The Princess Academy (its time to shine)

Chapter 4

nTell my family to go ahead and eat

To make it home I'd have to move my feet

But the mount's made stone where my feet numbered two

And I've swallowed more dust than I can chew

The next day, the workers finished the repairs and left the academy, leaving Olana, Knut, two soldiers, and an unfamiliar silence. Miri missed the pounding and scraping and beating, sounds that meant work in the quarry was going on as usual and no one was injured. The quiet haunted her all week.

In the mornings before lessons started, the girls spent an hour doing chores, washing and sweeping, fetching wood and water, and helping Knut in the kitchen. Miri spied the other girls stealing minutes of conversation at the woodpile or behind the academy. Perhaps they did not mean to exclude her, she thought, perhaps they were simply used to one another from working together in the quarry. She found herself wishing desperately for Marda at her side, or Peder, who had somehow remained her friend, unchanged, over the years.

She glanced at Britta carrying a bucket of water to the kitchen and wondered for the first time if there was more to her silence than just pride. Then again, she was a lowlander.

Near the week's end, the girls could barely follow their lessons, so rich was the anticipation of being able to sleep by their home fires and attend chapel, to see their families and report all they had suffered and learned.

"We can walk home tonight," Esa whispered to Frid when Olana left the room for a moment. Then she turned to Miri, her expression full of happy anticipation. "I don't care how late, so we'll have all day tomorrow!"

Miri nodded, pleased to have been included.

When Olana continued the reading instruction, Miri noticed Gerti rubbing her forehead as if thinking gave her pain. No doubt the time she had spent in the closet their first day put her behind. She would need extra help if she was ever to catch up.

There was a village saying that Miri thought of more than any other: "The unfair thing stings like nettles on bare skin." It was not fair that Olana had let Gerti lag behind and did nothing about it. Miri's instinct prodded her to do something, so she went to Gerti and crouched by her desk, clinging to a wild hope that Olana would see the justice in her action and let her be.

"I'll help you, Gerti," said Miri quietly. She drew the first character on Gerti's tablet. "Do you know what this is?"

"What is going on?" asked Olana.

"Gerti missed the first lesson," said Miri. "She needs help."

"Come here, both of you," said Olana.

Gerti's mouth dropped open, and she gripped the sides of her desk.

"Gerti didn't do anything," said Miri, standing.

She wished for words to defend herself, but Olana did not ask for an explanation. She picked up a whittled stick as long as her arm.

"Hold out your hand, Miri, palm up."

Miri stuck out her hand and was dismayed to see it tremble. Olana lifted the stick.

"Wait," said Miri, pulling her hand back. "I was helping. How can you hit me for helping?"

"You were speaking out of turn," said Olana. "Continuing to do so won't excuse you."

"This isn't fair," said Miri.

"On the first day in class, I made clear that a broken rule would result in a punishment. If I don't follow through on my word, that would be unfair. Hold out your hand."