Not Like The Others
Character(s): Therese, Cyrus, Princess Mary
Summary: Out of all the teachers she met in her life, Therese liked Professor Cyrus Albright the best.
"I wonder what this new teacher is like?"
"Oooh, I hope whoever he or she is, they're better than Professor Sanford! I don't know what I'd do if I have to put up with him again!"
"Do you know if the teacher's male or female?"
"Last I heard, we're getting a male teacher. I heard Lucia speaking to Minnie the other day. She mentioned his name was...Albright or something."
"Maybe he'll be super cool!"
"Is he old or young? I hope we don't get another old teacher again. They're so boring and dull!"
"Come on. Professor Weaver was nice and I liked her a lot."
Gossip and rumors about a new teacher spread like wildfire in a classroom within the confines of Atlasdam Royal Academy. Therese couldn't see what the big deal was. It was just a teacher. What was there to be all up in arms about? She had taken one step into the classroom, and already her ears were bombarded by a gaggle of students going on and on about this new teacher. It had only been two months since the new school year started, and every day, Therese came into school with a frown, even today. But she was happy about one thing, though: the old teacher was gone and would never come back. Thank Aelfric above for that.
She took her seat and opened one of her books, hoping to finally memorize the events that led to the founding of Atlasdam. But even as she read line after line, the voice of the teacher she wholeheartedly despised echoed in her mind. A rough, ragged, husky voice that was always shouting, with no room for kindness, empathy, or patience. The image of a young, burgundy haired woman with sharp, unfeeling gray eyes flashed in her mind, scrutinizing or scolding her for any small, trivial offense, real or imaginary. Therese only had to put up with her for two months, but as far as she was concerned, it was two months too many.
"Therese!" The woman's angry, piercing voice cut through her ear drums, even though she was long gone by this point. But no matter how hard Therese tried, her former teacher's scolding refused to leave her alone. "What do you mean by such conduct?! Sit in your seat proper, like a lady! Don't slump over your desk like some drunkard!"
"Therese! When I call on you, I expect you to know the answer! Honestly, you really need to make more of an effort to study! Or do you feel studying is beneath you?"
"Therese! Didn't anyone teach you not to kick your legs under your desk like some unruly child?! Why must you continue to be a thorn in my side?!"
"Therese! Eyes on the board! For pity's sake, girl! Do I have to tell your parents that you're slacking off when I'm putting in my valuable time and effort into your education?!"
"Therese! I'm dedicating my life to your education and this is how you choose to repay my efforts? Stand in the corner and face the wall! Obey me at once!"
"Therese? You okay?" Thankfully, a kinder, more pleasant voice pushed the bad memories to the wayside. Therese looked up, seeing a blonde haired woman her own age sitting down next to her.
"Hey, Mary," Therese greeted her timidly. Gradually, she could feel her body relax when her friend sat down. But the pounding in her heart was a bit slow to do the same.
"Is something wrong?" Mary asked, her eyebrows furrowed together in concern. "You looked a little spaced out just now."
"Sorry," Therese muttered, shuffling her books into one neat pile. "I was thinking about Mrs. Farrow."
Mary stuck her tongue out and made a faux gagging noise upon hearing the name. "Ugh. Don't remind me. I hope she's gone forever!" She exclaimed without one hint of hesitation in her voice. Therese could only nod in agreement, wishing she was as open and opinionated as Mary. "I swear, if I had to put up with her for one more day, I'd probably explode!"
The blue haired woman could only giggle in response, holding a hand to her mouth to stifle it. Even though she had always been taught that it was improper to gossip about their teachers, Therese agreed with every word Mary said. From the looks of the other students, it didn't seem like anyone else was missing Professor Farrow either, so her absence was no big loss. Regardless of her absence, however, there was still the possibility that this new teacher would likely be just like her, or even worse. Therese had encountered many an unpleasant tutor and teacher all throughout her life. She knew a few who were nice and had good intentions, but they still wound up making her feel stupid and inadequate whenever she got an answer wrong or didn't do everything they asked even when she wanted to.
