Chapter 242: FAMINE
Aristia stood in front of the large building of the Academy.
"Wow. This place is beautiful. It really is magnificent. There was no exaggeration."
She looked around her. Students of different ages moved back and forth, entering and exiting the buildings.
She walked forward, only to hear a loud voice say.
"Welcome to the Royal Academy!"
She looked away from the teenage boy who had his arms spread out dramatically while staring straight at her, and moved toward the entrance only to hear a chorus of,
"Welcome to the Royal Academy!"
She stopped in her track and turned around, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. The previously scattered students had all stopped and joined the boy in yelling.
"Welcome,"
"Welcome,"
"Welcome..."
"To the one and only~"
"Royal Academy!!!"
Before she knew it, all the students began singing as if they had practiced before hand, moving and singing in sync and rhythm.
"It’s a beautiful place, magnificent it is~"
Another group went around her.
"Standing tall and proud, it’s a place to be~"
[Ugh, what in the world is going on?] Aristia felt a bit lost. She quickened her steps into the building, only to see the same situation there.
"... different people to meet. We all come together~"
The students danced, twirled, whirled and even performed cartwheels.
[Okay... Why are we suddenly having a Disney musical? And I wasn’t informed...]
While the students spun and danced around her, Aristia just stood there speechless. Two girls twirled ribbons and skipped around.
[And where did the ribbon come from?] Aristia thought incredulously.
[Nevermind, I think I know what’s happening.] She thought, rubbing her forehead.
Finally, the musical came to an end.
"It’s the Royal Academy~ It’s the royal Academy~ It’s the Royal Academy!!!"
A group of students stood on each other’s shoulders and another group stood in front of them in different poses, flailing their hands as the song ended.
And like Aristia expected, the students dispersed like nothing had happened, clutching books to their chests, carrying bags and whatnot.
Aristia shook her head. "This has gotta be the weirdest dream I’ve ever had."
As soon as her words were completed, her eyes opened.
She sat up on her bed. "Maybe watching a lot of musicals growing up wasn’t a good idea. Or maybe I’m coming down with something." She muttered.
[Like a fever.]
"And I actually believed I had begun attending the academy, not knowing it was a dream. I would have been fooled if not for the sudden musical." She muttered in amusement.
When she pulled open the bed’s curtains, she saw that it was already morning.
"Well, time to start the day."
She left for training with captain Hugh.
"Good morning, princess and prince."
"Good morning, sir Hugh." Aristia and Alaric greeted.
Without much words, he began the training.
"Kyah! Hyah!" As she struck the dummy knight, Aristia subconsciously hummed. "Hmm, hmmm."
Then the words slipped from her mouth.
"It’s the Royal Academy~ It’s the Royal Academ—" Aristia paused when she caught Alaric’s and Hugh’s curious, questioning glances, wondering what she was singing about the Royal Academy.
She had been singing the dream song without knowing.
[Argh, it’s not my fault it’s so catchy. It’s been stuck in my head. I couldn’t even help humming it even while taking my bath.] She thought in frustration.
After the training and breakfast, the family prepared to leave for the palace.
None of the children had any classes today, and they would be visiting the king’s family.
"We’ll have lunch and possibly dinner in the palace. Inform the cook that there’s no need to make lunch." Catherine told Mrs Cedmond.
"Yes, Madam." Mrs Cedmond bowed.
Then they headed to the palace.
"Oh, Cathy. So good to see you." Melissa said, going to hold Catherine’s hand and leading her into the palace.
The family settled down in the palace, each person doing their own thing.
"We miss Ivan a little now that he’s no longer here." Serina said in the middle of the conversation they were having with Aristia.
Beatrix nodded in agreement.
Their words reminded Aristia of the dream she dreamt.
"Yeah, I miss Ivan. Liam too." She said.
"Me too." Alaric said.
Aristia hesitated a bit before turning to the sisters.
"Um. In the academy... Do the students sing and dance?"
Her unexpected question caught the sisters off guard and they turned to look at each other before looking back at her.
"Sing... and dance?"
They shook their heads. "We don’t know. If it’s dancing, then yes. They teach dance lessons in the academy, just as our tutors do here. But why would they sing?"
[I don’t mean that kind of dancing, but nevermind. I shouldn’t have asked. How would they be able to dance with such modern moves anyway?]
"But why do you ask, Tia?" Serina asked. Beatrix and Alaric looked at her curiously.
"I was just curious." Aristia answered with a shrug.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A knock on the door to Serina’s room turned the four heads in its direction.
The door opened and a maid stepped in, bowing politely. It was Serina’s new maid.
"It is almost lunchtime, princesses and prince. Her majesty requests your presence in the dining room."
"We’ll be there." Beatrix said.
The maid bowed and then left, closings the door behind her.
"Let’s go." Beatrix said.
The family gathered for lunch in the dining room.
In the middle of having lunch, a voice came through the door.
"I apologise for the interruption, your majesty, but a messenger requests an audience with you." The steward said from the other side.
However, before any of them could even reply, the door barged open and the messenger ran to the king, looking very much like a person bearing bad news.
He bowed hastily before speaking.
"Your majesty, locusts have been sighted in the West. At first they were only a few, but now they’ve been seen in large numbers. They’re attacking the fields. We can’t control them. They’re devouring everything!"