itle: Meanwhile While You Were Gone
Authors Note: I had half of this written and decided to stay up and finish it. It was longer but cut a bit of it.
Authors Note2:
grado legal: law degree
"My crown," said Elena as she went to prepare for her party. There was going to be a celebration for Isabel's 11th birthday next and one thing Elena was going to do was show off her crown. All of Isabel's friends wanted to see hers and Isabel's last time they talked. Then went on about some invention. "It was in my room and now it's not there." She had searched and now it was missing.
Now a full search party was in effect as everyone was looking. Esteban threatening people with a job loss if it wasn't found. Elena only rolled her eyes as only she could do something like that or at least Francisco. She grew nervous as it still hadn't shown up yet. It wasn't even the party and things were going wrong.
"I found it!" said Marco, the new guard shadowing Gabe and Diego. He was going to take over if either of them had become sick or otherwise doing another job. Both of them seemed eager to have a new recruit as Gabe was excited half the time and annoyed the rest with him around. Elena ran toward his voice as did the others. As she saw him she only gasped at what was going on. The room that he had found her crown in. It was Gabe's room.
Esteban, Francisco, and her friends showed up to see what was going on. The crown in Marco's hands as he handed it back to her. Why would Gabe have her crown, least of all in his room?
"I didn't take it," said Gabe as he was being stared at. "I swear; I'm helping you look for it."
"It doesn't look that way," said Esteban as he scowled at Gabe. Never the less there was that hesitance on his face. Elena only stared wondering what was going on. Gabe wouldn't steal something of hers. He never went and did something like that before. "Where was it Marco?"
"I saw it sitting on the bed, I didn't know it was his room," said Marco as he looked defensive toward Esteban. Elena looked at him as the others turned to Gabe. A small smile on Marco's face as he said that. Dismissing the look, Elena turned back to her friend.
"I don't think Gabe did it," said Elena as everyone looked at her. Gabe looked gratefully in her direction.
"Elena, he needs to be fired. This calls for a full formal investigation," said Esteban looked at his cousin with disdain. Her crown was not a toy to be played with and it was supposed to stay locked up. It fully belonged to the royal family and not just anyone could use.
"Abuelo can't we do something besides fire him?" asked Elena standing up for Gabe. "I know Gabe and you know him to that he wouldn't just steal something." If there was anything she knew about him was that he was more mature and responsible than anyone not to steal. Even the rest of the guards said that about him.
"Elena," started Francisco as she saw her hard look. The same look whenever she gave someone the benefit of the doubt. "We won't fire you but you'll be under an investigation and temporarily suspended. Fully paid of course." Francisco wasn't going to be the bad guy and fire the boy. If anything he owed him from saving Elena from Charoca, carrying her back to the castle after Orizaba's defeat, and being the first to protect Elena from Fiero.
Gabe took a breath as he looked at Higgins and Hector sitting on the carriage. They had walked him out personally as they talked. He didn't want to go home and babysit all day again. There was nothing that he really could do at this point. With as much dignity and composure as he could, he only nodded.
"You don't have to do that," he said after a minute. "I'm willing to take a punishment even though I didn't do it."
Francisco and Elena looked at him incredulously. What?! Why? He only looked at them as serious as he could be. "While that is very noble of you, I insist," said Francisco as he looked at him steadily. "Just go home and get some sleep you'll be back with us before you know it."
Keeping his composure Gabe only stood attention to his senior. "Thank you, councilman Francisco for the generosity," he said keeping his composure as he waved good bye to his friends. He didn't want to go home right away to his big family. A family that had learned to keep up without him.
"I'll go with you," said Elena as she climbed on before he could even counter that. One last look he smiled at them. Elena glared at her cousin before seeing Marco disappear back in the castle. Something was wrong with him. It was quiet as the carriage went out of the city and into a nearby town just to the outskirts. It was 10 miles from the castle to his home that he lived in. "You know you didn't have to say that."
Oh about the taking the punishment? "It seemed like the right thing to do. Besides, you all know me. I didn't even pack up my stuff." Dad's book was still at the castle, he thought. He would be back soon, at least he hoped. Until then Marco would have to be in charge of everyone. Diego had to act as a guard for Luisa and Francisco.
