For the next few hours, Lia was busy with her studies since she didn't have any free periods today. Every class had ten minutes gap between them, enough for the student to exit one class and go to another.
When the bell for lunch break rang, Lia and her sister went to the University canteen together. Since they couldn't go to the reception because of their classes, Rose gave them the map and prospectus since it was her free period.
Lia and Bella stood in the line to take their lunch and then walked toward an empty table. Putting their bags down, they took out the prospectus and map that Rose gave them.
" The prospectus looks so fancy!" Lia exclaimed as she touched the front cover of the prospectus. The gold-stamped leather book cover on which "AMELIENBORG UNIVERSITY OF ELITES" was written in bold letters.
" The pages look as if it's handmade, giving it a vibe of how books looked a few centuries back." Bella commented, examining each page with superior eyes.
" Look at the map too! It feels like we are in a museum seeing ancient items." Lia said, holding the map carefully in her hands as it was the most precious thing. Lia observed the thick yellow sheet with unruly edges. The map was hand-drawn and looked like a treasure map that she saw in ancient movies.
" Don't just look, kid. Read it carefully too." Lia heard a boy's voice.
" Why are you here?" Lia asked, looking at the boy, whose name she remembered as Ivan, the same person who had given her the punishment on her first day of college.
" Of course to have lunch." he said as a matter of fact and took the seat beside her.
" You! Why can't you sit anywhere else?" Lia asked irritated. Whenever she saw his face, she couldn't help but get annoyed. His black hair that was fallen on his forehead, the way he walked, and his vibe, would make every girl's hearts flutter, but, Lia got irritated seeing him. This was the first time she felt like this in her whole life. Today was the first day at her college and she had met him three times already!
" Why are you being so agitated, kid? None of the seats were empty except here." he answered her and started to munch on his food, not caring for the girl who was getting infuriated with each passing second.
Lia looked left and right to find that he was saying right. No other seat was left except where she and Bella were sitting.
" Ok, sit here and eat silently." she said to him sternly.
" Sure, kid." he said and Lia banged his fist lightly on the table.
" Why are you calling me kid for this whole time? I'm not a kid. Especially, not yours." Lia said angrily.
" You said that you didn't like me calling you Lia so I changed it to kid. Isn't it cute? Or, Do you like me calling you Lia more?" he asked with a smirk on his face. If it wasn't her college and she didn't want to cause a scene, she would surely have punched him hard on his pretty face.
" Looks like you have found a new toy to play with, Ivandrake Adolphus." came the voice of another boy. Lia put her hand on her head. This is getting on her nerves. Why do all these boys keep on coming when she doesn't want to see their faces the most!
" None of your concern, Sebastian Sarff." Ivan said, his face full of animosity.
" Seems like you read the rules of this University." Seb said, looking at the papers on the table. He put his food tray on the table and took a seat.
" We have not. Why do you care?" Bella asked in a furious tone.
" Look at yourself, wild cat. You will get wrinkles soon if you keep on being angry like this." Seb said making fun of Bella as she snorted.
" Shut up and have your lunch. We are not as free as you both." Bella said and started to tuck in her lunch, ignoring the two boys.
Lia also concentrated to eat her lunch and put the map and prospectus back in her bag. After she had finished her lunch, she and Bella left the canteen and went to the library. There were still fifteen minutes left for the recess to be over. They wanted to read the prospectus silently in the canteen but unfortunately got disturbed by the duo of annoying boys. They chose to come to the library since it was the first place that came to their mind when they thought of a peaceful place.
They entered the library and looked up at the high shelves that were full of thousands and thousands of books. The library was built in a large area and the sound of their shoes echoed as they walked inside the silent room.
" You know what Bella. This University is not just a university. It's a dream place. I feel like an ancient princess here. The castle-like buildings, books with the ancient vibe, gold sturdy statues standing on every corner, these expensive chandeliers hanging on the ceiling. It's just amazing." Lia said in astonishment.
" It's like a dream." Bella said, totally agreeing with Lia.
They both walked toward the long table for the students to sit. They both sat beside each other and took out their prospectus and map from their backpack.
Lia first opened the page where the rules of the university were written. She can read the other things later when she is at home, but, she wanted to read the thing that Rose asked her to. Looking at the expression when Rose asked to read the rules, it seemed like it was really important and was related to the punishment that Ivan and Seb gave them.
She started to read the rules when something caught her eyes. The restricted area of the university.
" Bella, see. What's written here!" she exclaimed and shook Bella's arms to get her attention.
" What?" she asked and read the rule that Lia pointed at aloud.
" Rule no. 4.2: Students are not allowed to enter the third floor of the administration building. If any student is found roaming there, disciplinary actions would be taken strictly on them." Bella read and looked at Lia.
" You are doomed." Bella said looking at her sister with pitiful eyes.
" Not only me. Read the next rule." Lia said and Bella looked at the next rule.
" Rule no. 4.3: Students are not allowed to enter the restricted areas of the management building, library, forests, and other places that have been marked on the map. If any student is found in these places, disciplinary actions would be taken strictly on them." Bella read and put her hands on her head.
" In what mess are we!" Lia said to her while shedding invisible tears.
" You are in a greater mess than me. At least I can manage not to enter the restricted area of the forest, but, what about you? You will have to go to the third floor." Bella said to her.
" Grandma said not to do any tricks here. I guess I have to break my promise now." Lia said as Bella patted her back sympathetically.
" Cry if you want to. But first, let's head to the class." Bella said and Lia nodded her head. She is already going to break one rule today, she won't want to add another guilt to it.
Both of them packed their bag and headed outside. They slowly walked toward their next class, their faces dull.
" What happened to you guys? Why you both are looking so sad?" Rose asked when they sat on the bench, behind her.
" Because of your god damn brothers." Lia said, banging her head on the bench tiredly.
" Brothers? Did Ivan and Seb say something to you? Or, did you read the rules?" Rose asked, guessing the exact things why these girls were behaving like this.
" Do we really have to go to the restricted area? What if we don't?" Lia asked her.
" Last time a boy didn't do the punishment that was given to him and on the next day, he was expelled from school." Rose said and the color of their faces faded away. Getting expelled from this school was the last thing they would want. They wouldn't be able to face Grandma again if something like that happens to them.
" What is the punishment for being caught in a restricted area?" Bella asked her next.
" No one has ever been caught for going to the restricted area. At least, I haven't heard of it." Rose answered her.
" I'll kill those boys!" Bella screamed.
" I'm so sorry that my brothers are giving both of you hard times. They are not that bad. I don't know why they do things like this." Rose said in her apologetic tone.
" You don't be sorry. By the way, there was one more girl who didn't choose the teams. She was given to bring a box of badges only as a punishment. Why they have given such a big punishment to us?" Lia asked her. She remembered the girl who told her to decide on which team they wanted to go to.
" Are you talking about Ursa Otso? Her family is kind of close to Seb's and Ivan's. So, they can't give her any tough punishment. I should rather say, carrying a box of badges was enough punishment for her seeing the family she belongs to." Rose explained to us.