Zayn should have expected this, she really should have.
It starts as soon as they gather themselves and finally make it back to headquarters. Zayn hops off her horse like the rest of the knights, but the minute she lands her feet on the ground, many of the knights are giving her a long, awkward look. However, it is when Zayn tries to pass them to head to her dorm with Amur and Chase in toll does Zayn realizes that not everything that glitters is not gold and that a talking spear will cause a group of knights to randomly bow and address her formally, too formally.
Zayn eyes the knights behind her strangely as she, Chase, and Amur briskly walk back to their shared dorms, but while passing by groups of knights Zayn consistently receives more bows and polite greetings and even some knights kneel before her and-.
By the time Zayn can finally let out the long breath she is holding, Zayn hurries to her and Amur's shared dorm; the minute Amur passes her, Zayn grabs the door handle and loudly swings their bedroom shut.
"Will that be...every day?" Amur asked, her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. "Holy smokes do you have fans!"
Zayn heavily swallows but says nothing.
...
After her usual training with Jeremiah, Zayn hurries to the mess hall for breakfast.
To her surprise, breakfast at the mess hall isn't any better than yesterday's weird affairs, it's worse.
Fellow knights of all ranks either stare at Zayn and give her awkward looks, walk by Zayn and offer a respectful bow and words of awe, and some even fall to their knees and kiss Zayn's feet--which by the way, is so awkward--and Zayn can't escape. She only awkwardly says her thanks or hurries to ask them to please, for the love of Gods, never do that again--but Zayn is someone who never desires to be in the spotlight, and now look, that is all she is experiencing since she has finished her stupid coronation ceremony.
Zayn feels even worse, because Amur and Chase are in between the madness, either being pushed aside or simply ignored just by being near Zayn, and it grates on Zayn's guilty conscious, feeling completely useless and like a burden when she sees Amur, yet again, get pushed to the side.
To make matters worse, training with everyone feels bothersome, and people are focusing more on Zayn's training and her practicing than on themselves. They even ignore one of the knight teachers beckoning them to focus on their swings, more focused on watching Zayn kick down a dummy with minimal effort.
Zayn feels bad disrupting training, and attempts to make her tall statue look somewhat small in the back, but it is no use. The power of Excalibur's name is tied to her own now, and Zayn like, kind of hates it.
However, Zayn--she tries to shake it off. She quickly finishes training and heads to the mess hall with Amur and Chase for lunch, but now the heavy glances are even worse. Zayn doesn't know why until she looks into the center of the room, where a fancy, very expensive table cloth covers a table with a name card with Excalibur's and Zayn's name on the center of the tablecloth. There is a bunch of fancy, really expensive-looking food on the table, and a short, stocky woman with a chief's hat standing near the table, holding a long towel in her hands as she patiently waits.
The short woman looks up and scans the room until she spots Zayn. She becomes giddy, skipping over to Zayn and bowing in front of her.
"Well hello, Holy Knight Zayn!" The woman chirps. "I am Anna, and I will be your chef starting today-!"
"What?!" Zayn suddenly exclaims, her shoulders tense as her eyes move to the expensive feast before her. "Me?! Why do I need a personal chef? Or a personal anything-?"
"The royal family insists that their national treasure be treated the best!" Anna said. "Now, please sit at this very comfortable, lavish chair, also courtesy of His Highness, Prince Mioui-!"
"I-it appears as if I'm not hungry!" Zayn said, quickly turning away and rushing out of the mess hall. "Let Chase eat it!"
Amur quickly turns her head, hastening her pace to follow Zayn's. Chase turns his head, moving to rush to where Zayn went, but he stops, looking at the fancy plates of food. Chase slowly reaches for one of the plates--a silver tray with an over-roasted turkey lying on it--steaming with roasted vegetables neatly placed around it--and hurriedly snatches it, quickly rushing to meet Zayn and Amur.
...
"Zayn!" Amur calls, trying to catch up to Zayn's face pace. "Zayn, girl, slow down!"
Zayn quickly stops, sagging her shoulders as she hangs her head, staring at her pointed feet as she tries to calm down her sudden feelings of panic. Amur and Chase soon catch up to Zayn after, watching Zayn as she holds her head in her hands.
"What's wrong, Zay-Zay?" Amur asked, placing a small hand on Zayn's arm. "You've been on edge all day girl. What's up with you?"
"Yeah, everything cool?" Chase asked, raising a thin, ash-blonde eyebrow. "It's not really like you to run away like that..."