Elena jerked awake as she heard the clock chime next to her bed. Next to her the clock read 4:30 am as she yawned. What was she doing up at four am? She heard shouting for a moment as she blinked herself awake. Going straight to the balcony Elena looked around and saw in the left wing of the castle, she could see the guards outside. She could make out Higgin's stout frame and the muscular frame of Julio. Someone, she recognized as Marco was shouting numbers. Numbers that made her feel sleepy as she went back to bed.
The next day felt glum to Elena. She usually felt that way when any of her friends couldn't make it to see her. Gabe was no exception to the rule as she thought about him. What would he be stuck doing at home? She watched the door as it opened. It wasn't her abuela to gently wake her up this morning.
"Good morning princess," said Marco as he looked at her still in bed. "You have a busy day today. I've written out a schedule for you." A schedule? Well, that wasn't exactly a bad thing. She looked at the paper in his hands as she stared at it for a moment. Yawning, she noticed that her study time with Esteban had nearly tripled. There wasn't a free time slot for being with her friends until after the grand council meeting.
"Not a lot of free time with Skylar, Mateo, or Naomi," she noticed, still yawning.
"Not enough time," he promptly said as she when into her closet to change. Marco still out there as he explained the schedule. "You have a lot of studying to catch up on. 41 years of it to be exact. Plus, you really shouldn't be playing around with those jaquins anyway. Your last guard didn't really know what kind of trouble you were in with them did he?" The way he talked about them, Elena felt annoyed. The jaquins were perfectly harmless and wouldn't hurt her. Skylar in particular was very protective of her.
Then the way he said her last guard. It was like Gabe had been gone longer than 24 hours. She walked over to the vanity she had in her room dabbing on a bit of makeup. Not only that but she could really look out for herself. The jaquins made sure that she was safe and protected. Sure Elena didn't really carry a sword or the scepter on her all the time. Plus, Gabe had other duties than to just look out for her.
"I wasn't in any kind of danger," she said turning around looking at Marco. He was really starting to bother her now. "And Gabe trusts me." Something that Marco clearly wasn't going to do right away. She looked at the schedule at least she had time to eat in the middle of it. Elena could swear that she heard him say something along the lines of too much trust.
"Well I'm here to help you get back on track," he said as Elena looked at him from her vanity. No one seemed to have a problem with the way she was ruling. She had to give him some kind of chance though. Looking at the schedule she had breakfast. Naomi and Mateo had school so she had study time with Esteban. Mainly getting her caught up on laws and such since being gone for so long.
Going down to breakfast, she caught sight of Marco telling her abeulos and Isabel her schedule. What was going on? Sitting down for breakfast, Elena saw Naomi already sitting there eating something. Oh good, someone she could talk to and rant about Marco already. That didn't stop him from seeing Naomi and going through her bag.
"I have to make sure she has nothing to harm you on her."
Naomi looked at him blinking as she looked stunned. She leaned in and Elena felt her whisper in her ear, "I don't like him." Across the table she could see Esteban asking Higgins if he was okay. If this morning was right, he had been up since at least four.
"I'm going to go see Naomi off to school," said Elena getting up after finishing her breakfast.
"I'll go with you. In case someone might attack you," said Marco as he stood up.
"You're fine, I do it all the time and Gabe doesn't have to go with me," she said as recalled Higgins driving her last time. She got up as thankfully her abuelo wanted to talk to him about his other duties.
"He tried to interview me about my qualifications when he saw me," said Naomi as she went out to the carriage. Elena had gotten ahead of the girl to get away from Marco. "Wanted to know how and why I'm on the grand council. I miss Gabe."
"We should at least give him a chance," said Elena also missing her friend. Gabe wasn't like this at all. He trusted her and gave her a lot of freedom. She made a mental note to not take advantage of that when he came back. "Besides, Gabe will be back soon. This is just a huge misunderstanding."
"I hope you're right," said Naomi as she got out. Higgins smiled at her through tired eyes. Oh gosh, her day wasn't going to go right. Especially since the grand council meeting. It has only been a day since Gabe left and everything seemed to be falling apart. All of a sudden she was glad to be going to lessons.
"I'd like Marco or at least give him a chance if he wasn't being so controlling. I don't have any free time. We need to investigate," insisted Elena as she pulled her friends into the hall where her scepter was found. She wasn't exactly being fair to him, but it was barely a full day with him and it was already overwhelming her. Elena saw her schedules and they all looked like today. "I can't keep having Marco breathing down our necks."
"Did you see our schedules?" asked Isabel. "I only have two hours to do inventions. I need more than two hours."
