We were walking down the street when we ran into Alicia. She was leaning against a tree, her pose suggesting she'd been waiting for us for a while.
We exchanged some light pleasantries—a couple of good mornings, the usual polite how-are-yous—and kept walking. She was also taking the academy entrance exam, so she decided to join us rather than go alone.
We walked side by side: Isolde on my right, Alicia on Isolde's right.
"Don't you think we should be more polite to her now that we know she's the princess of the kingdom?" Isolde whispered in my ear.
She was right, of course.
"I think so," I replied in the same low tone. "Given her status, it'd be wise to show more courtesy."
I stole a glance at Alicia just as she turned toward us, raising an eyebrow with a questioning look.
"Though, it might be too late for that," I added, lowering my voice even more. "After all, we've been treating her like anyone else for a while now. Changing now would make our interactions feel… forced."
It was just a guess, of course. A tentative conclusion.
Truth was, I had no idea how to treat Alicia from now on. With deference?
As a friend? Wait… was she even my friend?
No.
Yes.
No?
My mind was spinning in circles, unable to settle on a clear answer.
"Why are you guys pushing me out?" Alicia suddenly slipped between us, effortlessly separating us.
Isolde pouted—somewhat dramatically, I thought—but her expression shifted when she saw Alicia's hand on my shoulder. She brushed it off immediately.
"Oh…" Alicia tilted her head. "Answer me. You don't seem all that comfortable."
Were we going to tell her the truth?
Not me.
Isolde, however, seemed to have other ideas.
"Well… we were just thinking about how we should address you now that we know you're a princess. It's tricky to figure out how to do it properly!"
"That's it?" Alicia huffed, half-frustrated, half-amused. "Shit. Sorry. I mean… why are you worrying about that? We're friends, aren't we? You don't need to treat me like I'm someone special. I'm not someone you have to bow to, right, Lucy?"
"Huh?"
Lucy?
Since when did she start calling me that?
And more importantly: why that tone? It was… dangerously seductive.
Damn it.
"I've got nothing to say," I muttered, cutting off any possible misinterpretation.
"Ugh… Whatever," she sighed. "Just keep treating me like you always have. I'm not some important figure here. For now, I'm just another girl trying to get into the academy, betting on her luck."
Her tone was neutral, almost detached, but I couldn't help noticing the mix of emotions hidden beneath her words. It was impossible to pinpoint exactly what she was feeling: too many layers, too many veils.
"Alright," I nodded.
"Then I'll call you Lissy!" Isolde exclaimed, her smile unintentionally bringing one to my face too.
"I like the nickname… but it'll take some getting used to," Alicia admitted, barely smiling.
"Haha. Well, I'm calling you that from now on," Isolde declared, as if her decision was set in stone.
A couple of minutes passed before we decided to stop. Not out of exhaustion or indecision, but for a far more basic reason: to take it all in. Before us stood the academy, grand and ancient. I'd dare compare it to the University of Oxford… and I wouldn't be exaggerating.
Even from the entrance, you could sense what awaited inside. A wide central courtyard stretched out ahead, flanked by open-air corridors linking to other buildings. To the right, at the far end, rose a tower at least fifty meters tall, and to the left, an identical one. The symmetry was almost unsettling, as if the architects had deliberately aimed to create that eerie sense of balance.
And at the heart of it all, breaking the monotony of the symmetry, stood an even grander tower. Not because of its height, but because of the way it was encircled by a circular structure that seemed to tie everything together. A sort of central keep, crowned with the purpose it was surely meant to serve: the core of this entire place.
"Are you here for the entrance exam?" A female voice came from my left. I turned my head calmly. It was a woman in a simple uniform, likely a secretary.
"Yes," I replied, straight to the point.
"Perfect. However…" The woman paused and walked to our right, stopping in front of Alicia.
"Princess, it's an honor to see you. But I'm afraid you'll need to come with me separately."
"Huh? Why?" Alicia asked, frowning, clearly annoyed.
"Your father… The King wishes to see you."
"My father's here? I thought he'd still be at the castle." The surprise in her voice was understandable. Even for me, imagining the King away from his throne felt strange. It sounded like one of those ridiculous rumors that circulate among gullible commoners.
"That's right. He personally instructed me to escort you to the Director's office as soon as you arrived at the academy gates. He needs to discuss certain matters with you."
"Is that so?… Alright." Alicia glanced at us. "See you later?"
I gave a brief nod, a gesture that could be read as "yes, but be careful."
"We'll be here! Don't worry!" Isolde said lightly. I got the sense she understood that a father's authority—especially a monarch's—took precedence even over an entrance exam. Or maybe she just accepted it because there was no other choice.
"Don't leave without me. I want to train a bit after the exam."
"Got it."
"Where's the exam being held?" Isolde asked, scanning the surroundings.
"Oh! I almost forgot," the secretary laughed, a bit nervously. "It'll be at the training field, behind the Central Keep."
"Central Keep?"
"The tower in the middle," she clarified, pointing at it.
I nodded. Now it made sense.
"Got it. We'll head there."
"See you, Lucy, Isolde," Alicia said as she left.
"Good luck on the exam," the secretary added before walking off with her.
And just like that, they were gone.
Soon after, other young people started arriving at the academy. Some looked around my age. Others, maybe a year or two older. None seemed older than fourteen. Apparently, we'd arrived earlier than expected. A stroke of luck, perhaps. Or a coincidence that could pass as an opportunity.