by Aya Ling
Ari shivered. Not that she didn’t understand Celestine’s motivation—she would have given a fortune to have flawless skin forever. But still, after going through the horrible battle with Scarlet, she couldn’t kill to gain.
“What happened to the chancellor and Celestine?”
“Under Lady Matilda’s recommendation, the chancellor was stripped of his title, given an early retirement, and banished to the ends of Linderall for the casual disregard for peoples’ lives in order to achieve his own gain. As for Celestine, she is seriously injured, but when she recovers, Lady Matilda is going to accompany her to the elves’ dwelling, to let the elves decide what to make of her. I believe that she would be assigned to work on the elves’ farms—it involves extreme labor, as I’ve heard.”
“I doubt the elves would allow her to apply skin cream,” Ari muttered.
James grinned. “And she also has to return that ancient book of spells, though Lady Matilda believes it should be destroyed.”
“And what of the dragon?” Ari said. Even though she pitied the dragon, she couldn’t completely forget about it spitting fire and whizzing about in the sky.
“I’ll take care of it.” James patted her hand. “In fact, your father has offered me a job here. There are many creatures in the Linderall mountains, but few people have bothered to study them.”
Ari spat out a mouthful of tea. “He didn’t!”
“Unfortunately, I do not lie. Especially to you, dear Ari.” James handed her a handkerchief.
“So... what did you say to him?” she struggled to maintain what little dignity she had remaining.
“On one condition,” James winked. “That he promise his daughter’s hand to me in return.”
Soon after James left, her father and Great Aunt Matilda dropped by.
“Papa.” Ari rose and faced her father. She was sure James was lying, but she just wanted to be sure. “Did you promise to marry me off to James?”
King Harold’s jaw dropped. “No! What put such a notion in your head?”
“It’s not a bad idea, Your Majesty,” Gladys spoke up. She rarely voiced her opinion in front of the king, which showed that she truly supported the idea. “Although Prince James is not the eldest son, a marriage alliance with Riviera will do very well.”
“Hmph!” Great Aunt Matilda snorted. “Arianna is only fifteen.”
“I’m almost sixteen,” Ari said indignantly. In Linderall, girls were usually considered grown-up when they reached sixteen. Yet her great aunt still treated her like a mere child.
But Great Aunt Matilda wasn’t listening. “She shouldn’t be thinking of marriage until she receives her shield and performs something worthwhile. Like defeating a mountain troll or a Makani tiger.”
Ari rolled her eyes. On the other hand, while she was relieved that James hadn’t really proposed, a tiny part of her was disappointed.
The king cleared his throat and decided to change the subject.
“You have done very well, Ari. In fact, you have far exceeded my expectations. How are you feeling now? Shall I call for the doctor?”
Ari shook her head. “I feel fine, Papa. I am just glad to be home.”
“Ah.” The king smiled. “I did think that you would be home in another couple of months, but I didn’t expect that you’d appear after battling dragons and a half-elf.”
“She takes after her mother,” Great Aunt Matilda put in. “And me.”
“I didn’t think I was being heroic at the moment,” Ari admitted. Though she didn’t admit that she got truly mad after Celestine threatened to disfigure her.
“Well, after all that adventure, I believe you have proved yourself to be more than capable. So I suppose you are going to stay here?”
Ari blinked. “What do you mean, Papa?”
“There is no need for you to return to the Academy. Although your fighting abilities may not be at the level of excellence, your courage and intelligence have proved you can survive in a catastrophe. So if you prefer, you can remain home. No need to go back and go through the daily ‘torture.’”
“It isn’t torture.” Great Aunt Matilda snapped. “There’s a word called training, you know.”
Ari stared. She looked around at her bed chamber—it was spacious, well-furnished, comfortable. The silken tapestries hanging on the walls, the rose-print shades that covered the lamps, the gold-rimmed floor-length mirror that she couldn’t go without looking at every morning, the low couch where she used to recline for a lazy afternoon nap... she had missed these luxuries, especially when she was feeling cramped and lonely in the three-person bedroom in the Academy.
If she said yes, then she would no longer have to suffer. Gone would be the days of back pain and arm ache, gone would be the daily meals of bland stew and porridge, gone would be the scorn of her fellow classmates. She could go back to the easy-going days when she could idle away the time with her beauty sleep and afternoon teas.
Great Aunt Matilda, who was watching her closely, turned to the window. There was a twinkle in her eye. She was certain what Ari’s answer would be. However, unlike the day when she practically forced Ari to go to the Academy, she was not going to say anything to influence the princess this time. It must be of her own choice.
A few days later, Ari went to see her father. She was fully healed now. The bandage on her ear was taken off, and a pink scar showed. She was, to some degree, frustrated by the scar, but Gladys assured her that it would fade and disappear with time.
“Papa.”
The king looked up from the pile of scrolls he was reading and rubbed his eyes.
“Are you all recovered by now, Ari? Do you need anything?”
“Yes, and no.” Ari settled down on a chair across from him. She was wearing a long, flowing gown the color of turquoise, with white lilies embroidered on the skirts. Her golden hair hung loosely on her shoulders in long ringlets, though Gladys had taken pains to entwine circlets of tiny pearls in her hair. Her sword was attached to her waist, and in fact, it did not look incongruous with her elegant attire. Ari had ordered a blacksmith to fashion the hilt with rubies, and carve on the sheath intricate patterns that matched the ones on her dress.
