Charming Academy, page 1
Charming Academy
by
Jessica L. Elliott
www.JessicaLElliott.com
Copyright 2012 Jessica L. Elliott
All rights reserved.
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Dedication
To John for inspiring me to retell my favorite stories in a way that wasn’t “girly”.
To Mom for giving me constant encouragement along the way.
To Jonathan for being the real Prince Charming in my life. Thank you for sweeping me off my feet into a true-life, happily ever after story
Table of Contents
Prologue
Year 1 Chapter 1
Year 1 Chapter 2
Year 1 Chapter 3
Year 1 Chapter 4
Year 1 Chapter 5
Year 1 Chapter 6
Year 2 Chapter 1
Year 2 Chapter 2
Year 2 Chapter 3
Year 2 Chapter 4
Year 3 Chapter 1
Year 3 Chapter 2
Year 3 Chapter 3
Year 3 Chapter 4
Year 3 Chapter 5
Year 4 Chapter 1
Year 4 Chapter 2
Year 4 Chapter 3
Year 4 Chapter 4
Year 4 Chapter 5
Year 5 Chapter 1
Year 5 Chapter 2
Year 5 Chapter 3
Year 5 Chapter 4
Year 6 Chapter 1
Year 6 Chapter 2
Year 6 Chapter 3
Year 6 Chapter 4
Epilogue
About Jessica L. Elliott
Connect with Jessica L. Elliott
Prologue
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“I won’t go to bed,” the child screeched. “I won’t, I won’t, I won’t!”
“You will and you’ll do so right now,” the babysitter replied firmly, picking up the kicking boy and dropping him rather unceremoniously on his bed. She had long, red hair, tied back in a ponytail; though there was always a wisp or two that escaped. Her bright blue eyes took in everything around her and right now all she saw was the same screaming brat she’d been dealing with since six that evening. She was tall, which was emphasized by the way she presented herself; her mother always complimented her perfect posture. Dressed plainly in a pair of old blue jeans and a grey tee shirt, she sighed as the small boy strained against her freckled arms which were held resolutely across his belly to keep him in bed. “If you’ll quiet down, I’ll tell you a story.”
“What kind of story?” He stopped squirming and eyed her suspiciously.
“A fairy tale,” she replied in a mystic voice.
The boy scoffed, “I don’t want to listen to a fairy tale. They’re all about some guy named Prince Charming who goes around saving and marrying princesses. Seriously, who would name their kid Charming?”
“No one. It’s a title. Not every prince was a Prince Charming and he certainly wasn’t just one person. There were many and they had to go to a special school to become one.”
“What about the princesses? They have weird names too.”
“Those were used to protect the people and their families. Don’t you realize that if everyone knew Sleeping Beauty’s family, they would never get any peace? They’d be bothered all the time by fans and the press.”
“Oh come on, those stories aren’t real.”
“Actually, they are real. They happened thousands of years ago. So long ago that they’ve become legends, changed and gilded through the years as people passed them down through the generations. Of course, it isn’t helped by the fact that the fairies left Sanalbereth. That’s why we don’t have Charming Academy now. But if you promise to try to go to sleep, I’ll tell you the honest to goodness, true story of the fairy tale.”
Year 1 Chapter 1
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Our story begins, as all fairy tales do, once upon a time in a land far away. More specifically, it begins in the province Maltisten, a small country within the fairy-ruled empire of Sanalbereth. In this province, lived a king and queen and their two children, Lucian and Allegra. Like all good parents, King Lysander and Queen Alexandra wanted the best for their children. So, they decided to request their placements in the two most sought-after schools in Sanalbereth; Charming Academy for Boys and Fair Damsels Academy for Young Ladies. The only problem with their plan was that each child secretly hoped that they would be rejected. Lucian, like most thirteen-year-old boys, firmly believed that females were to be avoided at all cost. Living with a little sister had proven that to him. Allegra, at twelve, firmly believed that she already knew everything and most vehemently disliked the idea of spending time with boys. They were far too boisterous and dirty for her tastes.
But life is what happens when you’re making other plans. And life has a wicked way of doing precisely what you don’t want it to do.
