“Our library has the largest selection of books in the kingdom. It also has many rare books that are very securely guarded. The first rule of the library is that there are to be absolutely no fires lit inside at any time. Also, only books that are kept on the shelves are available to be checked out. Our rare books are kept under lock and key, so naturally those cannot be removed either.”
We walked past the guards at the door and through the library. Shelves filled with tomes stretched high to the ceiling. There was a slightly musty smell of old books in the air. Just as Mr. Eldran said, the rare ones were kept locked up, and anyone entering the library with a bag was subject to having it searched. I figured it would be very difficult indeed to remove any of them from the building.
We left the library and continued toward the left, back to the auditorium where we started the day. “This is the auditorium, where the entrance ceremony was held earlier. A ball will be held here at the end of the school year as well.” That was the only explanation given as we walked through the building and onward. We rejoined the path outside and continued down it, stopping at the entrance of the next building.
“This is the cafeteria. You will sit toward the left or right side of the room with your peers from your own dormitory. The right side is the men’s side, and the left is the ladies’. There are no assigned seats, but in general, the third years sit toward the back, the second years in the middle, and the first years in the front.”
The cafeteria had high ceilings and felt quite large. Its most distinctive feature was the huge stained-glass windows spaced at regular intervals, dispersing colored light as the sun shone through. There were also several portraits of people related to the academy hanging on the walls. Four long, narrow tables with chairs filled the hall. It looked like the table setting of a banquet, just on a much larger scale, so it was quite intimidating.
“On weekdays, you will eat lunch and dinner here. If you have other plans, you must notify staff beforehand. It is your choice where to eat breakfast and meals on weekends, so there’s no need to notify staff if you eat elsewhere. Breakfast is served between six a.m. to eight a.m. and lunch is served from eleven a.m. to one p.m., so you may eat at any time during those hours. Dinner is served promptly every night at seven p.m., so please plan accordingly.”
“Now for our last stop, we’ll visit the chapel.”
We returned to the academy building and exited through the front. We walked toward the gates and saw the chapel coming up on the right side, surrounded by trees. Inside, the building held an altar and rows of long, simple wooden pews for worshippers. There were several columns standing inside, carved with angels and saints recognized by the Darryl Church, but nothing was too gaudy or over the top.
The chapel had a solemn yet soft atmosphere. Being in that peaceful space somehow made my heart feel cleansed.
We silently exited the chapel and returned to the academy’s main building.
“As the student council president explained, your rooms are listed on your schedules. After a week has passed, if you decide you want to take a class outside of your designated course of study, you must submit an application to me. And with that, I think that should do it for me. Soon, you’ll proceed to your respective dormitories, and student council representatives will explain those rules.”
After Mr. Eldran excused himself, a boy and a girl came into our classroom.
“I’m William, the student council treasurer and men’s dormitory leader.”
“And I’m Lora. I’m the ladies’ dormitory leader and the student council secretary.”
The boys and the girls split up to follow their respective leaders. As we walked down the hallway, we arrived at a building about the same height as the academy building. There was a reception desk immediately after the entrance.
“Every time you leave the dormitory, you must leave your room key here at the front desk. If you tell the secretary your name and room number, they will return your key. Also, like you heard at the library, it is possible to check out certain books as well, and those can be returned here at the reception desk. If you are sick or unable to attend classes due to family circumstances, you can let the staff here know and they will take care of it for you. Also, you can send and receive letters and buy school supplies here. There’s a list above the reception desk and in each of your rooms that details what’s available for sale, so please check over that when you have a chance. Asking a staff member to buy something not on the list is strictly forbidden. Unfortunately, there are instances of that every few years, and students who do so will be suspended.”
I could imagine the staff dealing with such requests. These noble children have never wanted for anything, and some might expect the same quality of life here at the dorm. The people hearing those frustrations would most likely be the front desk staff.
