Princesses Don't Fight in Skirts

by Aya Ling

  "I did not know Lady Matilda had a great niece," Marcella said slowly, as though indicating that Ari was an impostor. "She looks nothing like a warrior. She does not act like one, either. A fighter does not wear a dress."

  "Oh, I suppose she has to wear something fancy on her first day," Georgiana chuckled. "But Arianna—may I call you Arianna? We all refer to each other on first name basis here, or there'd be too many princes and princesses and ladies and lords..."

  "You may," Ari quickly said, in case Georgiana didn't stop.

  "Did you get your uniform?" Marcella asked, frowning. "In the Academy, a dress is unnecessary."

  Ari didn't want to wear the Academy uniform—it was unbearably plain: white shirts and black trousers. She had also seen a couple of Academy students wearing a red tunic, but that was about it. Apart from a Rivieran heraldry of lions and griffins sewn on the front of the shirt, there was nothing ornamental about the Academy uniform.

  As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and Henrietta peeked in.

  "Princess Arianna? Have you been to the tailor's yet? You will be needing uniforms for training."

  Since there was still plenty of time before dinner, Georgiana offered to take Ari on a tour of the Academy. Marcella had declined to accompany them. Her brother, Prince Felipe, had accompanied her to Riviera several days earlier, and today he was going to return to Tintagel. Although Marcella displayed a strong, independent spirit, she wanted to see her brother one last time before he left.

  "That's the archery courts," Georgiana said enthusiastically, pointing at a wide open area, where a row of trees grew on one end. Each tree had a target that hung from the boughs. "See the painted lines on the ground? They're all numbered according to the distance!"

  Sure enough, the stone-paved court had brightly-colored lines drawn on it—Ari counted nine in total. A couple of pages were re-touching some lines where the paint had faded.

  "And those are the practice rings." Georgiana indicated a huge area where students were wrestling each other. One pair of young men who resembled trolls were wrestling on a raised platform, while others were cheering them on. One man hit the other on the shoulder, and the other staggered back with a grunt of pain.

  Ari shuddered and turned away.

  "I'm tired," she said, not untruthfully. "Can we find a place to sit down?"

  "Of course." Georgiana slapped her forehead. "You need some rest after your long journey from Linderall. This way—I know exactly the place to relax."

  Georgiana led the way from the fighting arena to another side of the Academy, where the ground was no longer paved with stone or pressed dirt. Ari could feel soft grass beneath her feet, and she had to skirt round trees or hedges in the way.

  Soon they reached a beautiful lake surrounded by trees. One enormous oak tree towered over the others, its branches forming a canopy that could easily shelter twenty people. Under this tree, Georgiana flopped on the moss and let out a contented sigh.

  "Isn't it nice out here?"

  "It certainly is," Ari said, gazing at the shining lake waters. It was rather chilly, being autumn, but Ari didn't mind as much. Linderall had its fair share of freezing winters.

  "This is where we do our morning runs," Georgiana continued. "We have to complete ten laps around the lake every day. The more advanced students can do up to twenty, but I'm still a long way off."

  Ari, who was just thinking that the lake looked so nice and peaceful, could have tumbled into the lake if she were close enough to the waters.

  "Ten laps?" she squeaked. Suddenly, the lake looked more like a menace than a comfort.

  "It must be nothing to you, of course," Georgiana said, again clueless. "I heard that Lady Matilda could do ten laps while carrying a sack of flour on her back."

  Ari groaned. "No, you're mistaken. Actually, I—"

  A horn blared in the direction of the main building.

  Georgiana sprang up. "Come on, Arianna! Dinner will be served soon!"

  The dining hall was located on the first floor of the main building. Georgiana informed Ari that there was a heated tunnel that connected the kitchen to the Academy, and every month the students would take turns carrying the dishes from the kitchen.

  "It's good exercise for strengthening," she said. "And practical too. The king doesn't have to employ additional servants for the Academy."

  Needless to say, Ari was not happy to hear that. Nor was she pleased when she found that no servant was available. Dinner was placed in huge cauldrons or stacked on long tables. Students had to use heavy ladles to take their share and bring their own dinner to their tables.

