The morning light spilled through the high windows as I walked through the palace corridors, my steps echoing on the polished floors. The halls felt endless, lined with tapestries depicting battles and celebrations I had never seen. My nerves weighed heavier than the simple silk dress the maids had helped me into, and I smoothed my skirts with trembling hands.
I was heading to the study room for my first lesson with the prince. Each step made my heart beat faster. I didn't know what to expect, and I wasn't sure if I was ready.
As I turned a corner, I nearly bumped into someone. A soft, familiar giggle stopped me.
"Good morning, Lady Elara," a voice said. I looked up and saw the middle princess—the one with blue hair, the same age as me, fourteen. She gave me a brief smile, not wide, but enough to ease my tension slightly.
"Good morning," I replied, shyly. My voice felt small in the vast corridor, but her smile made me stand a little taller.
She nodded once and moved on, her skirts swaying with each step. My heart fluttered. It wasn't much, but it felt like a small acknowledgment. The night before, I had asked the maid about the royal family: the eldest princess was sixteen, the middle one was fourteen like me, and the youngest was thirteen. As for the princes, Darius was the second prince and had recently turned sixteen, and the eldest prince was no longer in the country.
I took a deep breath and continued toward the study room. The doors loomed before me, carved with intricate designs and painted with gold leaf. I pushed them open and stepped inside.
The prince was already there, sitting at the desk with a pile of papers and quills neatly arranged. He didn't even look up as I entered.
"You're late," he said, his voice calm but sharp.
I froze. Not even a good morning. Did he wake up in a bad mood? My stomach twisted as I thought about it. I lowered myself into the chair opposite him, hands folded in my lap, trying to hide my nerves.
"Today," he said, pointing to the letters on the sheet, "we begin with the basics. Letters, sounds, and simple words. You must first understand how to read before you can write, and write before you can express yourself properly."
I nodded, trying to memorize every word even as my mind spun with the enormity of it.
He handed me a small sheet of paper with letters carefully written in ink. "This," he said, pointing to a series of lines, "is 'A.' Say it."
"A," I repeated softly, my voice trembling.
"Good. Now 'B.'"
"B."
"Combine them."
I frowned, looking at the letters. "Ab?" I guessed.
He nodded, not unkindly. "Correct. Words are built like this, letter by letter. Understanding them is how you will unlock knowledge."
The morning passed in a blur of letters, sounds, and small words. He moved from one exercise to another, correcting me patiently when I stumbled, encouraging me when I got it right. My hands ached from holding the quill awkwardly, but I tried my best.
When the maids arrived, announcing it was time for lunch, I felt both relief and dread. Relief because my hands could rest, dread because the dining hall meant… the royal family.
They led me through long corridors to the grand hall. The ceiling arched high above, decorated with frescoes and golden chandeliers. The smell of roasted meat and baked bread filled the air, rich and unfamiliar.
At the long dining table sat the king, his crown glinting, the queen with her calm green gaze, and the three sisters, dressed in fine dresses of pastel blue and lilac. The prince stepped forward, gesturing for me to bow.
I lowered myself quickly. "Your Majesties," I said softly.
"Sit," the king said, not unkindly, though his gaze was sharp. The prince sat beside me, and I followed, taking my place carefully.
The table felt impossibly large. The food smelled delicious, yet I hardly dared eat. Every glance from the royal family reminded me that I didn't belong, that I was an outsider, a street girl thrust into a palace of power and wealth.
The queen's eyes flicked to me, green and sharp but calm. "You are adjusting, Lady Elara?" she asked softly.
"Yes, Your Majesty," I replied. My voice sounded smaller than I expected.
The eldest princess, seated a few chairs away, gave me a small nod. The middle one watched silently, eyes curious, while the youngest whispered something to her sisters, glancing at me nervously.
The king leaned back in his chair, eyeing me over the rim of his goblet. "Do you understand why you are here?" he asked.
I swallowed hard. "Yes, Your Majesty. I am… learning to read and write, and to… learn proper conduct."
"Good," the king said, his voice carrying authority without malice. "And you will obey the rules of this household. We do not tolerate misbehavior, theft, or disobedience."
"I understand, Your Majesty," I said, keeping my head bowed.
The prince leaned slightly toward me, a small smirk on his lips. "Don't be too nervous, Lady Elara. They are… intimidating, yes, but you will find your place here, if you try."
I nodded, though inside I felt the familiar flutter of anxiety. I had survived the streets, had led the children through hunger and danger, but this… this was different. A place of wealth and rules, a place where one wrong glance could mark me forever.
By the time the meal ended, I had eaten only a little. The servants cleared the table quickly, and I followed the prince, trying to absorb every detail—the ornate tapestries, the polished floors, the faint scent of herbs and flowers that seemed to linger everywhere.
"This afternoon," the prince said, "we will continue your lessons. But you must remember: your place in this palace, your behavior, your knowledge—they all matter. You are no longer in the streets, Lady Elara. Here, you must learn to be… something more."
I nodded, feeling the weight of his words. Something more. Something I didn't yet understand, but knew I had to become.
As we left the dining hall and walked toward the study room, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched—not just by the prince, not just by the royal family, but by the palace itself, every stone and tapestry seeming to judge my place within it.
And yet… I was determined. I had survived worse than this. I could survive here too.