For once, just once, she wished there was someone who didn't make a huge deal out of her errors and mistakes.
"You really didn't deserve all the crap she put you through," Mary continued on. "She was nuts."
"Indeed she was."
The clanging of a bell silenced the chatter in the classroom. Everyone sat down and turned towards the entrance, their eyes widening as someone new walked inside. A young man, probably somewhere in his twenties or thirties, made his way to the front of the classroom, but with the straight, graceful way he carried himself, it was as though he was a nobleman making his grand entrance at a formal ball. He dressed like a noble, too: a white button up shirt with long, puffed sleeves hidden underneath a brown vest. A black cloak draped over him, matching his pants, long socks, and his scruffy hair. Therese could see a tiny ponytail going down to the nape of his neck, with a white ribbon tying it up. He was much younger than other teachers she encountered, with soft, dark eyes, and a slender, kind face.
He flashed a warm, welcoming smile at the group of students before him. "Salutations, my fellow students!" His voice was suave and cheerful, and he held his arms akimbo like he was standing on a stage. "My name is Cyrus Albright, and starting today, I'm your new teacher for the rest of the term!"
"You're Professor Farrow's replacement?" One red haired boy asked with a raised eyebrow.
Cyrus nodded affirmatively. "Indeed I am. I'm very much looking forward to spending my time with you all and teaching you all the world has to offer," His Atlasdam accent was thick and very pronounced, but not so much that nobody could understand what he was saying. "But first, might I take some time to get to know you all better?"
Therese kept her expectations low. For all she knew, this Professor Albright might turn out just as stern and unsympathetic as Professor Farrow and other teachers. She answered his questions and participated in class as required, but tried not to let herself get too comfortable. However, over the next two weeks, she found herself gradually warming up to the shaggy haired, handsome scholar. Cyrus Albright turned out to be a bright, amiable young man with the happy gift of winning and holding the affections of his pupils, in turn bringing out the best in them. None of his lectures were overly long or dragged out, focusing solely on important subjects, and he never surprised any of the students with sudden questions that threw everyone for a loop. Therese definitely appreciated this. Even outside of class, he was cordial and kind.
"Hello, Therese!" He would greet her in the halls when they passed by. "How goes your day?"
"Quite well, thank you," She would reply, keeping her responses short and sparse.
She took notice of the way he talked to everyone individually.
"I must say, Piotr, I thought your composition on the Kindling was very well written. Your writing has a very enthusiastic, whimsical quality about it, and I can see a lot of your personality in your words."
"Linus. I notice you're having some trouble with the sections that focus on Orsterra's creation. If you'd like, I'd be more than happy to help you."
"May I have a word with you for a moment, Clara? Professor Rowell was telling me about the book report you gave in his class the other day. Would it be alright if you showed it to me? I admit that I find myself very interested in reading it."
"There's no shame in getting an answer wrong, Yolanda. Nobody is perfect. Besides, you managed to get this part right, and you used to have so much trouble with it before. I think that is something to be proud of."
Not once did Cyrus ever point out someone's flaws or deficiencies, much less make a huge deal about them like they were a blight on humanity that needed to be eliminated at all costs. She saw the way her classmate Yolanda blossom under his tutelage, shedding the seemingly permanent glare on her face and smiling more and more, looking more confident in herself. All of his students seemed to bloom under his open-minded, sympathetic way of teaching.
One day, Therese's opinion of him had changed completely.
At the end of class, she found that she received a 63 on a recent test. A sixty three! Her heart fell into the pit of her stomach when she saw that red set of numbers on top of the paper, with plenty of X's to go with it. She had studied for this test for weeks, pouring over her books, taking notes, and participating in class discussions. But alas, her efforts were in vain. It didn't take long for the paper in her hands to suddenly morph into a blurry, wet mass, and pitiful, hiccupy sobs escaped her lips.
Neither of which went unnoticed.
"Therese?"
