Dragon Dreams (2 page)

I’m
Princess Emma and I’m in my first year at the Royal Princess Academy.

Yes, even princesses need to go to school. My great-grandmother, my grandmother, my mother, and all my aunts and cousins have gone to the Royal Academy. It’s a family tradition.

My best friend Rapunzel and I are in the
same class. But, unlike Rapunzel, I am NOT your typical princess.

I don’t like pink.

I’m too clumsy to dance.

I’m always tearing my gowns.

Here are the things I like best:

1. Kicking a soccer ball.

There is nothing better than feeling my foot connect with the ball for a shot on goal.

2. Playing with my pug and my Chihuahua.

I think
every
princess needs a dog, or two!

3. Racing my cousin Prince Ben.

I’m pretty fast, so it’s always a close contest, and we both like to win.

4. Reading about magical animals.

I’m especially interested in dragons. I wish I could visit the Dragon Caverns.

5. Sliding down the castle banisters.

(Don’t tell my mother, the queen!)

Our castle has lots of them and, since I’m sometimes late in the morning, this is fun AND a good way to get to breakfast on time.

We just had school picture day at the Academy. I forgot to tell my mom it was coming up. Let’s just say that my picture did
not
look like any of the others. I think you’ll be able to tell what I mean.

Chapter 2

Now
the most important day of the whole year—the All-School Princess Contest—is almost here. I’m a little worried about it. You see, the girls in my family have always outdone themselves in the contest. The gallery in our castle is filled with their awards. With the help of her forest friends, my great-great-grandmother Snow White
led her class to victory the year the contests started. My grandmother Beauty helped her class win by sleeping the most daintily. My cousins the twelve princesses have all won trophies for dancing.

I don’t think
I’m
going to win any trophies, though. Everyone’s always giving me advice on how to be a proper princess.

My mother, the queen, says, “Shhh! Don’t talk so loudly. A princess is as a princess does.”

When I ask if I can stay up late to watch
Magical Animal Kingdom,
my grandmother Beauty says, “A princess needs her sleep.”

My regal father says, “Walk, don’t run. Even when she is not wearing a crown, a princess feels its weight.”

It hasn’t been going so well at school
either. Let’s just say I’m not exactly the star student in Princess Posture class.

Can I help it if I’d rather read a book than wear it?

When we sign up for school activities, most of the other princesses decide on Royal Song and Dance. A few choose harp lessons. Some want to learn how to weave lace so fine it fits in a nutshell, and the class on Princess Party Planning is popular. I am the only princess who wants to learn about dragon care. In all of Academy history.

At our class on Royal Table Manners, not only do I not remember which fork and spoon to use, I accidentally spill the pepper, and it tickles my nose. When I sneeze, I sort of bump into my water goblet. So Moriah jumps out of the way. And sort of bumps into Alex’s water goblet.

And, well, Madame is not too happy. Neither is Moriah.

Rapunzel thought it would be a good
idea for us to try out for the Royal Talent Show together. It wasn’t. She was sick the day of the show! After my solo, Princess Jordan joked that they must have heard me in the neighboring kingdom.

Plus, at our first-year sleepover, all the other princesses changed into their frilly nightgowns and beribboned slippers. I changed into my
fuzzy pajamas
… and my
dragon slippers
.

But Royal Ball class was the biggest problem of all. I TRIED to tell my teacher I’m good at
soccer,
not dancing. She didn’t believe me. Now she does.

This morning, while we wait for our school assembly to start, I pass Rapunzel a note:

Do you think I’m the worst princess in the world?

Rapunzel writes back:

No. And don’t say that about my best friend!

Sigh. Even her handwriting is more princess-y than mine. As I smile at her, I can’t help wondering how she manages to look so perfect with our poofy school uniform
and
all that hair piled on top of her head.

Chapter 3