Chapter Twenty-Nine: What's Going On?

                                    

                                          

So I cried... a lot. 
                          
Honestly I wasn't as embarrassed as I thought I would be. I don't cry that often, but it wasn't because I thought that crying was a sign of weakness, it just didn't really happen to me. In my past life I learned that crying was healthy and a great way to alleviate emotional stress, so it was actually a good thing that I was able to let all those tears out. 
                          
If anything, I felt bad for sending the guys into a massive panic. They had never seen me cry so much, and once Elaine started crying, they looked as if the world was ending. Of course, once Elaine and I calmed down, we couldn't help but laugh at how bad we must've looked. This made them even more confused. For a second I thought that Ryland was checking to see if the attackers had given Elaine and I some potion that made us crazy, which only made me laugh even harder. 
                          
On our way back, Elaine and I held hands, Prince Philip placing his tear stained jacket over my shoulders. I remember the female leads from romance books in my past life were always apologizing for staining the male lead's coat with their tears, but I honestly had no sympathy. If anyone could easily buy a replacement coat in this kingdom, it would be Prince Philip. 
                          
The sight of the kingdom's most eligible bachelors walking alongside the shameless girl and the commoner was enough to cause an uproar among the students. What made them lose it completely was the fact that we left the area where guards had escorted away multiple unconscious students, each one of us dirty from sitting in the grass. Elaine and I giggled at the dirt stains on Caden and Charles' butts. We thought of telling them about it, but decided that it would only lead to more embarrassment now that all of the student's were watching. 
                          
Charles, Caden, Prince Philip, and Ryland kept glancing at Elaine and I, still trying to figure out if we were okay or not. What they didn't know was that I was just as confused as they were, not sure of how I felt after all the recent events. 
                          
When I broke down, my heart felt like it was on fire, the fear from both my past life and this life raging inside of me. At first I thought I was trapped and would never be able to escape the flames surrounding me, but as Prince Philip held me and Elaine cried with me, the fire slowly subsided. I was left feeling lighter than I had in weeks, and even though it was still difficult to breathe, I was no longer suffocating. 
                          
Once we made it back to my dorm, Elaine and I got changed into nightgowns and sat on the edge of my bed, huddled under a blanket, each of us holding a cup of hot coco. Having Elaine beside me, someone who understood why I was so afraid and knew how to comfort me, was something I would have never imagined before entering the academy. No words could describe how thankful I was to have her. 
                          
"So," My brother said, his voice low. I could tell he was doing his best to hold back his anger, knowing how upset I would be if my brother had been attacked by an unknown group of people. 
                          
"What are we going to do?" 
                          
Everyone took a moment to think, a heavy silence filling the room. Whoever was targeting me was not aiming to just threaten me, they were aiming to ruin me. This was beyond the student body, someone from the outside was involved. 
                          
"Where is the letter?" I asked, struggling to pronounce the last word. Even thinking of the meaning behind the beautiful cursive lettering made my stomach turn. I tried to push the thought out of my head. 
                          
"I have it with me, I plan to examine it later." Ryland explained. I decided to put my detective hat back on, thinking of ways that we could trace the culprit. Detectives didn't exist in this world, the closest resemblance being the scholars who sometimes assisted the military. However, they were no match for the detectives and FBI agents I had watched on TV, even if they did have magic.