The day Lucian’s life took its merry twist had already been shaping up to be a terrible day. It started before he woke up when his father left him at home; instead of taking him on the elk hunt. It didn’t matter that it was Lucian’s own fault for oversleeping. That simply made it worse. At breakfast he’d gotten in trouble for sticking his tongue out at Allegra. Nobody would listen when he said Allegra had started it. Instead, Allegra grinned triumphantly and gave one last parting shot with her tongue while no one was watching. He scowled at her and walked up the stairs to his room. He decided to practice his swordplay with the wooden sword his father had made for him, but couldn’t seem to find it. A noise at the door made him turn to see his sister standing with a pleased expression on her face.
“Looking for something?” Allegra asked, holding Lucian’s sword above her head with a nasty smile.
“You give that back,” Lucian hissed, jumping at her.
“You didn’t say please,” Allegra said in a singsong voice, sidestepping so that Lucian missed.
“Please.”
“Please what?”
He snarled, “Please give me my sword.”
Allegra held the sword in front of her, but as Lucian reached for it she jumped backwards. “Gotta catch me first,” she called as she sprinted down the hall.
“Allegra, give that back,” he shouted. He thundered down the stairs and after skipping the bottom three entirely, tackled her to the ground. He had almost wrestled it away from her when his mother’s voice pierced the air.
“Lucian Alexander, what on earth are you doing to your sister?” Alexandra cried.
“Mother, she stole my sword,” Lucian replied angrily.
Using that whiny voice and horrible pout that their mother always fell for, Allegra lied, “Did not. I was trying to give it back and he attacked me.”
“Lucian, you should be ashamed of yourself. You know better than to attack a lady,” Alexandra scolded.
“But, Mom, she’s lying,” Lucian argued.
“That is not important. A young man never attacks a lady, whether or not she is behaving as one. Now you apologize,” Alexandra said.
“But, Mom,” Lucian began.
“No buts,” Alexandra interrupted. “Apologize.”
Lucian scowled at Allegra who was smiling wickedly before saying through clenched teeth, “Sorry.” He ran up the stairs to his room. It simply wasn’t fair. Allegra got away with everything! He shoved his toys back in his toy chest. “Today can’t get any worse,” he muttered. He should have known better than to tempt fate, but he was only thirteen. A knock at the door made him pause. “Who is it?”
Allegra walked into the room. “Here’s your sword back. I’m sorry I got you in trouble.”
“No you’re not. You wanted to get me in trouble.”
“Well, yeah, but I still feel bad. I thought I’d say sorry. I shouldn’t have done it.”
Lucian softened. “What are siblings for? You want to play a game with me?” Allegra didn’t have a chance to answer because just then they heard the doorbell. “I wonder who that is,” he said and the two of them raced down the stairs. A fairy with gold wings and long, blonde hair was standing in the doorway handing Alexandra two large envelopes. “Just the mail.” He and Allegra turned to go back up the stairs.
They had just reached the top when Alexandra began screaming at the top of her lungs. Immediately the two turned and barreled down the stairs. Lysander, who had recently returned from his hunt, collided with Lucian as he reached the landing. Allegra laughed as Lucian, sprawled on the ground, tried to regain his breath.
“What’s the matter, Alexandra?” Lysander asked as he pulled Lucian to his feet.
The queen seemed to have lost the ability to speak and was dancing from side to side waving a piece of paper in the king’s face. He snatched at it a few times before finally getting it away from her. As the king read aloud, Lucian’s heart sank farther into his shoes. He read:
To Their Royal Highnesses King Lysander and Queen Alexandra,
On behalf of the entire staff at Charming Academy, I thank you for your interest in sending your son to our school. After reviewing your request we have chosen to accept him into our program. Please arrive with {
Sincerely,
Calista Periwinkle
Headmistress of Charming Academy for Boys.
Lucian felt as though he’d been kicked in the stomach as he watched his parents dance about the rotunda. Allegra was laughing herself silly. In fact she was laughing so hard that she was clutching the banister for support. “Don’t laugh,” Lucian snapped. “Your day is coming.”
“You don’t know that,” Allegra giggled.
