“Princess Raea?” he asks as I send an elbow into Tate. It only makes him chuckle again.
“The Treaty of Kenaf is an agreement between all seven kingdoms to use the same calendar system. Isn’t that right, Tate?” I turn my head and smile. His chuckle ends, and his face falls.
“And why is that important?” Professor Isik prompts.
“Without the treaty, the kingdoms could use their own time and calendar system. In the first fifty years after the empire’s fall, the kingdoms operated independently. Once trade agreements were in place, shipments were lagging, and there was no way to correctly track shipments between kingdoms. The Treaty of Kenaf allowed the kingdoms to use a universal system so that shipments were on time and, therefore, there were no breaches of contracts on trade agreements.”
“Showoff,” Tate mutters.
“Very good,” Professor Isik says.
I sigh and sit back in my seat. Treon Kingdom was the one to initially draft the treaty. Had we not, there’s no telling how trade agreements could have succeeded.
All seventy-two planets must have been designed or subjected to magic because, since the veil went up, all the planets have the same length of days and weeks. We know that planets used to have different lengths of days and years, but now, it’s just all the same, as if we’re all rotating on some invisible spoke. For the rest of politics class, we learn about drafting our own trade agreements and how to give and take to get what we want. Our assignment is to draft an agreement for something we want with another student.
Intel remains as boring as always, and we continue to learn about how to handle classified information and what to do if it’s ever leaked. How Kellan does this as his Division is beyond me.
As the day passes, I find myself constantly glancing outside the glass walls of the classroom, looking for Ryker. I hate that heisn’t at school. Instead of torturing myself, I pull out my Prism, hiding it behind my tablet, and message him when I drop into my seat.
Raea Tierson: Hey, I just wanted to check in and make sure everything was okay with you.
Anders Rykerson: All is well, Princess. Miss me?
I roll my eyes and scoff quietly, but I grin. I love teasing him. It’s become one of my favorite activities.
Raea Tierson: I’d have to actually like you to miss you.
Anders Rykerson: So you’re finally admitting you like me, then? Finally!! Princess Raea finally admits her feelings for me. I never thought I’d see the day.
Raea Tierson: How in the gods’ names did you come to that conclusion? I was merely checking in on you since I currently don’t have an escort. Nothing more. Kuron and Ezra are boring me.
Anders Rykerson: Well, your escort is fine. I needed to be here for something. I’ll tell you when I’m back. And in case you don’t know this… I do, in fact, miss you.
My cheeks heat, but I can’t fight off the grin that takes over my face. Gods, I have some big feelings for him.
Raea Tierson: …
Anders Rykerson: Don’t overthink it. You know how I feel.
Raea Tierson: Fine…I might miss you, but don’t let it go to your head. And how do you feel, Prince?
Anders Rykerson: I suppose I’ll have to remind you when I get back. ;)
Professor Trygg, my Aeronautics professor, clears his throat from the front of the class, crossing his arms over his chest. “Raea.” He tilts his lips like he’s caught me finally. “Care to elaborate on the design dynamics of the transport pods?”
I clear my throat and put my Prism down quietly. For once, Tate is the one to save me by whispering where we are.
“Yes, the transport pods use a combination of older technology and newer anti-gravity technology. The transport pods have two fans located at the back, which are used for steering, while the anti-gravity system keeps them hovering, allowing the pods to travel anywhere on the planet. The glass dome allows for the air to glide right over it, with the aerodynamics keeping it low-energy.”
Professor Trygg hums like he’s upset he didn’t catch me off-guard, and I whisper my thanks to Tate as he goes back to explaining why we no longer use aircraft with blades.
“Listen up, class. Today we will be learning about the eight different types of transports,” Professor Brendn says a few days later in Sky Division.
The fine hair on my neck and arms stands, and the air buzzes to life around me. My scalp prickles as I turn and find blue and silver eyes looking back at me. My heart leaps involuntarily.
I am not in love with him,I just like him…a lot.But, gods, those blue eyes and those lips. He smirks as if reading my thoughts and makes his way over to us.
My body should not be responding this way, but then again, thelast time I saw him, I was literally rubbing myself all over him. Then he confessed he’d been dreaming aboutus.I clear my throat, rubbing my palms over my pants. It’s so damn hot in here.
