Princess Opo’aba, Healing Shrine of Mugash, north wing, fourth floor

Opa was nervous walking to the room she would share with eleven other first-year students. She was supposed to arrive much earlier in the evening, but the Revered Twipdray was still recovering from the attack the day before. So Opa stayed with the Holy Senlyosart to show the healer who was filling in for Twipdray what needed to be done. Her mother could have done this except her mother had left to meet her father, the King, to rescue the missing Prophet Emily. The Blessed Lisaykos could have done this, but she too was in bed recovering from yesterday's attack. The Healer Twessera could have done this but she was in Surdos on leave to visit her family. The Healer Thuorfosi could have done this but she was taking care of the Blessed Lisaykos.

Opa was the only one left who was familiar with what the Holy Senlyosart needed daily during her rehabilitation from her war injuries, so Opa stayed and helped. To Opa, the tasks of moving the invalid Senlyosart, getting her through dinner, bathing her, and putting her to bed was like one of her father’s army campaigns, where many disjointed moving pieces needed to coordinate together to win the battle. As soon as they settled the high priestess for the night and she was sure the temporary healer knew right from left, Opa was out the door.

The dorm lights were already out. She wanted to get back before the lights were out so she could have a chance to talk with her friends about why she enrolled under an assumed name. She didn’t regret doing it, not at all. For the first time, she had met people her own age who accepted her for herself and not because she was royalty. She needed that chance to be just Opa, to grasp that special moment where there were no titles or honorifics or pedigrees to get in between her and others.

She had already moved her clothes and school supplies to her new space, left open for her by her classmates. They were in classes when she moved her stuff with the help of Priestess Voice Kakoyva, the new supervisor for the first-year Voice trainees. All she had to do now was spend her first night in two rotations with her classmates.

Because of the Impotuan attacks, the two high priestesses, Lisaykos and Senlyosart, arranged tutors for Opa while she was absent from her regular classes. The Revered Twipdray taught her practical magic. The amazing, totally wonderful Holy Senlyosart herself taught Opa magic theory and religion.

Her classmates were also currently learning about laws. Opa already knew the law, better than her teachers. It’s just one of those things that happens when you’re a princess with tutors provided by the Fated Shrine of Galt, where the law was kept and practiced. The Holy Senlyosart threatened to have Opa teach law. Opa knew she was safe for now but next year might be another matter.

Her classmates also had classes in math, spread across several different levels. Opa could teach them all plus one or two levels not currently on the curriculum. When she reviewed her class schedule with the Holy Senlyosart, the Blessed Lisaykos, the Revered Twipdray, and the Priestess Voice Kakoyva, Opa learned she had music theory and prell practice to make up. So when her classmates had law and math, she would use that time to catch up on her music classes.

She grew more nervous with every step toward the dorm room. She had to face her roommates for the first time as a princess instead of as a foundling from Is'syal. She hoped they would let her explain why she lied to them for a whole season.

She prayed they were all asleep. It had taken time to get Senlyosart into bed. The poor woman was almost immobile. It would be at least a season before she could stand or walk again, though it was better than the alternative, which would have been the loss of a leg. Opa did not begrudge the time. She liked the high priestess, who was also a distant cousin, but the lights in the dorm had been out now for more than half a bell because of the time she spent with Senlyosart.

It was more than halfway between the quarter- and half-night bells and all the lights were dimmed in the hallway. Good thing she didn't have any homework to do. Maybe she could sneak in quietly, get into bed, and face everyone in the morning...maybe.

The lights were out in the room. She ever-so-slowly depressed the latch lever and opened the door, flinching every time it creaked. She pulled off her shoes and crept across the floor to her bed. She sat down with exquisite care not to make the bed frame creek. Then she laid down on top of the covers and let out a soft sigh of relief: she was safe on her bed, and no one woke up. She smiled to herself and let herself relax.

"Get her!" the cry went up. The charm gem lights all lit up and a rain storm of pillows descended upon the unsuspecting Opa. Then on top of the pillows, several bodied piled, pinning her to the bed.

"Make sure she can't sit up!"

"I got her knees!"

"Leave room so she can breath."

"I got the left stocking!"

"I got the right!"

Many hands held her ankles and shins. Opa had a sinking feeling as to what might come next only to discover she was right.

"No, not my feet!" she shouted, trying vainly to sit up. "No! No! No! Leave my feet alone!"

"Who's got the feathers?"

"I got them! I got them! Here they are."

"Do you know what we do to princesses who try to pass themselves off as us lowly worms?" an indignant voice asked the rhetorical question. "We lowly worms tickle their feet! Bwahahahahahaha!"

"Not my feet! Not my feet! Aaaa. Noooooo....Aaaaaa! No no no no...Aaaa...aaaa..ha hahahahaahahahaahaa...!"

The floor supervisor, Priestess Voice Kakoyva in her nightgown and housecoat, stood outside the first-year voice-student room and smiled to herself. She was startled to hear a low chuckle next to her. A woman wraith appeared out of nowhere and put a finger to her black-masked lips.

Kakoyva was about to open the door to put a damper on the fun when the wraith stopped her. "Let me, please."

Kakoyva nodded.

The wraith wrenched the door open. "Psssssssst! Girls!" Many startled students looked up from where they had pig-piled Opa on her bed. They were shocked to see an actual wraith at the door. "Shut it down, kids," the wraith whispered so everyone could hear, "or you'll wake the floor supervisor!" She shut the door noiselessly. She bumped Kakoyva's offered fist, saluted, and disappeared. Kakoyva walked back to her bedroom smiling, wishing she was that age again when life was as simple as pillow fights and tickled feet.