by Aya Ling
“Prince James does,” Georgiana said, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. “Don’t you know that he loves animals? He spent a year in Makani. You know, one of the islands of the Archipelago, where everyone carries their pet with them?”
Ari hadn’t even heard of Makani. Being sheltered in the Linderall castle, the most she knew of were Tintagel and Riviera, the two largest countries of the Continent.
“Well, I suppose for you, it’s kind of unusual,” Georgiana conceded. “You didn’t grow up in Riviera, after all. And did you say that you deliberately skipped class? I thought you were sick.”
“I did,” Ari said without remorse. “I told you, I never wanted to enroll in this school. Great Aunt Matilda forced me to come here.”
“Well, looks like you are similar to her, doing the opposite of what others want of you,” Georgiana said. “Anyway, you’d better go see Darwar. He heard that you missed half a day of classes already in your first week, so he sent me to find you. You are to report to him immediately.”
Ari’s skipping class did not earn her the results she had hoped, however. Darwar had summoned her to his office, but merely told her that as a punishment for missing class, she would have to polish the entire armory in the armory room.
“I am not going to be expelled?”
“I told you we don’t expel students for skipping a couple of classes,” Darwar said, his tone a mixture of irritation and amusement. “However, no one has yet missed an entire afternoon of classes before. It is inevitable that I must mete out some punishment.”
Punishment! She was never punished in her entire life.
“Also, given your recent incident with the Quelan boy, I propose that you do extra work with your archery. Under a senior’s supervision, you will have to practice shooting three hundred arrows every evening for a week’s duration. That way, not only will it serve as punishment but it will also help you keep up with the others.”
Ari almost fell over with shock. The last thing she needed was more training.
“Three—hundred—arrows?” she squeaked.
“I can increase the amount to four hundred, if you prefer.”
She gulped.
“Any more questions?”
She shook her head.
“Very well, then.” Seeing her look of annoyance, Darwar added, “There is a day off for the students at the end of the month. Usually they will use the free day to visit the city, like touring the markets or seeing famous sites. If you serve your punishment without fail, I’ll see that you have your day off. But if not, you shall be kept all day in the Academy grounds.”
With such a threat, how could she not listen?
Five: Punished and Punched
Celestine was picking through a pile of arrows when Ari arrived for her detention.
“What are you doing?” Ari dragged her weary limbs over to the elf, though she stopped at a respectable distance. Like Great Aunt Matilda, Celestine had an intimidating aura that kept people at a distance.
Celestine held up a crooked arrow with ruffled feathers. Her pearl-white skin gleamed and shone in the torch light. Ari would give anything to have skin like hers. Since she entered the Academy, she had been struggling to keep her skin from getting tanned in the sun.
“Sorting.” Celestine tossed the arrow into a basket by her feet. “Many arrows have been damaged by endless shooting.”
“I see.” Ari eyed the basket. “Let me help you. I’m good at embroidery, so I can learn to detect damage as well.”
“Not necessary.” Celestine picked up another arrow, inspected it, and handed it to Ari. “You are here to practice archery. Lord Darwar said you were to shoot three hundred arrows.”
Ari sighed. She should have known it wasn’t going to be easy.
The windows of the tower were open, but Ari didn’t think it was possible to sneak past Celestine and escape through them. Perhaps she should have paid more attention when Giles was teaching them how to climb trees.
A number of bows hung on the wall. Ari selected one that looked new and pristine, walked to the targets, and began to shoot.
Celestine barely glanced at Ari’s direction while the princess was shooting; she continued sorting arrows one by one as though she wasn’t aware that another person was in the same room.
After some time, Ari lowered her bow. Her shoulders ached horribly and her fingers were sore and bruised from fitting the arrows.
“Two hundred and sixty-six arrows remaining,” Celestine stated calmly, without looking up. No emotion, no sympathy.
Ari wondered if she could fake an accident and send an arrow in Celestine’s direction. But she quickly dismissed the wayward idea, however tempting it sounded. She had seen Celestine snatch a couple of arrows right out of thin air, when she was in the flight path of an arrow. She wasn’t human, after all. And what if Darwar decided to make a new punishment of a thousand arrows for a month?
Sighing, muttering, and grumbling, Ari picked up a new arrow.
By the time she was done, she could barely move her arms. They were as floppy as the bland spaghetti they had for dinner. Her collar was also soaked with sweat. Even though archery required far less activity than tree-climbing, concentrating on the targets for hours was physically draining as well.
Ari glanced at Celestine; she was still serenely sorting out the arrows. Her skin was so perfect, so blemish-free, it was infuriating.
“How do you manage to have such perfect skin when you’re standing in the sun every day?” Ari blurted.
Celestine looked up. “Elves are different from humans,” she said, a disdainful note in her voice. “We do not worry about earthly afflictions like tans or burns.”
“It must be nice to be an elf,” Ari said, hanging the bow back to its place on the wall. “You never have to worry about your complexion—actually, you don’t even have to worry about getting old and having wrinkles!”
“Well actually...” Celestine started to say something, but stopped. “It is late. You should be going back to your sleeping quarters. Good night.”