Even Isabel was involved? Now that her sister was involved, it was personal. Not that it wasn't already but she wanted some explanation. He just kept questioning everyone and dismissed Gabe completely. He was the one that trained him. "First we should check his room and see if there is any other evidence. Then go and look your room for any extra evidence," said Naomi as she looked around for Marco or one of the guards. Naomi and Isabel came up as they pulled them to go look in Gabe's room.
"Should we be going through his stuff?" asked Isabel as they made their way to where the guards usually slept. Most of the men slept in the barracks except for Gabe, Higgins, and Diego. Since they were also personal guards they had rooms near their own. Middle of the night attacks weren't common but they happened.
Naomi only nodded her head. "All the reason to look through his stuff. Esteban is doing a background type check right now on him. Part of some kind of procedure that I heard him talking about. They won't be checking for evidence until all of the paperwork has been filed."
Oh Esteban, though Elena as she put her hand on the door knob. It opened easily as everyone went in looking through his things. Good thing he didn't really empty his things. Gabe was just under a suspension as she looked around wondering where to start. He kept everything nice and neat. A picture of his family next to his bed as she looked near a book case examining the books. He only had a couple of books on the shelf, three of them on law, she didn't know that he knew law and was interested. An old copy of a book of fairy tales. At the end of the low shelf was another picture of what she guessed, his father and him.
Behind her, Isabel lifted underneath his sheets to find nothing lying flat. All they had to do was find some evidence that showed that he couldn't have broken in and actually take anything. She lifted the pillow as a slip of paper fell out of the case. She looked down at it to find a drawing of Elena. Aww, he kept a picture of Elena under his pillow. Quickly, Isabel shoved it back in, reminding herself to ask later. "Hey, I thought of something," she said heading toward the door. "Look at how we found his room. Everything is clean and neat. He wouldn't have had time to get into Elena's room, come here, hide it, and then go back down to the party without being sloppy. He wouldn't let it sit out like they found it. We're basically tampering with the evidence."
Hearing that Elena dropped the small painting she was looking at on his floor. Nobody else seemed to have moved anything too big. Okay so everything had to remain the way that it was. It was still the same: the paintings, the books on his shelf, the tightly made bed. "We should check the door of my room," said Elena as they made their way to her room. "I remember locking it so no one gets in. We lock all of the bedroom doors."
"The lock on the door was broke. So someone did have to break in and not just let themselves in," said Isabel as Naomi looked at the door perked up. So it couldn't have been an inside job, as Elena looked at Naomi ready to figure out who it could have been. She had a suspicion that it might have been Marco himself just after his job. Elena remembered the way he dismissed Gabe and that sly grin.
"That proves nothing," said Isabel after a minute, confused, before realizing what that would mean. "Does he have keys?"
"Yes it does, Gabe has keys to get in every room in the castle. He wouldn't have to break a lock to get something," said Elena remembering what her abuelo told her about the guards. Gabe had a lot of duties as a lieutenant. Almost as much as the captain but enough to know that he had access to a lot of rooms. "This is enough proof to show that someone broke in and put it to where Gabe would be blamed. He's not fired yet and we can prove it."
"Thing is; why would no one find this before us?" asked Isabel looking at the door. "He's under an investigation, the first thing done would be to check the locks."
"I think I remember Esteban mentioning that the investigation started with a background check," said Naomi. "He's following standard procedure. That's where it starts to see if there is any evidence of thievery before this incident. They wouldn't be starting until that is done." Esteban and his stickler for rules. Never the less, they had their proof to show someone. They couldn't let Marco know that they found out what happened.
"We have to find Gabe and get him back," said Naomi as Elena and Isabel only nodded in agreement. Elena knew not to trust Marco, but decided to give him a chance. Trusting her instincts, she never doubted Gabe for a moment. Looking around they had to avoid Marco somehow. He wasn't with them now. Gabe was living with his mother just outside the city as she remembered. Elena, Isabel, and Naomi went to Elena's balcony.
"Skylar!" shouted Elena as she waved around looking for her yellow jaquin friend. Flying toward her, she saw all three jaquins land on her balcony.
"Is Marco gone yet? Is Gabe back?" asked Skylar getting excited. He hated the new guard that seemed to have disliked the winged creatures. Being threatened to stay away only seemed to have them come back, however.
