Free Princess Academy by Shannon Hale Page A

make this observation to the prince without talking about yourself?”
    Katar’s hand shot up. Olana called on her.
    “It seems to be quite stuffy in here. Are you feeling warm, Your Highness?”
    “Nicely done,” said Olana.
    Miri frowned at Katar and her smug little grin. Olana asked what one could say if the prince asked you how you were feeling. Miri raised her hand as fast as she could.
    “Um, I’ve been eager to meet you, Your Highness. How was your journey?”
    Olana raised one brow. “That might be all right, if without the ‘um.’”
    Katar smirked at Miri.
    “Stupid Conversation,” Miri said to Britta when they returned to individual conversations. “Learning to read was good, but this stuff is silly. I’d rather be cleaning pots.”
    Britta shrugged. “I guess it’s important, but I don’t really like talking about betters and lessers and all. This is just good manners. It seems to me that if you want to make a good impression, you should treat people as your betters, whether Olana thinks they are or not.”
    “You’re not dull in the head after all,” said Miri. “Why do you pretend to be?”
    Britta gaped, looking both affronted and embarrassed. “I don’t pretend anything, and I am . . . I mean, I’m just . . .”
    “You could read all along, couldn’t you?” Miri whispered.
    Britta seemed to consider denying it, then shrugged. “I didn’t want to be the only one who could read and let Olana put me up as an example against everyone else. I was having a hard enough time . . . with people up here.”
    “Britta, I’m sorry, I didn’t . . .”
    Britta nodded. “I know. I’ve heard how the traders talk. I see how Olana treats you. Of course you would think all lowlanders are the same. But Miri, I don’t think like them. I don’t.”
    The next morning, Olana introduced the rules for diplomatic negotiations, starting with State the problem and ending with Invite mutual acceptance , then rushed through the long list of general principles of Diplomacy.
    “Tell the truth as plainly as possible,” Olana read from a book. Her usually loose voice was forced, as if she were embarrassed to be teaching principles she herself did not follow. “Listen carefully to your allies and enemies to know their minds. The best solutions don’t come through force. Acknowledge your faults and declare your plan to amend them.”
    Miri did her best imitation of Olana’s twitching lips. Britta smiled behind her hand.
    “Now then, let’s look briefly at Commerce,” said Olana, “just enough to keep you from embarrassing yourselves too horribly in front of the prince.”
    Once the lesson began, Miri had to consider if mountain folk might actually be duller than lowlanders. She thought Commerce was just a fancy word for how they traded linder for other goods, but Olana blathered about supply and demand, markets, merchants, and commodities. It was as if she made it all sound more complicated than it was just to make the girls feel stupid. At least, Miri hoped that was the case.
    At the next break, Miri opened the book on Commerce to see if she could puzzle it out. After five minutes and the beginnings of a frustration headache, she slammed the book closed. Perhaps her head was worn from constantly trying to reason out how quarry-speech worked, or perhaps she just was not smart enough.
    Through the window she could see Frid throwing snowballs for distance and Esa laughing at something sixteen-year-old Tonna had said. Even Katar was outside today, sitting on the steps and sunning her face. The snow measured up to Miri’s waist in the swells. High winter.
    The rabbit coats would be thickest now, and that meant slaughter time. It was a small celebration to have fresh meat for the stew and fur for a new hat or mitts. Miri hated the chore, but she did it every year to spare Marda, who wept to see any creature die. Miri wondered if Marda would steel herself to do the killing this year or if Pa would think to