The Princess Thief

#ONE

She drew in a deep, shaky breath and reached for the taxi handle. She held her fingers around the worn handle, unable to do anything else but stare out of the window. She was about to take the biggest risk of her life. Like many other students, Ettie applied for Sunstone Academy about a year ago. She knew only the best of the best in academics would make it in. She never knew she, the Princess of Florentina, would be one of them. Rumours say that the entrance exams are beyond hard, and Ettie agreed. When she got the acceptance letter a few weeks back, she was ecstatic, unable to believe that she would be travelling to England and to the prestigious Sunstone Academy.

Her mother and father agreed that she would stay unrecognised as the princess. This was the first time Ettie was allowed to feel like a normal thirteen-year-old girl, instead of some royalty. She just hoped she could blend in and keep her cover - for her own sake.

Plane tickets were booked and Ettie endured the five-hour plane ride with her bodyguard, Alfred and his son, Alistair, who is a bodyguard in training, to England. After the boring trip, Ettie was happy to get ditch her bodyguard and get on a taxi to the school.

'Are you getting out or what?' The taxi driver's grouchy growl came from the front seat.

'Oh, I'm so sorry!' Ettie firmly opened the door, feeling an instant delightful chill envelop her. She daintily stepped out of the silver car and went around to the front window, to pay the driver. Taking a taxi to her school, in her eyes was one step closer to a normal girl's experience.

The gruff driver grumped at her, took the payment and opened the boot for her. 'Thank you.' Ettie said politely. She quickly took out her large pale pink suitcase and stood in her spot for a while as the car lurched back onto the main road. New and old students were coming and going in every direction and there was a happy feeling in the air around Ettie. She adjusted her yellow skater skirt and took in the grand buildings in front of her

The first building had a large window and through it, she could see a cluster of teachers having a last-minute meeting. Walking past that, Ettie saw a wide path clad with mud-coloured bricks with azalea bushes lining it. Her Mary Jane shoes made a slight tap every time Ettie took a step. The sweet scent of azalea floated around her. Already, Ettie felt the magic of being in such an amazing place like Sunstone soak into her. To her left and right there were many buildings, but with no doors to be seen. Eventually, Ettie found her way to a courtyard with four gigantic buildings. Each one had a different coloured front door and were made of creamy brick. Ettie already knew she was in the dorm with the yellow doors. She walked up to the second dorm house from the right. Stopping about midway to the doors, Ettie admired the immense windows on the second floor and the slight buzz of voices coming from inside.

Ettie again breathed a shaky breath and walked towards the towering, pure yellow front doors. She walked slowly, but confidently, still taking in her new surroundings and trying to look like she knew what she was doing.

Just outside the dorm reception, she suddenly got a gush of nerves. Ettie thought back to what she learnt in her homeschooling days at home. Don't let the nerves into your mind. Stay in control. The voice of her palace tutor, Miss Maria, twinkled in her mind. Ettie decided to follow her advice, now more important than ever, and swiftly walked inside.

On the inside, the walls were a pale yellow and the smell of chamomile lingered in the air. Along one of the walls, there was a row of circular tables and chairs with a group of about seven sitting at two of them, happily chatting. There was nobody else inside except for the receptionist hunched over in her seat. Walking across the tiled floor reminded Ettie of her own home - the palace in Florentina.

'Excuse me?' Ettie said, shaking off her nerves with the words.

'Oh, hello! May I have your name please?' An aged receptionist asked, adjusting her round glasses.