Elena shook her head as they started to climb on their backs. "No but we have proof he didn't do it. We'll explain on the way." Elena looked for the house that was on her application. It was way out of the city, no wonder Gabe bunked at the castle. Then she saw people and heard voices as they started to lower down in the general direction. Outside of a hacienda ran several boys as she tried to make out a face. None of them were Gabe, but she could tell that they were family. All of them seemed to have the same long nose and muscular frame. A couple of them playing a game that included running and hiding.
Sensing that Elena needed to be down there, Skylar flew down and landed not too far out from the home. Nodding at each other, Isabel and the others made their way to the house. Outside, his brothers and sister looked up at her as she walked over. Six kids came out of hiding in the trees and such as Elena waved at them.
"Is Gabe here?" she asked as the girl just about 14 came forward.
"I can show you princess," said the girl, "I'm his cousin, Josefina." Smiling at her, Elena followed her into the house with the others following inside. Around her the boys went back to playing with a few still watching her. Josefina looked nice as she opened the door and the first thing she noticed was the paintings. Behind her the door slammed closed as Josefina looked guilty. There were a lot in the house along with woven baskets and clay vases. No part of the house didn't seem decorated up. If Elena recalled correctly, his mother had a shop at the Villa Mercado. Naomi stood next to her as they were guided to the sitting room. Veronica and Isabel talking animatedly about some painting that had caught her attention.
From the next room they could hear talking. The smell of baking bread warmed her up as they waited around to see if Gabe would come.
"They're in there," said Josefina. "He's been fighting with aunt Dolores when she's not busy with the wedding." Elena didn't know what wedding, but she encouraged them to listen in. It wasn't that hard since she could hear his mother and Gabe arguing through the door.
"I want you to be a doctor or a lawyer- not some military man. You are my son and I don't want to see you hurt. Maybe it's good that you did lose your job. You can go back and finish your law degree, you were in the accelerated program," said a woman as they listened in guilty. Then Elena's eyes grew wide and Naomi's opened her mouth. Isabel only looked confused, Gabe had a law degree and did nothing with it? Why did he even come to work as a guard at the castle?
"They've been arguing like this since he came back," said Josefina as they all shared a look. Naomi looked sympathetic as Elena was still a bit stunned by the fact that he had went to college. Then in law of all things. She couldn't see him as a lawyer but that was probably his mother's doing.
"Look how being a lawyer worked for uncle Emilio. He died before I was even born because of Shuriki. Besides what if I wanted to be an architect like dad? This conversation is pointless; you know I love my job. I like working with the staff and the princesses." Elena tried to peer into the room but they were keeping the door shut right now. Everyone must have been listening to them since Gabe came back. She felt bad for listening in, but it was kind of unavoidable.
"Then be one, I just don't want to see you hurt. Think about the rest of your life, what if you get married and have children? How are you going to provide for them if you risk dying every time you work? Schooling is very important, you know how I couldn't even finish middle school because of your abeula."
"Ma, not that again. I'm getting my job back," he said sighing as Elena was now able to see. She could make out his mother facing the door and Gabe's back to them. Annoyance across the woman's face at the fact that she couldn't get through to her son. "We agreed that I would go to school and get a degree or certification. Then if something came up at the castle I would take. Something did and I really enjoy it. I appreciate that aunt Alicia got me in class but it's not something that I can see myself doing."
His mother sighed before turning back from Gabe as she adjusted the skillet. "Alright, I give in. I understand I would hate it if someone told me that I couldn't do art anymore. I just worry about you in danger. I'm going to write to Alicia about getting you a job at the college until your suspension is over. I heard the law library is hiring. Just… Just go see who was slamming the door."
Gabe turned to face the door as they all scrambled to the living room. Josefina explaining the painting on the wall. Aunt Dolores painted it and it took about a year to do but it's her favorite in the house. In the living room sat two of the boys that only stared. There had to be at least 9 children living in this house. The youngest one sucking his thumb looking at Elena, Naomi, and Isabel with wide eyes before Gabe walked into the door.
"Princess Elena. Princess Isabel. Naomi," he said as the little boy with the thumb in his mouth toddled over to Elena. She looked down at the little boy, probably not much older than a year. They all looked at him as Josefina only rolled her eyes before picking up a knitting project.
Elena smiled as he put his arms up for her to pick him up. Gabe moved over closer to her as he picked up the boy instead. He tickled his stomach as the girls only watched. "Miguel he always asks people for hugs," he said as he put the boy down to play with some spare clay. "What are you three doing here?" He looked confused at them as all three shared a troubled look with each other. Josefina left the room once she knew it was safe to go to the kitchen and help with food.