Zayn sighs, opening her mouth to speak, but the sounds of either cheering or distress cut her off short. Zayn turns around, noticing a very familiar wall, followed by different sheets of paper that write various knight names on them, followed by Squadron team numbers and leader names.
"What's going on?" Zayn asked, staring at the sheets of paper confusedly.
"I don't know?" Chase asked. "Not sure what's-."
"Knight Recruits, please make your way to the news wall and receive your assigned squadron number with a time and location to meet tonight." There is a voice from almost above, as if it heard Zayn's question and chose to answer it, but Zayn knows it is only a magical air con or something, and that whoever is speaking from an unknown source sounds a lot like Clarke. "After today, you will no longer be labeled "recruits" or "unnamed knights," but will be assigned a title under your Squadron! Good luck, congratulations, and Gods bless."
The announcement must have come at a perfect time because Zayn hears loud footsteps behind her. Zayn turns her head, her eyes wide and face in gawk at the quickly approaching knights racing against each other to learn of their new titles. Zayn and Amur share a look before they run out of the way, just in time, to avoid the stampede.
"Should we wait until everyone clears to check?" Zayn asked, hiding in a corner as some eyes wandered in the direction her voice came in.
"No need." It's Chase who stands in front of the first paper posted almost above his nose. "Found us. Shit."
Amur hurriedly bristles to where Chase is, attempting to look up to read the thin page, but her short height prevents her from properly seeing above her. Noticing this, Chase sighs, lowering himself to a squat and beckoning Amur to climb onboard, which she does without hesitation.
"Let's see here..." Amur said, sticking her tongue out as she glances over the list. "Wow, you, me, and Zayn are in Squadron I and-wait, Ramon-?!"
"I-we are-? Ah, that makes sense haha. He did say you'd both be coming to the expedition..." Zayn said, already noticing the heavy stares the three of them receive from many of the recruits standing by, "I-I'm happy you both are in the same group as me, b-but-."
It is the sudden influx of whispers that cuts Zayn off. She looks to her left, then to her right, meeting eyes with people that's faces are laced with awe, laced with jealousy, laced with bitterness, and Zayn freezes up, sweat almost dripping from her forehead as she nervously absorbs the eyes on her, the whispers aimed her way, the influx of words laced and dripped with poison aimed at her and her friends.
"Did they cheat?" Someone from the crowd whispers. "I heard recruits barely make it to Squadron IV!"
"Isn't the tall one the Holy Knight?" Another said. "Why the hell is she even here? She thinks she's better than us-?"
"Bunch of cheats..." Another said. "Someone slept to the top."
There Is a heavy hand on her shoulder that snaps her out of her stupor. Zayn looks up to Chase, whose eyebrows are furrowed and lips pursed in thought like he Is trying to read Zayn.
"Whatever, it's lame being a swore loser!" Amur said, sticking her nose up high. "Plus we did it! Now we can go on the expedition! Together! Woah, isn't this so cool?! We get to meet crazy Gods now!"
Zayn awkwardly smiles, shifting her stance as she clears her throat.
"Y-yeah..." Zayn mumbles. "Sure, yeah, of course, Amur."
"What's wrong with you, Zay-Zay?" Amur asked, raising a thin brown eyebrow. "You should be waaaaay more happy than this! Why the long face--well, you know what I mean!"
Zayn sighs, slouching her shoulders.
"I am. I'm happy that you both are coming. I-I am." Zayn said. "But you both worked hard to get on that list and I kind of just...you know, got on there...?"
"Oh please!" Amur said. "Seriously? Zayn, come on now!"
"I-I'm serious, I-well, I'm only here because of Excalibur." Zayn said. "I don't really deserve it if I'm honest-."
"Are you seriously listening to these people?!" Amur asked, her voice laced with frustration. Seriously?!"
"Yes, Amur, I am!" Zayn exclaims, throwing her hands up before she clenches them to her side, squeezing her eyes shut as she let out a haggard breath. "Because right now that is all I hear, and suddenly I become this big hot-shot and now all I can do is listen to them! What else am I supposed to do, ignore it?! It's all around me-!"
Zayn opens her eyes, scanning the room to meet surprised eyes aimed at her, both from Chase and Amur and from the large crowd beside them. Zayn lets out a shaky breath, clenching her fist tighter as she shakes her head and takes a stepback.
"I'm...going to get some space..." Zayn said, her face hot. "I'll go do that."
Zayn turns and sprints, running off to whatever direction her feet drag her to, ignoring Amur and Chase's cries as she runs off.