"Prince Allister Van Nelson, welcome to Sellsworth High!" Mr. Cavendish cheered at a television screen as the principal inducted the noble student. Most of the class immediately turned away, disliking the introduction. Evan, however, stared at the TV with interest. A new student was another chance to get to know someone. He never even spoke to anyone of his age before. Hopefully, he wouldn't be blown off.

Mr. Cavendish suddenly called Evan. "Mr. Veils, get the prince and ring him to me. You'll receive a reward once you do." Although he sounded quite rash, Evan decided to follow the English teacher's order. He stood from his seat, took his backpack and headed out.

In the office, a student with light blonde hair and black tips sat comfortably in the soft, crimson chair, waiting to be escorted to his first hour. Two tall, identical bodyguards, Ian and Ryan, were positioned on each side of him. Ian gave him a golden goblet of water. "This is for you, my master."

When he took one sip, he gagged, and tossed the fluid onto Ian's face. "You common cretin, this is the salt water for a sore throat. My throat is in perfect condition. Do you comprehend?" Ian nodded, wiping his face with a towel.

"May I make up for my minor mistakes?"

"I am fine. No thank you."

Evan walked inside the office, and the bodyguards got into their position. Ryan grimaced at him. The green-eyed teen was nearly paralyzed. Even his mind carried one thought that stuck to his mind. Why are they staring like that? Ian finally took one step forward and asked for his name.

"I'm Evan Severus Veils," Evan replied quietly. "I'm here to escort a new student into his first hour classroom."

"You sound like a girl. Take no offense. Before meeting with him, state his name, his occupation, his birthplace and one event he was involved in."

Suddenly, a small headache switched his thinking process when he looked at the one who sat in his chair. These words came out with much confidence. "Allister Van Nelson is the revered prince of Nesacarra, and last week on the gold moon, he completed the five trials to obtain all of his rights as a noble. Is that correct?"

The bodyguards jumped at his answer, and Allister immediately stood on his feet. As the huge twins walked out of the office, Allister's ice blue eyes glared at Evan with much confusion. "How did you know all of that?" he asked, wondering how Evan even came up with that. Evan scanned his entire figure. He had no answer. It just…came to him.

Allister seemed to have read the expression on his face. He crossed his arms. "I will ask that later on. You're…tensed up." As the two walked into the hallway, Evan's face turned beet red. When he looked at his face through Allister's pendant, light-headedness settled in, and he fell to the floor. Allister turned around to look at him. His eyes grew with concern.

"You're paler than a sheet of drawing paper!" he gasped. "Must you bear a health condition? I've only seen it once; at my grandmother's deathbed."

Evan got up, and he told him breathily, "I've done that since I was ten. I won't get into much detail." He continued to take the prince to his classroom, but Allister stopped him in his tracks by grabbing his sweater by the heart. Staring into his eyes, he tried to decipher who he was. His eyes then became soft and let go of him.

"I was going to ask something, but I will refrain from it." They walked again, but Allister then said something off. "I am unable to call you a commoner." Evan failed to hear that. His mind was only focused on taking him to class.

In class, Mr. Cavendish confronted Evan. "Thank you so much for the favor. Now, Hold still for me." All of a sudden, he slapped the student in the mouth, sending blood, skin and strands of auburn hair flying sideways. He landed on his hands and knees, covering his mouth. Allister remained frozen in shock. As he stood, and as the class clapped in approval, Allister turned to Mr. Cavendish.

"Did you just slap your own student?"

"His aunt gave me permission because he has to be treated a different way. His emotions need to be brought out." As Mr. Cavendish went back to his desk, Allister sat in his seat next to Evan, where he nursed his bloody mouth. The prince took out a green handkerchief and handed it to him. Evan looked at him. "What is this?" he asked.

"This is one of my lucky handkerchiefs. I have more, so you can keep this one. Besides, it's your primary color."

