I groaned. Hedwig was all right, but I hated having to put up with Henrietta´s condescending attitude every time I saw her at one of father or Aunt Achren´s balls. She had never missed an opportunity to make herself look better than us, though was careful enough to put up a good front to the rest of the world, so that nobody noticed she was trying to push us into the background.

'Isn´t she 18 already?' I asked. 'Why is she still here, instead of trying to ingratiate herself with all the right people, like most girls her age are?'

Kate shrugged. 'Hey, where are your roommates?' she asked.

It was my turn to shrug. 'I´ll meet them sooner or later. I hope I´ll like them. The room though, is annoying. Too pink for me.'

Kate laughed, helping me put the rest of my things away. We found Dame Minchin in the entryway, having just shown another girl to her room.

'Dame Minchin?' I asked.

'Yes dearie?' she replied.

'Where is the performer´s hall?' I asked.

Dame Minchin pointed down another hallway, and told us to go straight to the end. Kate and I stopped to look into a few rooms on the way. Some seemed to be classrooms of some sort, and some looked to be tea lounges or something of that sort. The performance hall was huge. It was built much like any theater, with a decent sized stage, and several hundred seats. It was not as big as the theater in Basel, but still had it´s own orchestra pit and balcony. It looked like most of the other girls were already there, waiting for Dame Minchin.

Maybe 20 women, and a few men, were arranged in seats on the stage. I assumed they must be the teachers. Kate and I found seats somewhere in the middle of the theater, and sat quietly until Dame Minchin entered, with the last few girls, who had arrived after we did.

Given Dame Minchin´s sappy welcome, neither of us was surprised at her equally sappy welcome speech. She introduced us to the teachers, and told us the rules. The school was, fortunately, not quite as strict as we feared, though we were still expected to behave 'like ladies' at all times.

Breakfast was served promptly at seven each morning, and classes would begin promptly at eight, five days a week. We learned that rooms were to be inspected for tidiness sometime during the morning while we were at class. The room with the best record at the end of the year would win some sort of prize, and of course, the recognition of being the tidiest.

I met my roommates after dinner that night. They were all twelve year old first-termers, like me. Arieda was also from Tel, not far from the school. Kiera was from Girona, and Brigit was from Düssel. They seemed nice enough, and I hoped that we could get along for the rest of the year. Between us, we reckoned that there were about thirty girls here in their first term, and between twenty five and thirty five girls in the other classes.

'And then there are some here that are older too,' Arieda said. 'My mother told me that some girls continue to take dance lessons, or music lessons all the way until they get married.'

'That explains why Henrietta is here,' I said.

'Henrietta? Who´s she?' Kiera asked.

'A really snotty older girl,' I said. 'You´ll probably pick her out on that account.'

'I don´t know,' Brigit said. 'My older cousin said that the older girls all get awful snotty at times.'

The next morning, we learned that the first term girls were divided into two groups for classes. I was disappointed to learn that I was not in the same class as Kate, Brigit, or Kiera, but at least Arieda and I were together. My first class was history. I lit up at this. I always loved history. As it turned out, three of my four morning classes were academic. After history, we had a music theory class, learning to read music, and learning about all the famous composers. After music came a Literature and writin class, followed by a language class. Düssel and Girona had rather different languages from Tel and Cadiffor. In Düssel, many spoke a language almost identical to German, and in Girona most spoke a language almost exactly the same as Catalan.

That afternoon, we began with sewing. Our teacher immediately set us to work on needlepoints, each of us working our own name into a pillow cover. I groaned inwardly. I detested needlepoint. If I am going to sew, I much prefer sewing something useful, like a dress. But, I kept my mouth shut. It would do me no good to earn a reputation as a whiner.

Next came practical music lessons. Everyone was expected to learn to play the piano to some extent during the whole first year, and during the second half pick up some other musical instrument. We were all expected to learn to ballroom dance next. We began with the basic waltz. Arieda and I finished our day with a singing class. I was quite exhausted by five o´clock, but our day was not done there. We had an hour free before dinner, and then at eight, we were expected to be in one of various dance rooms, for another form of dance, either ballet or jazz or lyrical. There was traditionally a show before the Christmas holidays, and one at the end of the spring term. At ten, we were finally freed. Most of us were so exhausted by that time that we quite willingly fell into bed.

Even Saturdays were not really free. We were 'allowed' to study painting, or sculpture, or to take private voice or instrument lessons. In reality, 'allowed' is not the appropriate word. First years were pretty much forced to study both painting and sculpture and only allowed to chose one or the other (or continue with both) after the first year. At least afternoons were free, as were Sundays.

Kate and I soon found where the stables were, as well as the gardens and kitchens. Girls were allowed to ride on any of the trails in the woods by the school, but usually only with a chaperone. Fourth years could go out without a chaperone, but only if in pairs or small groups.

It was not until nearly a month had gone by that I came in contact with Henrietta. She was as condescending as ever.

'Well if it isn´t the little princess,' she said upon seeing me.

'Nice to see you too Henrietta,' I replied as civilly as I could.

'I have seen your twin around, but I was afraid you weren´t here,' Henrietta said. 'You know, not every rich family bothers with the younger daughters. They are just not important enough.'

I bristled. 'Some of us at least have the hope of marrying well, or inheriting a throne from an aunt,' I retorted.

'Oh really?' Henrietta replied, raising an eyebrow. 'Inheriting another throne from an aunt are we? I was under the impression that she still had not chosen an heir. And I have just as much claim to a throne as you. More, because I am the elder, and your better. I suggest you remember it.'