Prince Caecus strolled alone down the halls of the School of Friendship toward the dining room. His father had forced him to attend this school in hopes of improving relations with Equestria, something that the prince found a waste of skills in the art of war. He should have been leading troops and governing land in his father’s name.

Caecus entered the dining room which was as loud as thunder. So many students chattered and laughed at one another's jokes that the prince prayed for a silence he knew wouldn’t come.

After he had gotten his meal, Caecus looked for a seat. The only place he could spot was by the non-pony students, of which one of the most talkative students was a member. With a deep breath, he took the empty seat next to the changeling. As much as the thought of sitting next to one made him uneasy. One or two of the group glanced at him, but other than that paid him no mind.

The prince bowed his head and closed his eyes in silent prayer, thanking Lux for this meal he had been given. Upon opening his eyes, he started to eat.

"Say Ocellus, do you think I could get a copy of the notes from Professor Applejack's class?" the Griffin asked.

"Sure, I’ll get them to you after school," Ocellus replied.

Caecus listened to the conversation more out of training than wanting to know what this group was doing. That was one of the first things his mother had taught him, to hear everything. It was also part of the reason he hated the noise so much. He tried to pay them no mind.

"So what’s your name? I’ve seen you around and been wondering," the earth pony asked Caecus. "Oh, I'm Sandbar." He stretched out a hoof.

The prince thought about not replying, yet could already hear his mother scolding him for forgetting his manners. So he reached out and shook the hoof. "Caecus Highever, and it’s a pleasure to meet you." He gave a fake smile.

Caecus sat back down and glanced around the table, hoping that none of the others would want to make small talk or introduce themselves. All paid him little note and went about chatting about classes and plans for after school. The quietest of the group was Ocellus, who was happily reading.

"So what kingdom are you doing your report on for Professor Twilight's class?" Sandbar asked.

Caecus had picked the easiest one for him to do. "Aquinas," the prince replied.

Sandbar glanced toward the changeling. "Awesome, that means Ocellus and you are both doing a paper on the same nation."

Ocellus looked up from her book. "Hm, what’s that, Sandbar?" she asked.

"Just pointing out that Caecus here is doing his report on Aquinas like you," the earth pony said.

The changeling meekly looked at Caecus. "Well, it seems we're going to be competing for the books in the library if we don't study together," Ocellus said timidly.

"I truly doubt that," the prince replied, inching away from Ocellus, wondering what game she was playing at by acting meek. Her kind always had a scheme in their actions, so he cared not to be part of it.

“Well if you change your mind, I wouldn’t mind a study partner,” Ocellus said.

The rest of his meal was peaceful other than the noise of the others in the hall. Afterwards was his next class that taught one of the core values of countless knightly orders: honesty. When he was a colt this was something he would have admired in a pony; now all he could think of were his mother’s lessons on the matter. Let the fools cling to virtue while we rule, always hide your true motives, and never show your hoof till you have already won, Caecus recalled.

After Professor Applejack dismissed her class, the prince found the next two to be just as dull and pointless. Kindness had no place on the battlefield, and laughter would do little when your enemy slaughters a whole village. After all his classes for the day were over, he went to his room and retrieved a few books he had brought and went to the library.

There he found a seat by the window and started to read up on ‘The Duchy of Tor’, which he had been meaning to do. To his luck this played into the report he needed to write anyway, so he was killing two birds with one stone. As he read he took note of students coming and going. He didn’t know any of their names, nor did he wish to.

As he reached the end of formation of the ‘Knights of Tor’, he noticed Ocellus enter the library and walk over to one of the bookshelves, pulling a number of books off them. Then she sat at the table across from him. He could see the titles of a few of the books she had taken. ‘Common Myths of Aquinas,’ 'Early Customs of Oakhaven,’ and ‘King Highever.’ If those three were any clue, the other two books were just as unless to her research.

After a bit more reading Caecus took the medallion from around his neck. The royal eagle emblazoned upon it always reminded of him of home and his family. As his eyes fell on the grail under the eagle he was reminded of his faith and glanced toward Ocellus. He had the means to help her, yet he didn’t wish to study with her. He tapped his hoof on the table.

While he had forsaken many things from his foalhood, his faith had not been one of them. Even if he had strayed from it—he would like if he needed to and he held little compassion for his kingdom's enemies—he still felt the need to help others. So he got to his hooves and took a few of the books he knew inside and out and placed them near Ocellus. “Here, those are more relevant. Just be sure to return them once you’re done.”

“What?” The changeling glanced over before her eyes fell on the titles. “Thank you, and I’ll be sure to.” Ocellus smiled as she eagerly took the books he had given her.

Caecus wordlessly returned to his seat and picked up where he had left off in ‘The Duchy of Tor’, every now and then writing down a note, or picking something that the teachers at this school would like. Such as how the Knights of Tor hold loyalty as a virtue, something that Head Mare Twilight Sparkle would no doubt give him a pass for using. Then again, he could use this report to show how some of those ideals had led to countless deaths.

Hope this chapter is as good as the last chapter and that you are enjoying the story so far.