Safine Dragon Academy and The Raven Queen (Book Two)

Chapter Thirteen

Alice

"This is ridiculous. Why are we here?" Marina scoffed, crossing her arms and refusing to enter the threshold. I smirked, turning back to the rack of dresses.

"I know, I know. We're conforming to girl stereotypes. We are girls after all, Princess," I said, running my fingers over the smooth black silk of one dress. "C'mon, we deserve a little fun. This very well may be the last time we can be... Children."

I listened to Marina sigh behind me and grumble something under her breath before trudging over. "Alright, fine," she said, looking up at me with her dark eyes. "If we are going to do this. If we're going to be classic teenage girls, let's do it right."

§

"Whoa! Whatcha doing there?" I squirmed away from the woman standing below me. She looked very irritated.

"Taking your measurements." The tailor rolled her eyes, reaching forward again to grasp my bare thigh to keep me still. I groaned, standing as still as I could with this strangers cold hands on me. I glanced over at Marina's short form. She was the image of beauty and composure. She stayed perfectly calm and still as the other Tailor took some measurements. If she knew this place so well, why did they need to take her measurements again? Shouldn't they know hers off by heart?

"Thank you, Juliana," Marina said with a nod of gratitude towards the woman below her pedestal. The tailor smiled kindly and nodded, walking away and disappearing behind a set of swinging doors.

"Hey Marina. Why did they need to take your measurements? Shouldn't they know them by now?" I questioned, nodding to the tailor as she stalked away.

She pressed her lips together. "I-it seems Padma doesn't like you," she sputtered, obviously avoiding the question. I breathed out a laugh, pulling my robe tighter around me.

"Don't change the subject." I stepped down from the pedestal, feeling strange being surrounded by mirrors. I walked over to one of the arms chairs dotted around the expensively decorated room.

Marina sucked in a breath. She stayed on her pedestal, but sat down on the edge, letting her legs dangle down. "I next to abandoned by Royal ways and duties when the school year started." I blinked and gave her a long glance, looking for a better explanation. She sighed and said, "There is no chance of me ever leading properly, so thought I might as well not even try anymore."

What was with my friends all being run away nobles? It was laughable. "Is there some kind of club for run away noble blood teenagers? Do you all meet once a week at some secret clubhouse?" I laughed, picturing her and Cora and some other noble teens meeting in some café, discussing the latest events in their new lives.

Marina tipped her head back, barking out a laugh. "Would Priscilla December happen to be one of those runaways?" I blurted out.

The Princess froze, slowly looking back down at me, her expression unreadable. "By the North, how did you know about that?" she questioned, staring at me.

"Her brother happened to mention it." I couldn't conceal my smirk.

"Holy Sage," she swore. "You snog with a guy and he spills all his family secrets." I choked on the water I was sipping.

"And how did you know that?" I gaped at her, still trying to clear the water from my windpipe.

"Her brother happened to mention it," she said, a clear smug expression on her face. I sneered at her glancing around the room. My house was like a small estate, rather large for a family like ours. And this building was still larger. I wiggled my toes against the soft, thick carpet.

"What is this place anyway?" I inquired, stroking my hand against the felt arm chair. Upon entering, I thought this places was a palace on its own.

"The Royal Family's Eastern estate," she explained, looking almost bored. "There's four estates in total. And then the Palace in the capital. Then one in each state, close to each School."

I nodded. I was at least aware of that. My family lived in Southern state, closer to Zelainia. Rejina was in Western state, in the mountains. And then us in the Eastern state. "There's no school in Northern state though," I said casually.

"No, not in Northsage, but of course across the borders there's Ravenwood-" She threw a hand over her mouth, stopping her words. Her face grew red and she stood up abruptly. "Holy Sage, what did I just do?" she whispered.

"Across the border?" I prodded. "You mean Upperlands?" Northsage wasn't the only kingdom in our world, although we seemed to function very differently from others. Our own government system and laws. There hadn't been wars between lands in centuries. Our world was bigger than anyone could imagine, there were silly tales of continents where dragons no longer existed. Upperlands was so close, although probably the most distant. I had long forgotten what the real name for their kingdom was.

"I said nothing and you heard nothing, Alice," she commanded, a sudden booming authority in her voice. That royal training wasn't for nothing then. I winced as her voice echoed through the room. "I'm telling you to forget what I told you." The shift of the mood of the room was obvious.

"And I'm telling you," I sneered, standing up from my chair. My eyes flicked to the French style windows, detailed frost creeping up the panes. "That I deserve to know. Just because my last name isn't a month, I shouldn't know any less about my earth."

"Excuse me, Princess July?" a maid knocked lightly on the doors we had come in from.

The transition from the Marina I'd seen moments ago to right now, was incredible. She didn't even blink an eye and I was thrown back onto the chair by the push of magic. I growled, I actually growled. "Yes, come in," Marina called in a sweet voice.

The maid timidly entered the room. I heard her mutter something about the chilly temperature of the room. "The tailors sent me to tell you your dresses should be ready tomorrow in the morning," she said.

Marina smiled, but I could see it was fake in my eyes. What else had this girl been keeping from me? "Fantastic, our masquerade is tomorrow evening, so it will be perfect. I forgot to mention that it was indeed a masquerade, would you inform the tailors that we will be needing masks as well. Send them my thanks." She nodded her head to the maid, signalling she was finished with her commands and the maid scurried off.

I glared at the girl before me as she turned to face me. "What is this about, Marina? I thought you were my friend." I narrowed my eyes at her.

She strode up to me, her expression blank. "I am your friend, Alice Cassidy. There's just some things you can't know," she said calmly. She swung open the door. "Even if you are the reincarnation of Queen Northsage herself."

I roared out a scream, leaping from my chair, but the door had slammed shut, and when I opened it again, Marina was gone.