At the moment, she was right. But the fact was that lying on the ground forgotten was the second envelope, unopened. Lucian felt that this was the just the chance to prove to Allegra that in fact he did know that her day was coming by promptly picking the letter off the ground. “Mother, you dropped this,” he said, holding it out for Alexandra.
“How clumsy of me,” she said as she stopped dancing and took it from him. She read aloud, giving Lucian the opportunity to laugh. She read:
To Their Royal Highnesses King Lysander and Queen Alexandra,
It is my pleasure and honor to inform you that we have received your request for Princess Allegra’s placement in Fair Damsels Academy for Young Ladies. After reviewing the information sent, I am pleased to say that she has been accepted. However, our program does not start until age thirteen. Please see enclosed a schedule of important dates on which she will need to attend as well as the date on which you are to bring her for a tour and orientation next year.
Congratulations to you all!
Sincerely,
Melantha Honeycomb
Headmistress of Fair Damsels Academy for Young Ladies
“Oh how wonderful!” Alexandra squealed and soon she and the king had once again begun a spirited polka around the rotunda.
Lucian dodged his parents to go stand by Allegra. “It could be worse.”
“Not really,” Allegra said.
“Hey, at least you have a year before you have to start going,” Lucian pointed out. “I have to start right away.”
Allegra patted Lucian’s back. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Lysander asked. He and the queen stopped dancing to look at them.
“I, um, I stepped on Lucian’s foot,” Allegra lied. They both knew how important it was to their parents that they go to the academies.
“Yeah,” Lucian said, feigning a sore toe. “It’s okay.”
“Oh, alright,” Lysander said, looking at the two suspiciously.
“We’re going to have to go to town tomorrow to get all of Lucian’s school supplies,” Alexandra said. “This is quite an unusual list.”
“May I see it?” Lucian asked. His mother handed him the paper and he looked over it as Allegra read over his shoulder.
School Supplies
Uniform:
Tailored jacket, cerulean, brass buttons, and single gold braid on sleeve. No other ornamentation allowed including ribbons and/or medals previously won or inherited.
Three pairs tan trousers with cerulean suspenders
Three white doublets and two cream doublets
Hunting apparel
Shield, no crest
Armor, lightweight
Supplies:
Beginner’s epée
Bow and quiver of arrows
Horse, white or grey; no black
Hunting hound, medium size
Three writing pads
Pen and inkwell with ink, black or blue
One set charcoals
One set oilcolor paints
Simple recorder
Please note that books and other necessities will be provided by the instructors.
He handed the list back to his mother before climbing up the stairs. What rotten luck! Nothing had been going well all day. All he needed now was a summer thunderstorm to complete his misery. As though hearing his silent thought, thunder rumbled in the distance. He walked to the window and looked out as the heavy, grey clouds that had been hovering in the sky throughout the day finally released their burden. Lightning flashed and he watched the rain pummel his window.
He didn’t hear the knock on the door, nor did he hear his father come in. In fact, he didn’t notice his father’s presence until he was right next to him saying, “Dismal weather isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Lucian said. He took a deep breath before continuing, “Dad, can I talk to you?”
“Of course, Lucian,” Lysander replied. “You can talk to me about anything.”
“Well, it’s about Charming Academy.”
“What about it, son?”
Lucian hesitated, “I’m, well, I’m just not sure that I…”
“You’re afraid you’re not good enough,” Lysander said.
“No, Dad, it’s just…”
“Son,” Lysander interrupted, “you’ve got everything you need to go to that school. You’re smart and brave. At your age, I dreamed about going to Charming Academy and becoming a Prince Charming. But your grandparents were too late in sending the request. We soon got a letter stating that all the available slots were taken. So I missed my opportunity. Your mother went to Fair Damsels Academy. The only reason I was able to marry her was her prince failed his mission.”
“What if I fail, Dad?” Lucian asked.
“My son? Fail? Nonsense, Lucian,” Lysander said confidently. “Why, I was able to save your mother and I didn’t have any of the special training that her prince got. She would never say it, of course, but I sometimes think she regretted her prince giving up on her. She only got second best in me. That’s why I’m so proud of you, son. Your princess will never have any regrets. She’ll get the Prince Charming she deserves. So what are you concerned about?”
