Page 18 of Is It Wrong to Escape My Fate? (Dealing With Fate #1)

We were made to wear a different uniform for this class. A long-sleeved fitted tunic, secured with a belt, over fitted pants, with thick gloves and boots. All dyed black. Hair tied up tight as best as possible. I looked like a spy in training or something.

When I exited the dressing area with Dahlia, equivalent to the gym lockers I supposed, my knights waited outside to accompany me to the training field. Like on the first day of school, their breaths caught in their throats as soon as they saw what I looked like.

“This school is serving you up on a platter,” Reuben growled while Dahlia laughed.

“Isn’t there a way for you to request a change of uniform for this class?” Robin pouted, and Dahlia laughed louder.

“Sorry boys, our uniform’s like this for maximum flexibility .” Dahlia answered for me with a strange emphasis on the last couple of words. My knights tensed up even more, and it almost looked like they were about to go on a rampage.

I quickly reached for their hands, one for each of mine. “Hey, everyone would be wearing something like this. I don’t want to stand out by changing my clothes, right?”

They calmed down and nodded. “You’re right, my lady,” they answered in unison.

I understood their concern, though. Not only did I have a beautiful face, I also had a shapely body. Admittedly, I had a better figure here than I did in my world. Even then, I could get any man I wanted. I would think I had better chances here.

Not that I would try it.

“And this is the only class you can watch by the wayside,” I added, smiling. “You can make sure I’ll be safe.”

“Yes! Thank the stars!” Robin cheered as Reuben smirked. “I promise I won’t maim anyone. I understand things can get rough. But if something does happen, and your teacher doesn’t do anything, I’ll probably kill them instead.”

“No maiming or killing,” I scolded him, and glared at Reuben for added measure. “You can watch, and that’s it. If there’s a problem, let the teacher handle it, okay?”

“Like scolding little boys,” Dahlia tittered as I rolled my eyes at her. She giggled even more, and I was thankful when she dragged me away to the training field.

Well, this was an interesting turn of events.

Not.

“Good afternoon, trainees,” Lord Grimwald announced at the front of the class, dressed in his fancier training gear.

“I will be your professor for this class for the rest of the school year.” He gestured to Professor Strom, who stood at his right, dressed in his usual coat.

“As you may already be familiar with him, this is Professor Strom, who will be my assistant and additional set of eyes.”

An assistant was needed because the academy combined three class groups for this time slot. Professor Strom took account of us, our eyes meeting for a moment.

Lord Grimwald then gestured to his left, where Master Derrick stood. “This is Professor Altha, a teacher specializing in Recovery magic. He’ll be here in case of accidents, but I implore you to not get yourself unnecessarily injured.”

His red eyes locked on me when he said those last few words. He probably heard about the fireball incident, but that wasn’t my fault!

Or maybe the finger burn instead. That was definitely mine. Derrick looked a little guilty with his tinted cheeks as he noticed me, so I was sure he had told the staff, as he should as a professor.

“For this week and the next, we will assess your physical capabilities and separate you into groups accordingly. You will understand more after the results of the assessment. For now, let’s do some warm-ups. Stretches first.”

Lord Grimwald had us stand at a distance from one another so we’d have the space to stretch our limbs. I took this time to study the surroundings of the training field. And I almost got knocked in the eye when Dahlia stretched her arm next to me, a mischievous grin on her face.

There were several fields all around the campus. This one, assigned to the first years, was right next to the same garden area with the greenhouse I ran off to on my first day. Sure enough, I saw Vincent from a distance, petting some bushes but ultimately watching us warm-up.

On the other side of the field was another field with an obstacle course, for a more advanced level of training. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Amos was there with his class, but he had already finished the course and was free to watch my class. Or rather, specifically me.

Not to mention my knights, hanging out where the bleacher seats were, eyes trained on me like a hawk.

Oh, let’s not forget the Prince, who was also watching from the same bleachers, maybe searching for potential Champions in our group of first years.

Or maybe he was looking out for Claude, who had found it amusing doing his stretches facing me instead of facing Professor Grimwald. At least Elias was being a good boy.

Finally, the library towered over the field. Based on my luck, what were the odds my green-haired librarian was watching from the windows?

“Skies above, you are absolutely dead,” Dahlia cackled as Lord Grimwald demonstrated stretching our legs while standing up, bending down at the waist to reach for our toes.

“Why would I die?” I grunted, even though I had a slight idea of what she meant. When Grimwald signaled for us to start, I sighed and groaned as I followed his instructions.

“You are devoured and eaten alive right in front of my very eyes,” Dahlia explained, as both of our heads were upside down towards the ground. “I could feel it all the way over here. It’s so hilariously entertaining.”

“I know you’re exaggerating. Okay, so some people watch me. That doesn’t mean they want to devour me. I think they’re just curious.” Maybe I gave off an otherworldly aura they could sense. Or maybe my mannerisms were very unusual in this universe. Either way, I emanated strangeness.

I finished the stretch and stood up straight, huffing, “I am very much alive.”

