Princess Academy By Shannon Hale

Chapter 12

Mud in the stream And earth in the air
Clay in my ears
And stone in my stare

  It was not quite morning when Miri woke to the comforting sound of her pa's snore. She picked out the familiar shapes of the hearthstones, the door, the table, and breathed in the warm smell of home.

  When dawn began to spark color into her dark house, Miri wrapped herself in her blanket and slipped outside to start breakfast. A dozen others were in the village center using the remains of last night's bonfires to heat that morning's meal. Miri settled her kettle of water into the coals and noticed some academy girls there as well. Their expressions were solemn in the gray morning.

"Are we going back?" asked Miri.

"That's what I've been wondering," said Esa.

Britta sat beside Miri. "Even if we want to, would Olana let us?"

"If she does," said Frid, "we might spend the summer taking turns in the closet."

"Olana said I could go to spring holiday, so I won't be punished," said Katar as she joined them. "I'm definitely going back."

  Several other academy girls arrived, and they sat on stones in a crooked circle, watched the embers fizz and sputter against the dew, and talked of returning. Some were eager to go back, others too content the morning after a spring holiday to think of ever leaving. Katar and Bena were adamant.

"I won't have any of you risking my chances by breaking apart the academy," said Katar.

"The prince might choose someone else, Katar," said Bena. "I'd not thought much about him until last night I realized how dull all the village boys are. I'll bet a prince is interesting."

  Liana nodded, ever echoing Bena's opinion. Miri wondered what Peder did last night to lose their interest so decisively. She imagined a spot on her cheek warmer than the rest.

"Miri fancies herself the one he'll choose," said Bena. "That's why she studies so hard, but she's too proud to admit it."

"How can you want to marry someone you've never met?" said Miri.

"What if you meet him and do like him, Miri?" Esa asked. "What if we all do?"

  Frid frowned as though she thought that unlikely. Katar smirked, Bena stared at the morning stars, and three of the younger girls whispered to one another. Miri tried to keep her face unreadable. She had already fallen in love with the house in the painting, but after last night, the idea of Peder was too near and too full of hope to imagine marrying a prince.

"What's his name, anyway?" asked Gerti, settling her kettle in the coals.

"Steffan," said Britta.

"How did you know that?" asked Liana.

Britta shrugged. "Everyone knows down there."

"Everyone knows down there," said Katar in a high, mocking voice. Britta blushed.

"Well done," said Miri, jumping in to save her friend. "So it's Steffan. Hm, sounds feeble to me. Bet he can't toss a pebble five paces."

  Frid gasped, then roared with such laughter that it seemed nothing had struck her as so funny as the thought that someone would not be able to toss a pebble five paces. Miri half chuckled as well but felt uncomfortable laughing at her own joke, especially as no one else seemed to find it amusing at all.

"It doesn't matter if any of us fall in love with the prince," said Katar. "We should still return to the academy."

"I didn't realize how important the lowlanders considered the academy until we studied Danlander political structure," said Esa. "Before, I didn't know what a chief delegate was or why it was significant that he himself came to Mount Eskel with the news."