The following week marked the beginning of Rynhara's integration into both the Dread Reapers Club and her school life. If her first days of class had been chaotic, the week that followed was downright bizarre, as she balanced her classes, club activities, and the ever-growing reputation of being both a "villainess" and a prodigy.
Rynhara's morning began as usual: in the castle dining hall, seated across from Tiamora, who was leisurely sipping her tea while reading the Morning Gazette of Nations. Kaelira stood at attention nearby, her maid uniform pristine.
"Mother," Rynhara began, buttering her toast with a sigh, "Do you know what they're calling me at school now?"
Tiamora raised a brow, her golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "Do tell, my dearest chaos bringer."
"They're calling me Lady Dread Wing," Rynhara grumbled. "And that's not even the worst one! Yesterday, someone called me the Harbinger of Destruction!"
Tiamora chuckled. "Ah, the sweet whispers of reverence. You're making your mark, darling."
"Mother, it's not reverence—it's fear! Everyone either avoids me or challenges me to a duel. Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to swat away self-proclaimed heroes every five minutes?"
Tiamora's lips curled into a sly smile. "Perhaps you should take it as a compliment. They're acknowledging your strength."
Rynhara groaned. "No, they're acknowledging your strength. They all think I'm going to follow in your footsteps as some world-ending dragon queen!"
Tiamora set her teacup down and leaned forward, her tone suddenly serious. "And would that be so terrible, my dear?"
Rynhara blinked, startled by the shift. "Uh… yes?"
Kaelira stifled a laugh but wisely said nothing.
Tiamora waved a hand dismissively. "Nonsense. Embrace it. Build a legacy they'll never forget. Now, finish your breakfast and make me proud at school."
Back at the academy, Rynhara's day started with whispered rumors as she walked through the hallways.
"Did you hear? The Dragon Princess joined the Dread Reapers."
"Of course she did. That club's full of monsters."
"She wiped the floor with Grigor during the initiation. I heard he's still limping!"
Rynhara tried to ignore the murmurs, though Kaelira's smirk didn't help.
"Looks like your reputation's growing faster than your grades," Kaelira teased.
"I don't need this from you," Rynhara muttered.
When they arrived at the Dread Reapers Club room after classes, Rynhara was greeted with a series of smug grins.
"Morning, Lady Doom Wing," Axel greeted, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Rynhara glared at him. "Don't start."
"Relax," Nalia said, lounging in her chair like a queen. "You're doing great. The more people fear us, the less likely they are to bother us."
"Fear isn't the same as respect," Rynhara pointed out, crossing her arms.
Grigor chuckled. "Respect comes after fear. You're on the right track your highness."
As the week progressed, Rynhara found herself growing more curious about her new clubmates. They were infamous, sure, but there was clearly more to them than their reputations suggested.
During a lunch break, she cornered Seraphine, the quiet necromancer, who was reading a book in the clubroom.
"Why did you join this club?" Rynhara asked.
Seraphine glanced up, her pale eyes unreadable. "Why did you?"
Rynhara hesitated. "...It was an accident."
A faint smile tugged at Seraphine's lips while she had wrote notes as she replied. "Same."
Later, she approached Axel, who was tinkering with a magical device that looked suspiciously explosive.
"Are you really as reckless as everyone says?" Rynhara asked.
"Depends," Axel replied, grinning. "Do you think blowing up a section of the training grounds counts as reckless behaviour or ideal creative problem-solving?"
"Well that... that answers my question."
By midweek, Rynhara had settled into her routine. That was until a magical duel during class turned into a full-blown spectacle.
The instructor had paired her with Prince Alaric for a sparring match.
"Don't expect me to go easy on you," Alaric said, summoning a glowing sword of light.
"I wasn't planning on it," Rynhara replied, gripping her scythe.
The duel began with a clash of light and darkness. Alaric's precision with holy magic was impressive, but Rynhara's raw power and creativity kept him on the defensive.
"You're stronger than I expected," Alaric admitted, dodging a wave of shadow energy.
"And you're slower than I expected," Rynhara quipped, using a teleportation spell to appear behind him. She knocked the sword from his hand with a well-placed kick and pointed her scythe at his throat.
The class erupted into cheers and gasps.
"Enough!" the instructor called, clearly impressed. "Number 1 battle!!!Winner,Rynhara!"
As she stepped off the platform, Rynhara caught sight of Veloria, who was watching with a mix of envy and grudging respect.
"Nice match," Veloria said, though her tone was stiff.
"Thanks," Rynhara replied, smirking. "Let me know if you want a rematch."
The week ended with another club meeting, during which Nalia revealed their next "team-building" activity: infiltrating the Royal Strategy Club's secret archives to "borrow" some documents.
"This feels kinda illegal," Rynhara said, frowning.
"Only if we get caught," Nalia replied.
"Great. I feel so much better," Rynhara muttered, already regretting her life choices.
That evening, Rynhara slumped into her chair in the dining hall, exhausted from another eventful day.
"So," Tiamora said, looking amused, "how was school today?"
"Terrible," Rynhara groaned. "Everyone still thinks I'm some evil overlord in training. And now my club wants to commit borderline treason!"
Tiamora laughed, her voice echoing through the hall. "That's my girl! Your already surrounded by like minded people. Im so proud of you."
Rynhara buried her face in her hands. "You're impossible."
Kaelira, standing nearby, whispered to herself, "She really is your daughter."
And with that, another chaotic week came to a close, leaving Rynhara wondering what fresh madness awaited her next.