My Story

We travel for DAYS.

Okay fine, the whole horrible trip to the academy probably only took an hour or so but hey, if you’re the one stuck in a stuffy squashy noisy smelly [many of the girls’ farted. And we were supposed to be ‘tomorrow’s queen’, whatever that meant] and UTTERLY IRRITATING little carriage with stuffy noisy smelly irritating spoiled little giggly girls I don’t think you’ll be able to stay in there without thinking it a lifetime. It was as though it would never end.

Pure torture, that’s what it is.

Finally, a little brick building flashes into view. All the girls had been peering excitedly out of the window, sensing the end of the give a collective groan of disgust and disappointment.

Thinking they would be living in a palace fit for a king, no doubt.

Still, they clamour about, jostling each other to get to the front of the carriage. How eager. Eeww. I can't believe one of them is going to be the future queen. This poor poor doomed kingdom.

The carriage gives a jerk, and does not stop. The brick building turns out to be a run-down farm. Everyone flops down on their seats with a sigh of relief. I am hardly able to stifle a smile. We continue on and I drift off to sleep.

It must have only been around 15 minutes or so before I was rudely woken up by gasps and shrieks of delight from the girls around me. We must have reached.

Obviously.

I peer groggily out of the window. And I understood why they oohed and aahed. The place was wow.

Just simply, wow.

That place was HUGE.

As in seriously HUGE.

There was like, 3 humongous beige towers and the windows were made of mirrored glass. And then there was this really awesomely BIG garden overlooking the little lake at the then there were giant balconies that were at least twice as big as my room back home and MARBLE floors.

Even the courtyard itself was at least three times bigger than the inn. No wonder it was in such a remote place. Everyone was just gaping in awe.

The carriage rumbles slowly to a halt and the door opens. Everyone practically rushes out.

I wait.

In no time at all, I’m the only one left. I climb slowly out of the carriage. Everyone’s looking at me. I look down in embarrassment.
“About time you came out, don’t you think, Miss?”

A frosty voice cuts through the awkward silence.

What?
I lift my head.

And find myself face to face with this seriously tall sharp-angled old lady with a pointy (as in VERY pointy– pretty like the letter V, like those evil stepmothers in fairytales involving fairy godmothers, a pumpkin carriage, dozens of mice and a glass slipper) chin and a super-sharp nose who’s glaring icily at me.

And she’s way tall. Definitely a full head taller than Dad. I bet she’s even taller than Hazele’s dad. And he’s been named ‘The tallest guy in town’ for like, 10 (20?) years. So I think you get what I mean. Pretty intimidating, she.

I guess those royal people are pretty clever after all. I'm beginning to wish i never looked up.

Oops.

She’s still staring at me.

Wait.

Why is she staring?

Ohh… Better say sorry…

“Um.. Right..what? Oh yea sure uh..Sorry, Ma’m." I try to stop staring at her ice-blue eyes and give my best sincere expression. It always works.

This time though, I don’t think so. Awww.

“It’s Headmistress Ikyricl.” She tells me in what must be her frostiest voice. She isn’t fooled, after all. Just as I expected. Her name seriously suites her.

“Yes Ma’m – I mean Yes headmistress– what’s-her-name? Um.. Ikyreel– No, wrong, what-in-the-world-why-does-she-have-such-a-weird-name I mean headmistress Iky–Iky– uh.. what? Oh ya! Ikyricl.”

I can feel heat rising to my cheeks. I hear snickering behind me. My face flamed a brilliant red. Way to make a great first impression, Sofea.

The muffled laughter behind me turns into a guffaw. Someone's laughing really loud. I know without turning who it was.

Angel.

I clench my fists, ready to punch her in the face and show her who’s boss once and for all. But with so many people around and that freaky lady too, that doesn’t seem like such a great idea. I uncurl my hand slowly and stared levelly into her face. She gives me her most innocent baby face.

I’m not fooled.

“Come on, girls. Let me show you to your rooms.”

Headmistress Ikyricl pointedly ignores me and waves a bony hand and, with a swish of black velvet and a sharp nod, she disappears through the entrance door, leaving us to clamber noisily in her wake.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

She leads us through dark, winding corridors with red embroidered carpets trimmed with gold thread and brightly-lit cheerful sitting rooms.

Where she was bringing us, I had no idea, but it was pretty fun all the same, listening to bony old lady as she pointed at one painting and another and telling us in a lofty voice that “Oh, this one is a wonderful portrayal of Queen Eliza the Third in the bla bla bla…” and “Oh, yes. This is my favourite painting…bla bla..” so on and so forth.

As if i had any idea who ‘Queen Eliza the Third’ was, much less her favourite painting of something that looks similar to a blob of saliva.

Oops. I must have said the last part out loud cos now she’s glaring furiously at me. Better look down.

We continue on and on, past statues of unicorns and the tiny fairies, which she so obnoxiously points out ‘very rare’ when in fact there are PLENTY in the forests in the first place. I don’t mention it out though. Not exactly in the mood for another of her icy stares. I’ve had enough of that, thank you very much.

We trample down dim corridors and ‘burst’, literally, into this bright room with leads to many doors. And out of the blue, Auntie Bony stops.

This move is so unexpected, so sudden, that many of us collide with one another.

She casts a disapproving glance at us and waving her hand at our luggages and giving out timetables, she leaves us staring after her wake.

This was to be our rooms, apparently. In no time at all, all of us are paired up and placed in our separate rooms.

I hardly give my roommate a glance before I am mesmerised by the room.

It was seriously wow. There was this great big french window and the twice-as-big-as-my-old-room balcony? Yeah, it was right outside.

But i don't care. Not now, anyway. Too tired. I hop onto the great mahogany four-poster bed and within seconds, I am fast asleep.