  Up until this trip, Ari had never sat down to a meal without a maid waiting on her, with napkins freshly pressed and the utensils neatly laid out. But she could either follow the others or go hungry. Swallowing her irritation, she followed Georgiana and dumped mashed potatoes, brown bread, and lentil stew on her dinner tray.

  "I didn't think we'd be eating such common food," Ari said, carefully cutting her bread and forking it with manners that would have satisfied the strictest decorum instructor.

  "It's actually much improved," Georgiana said.

  "Really?" Marcella was staring suspiciously at the lentil stew, as though it was poisoned.

  "For Rivieran standards," Georgiana conceded. Besides fashion, Tintagel was also known for its gourmet cuisine. Even a non-conventional princess like Marcella was not completely immune to food quality, even though warriors were not supposed to be picky about food. "That's what Lance told me. He said thanks to Princess Valeria of Amaranta, we finally have some variation in stews."

  "Princess Valeria?" Ari said. Even though Linderall was far away from Riviera, she had heard about Princess Valeria, who became famous on the Continent since she got engaged to Prince Ralph.

  "Yes. She also attended the Academy last year."

  "Where is she?" Ari said, curious.

  "Oh, she's no longer here," Georgiana said. "She gave up in a couple of months to go work in the kitchens. I heard that she couldn't stand the training anymore."

  Ari suddenly saw a light in the tunnel. If Princess Valeria could quit the Academy in a couple of months, she could aspire to do the same.

  "She's fortunate."

  "Oh, very," Georgiana agreed. "No one had managed to catch Ralph's eye before. I knew some girls who kept saying they didn't want to get married, but one look at Ralph and they were throwing themselves at his feet. But he wasn't moved, not until Valeria came. Isn't it amazing? That he could have anyone he wanted, but he chose someone who wasn't conventionally attractive?"

  Ari rolled her eyes. She wasn't talking about Valeria's fortune for marrying the Rivieran crown prince, but that the Amarantan princess was able to get out of the Academy.

  Shoving in another mouthful of hot stew, Ari let her gaze run over the hundred or so students of the Academy. Their ages seemed to range from fourteen to twenty. Almost every girl had bright red hair; Ari was certain that they had dyed their hair. On her journey to Riviera, she found that redheads were uncommon; Tintagel people normally were blond and blue-eyed, while most Rivierans had dark brown or black hair. While no student had a massive figure, it was clear that everyone was well-fed and led a healthy life style. Unsurprising, since the Royal Academy was expensive and students needed good quality equipment from horses to armor for their training.

  "I beat a troll the other day," she heard a lanky young man say. "Was crossing my path on my way to the South, and I took it out in five minutes."

  "I don't see why you're so excited about beating up a mere troll, Horatio," another said. "Trolls are so dumb and stupid, I bet anyone can outwit them. Did you hear that Maurice managed to capture a griffin this summer?"

  "A griffin? Not a baby griffin?"

  "Nope, a fully grown one."

  "By the goddess, that's incredible! Won't want to duel him in this year's tournament!"

  "But you can bet your money on him. A pretty pound it'll bring."

&n
bsp; Ari finished her dinner earlier than expected. The conversation flying around was not exactly helping her digestion.

  "Lance!" Georgiana suddenly exclaimed. "Why are you not sitting at the second-years' table?"

  It was the dark-haired young man who had stared at her when she arrived. Looking at him, Ari noticed that he and Georgiana shared similar features. Both had large noses and high foreheads.

  "Darwar said it'd be better if I stay in the first year classes," the young man Lance said gloomily. "I did not pass the annual exam in sword work and horsemanship."

  "But if you plead with him and promise to work extra hard, I'm sure that he'll let you advance. What would Father say?"

  Lance shrugged. "He'll have to know soon anyway. Nothing I do will change the fact I failed."

  "Oh... well, then you'll certainly pass this year," Georgiana said. "By the way, do you know who's sitting here? Princess Arianna of Linderall, Lady Matilda's great niece! Arianna, this is my brother, Lance."