"Gabe can you braid my hair? Luis keeps messing up," said a girl not much younger than Isabel as she walked up to them. "Is that the princesses? They're just as pretty as you said they were!"
Hearing this only made Elena flush at what he might be telling his family about her. It must have been nice things judging from the pretty comment. At this Gabe grew red and stern as he looked at the smaller girl as she started to give him the puppy dog look. Elena only stifled back a knowing smile. At least she would know what to do if he kept refusing her something. Maybe extra snacks.
"You know how to braid hair?" asked Isabel. Elena though about that for a moment before thinking the same question. They were getting surprised all day.
"Not now Veronica," he said through clenched teeth.
"Pleaaasssse?"
"Alright fine." She looked happy as she handed him a brush and a hair tie. She sat down in front of them as the others looked at him as he started to brush. Isabel looked surprised that he knew how to do that as did Naomi. Elena only looked at him with an expression that only seemed to read, help us out.
"We're here to get your job back," said Elena walking over to him before putting a hand on his shoulder, "no one likes Marco. He's mean and he doesn't let us do much of anything. We miss you Gabe; we all do."
"Thanks Princess Elena, I miss you too. I miss all of you, even Esteban. But until it's proven that I didn't steal, I can't come back." He looked down at his hands unable to fight back defeat.
"We just need to get you in the castle to prove it. I have a plan we just need to talk to my grandparents," she said thinking this through as she started to explain to everyone. She had come up with the idea as they flew in with the jaquins. They were just going to get Gabe into the castle without thinking that he was coming back.
"Elena what do you have in mind," said Gabe as they started to walk back to the jaquins. Isabel getting on with her sister on Skylar. Luna carried Naomi as Gabe was free to get in Migs. Thankfully he got on. That was one way to get him to follow, putting herself in potential danger meant something.
"Gabe you come and watch and see what he does," said Isabel. They thought about him checking over Naomi every time she came to visit. Will not let the jaquins let Elena ride on them anymore. Then, it was just becoming too much as he was practically breathing down her neck. He looked at Elena like she was incompetent or just a figure head. Elena only smiled as they managed to get back to the castle just in time before Marco could notice.
"And where were you?" asked Marco as her abuelos looked at them as Elena felt her stomach drop. He was standing out there with her abuelos. The plan wasn't supposed to happen until tomorrow. Elena planning on telling her abeulos today. Not only that, but she never got in trouble with a guard before. Gabe was rather forgiving. She looked at Gabe who had followed her back to watch. "And what are you doing here?"
That didn't stop some of the other guards from seeing Gabe. Marco was always bossing around the other guards and the hated him just as much. She was talking to Hector and Higgins about what he was doing. They ran drills every morning at four am. "Gabe you're back I've missed you!" shouted Higgins as the redheaded man threw himself on him as Gabe awkwardly patted him on the head. It was comforting at first until it grew longer than a few minutes. Elena only shared a look with Naomi amused until Gabe was clearly exasperated.
"Euan you can let go of me now." At this Higgins got off of him her grandparents and Esteban were talking with him. Elena could tell from their faces that they were a bit uncomfortable. At least her grandmother because she wasn't involved in military affairs.
"Gabriel what are you doing here?" asked Luisa as she saw him. Gabe only waved off the conversation of food with a salute and a smile. At this, Elena only wished that he would come back. Marco looked at Gabe with a straight look on his face but a snarl on his face.
"Gabe is just visiting," said Isabel as Elena watched her abuelos. They had to get away from Marco to make a plan together.
"Yea, we went to visit him at home," admitted Elena as she looked at Marco. He was going to make her feel guilty later and she knew it.
Naomi looked at him with a smug smile on her face knowing exactly what happened. She turned to Esteban and her grandparents telling them at least why they were there. "We did learn something new about him though. As it turns out Gabe has a grado legal from the university. His aunt is a professor there and got him in for free."
"Gabriel you have a grado legal?" asked Esteban surprised as he had to take some of those classes. Why wasn't that on his application? Why wasn't anything he learned about him on his application? That would have useful to know when they were interviewing him. Granted, he did a good job without it but dang. It could have been something that they could have known about.