It seemed there was something Celestine wasn’t telling her, but Ari was so exhausted that she didn’t bother. She couldn’t leave fast enough for a hot bath and bed.
Life at the Academy was pure torture.
It started with the morning. Ari hated cracking open her eyes and dragging herself out of bed, sometimes running into the wall and causing a bump to rise on her forehead. As if the bruises on her arms and legs weren’t enough.
She still couldn’t run more than two laps around the lake. Although Princess Valeria still offered to walk with her, the students keep casting condescending looks in her direction, clearly disappointed that the amazing Lady Matilda’s great niece was so pathetic. Valeria easily deflected negative vibes as though she was wearing a protective shield, but Ari’s face burned. She told herself to hold up her chin and ignore people, just as a dignified princess would, but most of the time she found herself glaring right back or making rude faces behind the students’ backs. She had picked up some nasty expressions back at Linderall, when she saw the gardener’s son arguing with the gamekeeper’s son, and their expressions could be quite eye-opening. No one understood anyway, unless they were from Linderall.
Unarmed combat class was worse. Ari detested climbing trees—the twigs and branches cut into her delicate skin, and the dirt and sap messed up her tunic and shirt. Once she even found bird poop in her hair. She had screamed as though the world was coming to an end, resulting in more irritation from her fellow students. She also had an irrational fear of heights. She kept thinking that she would fall off the tree, break her back, and die. Giles encouraged her, assuring her that the ropes were strong and securely fastened, but Ari wasn’t comforted. He had a habit of making the most dangerous things sound like a piece of cake.
But nothing came close to staff training. The instructor, Ulaf, was worse than a volcano. In his first class, he told Ari right before the other students
, “I don’t care if you’re related to Matilda. Don’t think I will let you off easily.” And when Ari struggled to pick up the staff, he exploded, “What are you doing, picking flowers? This isn’t a show, Princess Arianna!” Spit flew from his mouth, which actually sharpened her reflexes better than any amount of yelling.
Only her archery class was tolerable. Because of her week of detention, Ari’s skill improved immensely. It ought to have anyway, after practicing with two thousand and a hundred arrows. Otherwise she’d feel really stupid.
Right after the detention, Ari strode up to line number three, causing the others to turn around in wonder. She had shot Boris even when standing in number two.
“Run for your life!” a boy called out. “Boris, are you listening?”
Some students laughed. Ari’s face burned. She tightened her grip on her bow and narrowed her eyes.
Focus on the target. Block out all sound.
Swoosh! The arrow pierced the air and struck the target in the bull’s eye. The next arrow fitted right next to the first, and so did the third. While Ari had yet to master the art of splitting arrows, the three arrows were all neatly lodged in the bull’s eye, fair and square.
“That is good,” Celestine said. “You may proceed to the next line.”
Georgiana stopped in the middle of fitting her arrow. Marcella did the same. Everyone stared as though Celestine had suddenly done a somersault. Was this the same girl who had sent arrows flying into trees and human bodies?
As she took her place behind those lining up behind the line number four, a few students looked at her with awe and disbelief before quickly averting their eyes. Ari couldn’t help it; she was actually feeling gleeful. She had actually made it to the medium range! And she was surprised that she was actually looking forward to shooting the next arrow and seeing if it would hit the mark.
The student in front of her had finished, and Ari took her place. Remembering what Celestine had instructed, she raised her bow and drew back in the exact same position where her right thumb brushed her cheek. She squinted so that all she saw was the tiny red dot in the distance—everything else around the target, including the rain of arrows from other students—was dimmed in her vision.
She loosened the arrow.
It hit the bull’s eye.
“Good work, Ari!” Georgiana called.
Ari grinned. Finally, she had a skill comparable to the others. One day she would move to the long-ranged lines from seven to nine.
Then she shook her head to clear the thought. She was going to leave the Academy as soon as possible.
There was one advantage of the Academy, however. Ari no longer had to worry about dieting. With all the exercise she was doing, it would be a wonder if she could fatten up. She wolfed down large pieces of buttered bread and thick stew without worrying if her clothes would fit.
However, she did have to worry about her complexion. Her skin was turning a shade browner, no matter how much skin cream she was applying to her face. She tried various methods, such as cucumber juice and dried cowslips and willow tree water, but nothing worked. It was difficult to maintain a perfect skin tone when one wasn’t non-human like Celestine. More to her annoyance, a few pimples reared their ugly heads on her forehead. Ari cut the thickest bang she could, with some help from Henrietta, but she’d much rather that they disappear. It took just a gust of wind to part her bangs and reveal the pimples.
She had to go to the Rivieran market square and purchase some skin creams to diminish those pimples and make her skin smooth again. She couldn’t strive for perfection like Celestine’s, but nor did she want ugly blotches or freckles splashed across her cheeks. She was already hideous enough in her plain clothes and no makeup.
As Darwar had told her, the students had a day off every month, the only day when they were allowed to go and do whatever they pleased. Ari, for one, was more than ready to escape the confines of the Academy and go shopping.
On that day, she was the first to arise.
