had a death feud with. After staring at the results for a moment, he finally calms down and turns around to walk away toward the carriage. He had assumed his former carefreeness but if anyone had studied his eyes, they would notice a nefarious glint in them. Although subtle, Andrew still felt something but couldn’t quite put his hands on it. Alex still didn’t spare him a glance as he walked past him and headed out.
Andrew still being unable to put his finger on what he felt immediately casts it out. If he could see who was first on that list, then perhaps he could find what relationship the two people shared. But he still didn’t seem to go and check since he was sure that he would not make the list. But he was being dragged by Marian, and although he could free himself from her grasp, he just went along with the flow. And that was when new sets of voices entered his ear. “Yeah, you are sure right. The prince is currently occupying the second position while someone named Andrew was in the first position”.
Hearing such a thing, Andrew was shocked and thought maybe it was him but knocks it off as being impossible, after all, he had learnt that there was a different Andrew from him in the examination and was asked to provide an insignia which he could use to identify himself.
Soon, he found himself in front of the board and together with Marian, they started searching for their names. Andrew being quicker was able to spot his name in the eight hundred and fiftieth spot with a fifty-one percent pass mark. He was shocked that he passed and almost danced for joy, but that was when Marian got to his name and said, “That doesn’t look like the insignia you used, Andy”.
Shocked, he checks again and sees that it was the truth. He almost cried and at the same time, what they had said registered in his head once again about Andrew being at the top list and taking the first position. Although Andrew was a common name, it wasn’t that common after all and only probably two out of thousands of people could be seen bearing it.
Andrew although not believing that he could enter the top list, just glances at the number one spot on the result. And that was when his body went stiff, rigid beyond understanding. His name was plastered there and the insignia which he had used was attached to it. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing at this moment and didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. But he screamed inwardly that this was impossible and it can’t be, maybe there was someone who used an identical insignia to what he had used and hence scans through the list to perhaps find another name.
Even though Marian was happy that she had found her name in the four hundred and sixty-fifth spot with a fifty-eight percent score didn’t register in his head. He was frantically searching that maybe a mistake was made about the results. But after searching for a while, he couldn’t find any other name. He even conceived the idea that the school mistook both of their identities and as such made such a mistake but he knew clearly that that was impossible based on their reputation which they had built over the years. The results should have been cross-checked a multiple number of times before being posted.
It was at this time that Alex was about to cross the gate and he turns back to look at Andrew who was standing there like a pillar. His thoughts were unknown while staring at this boy who was the same age as he was. Although he was a bit younger than him. He had made background checks on Andrew after seeing him and knew about everything that he has done since coming to the kingdom. He even knew where he bought his wines from.
Andrew as if noticing his gaze, turns back and their eyes meet. Alex’s eyes seems peaceful like untroubled waters while Andrew’s eyes were that which had no fear. After a period of staring, a savage smile forms on Alex’s face and he was about to stop staring. But that was when a voice gets to his ear, “What are you doing standing along the entrance for?”.
Alex turns to meet the owner of the voice and it happens to be a young boy who has come forth to check his result. He was the son of one of the dukes and he was prideful but intelligent at the same time. But on seeing the person whom he has just spoken to, his body went stiff and he bent down low while pleading, “Am sorry. Am sorry”. He didn’t mind how he looked at this moment, he knew that in front of this boy, his plans were nothing but trash.
Alex just smiles and doesn’t reply to the boy but instead walks away. ‘Was he acting that day and was intelligent? Seems to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Nevertheless, he is someone I can get rid of. I don’t need any uncertainties in my great plan of things’, Alex thought while walking towards his carriage.
The man who had initially invigilated them during their exam was in a tall building while watching Andrew and Alex. “Two bright students have entered our school. One who seems to have a hold on royal powers and someone who has no background. How would it end then?”, he says. While Andrew was still there not knowing how he had come to score a hundred percent on the exam.
(Author’s notes - I know there are a lot of questions about why there is no surname attached to their names. But it would all be explained later in the novel. I do hope you are able to stay by me till then and if I am lucky enough to see it through till the end)