  Lance flickered a glance at Ari. To her surprise, he merely nodded politely. Where was that admiring look in his eyes?

  "Pleased to meet you, Princess."

  "The same here," Ari said, a little awkwardly. When he left, she made sure no one was looking, and quickly pulled out her hand mirror. Nothing was wrong with her face, no bits of food stuck to her teeth or the corners of her mouth.

  Men. Gladys was right—they didn't give a second glance when you were no longer wearing makeup or pretty dresses.

  On their way back to the sleeping quarters, Georgiana finally asked, "So, what have you accomplished, Arianna? What's the biggest monster you've come across?"

  Ari was tempted to answer her great aunt.

  "Georgia—I mean, George," Ari said, deciding to put an end to Georgiana's enthusiasm. "Just because I am her great niece does NOT mean that I want to be a warrior. The last time I had a sword lesson was when I was eight."

  Georgiana stopped. "You cannot be serious!"

  Ari held up her hand, palm facing upward. Her skin was white and smooth, devoid of calluses.

  "I only came because Great Aunt Matilda threatened me," she said, a note of irritation in her voice. "I fully plan on leaving this place as soon as possible."

  Georgiana still looked stunned. "But there's no way they will let you go! You're Lady Matilda's great niece! That alone will attract the best students!"

  "But I'm not her," Ari said, her temper rising. "I never wanted to be a warrior maid; I just want to be normal."

  "It's the normal thing to be a warrior maid now," Georgiana said, waving her hand at the sea of redheads in the dining hall. "Like, it's normal that arranged marriages are out of style. Why, I had a cousin complaining she couldn't run away from an arranged marriage because her parents didn't even arrange one."

  Ari continued to walk.

  If Princess Valeria could leave the Academy and get engaged to the crown prince, there was no reason why she, the princess of Linderall, could not achieve the same. She would just have to ask Valeria how she managed to convince Darwar to let her go. Ari remembered that Princess Valeria was renowned for her plumpness, a rare trait in princesses, traditional or not. Ari concluded that the Amarantan princess must have fared so badly at the Academy that they had to kick her out.

  She could take a leaf from Valeria's book and do the same. After all, she only had a couple of fighting lessons. She was most likely the worst student in the Academy. It shouldn't be difficult for the Academy to eventually decide that the Linderall princess was a hopeless case, and soon she should be able to return to her own country.

  Still, thinking of the magnificent palace, it should be even better if she could stay in Riviera. Yes, all she had to do was copy what Valeria did: perform so badly that no instructor wanted her. Find a decent noble at Riviera to marry and settle down to a life of luxury.

  Four: The Horrible Lessons

  The next day, Ari woke to a loud chiming from the bell tower on top of the main building. She cracked an eye open; it was barely dawn.

  “Hurry, Ari!” Georgiana was pulling her tunic over her head, while Marcella was fastening her belt. “Get dressed! Quick!”

  “But it’s still dark outside...”

  “Get up. Or we will drag you out of the bed,” Marcella snapped, in a manner not unlike Great Aunt Matilda. “If you are late, all of us will be punished. I do not want that to happen.”

  Ari sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She didn’t fancy being dragged from the bed. She had her dignity to maintain.

  The princess slipped into her clothes, grimacing at the rough material, and was trying to pin her hair into a becoming style, when Marcella snatched the brush away.

  “Do not bother fixing your hair.” She thrust a hideous hair ribbon at her. It was bright green, reminding her of a grasshopper. “Just tie your hair with this. It is enough.”

  Ari fingered the ribbon with distaste. Had she been back at home, she would have refused to leave her room with such an ugly ornament. No one wears green with a red tunic. But seeing that Marcella towered over her and Georgiana was dancing around on her toes, Ari swallowed her frustration and did her hair.

  They arrived for breakfast just in the nick of time, Ari panting furiously when she reached the table. Quite a few heads swiveled to look at them, and some students wore contemptuous looks.