“Nothing.” He couldn’t tell his father that he didn’t want to go. It would break his heart. Instead he forced a smile on his face and said, “I wish you could come with me.”
Lysander put his arm around Lucian and said with a smile, “I do too, son. But this is something that you need to do on your own. Don’t worry, you’ll do fine.”
“I won’t let you down, Dad,” Lucian said.
The next morning the whole family rode into town to buy Lucian’s school supplies. Alexandra and Allegra went to get the paper supplies while Lysander and Lucian went to the tailor for the uniforms. They walked into the tailor’s small shop as a very tall, wiry, old man said, “Good morning, Your Highnesses. And what can I do for you? Lower a hem?”
“No, Lucian has been accepted at Charming Academy,” Lysander replied. “We need his uniforms made.”
“Oh, that is a high honor indeed, my young prince!” the tailor exclaimed. “Have no fears! Old Tom’ll set you up right. Now what are the specifics?”
While the king and Tom went over the list’s instructions, a young girl no older than Allegra was taking Lucian’s measurements. She had long, blond hair pulled back with a turquoise ribbon. Her eyes were light brown and there was a depth to them that belied her smiling, cheerful countenance. “That’ll about do it,” she said before scampering over to Tom and disappearing into a back room.
“Well, now, Your Majesty, I’ll have these ready for you by tomorrow afternoon. Bring him in then for a fitting,” Tom said with a smile and low bow.
“Thank you, Tom. We’ll be in around four,” He and Lucian walked back out to the street. “Now I suppose we should get your sword.”
“Yeah,” Lucian said. This was the only part he was looking forward to, but he was curious. “Dad, who was that girl in the tailor’s?”
“Girl? What girl?” Lysander asked.
“The girl who took my measurements,” Lucian specified.
“Oh, that’s Tom’s granddaughter, Gabriella. She’s going to Fair Damsels Academy to work as a maid in the fall. Poor Tom isn’t as young as he once was and they need extra income,” Lysander said.
“Why doesn’t she live with her parents?”
“They died when she was a baby. Carriage accident if I remember right. Very hard on Tom to lose his only son.”
Their conversation ended as they entered a shop labeled Bill Smith: Sword Master. “King Lysander, what a pleasure!” Bill cried as the pair walked through his door. “Will you be needing a new rapier? I’ve got some beauties over here you might be interested in.”
“Not today, Bill,” he replied. “I need a beginner’s sword for Lucian. He’s going to Charming Academy this fall.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place, Your Highness. I’ll make sure he’s got the very best epée in that whole school. Now,” Bill said, turning his attention to Lucian, “which is your sword hand, young prince?”
“I’m left-handed,” Lucian said.
“Ah, a leftie is it? Excellent! Let me see your arm.” Lucian held his arm out and Bill started poking and prodding. “Lean, but strong. Not too long, nor too short. Hands, small, very small, but all in all very satisfactory. Very good, come by tomorrow morning and you’ll have your first real sword young man.”
“Thank you, Bill,” Lysander said.
“Sure you won’t have a look at the rapiers?” Bill asked.
“Perhaps in the morning, Bill,” Lysander replied. “I’m under strict orders from the queen.”
Bill laughed heartily. “Very well, Your Majesty. Tomorrow we’ll play.” He bowed and waved them from his shop.
“Well,” Lysander said as they entered their carriage, “I think the last place to go is Phillip’s to get your horse. Allegra and your mother are getting everything else. Come on.” They rode to the edge of town to Phillip’s Stables. When they arrived, Lysander led Lucian into the stable.
A teenage girl met them near the gates. She curtsied and said, “Good afternoon, Your Highnesses. How may I assist you?”
“We’re looking for Phillip. We’re here to buy a horse,” Lysander replied.
“My father is out in the ring,” the girl said, pushing a red curl behind her ear. “Follow me.” She bobbed in curtsy before turning and leading them out of the stables past dozens of horses.