"I wanted to see how everyone was. It's not something I'm proud of," he admitted if a bit begrudgingly with a glum look on his face. Apparently, that was not something that he was willing to admit. He didn't want to talk about school; Gabe hated university. Francisco and Luisa only looked at each other just as surprised as Esteban. At this Marco only stood there with a stony look on his face. Elena was sure that he was the one that tried to frame Gabe judging by his look written on his face. If she had a plan this would be the time to use it.
"Who did you have for your law class?" asked Esteban thinking about his own classes he had to take for his royal education. Then just to make sure he wasn't lying.
"Senora Angelica Ramirez."
"I've heard of her; I hear she is very difficult."
"Not really, I got an A. Then again everyone complains about my aunt being a hard teacher." Elena could hear Esteban question who his aunt is and what she taught Elena only watched as Marco's face only grew darker and darker with each part of the conversation. Luisa and Francisco only getting in on the conversation seemed to push him. This was becoming uncomfortable between Elena and Marco as he only looked angrier and brooding.
"You did well in life haven't you?" asked Marco as Gabe flashed dark look before smiling at him. Elena only thought about what she knew about him. Gabe didn't seem to have such an easy life if that meant losing a father at a young age or acting like a parent when he really shouldn't have. She did read his application after all.
"I won't really want to talk about university. I was made fun of for doing good in school and my aunt getting me in. The only reason I wasn't beat up was because I was strong enough."
Elena looked at Marco who just fumed at hearing this for some reason. She heard a sword unsheathe from his belt. Why did he do that? Before she knew it, Elena found herself rolling on the floor with Gabe pulling her up and pushing her into Naomi next to her. Francisco and Luisa were next to them as Gabe made a grab for a sword attached to one of the armor figure. Esteban demanding for the royal guard with Higgins running to get the others.
She turned and saw that Gabe was fighting with Marco with an apparent ease. Despite Marco praising himself to be a great swordsman, he was losing to a teenager. "We have to get out of here," said Luisa as she felt her grandmother shaking next to her. Marco just outright tried to attack her. Oh this is real, this is real. She found herself being picked up as Naomi was holding the door open for her. Elena turned her head with her eyes closed. Oh that was a real assassination attempt. Someone tried to really kill her. Someone that wasn't magical and actually had something to prove. This wasn't Shuriki. Then the fact that Gabe was fighting him out there. Finding a sword herself, Luisa only watched as she went in to help him.
They heard a sliding of metal as a sword landed on the other side of the room. Elena turned and looked as she saw Marco on the floor with Gabe's sword to this throat. "Give me a reason not to kill you. You take my job and you attempt to attack a princess."
Around her more guards entered the room as Marco was held up by the others. Marco's own sword had flown across the room in the fray. "Why?" demanded Elena, who could only hear the pounding in her ears. At this she silently began to scold herself for letting it get this far. Normally everything would be settled without a fight.
"Why? He doesn't know what he's doing, he's just a kid. He's not fit to be in charge of anything," said Marco as he looked at all of them with defeat written across his face.
"Marco be quiet. Gabriel is fully qualified to have his job. He passed Shuriki's boot camp with flying colors, a letter of recommendation from a master swordsman, and leadership skills from being from a large family. And a sensible head on his shoulders," said Esteban as everyone turned and looked at him defend Gabe. Even Gabe looked surprised by the compliment. "You're fired; Gabriel come back."
The guards holding him took him away as Marco only protested that they couldn't do this to him. She heard shouting around her as everyone started to clap. Not even gone for 24 hours and he was missed. Marco sure had his presence known. Then again, this could be from before. A couple of the guards came to hug Gabe as Isabel hugged him around the waist. Naomi patting him on the shoulder and Elena found herself kiss him on the cheek. Things were going to be okay now. She didn't a chance to catch him looked a bit touched from the kiss.
"Now Gabriel," said Esteban. "We know about your grado legal, what other classes did you take?" asked Esteban eagerly as Elena saw him twitch with a fake smile on his face as he rattled off classes: principles of leadership, public speaking, etiquette, business 101, military history. With each class made her eyes go wide. Principles of leadership? Etiquette? "It was a wish fulfillment all the classes she couldn't take, I had to."
"He's perfect, I can kick Naomi out of the grand council!" gleefully remarked Esteban as Naomi only looked disgusted with him and Elena only rolled her eyes.
"You're not going to do that Esteban," said Elena.
"It's great to be working with you too again chancellor."
Elena only rolled her eyes before going off with Naomi and Isabel to find Naomi. There was some adventure to go on soon.