To a great knight, education is essential and a requirement. I lecture one not as a teacher but a fellow student who was one of the best at Graycotts Academy.

Most boys were from well to do families or had a knight as an ancestor and wanted to follow in their footsteps. And there was the poor, who had families scrape up all savings just for them to become a knight.

Samuel Goldings was such one and he did not disappoint. Yet he was unhappy about Clive Vagrant of all to take first place. Samuel Goldings would've been a great knight if not for his failures in teamwork. But that's a story for another day.

Once back Clive and I were only students, passing each other with casual "good morning" or "how was class?" At the cafeteria he sat with his friends and I sat with mine. But now we had a secret we shared and when it was time to move in, Clive couldn't hide his smirk. He was pleased about rooming with me and "learning my habits".

After a few days of rooming with me he finally realized my life consisted of only studying in my free time to rejecting invites for anything. Most of them were boys who were told to befriend the third son of the Rottings house in the first place.

Although Clive had his different friends within each class and went out after class to play, he always returned for dinner in the cafeteria with me and then shower time and lastly, right before we slept.

Clive would always be nodding off while studying before turning to look at me. He would say, "Are you still studying?" to which I would reply "Yes," and then study until he nodded off again.

That day was the same, and I walked over to look at his sleepy face.

"How do you always pass tests if you don't study?" I asked, shaking him awake. He rubbed his eyes. We just had dinner and most boys were showering or getting ready to sleep. "Go sleep on your bed if you're sleepy."

"But there's an exam," he muttered.

"Then stay awake," I said. Clive hummed before responding.

"My verbal memory is better than reading. Why don't you read things out loud as you study? I'll use the basin to wash my face and sleep."

I did as he instructed and went over the lessons on some dangerous rebellion that caused a city to fall and a peace treaty that failed. Clive seemed to take it in and ten minutes later I asked,

"Let's test your verbal memory. What was I talking about?"

"The Golden City that fell and King Hans the seventh's peace treaty, the Treaty of the Big Four."

"You do have a good verbal memory," I said.

I continued studying, but fate would have it that Clive snuggled in and I was forced to read everything out loud.

I thought he'd fall sleep after a while since it was so boring, but Clive was awake for at least thirty minutes. Unable to keep reading it I coughed and grabbed a glass of water I kept by my side. My desk was small, as students were usually encouraged to do studying in the library or study rooms.

I finished all my water and glared at him, obviously irate.

"Go to sleep!" I hissed.

"I like listening to you read, it's adorable." Clive smiled angelically. "You should wash up and sleep, you have dark circles under your eyes."

I sighed and put down my book. Since the first exams were coming up, I was trying to study after class. To Clive who didn't ever study, I must've been boring.

Even when I laid in bed, knowing he was only a few feet away, I worried about the smallest of things.

Would Clive leave me because of my devotion to education? Would I be able to beat Samuel Goldings in our exams? Would Clive stay by my side forever?

Would we kiss?

When?

And as usual, I fell into a shallow deep and woke up as though I only had a brief nap.

Clive was always excited in the morning, his skin glowing and face beautiful when he laughed. He always had me go to the cafeteria with him. We'd grab food, and while the sun was out we sat under the trees.

Our school was strict about eating lunch and supper inside and students weren't allowed to eat anywhere else unless given permission, but breakfast was different. It was a sleep or eat period and the cafeteria was also open for students who wanted to grab just milk and bread and since we all hated sitting down, students were all outside. Clive and I snuck to the back of the building, in the shade, and we leaned against the wall as as ate.

"Do you still remember what I studied yesterday and where I ended?" I asked, eating my bread.

"Yes. The part about the grouping of rebels and their relationship with the military."

"Clive." I sighed in defeat. "Why are you so smart?"

"Whoa," Clive grinned. "You're admitting it?"

"No, I was just wondering. Who is your patron? How did they know you were so intelligent?" I asked, looking at him to see if he was annoyed at my prying. Clive seemed to wear a mask as he replied calmly.

"I only happen to be good at studying. I mean, my fighting is good, too, but it's only because you're my partner. If anyone else was, I'm sure it'd be a disaster."

"Sweet words this early in the morning?" I scoffed.