“Papa, I’ve come to tell you that I am going back to the Academy.”
The king raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. “Are you certain, Ari? Only a year earlier, you had vowed that nothing would induce you to attend the school.”
“I’m perfectly sure.” Ari’s eyes flashed.
“And I thought that you didn’t enjoy sword training or archery or hand combat.”
“I didn’t,” Ari said, touching her sword. “But now, I do.” She hadn’t expected that she would actually learn to appreciate her life at the Academy. She still loved her pretty gowns, her ornaments and jewelry, but it didn’t mean that she couldn’t have her pretty things and train at the same time.
“I see you have made up your mind.” Great Aunt Matilda happened to walk in, her staff thumping on the floor. “Your reason to return is not for that boy, I hope?”
“What boy?” the king asked.
“Nonsense, Great Aunt Matilda,” Ari said, making a face. “It has nothing to do with him. If I just wanted to see him, there are other ways I could do so. I’m going back because—”
“Yes?” the king and Great Aunt Matilda said.
“Because I want to.” Ari held her head high. Yes, that was the truth. Even though running ten laps around the lake was grueling, she had come to enjoy the fresh air and the scenery as she ran. Even though the fighting lessons were painful, she took pleasure in mastering move after move, especially when she defeated her fellow classmates. The Academy had forced her to get past the stage of disliking fighting, and made her realize that being able to fight was not simply some stupid trend, but extremely useful. She would never be afraid of spiders or rats, or even trolls and ogres. And dragons.
The king and Great Aunt Matilda looked at each other and smiled.
A few days l
ater, Ari was all prepared to set off towards the Academy. She still loaded the carts with a new batch of shimmering gowns and finery, along with some weapons she picked up from the castle’s depository. There was a sturdy crossbow (she preferred a crossbow to a bow and arrow), a couple of daggers, a fine spear, a mace, and a pair of soft leather boots with secret pockets to keep daggers.
This time, not only the king and Great Aunt Matilda were there to see her off. All the courtiers gathered around the front gate, and people in the capital flocked to the castle to see Princess Arianna off to the Academy. The news of the princess facing the scarlet dragon was widely spread throughout the kingdom, and the people, who were previously indifferent towards the princess, now showed unanimous support for her.
Even Peony was there, with a fresh bouquet of roses that she had handpicked from her garden. Ari thanked her, and plucked one rose to adorn her hair.
James was also among the courtiers. He was asked to oversee the handling of the scarlet dragon when it was fully healed, and to make sure that the dragon was safely transported to the mountains where it belonged.
“But I shall return as soon as I can,” he told Ari on the day before her departure. “Without you by my side, my heart will pine.”
Ari made a face at him, but he merely grinned.
Great Aunt Matilda was there, standing next to the king. She gave Ari a small pocket knife that could be concealed in her sleeves. Her expression was no longer forceful and intimidating, but encouraging.
“Good luck, Arianna. Get your shield as soon as possible!”
King Harold was the last. He hugged Ari, and made her promise to write.
“I am proud of you, my daughter,” he whispered. “I look forward to seeing the day you graduate.”
Ari found tears welling in her eyes, and quickly dug out her handkerchief.
“Goodbye, Papa,” she said, giving him a tight squeeze. “I will return soon.”
And amid the cheers and jubilant noises from the people, she mounted her horse and rode off.
The Academy was waiting for her.
THE END
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed Ari’s story, please help other readers enjoy it too by leaving a review online. I have planned for another book in the Princess series, which will feature Elaine, the baby sister of Prince Ralph and James, though Ari will make an appearance! It is tentatively titled Princesses Don’t Become Engineers. If you’d like to know when it is released, please sign up for my mailing list at http://www.ayaling.com.
~Aya~
*if you haven’t read Valeria’s story, which was released before Ari’s, please turn the page for a short introduction—>
Valeria’s story, set a year before Princesses Don’t Fight in Skirts:
~PRINCESSES DON’T GET FAT~
A fairy tale romance with a plus-sized heroine and plenty of dessert
Princess Valeria of Amaranta is fat, but she doesn’t care. All she wants to do is to eat and lead an idle life. When it becomes apparent she cannot get a husband, her mother decides to send her to the Royal Riviera Academy of Fighting Arts. For a chubby princess who has never picked up a sword, life at the Academy is torture. Worst of all, the food is terrible.
Valeria decides to improve Rivieran cuisine by sneaking into the palace kitchens and offering her expertise, never expecting the crown prince would take interest in her kitchen excursions. As they spend more time together, the princess must decide whether she should become thin or stay in the kitchens with her beloved food and remain fat.
Who says a girl can't wear a dress and wield a sword?
It has become fashionable now for princesses to run away and seek adventure. Princess Arianna of Linderall, however, is willing to stay home and be proper. She screams when she sees spiders, enjoys sewing and dancing, and always looks at her reflection first thing in the morning.
What happens when her great aunt, the first woman warrior in history, decides that Ari is too "traditional" and sends her off to the Royal Rivieran Academy of Fighting Arts? Can she survive the vigorous physical training and earn the respect of her peers? Moreover, can she attract the attention of a prince even when she’s forced to relinquish makeup and dresses during training?