  Breakfast was unappetizing like yesterday’s dinner—the food was rustic, bland, though it came in large quantities. Ari stared at the oatmeal porridge and brown bread with disdain. Back in Linderall, she was used to dining on the choicest sweetmeats and delectable desserts. She had managed to keep her figure by eating tiny portions. It looked like she could still keep her figure, though in a far less interesting manner.

  “Better eat quickly,” Georgiana whispered. “We have a full day ahead.”

  “What do you mean, a full day?”

  “We start every day with a race around the lake. You know, the ten laps I told you about yesterday?” Georgiana said, scraping her porridge bowl. “Then we have unarmed combat training and archery lessons. Finally, we end the day by doing stretching and toning exercises.”

  Ari spat out a mouthful of porridge, forgetting that she was behaving in a very unladylike manner.

  “Are—you—joking?” she squeaked. Would she even be alive after the whole day?

  Georgiana looked a little sorry for her. Ari had made it clear last night that she was in no shape to undergo vigorous training.

  “Don’t worry! It’s kind of tiring in the beginning, but you’ll get used to it!” She handed Ari a napkin.

  Ari wiped her mouth, but she couldn’t eat any more. She really had to figure out a way to get out of the Academy before she turned into a pile of dead meat.

  When they arrived at the lake, several students were already stretching and doing warm-up exercises before the run. As it was still quite early, even Ari, who was used to harsh Linderall weather, shivered a little in the chilly morning air. She would have gladly given anything just to go back to bed—never before had she appreciated the downy pillow and fleecy blankets of her bed at home.

  A tall, serious-looking young woman stood by the huge oak tree near the lake. Unlike most of the female students, she kept her hair dark and straight. A quiver hung on her back, two daggers adorned her belt, and the hilt of a knife protruded from her leather boots. Her gaze roved over the students, meeting each of them briefly in the eye.

  “Nadine?” one of the girls said. “Where is His Highness Ralph?”

  “Oh, Ralph decided he was too busy to supervise our running, so he asked Nadine to take over,” a cheerful voice said. A chubby young woman with rosy cheeks stepped forward and smiled at the tall woman with knives.

  Ari blinked. With a waist that resembled a small tree trunk, there was little doubt who that young woman was. “Is she Princess Valeria?”

  “Of course,” Georgiana said.

  Ari was fascinated. She had heard rumors of Princess Valeria, includin
g a famous incident in which three suitors fought to lose her hand in a competition. She had assumed that the princess must be unattractive, and that Prince Ralph must have abnormal tastes in looks. But now, as she looked keenly at Princess Valeria with an eye that was attuned to beauty, Ari had to admit that Valeria was not unattractive. No beauty like Queen Eleanor, of course, and no comparison to the fashionable Rivieran court ladies. But nevertheless, the Amarantan princess was pretty, with dimples showing when she smiled and eyes that sparkled with good humor.

  Ari found that she liked the princess at first sight.

  Upon sight of Nadine, a few girls began whispering, frustration and disappointment evident in their expressions.

  “Why is Nadine taking over for Ralph?”

  “I cannot believe this! He was the reason why I entered the Academy!”

  “Hush, you two. Did you seriously believe that he’d keep on supervising us when he’s going to be the future king?”

  Ari couldn’t help asking Georgiana, “Why are they so disappointed that the crown prince isn’t here?”

  “Because it’s Ralph,” Georgiana said. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she continued, “Haven’t you seen him? He’s awfully good-looking, and such a gentleman, too! When I was a little girl, I tripped over the stairs on my first visit to the palace. He picked me up and even dusted my frock!”

  Ari hadn’t seen the crown prince, but she had seen the king and queen. Recalling Queen Eleanor’s outstanding beauty, it was not hard to imagine that Ralph would be exceedingly handsome.

  “And he is going to marry Princess Valeria,” she said, sneaking a glance at the chubby princess again.

  “I’m glad,” Georgiana said. “Well, I was kind of disappointed, we all were. But you really can’t get a nicer queen than Valeria. If Ralph had to choose a bride, I’m glad it’s her.”

  “Everyone line up over here,” Nadine called. “Remember, each of you must complete a minimum of ten laps around the lake.”