Evan took the silk cloth and wiped the blood off. He thanked him, though his tears nearly fell out. Allister smiled at him, and then turned away. The thought of helping him wash up and brush off seemed ridiculous to him, but it was only a small favor. While Evan finished cleaning his face, the Nesacarran prince wondered, "Is that a mark on your shirt?"

There was a distinct design on Evan's shirt. It was a vine-like letter V with crossed swords, which were also the color of his eyes. Evan nodded. "I made up the look, and I've had this since I was ten. It's a tribute to what my father was fighting for. There's another mark on me, but I hide it."

Allister made a mental note of that. It seemed all too mysterious that the boy would be hiding almost everything from the world. If he wasn't, why would he speak differently to the bodyguards he practically scared off? Whatever the answer was, it might make an impact in more ways than one.

Evan then took out a blank piece of drawing paper. As Mr. Cavendish explained the project, he started drawing. Periodically, he'd turn to Allister to get a good look at his face. When he did not, Allister would stare at him. Two minutes passed by and Evan completed a shaded sketch of the prince. It was impeccable: no mistake had been made. Allister gazed in awe. "I'm…stunned," he told him as it was handed to him. "Whose eyes do you have?"

"…Mine," Evan replied quietly. "I can observe certain people and draw them. Recently, all were famous."

Allister then thanked him. "I will make sure to hang this in my room. No one had drawn me without missing a single detail. As of now, I feel like I'm staring in a pool of clean water."

Mr. Cavendish heard the whispers, and yelled out at Evan, "Your voice gives me a migraine! Don't speak to the prince. You are nothing but a lousy peasant!"

"It's not like I've talked in class before," snarled the auburn-haired Junior, "and just because you're allowed to abuse me does not mean you can pinpoint all of my wrongs." He shut his eyes and rested his head on his desk. The other students stayed silent, waiting for the teacher to say something back. To their dislike, Mr. Cavendish did nothing. He ignored him.

"Now, class, I want you to read the History of Nesacarra for homework. Tomorrow, the prince will give his account on what it is like to live there, and Evan Veils will assist him in at least one part of his explanation. Now, you may pack up. I've nothing else to say." As the others got their belongings together, Allister turned to Evan's pale face. It seemed that they wanted the teen to be embarrassed by someone of higher rank. That was not going to happen.

Later on, Evan was in the men's locker room, dressing out for freelance training. All of the students were his height, but they were all very strong. (However, it was because most of them used steroids to make Evan look weak). One of them, a dark-skinned twenty-year-old fourth-year senior, walked up and glared at him. "Do you need to get out of your sweater?"

"No," Evan replied. "I'll deal with my sweater."

"I think you need help."

All of a sudden, he grabbed Evan from behind, and while wrestling with him he pulled the sweater off of him, exposing the many scars from his aunt…and one that the other teen couldn't even stare at. Evan grabbed his hood and covered his chest. He ran into the bathroom, stirred by the incident. The rest of the boys laughed as he washed his face in the sink. When all became quiet, Evan looked into the mirror. For some reason, the color of his eyes reflected like a light.

Someone familiar commented quietly, "Your eyes...carry an emerald shine. I never noticed it until now."

Evan spun around and rammed his bare back into the sink, still covering his chest. Allister stood there with one eyebrow raised with deep interest on his mind. He wore a black and ice blue jacket with matching pants, and he knew why he wasn't even dressed. "You have many commoners on your tail, don't you?"

"More like a commoner chasing a commoner," the other told him with a heavy breath. He lowered the sweater, revealing a deep mark on his chest. It was the same one from the jacket. Allister's eyes popped at the sight.

"Did you just call yourself a commoner?"

"Yes."

"Take it back," he ordered. "That's not what the scar implies."

Then, they heard the teacher. "Get out here! We are sword-fighting in honor of Prince Allister Van Nelson!"

Evan quickly jumped into his gym clothes and headed out. Allister followed him. When they got outside, Allister grabbed him by the arm and rammed his back into the wall.