Once outside, they saw a tall, red-headed man riding a fiery chestnut around the ring. On seeing his customers, he reined his horse in and dismounted. “Good afternoon, Your Majesties. What can I do for you?”
“They’re here to buy, Papa,” the girl said.
“Thank you, Mariah,” Phillip said. “Put Flame away, please.”
“Yes, Papa,” Mariah replied. She curtsied once again before going to the horse in the ring.
“Now, what can I do for you?” Phillip asked, turning his attention back to his customers.
Lysander replied, his chest puffing out with pride, “Lucian will be going to Charming Academy. He needs a white horse.”
Phillip frowned, “I’ve only one white horse in my stables for sale, and he’s an awfully big horse. I’m afraid he might be a mite big for Lucian as yet.”
“Let’s see him,” Lysander commanded.
“Yes, sire,” Phillip said, bowing. “Mariah, please bring Zephyr.”
“Yes, Papa,” Mariah replied. She disappeared into the stable and returned leading an incredibly large, pure white stallion. He pulled at the rope, causing Mariah to step back several times. “Zephyr, come,” she said in a commanding voice.
The horse tossed his head and snorted in response.
“Here we are, sire. Zephyr’s a free spirit; young and freshly broken. Not what I would recommend for a beginner, but he’s a good horse. And, like all my horses, he’s been blessed by the Fairy King himself to always be able to find his master if ever they should be parted. A valuable asset in a pet. Take him around the ring, why don’t you? He has a smooth gait and a lively step.”
Lucian wasn’t at all sure that he wanted to take Zephyr anywhere, but he stepped up to the large horse. Zephyr sidestepped so that Lucian was no longer next to the saddle. Phillip held him still as Lucian tried to get himself in the saddle. He could barely get his foot in the stirrup. Lysander gave him a boost up and Lucian took the reins. However, it was soon very clear who was in control and it was not the prince. The more Lucian tried to pull back, the faster Zephyr went until they were doing a brisk canter around the ring. “Whoa, boy, whoa,” he said in what he hoped was a calm voice.
He had expected the horse to slow down and then stop, but that was not the case. Instead, and Lucian was not quite sure how, Zephyr firmly planted all four hooves on the ground which caused Lucian to rock precariously in the saddle. The horse whinnied and Lucian was quite sure that Zephyr was laughing at him.
“Well, what do you think of him?” Lysander asked.
“He’s too big for me, Dad,” Lucian replied. “He’s a good horse, but he’s too big.”
“Nonsense,” Lysander said with a dismissive wave. “You’ll grow into him. Besides, you looked magnificent.”
“Sire, if I might make a suggestion,” Phillip interrupted, “Prince Lucian does indeed look wonderful atop Zephyr, but he is a bit small yet. Why not buy one of my greys for now and I’ll save Zephyr until Lucian has the experience and height to handle him. I’ll show them to you if you like.”
“No, Phillip, we’ll take Zephyr now,” Lysander replied.
“Very well, sire, he’ll be a thousand Simari.”
Lysander paid Phillip before leading Lucian and Zephyr out of the barn. He mounted his own horse and the two of them headed to town to meet the ladies. They met at Priscilla’s Café for lunch before heading back to their castle. As they unloaded their saddle bags and packages, Lucian cried, “Dad, we forgot to get the hunting hound!”
“No we didn’t,” Allegra said, a mischievous note in her voice. “Mom and I bought him for you. In fact, he’s right here.”
Lucian didn’t know whether to cry in despair, laugh as though she were joking, or simply throttle Allegra then and there. In her arms was a tiny, rust-colored puppy. He was squirming around and licking at everything his little pink tongue could find. He looked at Lucian with big brown eyes and barked a greeting. Lucian just stared before saying in a deadly whisper, “Please tell me you’re joking.”
“No, I’m not. Isn’t he precious?” She scratched behind his floppy ears and he barked happily.
“Allegra, it’s a puppy,” Lucian said, his voice rising with every syllable. “I can’t show up at Charming Academy with an untrained puppy.”
“He is trained. He’s house-trained.”
“I don’t need a house-trained puppy. I need a hunting dog. One that knows how to hunt!”
