The Strongest Princess ⚜ Ch. 1

Princess Devna Adhikari of The Kingdom of Nepal

Knight Academy - 15

✧❈✧

Too much had happened here. Too many close calls.

The old headmaster looked down the dark passageway, and a chill ran down his spine.

No. It was time to close it off for good. He closed the second door with a resounding thud, locking it securely.

Taking the keys and a book, he brought them over to the window to use the moonlight. He set them on the ledge and pulled a knife from his belt. Opening the book, he started carving out a hollow interior. He'd clean up the mess later, stuffing some of the pieces back into the hollow. As soon as the indentation was deep enough, he placed the keys inside it.

He closed the book on it and turned it so the spine faced him. Taking the knife, he carefully scratched away at the title of the book so that no one would ever think to take it.

If they did, they would have a treasure hunt on their hands, trying to find the doors it unlocked. Perhaps by then things will have changed. The world was slowly becoming more civil, after all.

All he could hope was that things like this never happened again. In a school of high profile youth and royalty, danger was always a threat.

Taking the hollowed book, he brought it to the library. He climbed a ladder to place it up as close to the top as he could, tucked away in the shadow of the shelf.

There. The old Knight headmaster climbed back down and stared at the book. He'd done what he could. Perhaps now his students would be safer.

✧❈✧

It had been years since Devna had ridden a train. She'd been a little girl visiting India the last time. Racing along the French countryside, she looked out the window intently. This was such a beautiful place.

As she headed through this unfamiliar place, she hoped that she was really ready. Her tutors at home were the best, but could she keep up with the Western students? Her kingdom Nepal wasn't exactly the hub of higher education. She hoped that one day she might be able to change that.

The train started to slow as they entered a town, and she started collecting her things along with a few other students in uniforms. When the doors opened, she shuffled along with them out onto the platform.

There was someone waiting with a large RA sign for the academy students (thank goodness). "Royal Academy students leave your bags over here. They will be collected and brought to the school in the car behind yours," the man said. "Please make sure they're properly marked."

Devna followed the other half dozen students to a waiting limousine and climbed in. They were all quiet except for two boys who were clearly friends.

The drive didn't feel very long at all after her extensive journey, and they soon passed through a small village. In the distance she could see the towering Royal Academy. Tomorrow she'd go there for orientation. But she was one of the early arrivals.

As they drove through the forest, a hill started to become visible up ahead. She nearly chuckled; they'd said the Knight Academy was at the top of a mountain. Compared to the Himalayas, this was just a rolling hill.

They drove up to the point where the snow line began, going through a tunnel that suddenly revealed the stone castle off to the right side, built out of the mountain itself. They pulled around to the front, and the new students piled out of the car.

The older students walked right up to the imposing fortress, but Devna hung back in awe. She'd never seen such a massive building. A single watchtowers was the only rounded surface; everything else was hard lines and blocky columns. And it was stunning.

She followed the others inside and quickly discovered that she would frequently be getting lost here. Everything was symmetrical and open. Soaring ceilings in the entry - which she was sure was the ballroom - had three chandeliers, and she was surprised to see two large fireplaces along the outer wall.

Seeing a sign for first years, she followed it up a few flights of stairs, soon finding the girl's common area and dorms. When she went in, she was relieved to see that there were a few people there already.

"Did you see the way she looked at you? I sense an impending romance," one of them was saying.

"I thought her friend was more attractive, personally."

The girl crinkled her nose. "He looks so much older."

"Exactly. Oh, hello. You're welcome to join us," one of the girls said to her.

A bit self conscious, she went to join them. "I'm Devna," she said shyly.

"I'm Zanele."

"Zita."

"Enisa."

The princess sat down with them, and they continued the conversation.

"Although I do remember seeing a new knight last year that was very good looking. He came in around mid-October," Zita said.

"What about you, Devna? See anyone on the way up that caught your eye?" Zanele asked with a grin.

She shrugged. "Not really. But besides, I'm betrothed."

"Oh really?" Enisa said. "What's he like?"

She smiled. "I actually got to meet him last year. He's very nice. His name is Rijan."

"Oh, are those your bags?" Zita asked, watching as a servant brought them through to the dorms.

"Yes, it looks like it," she replied.

Enisa stood up. "Come on then. Let's find your room and we'll all help you unpack. We'd just finished the job ourselves when you came in."

"Alright." She followed them to a list posted on a bulletin and found her name. "Let's see, room 135."

"Really? That's my room," Zanele smiled. "Come on, you'll love the view."

They all went to the room, and Devna gasped. "Oh, you weren't kidding." Going to the window, she looked out to see just how suddenly the mountain ended, falling in rolling hills down to a peninsula on a large lake. At the tip of the narrow land was a lighthouse, rising stoically above the mist. "How beautiful," she muttered.

"I know, isnt' it? Which bag should we start with?" Zita asked.

The princess returned to the others and pointed out the largest. "The clothes will probably take the longest to put away."

"Excellent idea." Enisa unzipped the bag and gasped. "Did you bring sarees? Oh, you did! I absolutely love sarees! They're so beautiful."

Devna chuckled helping pull out another. "I just brought a few. I don't know when I'll get to wear them though."

"Haven't you heard? Cultural dress is welcomed as long as some part of the uniform is worn. Not for the true knight course classes, of course, unless you know how to sword fight in a dress. Well, besides religious garments, that is," Enisa said, gesturing to her hijab.

"Really?" Devna asked, surprised.

"Oh yes. I've seen a few girls who wear their sarees, and just add the uniform jacket over. Very classy," Zanele replied.

A knock came at the open door and a maid stepped in. "Do you need any help unpacking?" she asked with a curtsey.

"Let's see, well, I just finished this bag," Devna said. "Where should I put it?"

"There is a large storage closet at the end of each hall for that very purpose, my lady."

"Oh, I should bring mine out too then," Zanele said.

"No need. I'll take them," the maid insisted, but Devna was already going out with hers. She followed with a couple of Zanele's bags. "Thank you," she said to the princess.

"Not at all." They pushed the suitcases to the back of the large closet and walked back out. "Oh, what was your name?" Devna asked. "I always prefer it to 'hey you'."

The young woman chuckled. "It's Elle, my lady."