"I apologize for becoming rash. It's just that I see something in you, and it's not coming out. I will find out."

He freed him, and they walked into the gymnasium.

Most of the students carried wooden swords and played around. Evan and Allister had real swords. (Ryan handed Evan his because "he deserved it"). Their practice was quick, but right away, the prince figured Evan was very skilled at it. They tied twice.

"I cannot defeat you, yet. Usually, I am able to take one down with a single swipe of the blade."

Evan did not reply to that until he pushed the prince's sword back. "My father was able to slay thirty-two possessed priests with one swing of his sword and hold the power within it. Usually, I don't tell anyone about my father because they fail to listen."

Allister stared at him. "You act like two different people. One is always bullied while the other can defend himself. This has to be an environmental phase."

He swung…and Evan swiftly deflected it without looking at him. As the sword flew to the side of the room, Allister was left…trembling. The two bodyguards gasped. "You have been beaten! What occurred?"

Allister was astonished, yet he congratulated him. "I may not have been focused, but you managed to find a weak point in me and exploit it. Maybe your way of duality has become a helping tactic."

"You deserve more praise than I do." Evan gave Ian the sword. "Besides, you are known because you're…noble."

"You have to traits of one. And don't call yourself a commoner."

"Why?"

"You are not a commoner to me. Understand that." The seriousness in his deep voice rattled through Evan's veins, and he suddenly gained the same dark speech.

"I understand, but what holds me back is the rest of these hideous ghouls. Six years is too long."

Allister smiled at him. "That's why I figured out what I was seeing."

Evan's face turned red. "…You did?"

"You have a strong motivation, and no one will let you bring that out. Someday, you'll have to reveal it to all else."

The P.E. coach suddenly ran to Evan. "What on earth are you doing with the prince?" he wondered. His bulky face was scarlet, and Evan told him that they were training.

"We both sword fight."

"He is the one who has a sword. You have nothing. Now, get a rope and start jumping. Then, you can only watch us try and beat Prince Allister."

As he turned around, and before he could start off the other way, Evan narrowed his eyes.

"No."

The word was final…and fatal. The coach turned right back around and yelled out, "Do not tell me no, Mr. Veils!"

Evan tried to keep calm, but as he was called every profane name in the book of hatred, his rage made his heart face. When the teacher was finished, he just eyed him. It was as if he mentally zoned out. (It might have been because he pushed all of those words aside and concentrated on how to react). Allister wasn't surprised that he did not punch him.

…But he was absolutely mortified when the teacher pulled out a dagger, grabbed him from behind and held it at his throat.

The other students rallied around the two, ordering for Evan's voice to be slashed. Evan just looked at the Prince, who was handed his sword. He knew that he would be all right if he just relaxed. This was not the first time he was held captive. With his eyes shut and his head raised high he waited for his fate. Allister saw the strain his acquaintance endured, and his body trembled. He had to do something to release Evan from the situation he was in.

Ian and Ryan walked behind the coach, and waited for their cue. Evan, still straining, stared down at the silver blade. It was so close to his neck that he had to hold his breath. The coach whispered in the teen's ear. "This is your punishment for denying the authority. Saying no to me is a definite sign of defiance. You comprehend me? Now, you must face everyone that despises you. If you move, you will ultimately suffer in front of them."

Evan suddenly smiled. Allister raised both eyebrows. He knew what he was up to.

"You're forgetting something, Mr. Brock. Not everyone hates me."

The teacher positioned the knife closer, but this time, it failed to bring any more fear into Evan. Maybe he was at his peak. Ian and Ryan tackled the teacher, and Evan was freed from his grasp. Allister grabbed him by his sleeves and embraced him. The two feel to their knees. As the students wandered off, disappointed at the outcome of the event, Allister told him that he did not want to see him in that predicament ever again. It scared the living daylights out of him! Evan was only relieved that his throat wasn't slit. Through that morning, he realized that there was someone near him who actually bore a beating heart…and he did not want that pulse to fade away…just like his parents.