"Yes. After all, we are lovers."

He held my hand in his. We didn't really want to say it, because it sounded so serious, but then I couldn't say my feelings were not serious either. We ate and Clive kissed my cheek before giving a wave.

"Bye, Nathan!"

The moment he ran from the shade and into the brilliant sunlight I remembered my dreams. He didn't suit being a knight. He suited this sunlight, the world casting their love onto him much more.

One might say he suited being a lord, but it was almost offensive to some, as lords were "fake nobles", only noble families with knights were of true success. I grew up learning which families to scorn despite their money or grand titles, and which families rose from the middle or lower classes, even, to statuses even the Rottings had to respect. And I grew up without having to even wonder what my future prospects would be.

Clive and I, moving on, were always paired together in fighting classes. We practiced with different weapons weekly, and there was no doubt we were the best combo. It sounds strange to boast, but I did understand his quick plans and he was strong and fast.

"You really need to get better at dodging," Clive complained to me.

"I never fail even if it comes with a wound or two," I said. I sat down and Clive poured some alcohol into a cloth and pressed it against my scraped knee.

It embarrassed me, but partners were also responsible for each other's injuries so it was natural Clive would take care of mine. I had bruises on my arms from blocking attacks and scars on my legs that Clive would trace his finger over.

That day I was paired up with a different boy, Carlo. He was good at the dagger and us boys practiced with real ones against one another. Truth was, it was hard getting into the rhythm of fighting with someone else than Clive. I held back at first, but Carlo was surprisingly good. Soon I was dodging and out of breath, and then it happened.

His dagger hit my finger as I drove into his armor with my dagger. I had hit the vital spot on his armor and it was his loss, but he must've reflectively hit me with his dagger.

I pulled out my finger, groaning as the numbness turned to pain and I saw my cut in my finger—it was raw pink flesh. Then blood filled the cut.

"Nathan!" Clive ran to me, sheathing his dagger and then saw the cut. He turned to Carlo.

"Look at what you did!" "He screamed. "If your dagger had cut off his finger I would cut your cock off!"

Like a domino falling, everyone started to stop their fights and look at us, silent but also slipping each other secret looks. I saw and felt embarrassed on his behalf.

"Nothing's wrong," I said quickly, but blood was dripping down my hand. It must've hacked to the bone at least.

"His finger is broken in half! He writes with that hand—" Clive continued to shout.

I held Clive, who was somehow scary when angry. I squeezed his should. "It's fine, please, let's just go," I whispered below his ear.

"But he hurt you! You're bleeding so much!"

"It's fine, just treat my wound."

"But—"

"Let's go," I said, dragging him away.

"Be careful next time, asshole!" Clive shouted one last time before following me to the medical benches. I sat there and Clive looked at it.

It was the first time I got such a big injury, too. I guess not all weapons could be blocked. It was a perfectly horizontal cut that I watched in wonder if my finger would just come off.

"I'm pissed," Clive said as be carefully placed cloth on it to stop the bleeding at least.

"I'm not going to lie, Clive. I'm strong but I—I'm dumb."

"Yes, you are," Clive snapped. "I told you to focus on dodging, but it was Carlo's fault he cut you at all."

Our academy allowed us to take "lessons" with weapons in eleventh year as to see who was good with them. By accidentally hurting anyone, you would soon lose that privilege and go back to fighting bare fisted.

"Clive, I am actually feeling really bad." I was suddenly feeling like I was heavily sedated, and my ears only heard the loud boys shouting as they fought and the clicking of weaponry.

He jumped up.

"What's wrong? Is it your hand? Is it numb? Is your head hurting? Feeling anemic due to blood loss?" he prattled one after one.

"Very good diagnosis, I would say all of the above. Also please hold my other hand."

Clive didn't hesitate, he held my left hand and pressed his cheek on it before kissing it gently.

"Clive, we're outside," I groaned, unable to deal with that and the spinning feeling. The handkerchief was soaked with blood.

"Nathan. Know I'm here. I'll always be here. We will do anything you want, yes. I will kill for you, Nathan..."

His voice was soothing and I didn't really pay attention but the contents confused me.

Kill? Why are we killing? It's simply a lesson.

Little did I know.