Dahlia only shook her head with a roll of her eyes and a smirk before doing a nudging gesture, beckoning me to look.

So I looked.

The most noticeable one was Amos, pacing at the border of their assigned field, as if he were a predator waiting for an opportunity to strike. Or, more likely, he was controlling himself from leaving his class. Both options were terrible.

Vincent had almost destroyed the bushes from where he stood, for however reason he did. At least my knights behaved as they sat on the benches, since I did tell them they could only watch, but they were trembling so much the seats appeared to be shaking.

The Crown Prince had vanished from his seat. Instead, he now stood next to my three professors, and all four of them kept a serious look on their faces as they observed the class.

Observed me, or maybe that was the paranoia talking.

Elias and Claude had mysteriously appeared next to us. Where did the guys standing next to me go? I was sure our other classmates were just here.

“Starting today, you’re always with me during our Physical class,” Elias requested, grabbing a hold of my hand. I could feel his anger rolling off of him in waves.

Claude raised both of his arms in the air. “See? This is why I claimed you. So this kind of bullshit never happens!”

“What bullshit?” I turned to Dahlia for an explanation, but she only shrugged her shoulders. I turned to Elias and Claude next, but they were preoccupied with the class. My panic rose at the complete lack of information. Coupled with the weirdness of the situation, I was utterly lost.

In the next second, like a child throwing a tantrum, Claude stomped his feet and exploded. “Bea Havenglow belongs to me !” Pointing at me, he yelled, “I would think twice before touching what’s mine or I swear to the heavens I would not hesitate.”

If there was a moment in my life I could point out where I experienced total, absolute silence, this was it. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a sword. My heartbeat hammered too loud in my head.

Everyone stood still. No one dared move or make a sound, not even the professors nor the Prince. This man, Claude Wescott, was almost a demigod, his destiny already prophesied by the Priestesses of the Oracle. Who would be stupid enough to challenge him?

Despite that, no one bothered to explain what happened. The anxiety of not having any context was overtaking me, and a public declaration by a man who barely knew me had sent me spiraling.

What would someone do when the Hero of the Kingdom claimed you for himself without your consent?

Decry him, of course. And just as loud and ridiculous as he had said it.

“What the hell? I’m not some fucking trophy!” I wrenched away from Elias as I mirrored Claude, pointing at his face, blood roaring in my ears. “I belong to me . You don’t get to decide that even if you’re the Hero! I decide for me!”

The weight of my words came to me a second too late.

I publicly defied and humiliated the Hero in front of a hundred people.

It was only a matter of time before the news spread throughout the Kingdom, and with it my eventual execution, as an example for not only disrespecting the Kingdom, but also the Oracles themselves.

What if they also execute my entire household to emphasize the severity of my crime?

Dahlia was right — I was already dead.

Dropping my arms when the silence continued after my outburst, I scoured through my brain for how I could get away from this.

If only I already knew how to teleport, then maybe I could save my parents and Alec.

My knights would take care of Mia and her family.

I would forever be remorseful for the rest of our household but hoped they could escape on their own when the time came.

Swallowing thickly, my whole body flushed with heat.

I seriously fucked up. Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

But then, Claude dropped to his knees, gaze tilted up. “I’m sorry, baby girl! That came out wrong. I’d never think of you as my property. I’ll use my words better!” He spoke even louder, shouting, “I meant to say Bea Havenglow is my girl! My woman! My —”

“Will you shut up?” I screeched, absolutely tempted to grab his mouth to shut it close myself and dig a bigger hole, even though I secretly enjoyed watching a man kneel before me. “Why are you doing this? Is this a prank?” Did he find it amusing to mess with my head?

He suddenly looked serious, even as he knelt on the ground. “No, I simply know what I want.”

And that was the gist of it, wasn’t it?

Even I was doing all these convoluted steps to get what I wanted: to escape this confusing, nightmarish hellhole, back to my world, even if said world was as nightmarish as this one.

“Stop kneeling,” I mumbled eventually, while people only watched as if they were afraid of what the Hero would do next. “People will get the wrong idea.”

“I think they’ll get precisely the right idea,” Claude countered, speaking loudly again. “Everyone will be pleased to know that I, Claude Wescott, am in Bea Havenglow’s care!”

At that, the Crown Prince guffawed, clutching his stomach as he bent over in laughs.

I could only watch in horror as the people around us were now wary of the Prince, while the professors kept their eyes trained on me and on Claude.

Elias vibrated next to me, Vincent had disappeared, Amos ran through the obstacle course like a madman, and my knights were also nowhere to be found.

“It seems we have a Caregiver now,” the Prince exclaimed, gesturing wildly to me.

“More like a caretaker,” I grumbled.

“Welcome to the group, Lady Beatrix Gadreel,” Prince Winston Regalis smiled at me and to the rest of our audience.

“What group?” I almost cried. It wasn’t like I just proclaimed that I was in control of my own fate. Of course the Crown Prince would undermine that.

He walked over, the students parting so he could take my hand gingerly as he beckoned Claude to stand up. “The special thirteenth member, of course.” He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. “The Caregiver of the Twelve Champions.”