Chapter Text
Learning was a long process. Time went as he learned, slowly but surely getting more efficient. It had been several months since the arrangement had been put in place and so far Xin Zhao was quite peaceful about it.
At the beginning he did struggle and some issue stayed a little but he was stubborn, he didn’t want to fail his king. After all, all this was to fulfil his duty as good as he could. Innerly he also didn’t want to disappoint King Jarvan, who had been more than patient with him about this issue.
The tutor was nice enough, very serious in her work and methods for her students. Xin Zhao understood why she was the tutor in charge of basic education for the young Prince, in these particular topics. No doubt this was her own task and duty for Demacia to teach perfectly the heir to the throne but she did a really good work at it. Teaching a grown adult may have been difficult at first since it wasn’t exactly the same thing than teaching a child though. In any case so far it worked out well and Xin Zhao progressed little by little. Words started to make sense, letters as well. It was quite an amazing feeling to at least understand something in ink. It also motivated him to study further, faster, curious about what he had missed all this time.
This would still take time, it had to be practiced regularly. After starting to learn to trace letters and write, he also got on reading. It was difficult too, especially to read out loud and remember how was written each sound, which combination of letters gave which sound. Xin Zhao already knew to speak different langages but it didn’t change the fact that anything written meant nothing for him for almost three decades. Just strange symbols. Hopefully he was learning and not once he was made fun of for his mistakes.
King Jarvan paid a visit sometimes. It wasn’t very often obviously, since he had important topics to discuss like the military, the well-being of the kingdom and everything else. Yet he still came sometimes in that discreet study, quiet knock at the door announcing his arrival.
The first time it did startle Xin Zhao a little, not expecting such important visit for something so trivial in the daily life at the palace. Now he knew what would happen sometimes. The King didn’t want to cause anything, he simply wanted to see how it was going. Of course he wished the best for Xin Zhao, expecially to succeed. All the same he didn’t feel so worthy of the attention, the King of Demacia must have more important than to check on one of his personal guards studies.
So it happened sometimes and he wasn’t surprised anymore, just a little worried to waste King Jarvan’s time. The tutor said nothing about it, no doubt she was used to seeing the King often since she was one of the few persons in charge of the young Prince’s education. Speaking of, it was one time suggested that Xin Zhao watched over the Prince during his lessons, since he was never really left alone and this could be an occasion to learn a bit more. Just a suggestion yet it happened a bit later.
It wasn’t frequent but the Prince had certainly a busy life, even for such a young child. Always at least one guard to be sure, so protected like the rightful heir he was. At 6 there wasn’t so much he had to learn yet, like tactics or politics but education went on for the most basic things. So indeed a few times Xin Zhao was the one looking after him during the lessons with that same tutor he had been learning. It was interesting, to say the least. Even at such age it was obvious that the Prince was smart and serious. Maybe not mature yet to fully understand his future role as king of Demacia later but he had a strong eagerness to discover and learn. Xin Zhao could tell this child was going to do great things. A few memories from some times ago, when Xin Zhao first met the King and his son, when he was set free. A serious little child, standing proudly by his father’s side and ready to listen to his wisdom. With such a father indeed, he could only become a good person.
These lessons went well and he could just see how motivated the Prince was, curious about a lot of things. Sometimes lessons could be boring though, and he was brought back to focus. Aside these little moments, it was alright. These lessons were during the day, msot of it in the afternoon so it was still a moment when Xin Zhao was on duty. After all, the safety of the Prince came before anything. Still, everytime he was asked to sit too, to help a little in the lessons. The tutor deemed it would be great for both her students to work at the same time, even though at first Xin Zhao was a little worried about being on duty. It was still fine, he wasn’t the main focus of these specific hours. Soon enough in the evening he would get his own hour to study and learn, at his own pace.
Still, the Prince was quite thrilled to have someone to share this – or maybe just to make time go faster as distraction. It was rather sweet to see him trying to explain what he just learned to Xin Zhao. After all, the best way to show one had understood was to explain it to someone else and see if that was correct. Xin Zhao still let himself take part in it, while keeping a good intention to stay wary just in case. His duty was to keep the Prince safe, no matter the time. Yet as time went it seemed obviously innocent enough to give in and follow whatever exercize he was asked to work on. An occasion to read and practice, so to say.
It was still a good time to have, even if Xin Zhao wasn’t supposed to enjoy that. But the Prince was curious and more than happy to have someone nearby. With all the respect that he owed to him, Xin Zhao learned to know this child.