“They were going to kill him! Just because he’s the runt and has a limp. I couldn’t let them do that.”
“He has a limp? You bought me a lame dog?”
“Children, that is more than enough,” Alexandra interrupted, causing them to jump as each had forgotten that their parents were there. “Lucian, you will simply have to train the puppy. You still have a month before classes start. I’m sure your father would be happy to help as he’s trained several hounds himself.” Lysander looked like he was going to argue, but thought better of it when the queen shot him a deadly glare while saying, “You will help him train the dog, won’t you?”
“Of course, dear,” Lysander said, knowing that she was not asking, but telling.
“Why can’t Dad and I go buy an experienced dog and Allegra can keep the puppy?” Lucian asked.
“Don’t be silly,” Alexandra said. “What would she do with a hunting puppy?”
“Start a lame puppy protection agency,” Lucian replied sarcastically.
“Lucian,” she scolded. “You will take the puppy you have, or go without. Besides, training him will give you a leg up. Now, what are you going to call him?”
“Maybe I should let Allegra name him.” But just as she was opening her mouth he continued, “Never mind! You’ve done enough damage already.” He looked at the puppy. Allegra had just set him on the floor and he was hobbling over. He did have a limp in his left forepaw. He stood for a minute at Lucian’s feet and then picked himself up so that his front paws were resting on Lucian’s lower leg. Lucian bent over and picked him up. “How about Rusty since he’s so red?”
“That’s a wonderful name,” Alexandra said with a smile.
As though recognizing the importance of what had happened, Rusty began barking merrily and then licked Lucian’s face.
“Well, boy, it’s going to be a long summer,” Lucian whispered.
Rusty barked happily and continued licking Lucian’s face.
Early in the morning on August thirty-first, the family had a light breakfast before climbing in their carriage for the long ride to Charming Academy. When they arrived at the castle, a tall fairy was waiting for them at the entrance. She had long, blue-violet hair and large, violet eyes. She was wearing a long blue dress that seemed to float around her. Her iridescent blue and violet wings were similar in shape to a butterfly’s wings although larger and thinner. “Good day to you,” she said in a light, airy voice. “I am Calista Periwinkle. Welcome to Charming Academy for Boys. I’ll lead you first to the stables where Prince Lucian’s horse will be housed and your carriage horses will have rest.”
“Thank you,” Alexandra said.
“Shall we begin?” She led them past the castle to a large, wooden building. Inside they met a pink fairy who was singing a cheerful melody as she brushed down a gleaming silver horse. “That is Phillipa Rosepetal,” Calista said as they walked to an empty stall where Lucian led Zephyr. “She teaches our horsemanship classes. You won’t find a better horsewoman in all of Sanalbereth.”
The fairy turned and smiled at Lucian and his parents and nodded her head in greeting. To Lucian’s surprise, his father smiled and seemed to know the fairy. He didn’t have time to contemplate the matter because Phillipa turned back to her horse and Calista lead them out of the stable.
“Shall we continue?” Calista asked. She led them outside to a well-kept garden surrounded by several buildings. “At Charming Academy, we pride ourselves on having a well-rounded curriculum. Our students take the regular classes you would expect such as language arts and mathematics, as well as specialized classes that will help prepare them for their own quest. Out here we have the botany greenhouse and that dark building is our witches’ hovel. I must warn you, we keep the witches on staff for disciplinary purposes. We share them with Fair Damsels Academy. When a witch is called, we have no control over the punishment chosen and are, therefore, not liable for curses or enchantments that may befall your son. If this is a problem for you, you may wish to reconsider his placement here.” She paused momentarily, but when no response was made she continued, “Past the witches’ hovel is our foreign language building. Our teacher is a mermaid which is why the building overhangs the lake. Your son will learn the languages of mermaids, dragons and unicorns; as well as some dabbling in gnome and dwarf. Gym classes are over there by the obstacle course as well as inside that building over there. Now we’ll go inside the castle where the majority of classes are held.”
She led them in through gilded oak doors that were magnificently carved with scenes of heroic princes. The outside of the castle was gleaming white and sparkled in the morning sunlight. Once inside, they saw a large staircase that split at the