Marcella was still fast asleep. She wanted to sleep in due to the ungodly hours they had been up for the month. Even though she was passionate about fighting, she wasn’t averse to taking a day off. Georgiana, however, awoke some time later. She also wanted to go down to the bazaar, for she wanted to purchase a pair of new boots. She was running more laps than the ten-lap requirement, and practicing hard during combat and staff training. The soles of her old boots were in danger of falling off.
Ari slipped behind the screen and changed into a beautiful lavender gown with long draping sleeves. Then she pulled up a stool in front of the wash basin and looking glass, and started to brush her hair.
“What are you doing, Ari?” Georgiana yawned, staggering over to her.
“Getting dressed,” Ari said, applying kohl to her eyelids. It was a long time since she used kohl.
Georgiana frowned. “Is that... makeup?”
“Yes, this will beautify your eyes,” Ari said, waving the kohl brush. “Would you like to try it?”
She automatically shook her head and backed away, as though Ari’s kohl brush emitted smoke. “No, thanks. I prefer a utilitarian look.”
A pity. Georgiana would look much nicer if she tried cosmetics.
Ari couldn’t help admiring herself in the mirror when she was done. Her shining golden hair cascaded down her back like fine silk. She would have liked to do a fashionable hair style, but without Gladys, she was helpless. Besides, she had always kept her hair tightly bound during classes, so why not use this day to let her hair down? For finishing touches, Ari attached golden hoops to her ears and fastened a diamond pendant around her neck. She didn’t wear heels, however, despite having bought some expensive slippers at Tintagel. Her feet were still sore from the strenuous exercise they had every day. Luckily, her gown was long enough to conceal the plain leather shoes she put on.
“You look like you’re going to a ball instead,” Georgiana said, chewing on her lip. “Are you sure you want to go out like that?”
“Absolutely.”
Ari asked Henrietta to engage a carriage, giving her a generous tip. Georgiana said that horses were available for use at the stables, but Ari had no intention of messing up her dress. They had started horsemanship lessons once a week; after getting horse hair and drool on her tunic every class, Ari felt she had enough equestrian companionship.
The sky was gray and the clouds were gray, but nothing dampened Ari’s desire for shopping. The Rivieran market square, like its palace, was enormous—a shopper’s heaven. It was even bigger than the Bayeux market. Rows and rows of stores and stalls stretched without end, neatly categorized into foods, spices, cloths, pottery, livestock, etc.
“I’m going to buy some skin cream,” Ari told Georgiana. “Suppose I meet you back here when it’s lunch time?”
“All right,” Georgiana said, heading toward the shops selling daggers and leather belts and whatever stuff warrior maidens needed. “I’ve heard there’s a new food stall that serves fried potatoes. We can go there for lunch. Meet you at the food section in noon?”
Ari thought it sounded good. A day without morning runs and staff fighting and tree climbing was heaven. She brought out her flounced parasol so she’d be sheltered from the sun, and began to look for the stalls that sold beauty products. It wasn’t hard because she sniffed in the air. The aroma of baked bread and spices was in the northeast of the market, which must be where the food section was. Tempting, but she had just eaten breakfast. The smell of pulverized flowers and oils came from the southwest part. Perfume. If there was perfume, then skin creams and lotions couldn’t be far away.
As she walked toward the southwest of the market, she had an uneasy feeling of someone watching over her back. When she couldn’t bear it any longer, she whipped around.
Howard the Giant stood in a distance, his shoulders and head visible above the crowd of shoppers.
Did he also come to shop? When he met her questioning gaze, she signed to him, What are you
doing here?
Your Great Aunt Matilda told me to keep an eye on you, he signed back.
Ari groaned. Do I look like I’m trying to run away?
I don’t know. I just follow her orders.
Well, go ahead. If you want to follow me to the shops that sell women’s products, by all means do so.
Ari put him out of her mind and proceeded. Soon she found what she was looking for: shops filled with fragrant bottles and jars. The scent of fruit and flowers wafted through the air.
“Have you some cream that will remove freckles and spots?” she asked the shop keeper. “The sun has been dreadful these days.”
“No problem, milady,” the shop keeper said, bringing out a jar of cream. “I have just what you need. You spread this over your face every morning, and you’ll be no different from a snowman.”
In no time, Ari purchased several jars and bottles. Her bag was quite heavy by that time. Now she actually appreciated the strengthening exercises in class; without attendants, she doubted that she could carry her purchases on her own.
Feeling more secure with an armload of skin products, Ari spent the rest of the morning strolling around the clothing and jewelry section of the market. Even though she could only dress up once a month now, she didn’t want to fall behind on trends. It seemed that long draping sleeves were still the fashion, though hoop earrings were losing appeal—instead, single pearls or diamonds were preferred. Jeweled collars and long bead necklaces were displayed along gowns with wide necklines, showing what a lady could do when a good portion of her neck was shown.
“Try this belt on, milady!” a hunchbacked old lady approached her. “Feel the fabric—it’s made of the highest quality silk from the western islands. Light, but sturdy, and it’ll flatter the shape of your waist.”
Ari tried the belt on. It was indeed a lovely piece of accessory—the silk was embroidered with flowers, and the belt came with an elaborate buckle set with tiny ivory pieces.