The blue haired girl jumped a little when she heard Cyrus's voice right next to her. He sat down in the chair next to hers. Therese shrunk back a little. For a moment, she was sure Professor Farrow had come back, ready to declare her a dunce in front of the entire class and make a show of her failure. Was Cyrus here to do the same? Therese held the paper to her chest as though it were a shield. Her eyes were shut, so she didn't notice the concerned look on his face.
"You're crying, my girl. What's wrong? Are you alright?" He asked in a low, soft voice.
What? Therese opened her eyes. For once, nobody was yelling or screaming. She had prepared herself to face the music, but there was none. When was the last time a teacher had asked her if she was okay? She searched her memory, but found nothing.
"I'm sorry...it's just…" As much as she wanted to hold the tears back, they kept flowing, leaving dark marks on the table and parts of her test. "I studied so hard...I really did...but I still failed! I really am stupid, just like Professor Farrow said!" She sobbed, holding the test in front of her face to shield herself from Cyrus's potential disappointment. Did she really need yet another teacher to tell her what a dunce she was, claiming that she was lazy and not putting in enough effort even though she really did?
Aelfric was on her side that day. Cyrus flashed a sympathetic smile and said, "Don't cry so, Therese. I know you did the best you could. It makes me sad to hear you call yourself stupid, because I don't believe that to be true at all."
"Aren't you...mad at me? Don't you think I'm a dunce?"
Cyrus's jaw dropped, like she was asking him if he saw the nation of Hornburg fall to its doom with his own eyes. "What makes you think I would be angry and call you a dunce?" Cyrus found himself asking in alarm. What had this girl gone through to convince her of such things? "To answer your question, you are not a dunce, and I'm not angry at all."
In that moment, Therese found herself opening up to him, telling him about Professor Farrow and how she treated many of the students, including herself. Cyrus listened and let his student speak, his eyes widening the more he heard about her. With every word she spoke, Therese felt that a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Even more so when she saw Cyrus looking visibly appalled by her accounts of Professor Farrow's transgressions.
"My word...I must say, while I do respect Halle Farrow as a fellow scholar, I never did find myself fond of her rather...distressing methods of teaching," Cyrus finally said once Therese finished. "I suspected that she always favored the more gifted students and neglected the children who struggled, but hearing all of this...I can certainly see why you were so distrustful before."
Therese's eyes sparkled like morning dew. Finally, someone who actually understood how she felt!
"I'll have a word with the headmaster about her behavior later today. But for right now…" Cyrus said, glancing at her test paper. "If you'd like, you can retake the test."
"I can?"
Cyrus nodded. "Other students didn't do so well either, but it's not the end of the world, my girl. Failure is what paves the way to success," He said. "In fact, I have some free time on my hands right now. Would you like to accompany me to the library? I think I know where you might be struggling, and I'd be happy to offer you some help in studying. I plan on assisting the other children as well."
Something stirred inside the blue haired girl in that moment. She had been completely wrong about this man. She had assumed he would be just like the other teachers she knew. Stern, high strung, unsympathetic, and too happy to reproach those who didn't meet their standards. Not all teachers were like this, she knew, but she had encountered so many of those particular people that they were the most prominent in her life. Yet here was this lively, polite, energetic man not only going out of his way to help her, but not once had he made her feel stupid and inadequate. Never before was she so happy to be wrong about someone. Where had this man been all her life?
"I'd...like that very much...thank you, Professor…" Therese sputtered, her words stumbling into each other as she gathered her books. Her face flushed a deep crimson upon standing up from her desk, her tears having disappeared by this point.
A warm, welcoming smile spread across his face. "There's no need to get flustered, my girl. The library's still open, and I know Mercedes can find some great books that we need."
There was no denying it now. Out of all the teachers she met in her life, Therese liked Professor Cyrus Albright the best.
A/N: Just for clarification, this one shot takes place a few years before the events of Cyrus's story. At the end of his tale, he's shown in a classroom with several students, Mary and Therese included, and that made me wonder if he was just a regular teacher before the royal family asked him to solely tutor Mary and Therese. I like to think that's what might have happened, so I thought I'd roll with the idea.
Oh, and also just for clarification, NO, I absolutely do not ship Cyrus/Therese. That's creepy and unethical.