“There are some people who may be tempted to boast about their family’s power to pressure the staff members. Please be aware that if you are caught doing this, your punishment will be even more severe. Keep in mind that this is the royal academy—in other words, it was built because of the royal family, and all the staff members here have vowed to serve the kingdom to their utmost abilities without caving to outside pressure. The student council will be watching over the students’ actions, and the kingdom inquiry commission periodically investigates to make sure the staff are upholding their vows to the crown. They won’t bend so easily.”
In other words, the staff kept an eye on the students, the student council did the same, and then the organization keeping watch over everything was the kingdom’s inquiry commission. I figured that the strict structure had been put in place to make sure the relationship between students and teachers never became inappropriate, because doing so would damage the integrity of the academy as a place of learning.
“Over this way, we have the infirmary. The doctor lives here on campus, so feel free to visit if you have any health concerns at all.”
We had turned right from the reception area and walked into the pure white infirmary. There were three beds inside with shelves of all kinds of medicines on the walls. The desk was immediately to the left, and a doctor wearing a white coat was already seated there. Lora bowed politely to him, and then we quietly excused ourselves back into the hallway and continued walking.
“This is the bath area. You may use the baths from four p.m. to six p.m. or from nine p.m. to ten p.m. Each room is equipped with a simple bathroom as well. Up ahead are the restrooms. There is a laundry facility in the basement where you can wash your clothes. However, this is not necessary; if you place your laundry into the numbered laundry bag you’ll find in your rooms, you can leave it in your room and an academy servant will collect the bag when they come to clean your quarters. They will return your laundered clothes the next day.”
We went back the way we came to explore the other direction past the reception desk.
“In the opposite area here is the café. They offer light snacks and drinks.”
There were several tall, round tables with chairs in the café. It seemed like most people took food and drinks up to their rooms rather than eat in this area.
“That’s it for the floors above ground. Any questions?” Lora asked, but no one said a thing. She looked around at us one more time and then climbed the staircase next to the reception desk. We came out into a large room. “This is the first-floor parlor. You may use this common room whenever you like.” There were several sofas with side tables situated throughout the room, as well as a pretty floral-patterned rug. The walls were covered in cute pink paper, and several beautiful religious paintings were hung upon them.
“If you go up those stairs, you’ll reach the residence rooms. Your room assignments are written on your schedules.” She pointed to the staircase in the corner of the room.
“If you need anything at all, I’m in room 201. Please don’t hesitate to come to me for anything at all. Sometimes I do get noise complaints, so please remember to be considerate of your classmates. Also, food and drink is permitted in your rooms. However, boys are never allowed in your rooms no matter what your relationship might be, so please be aware of that. You’ll find a pamphlet in your room with a detailed list of the rules, so please go ahead and read those as soon as possible. That concludes our tour of the dormitory.”
Everyone clapped for Lora, and then we all dispersed. I went to get my room key down at the reception desk and then went to my room—room 205. Anna had already unpacked my things so there was nothing else left for me to do but relax. There was a queen-sized bed in the center of the room, a study desk by the window, and a vanity on the opposite wall. A wardrobe sat next to the door, and then another door on the opposite side of that led to my bathroom.
I did as Lora suggested and read through the list of rules. Basically, I would be living life without my personal attendants while I was here. I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself, so I had no problem with this. At any rate, the academy’s servants would do the cleaning and the laundry, so the only things I really had to do myself were dress and bathe.
The rule book did say though that in the case of formal balls, we were allowed to have our female attendants come to help us get ready. Those attendants would stay in the servant’s quarters which were separate from the dormitory.
Once I was finished reading through the rules, it was already time for dinner, so I left the dormitory and headed to the cafeteria.
Everyone arrived promptly for dinner and sat down. Dinner was served family style with large plates at each table for the group to share, from appetizers down to the entrée. I chose a random seat and enjoyed my meal. After that, I bathed, got my things ready for the next day, and went right to sleep.