Princess Academy

A week after returning to the academy, Miri still thinks about living in the lowlands and being a princess, but she does not know if she wants to marry the prince. She and Katar remain rivals. Miri has learned that she is in second place, behind Katar. 

The girls discuss their studies as they leave for the village on their rest day. Upon arriving, they see Enrik and the other traders. In the village, Os and Doter successfully get the traders to agree to pay the villagers more for the linder, and Miri feels proud of her role in the proceedings. Miri then tells Britta more about life in the village before Peder joins them. He talks and jokes with them, and after he leaves, Britta asks Miri if she likes him. She confesses that she does. Britta then reveals that she is not close to her cousin’s family and starts to become emotional when mentioning her mother. To cheer her up, Miri says that she can stay with her and her family, which Britta happily accepts.

When Britta returns home briefly, Miri goes to the quarry and decides to try stone breaking. However, Marda falls and injures herself. Their father angrily tells Miri to leave, and she runs away. However, Doter stops her and tells her that Marda has broken her leg but will be okay. Miri confesses that she feels useless because her father will not allow her to work in the quarry due to her small physique. Doter then reveals that Miri’s mother was pregnant when she decided to help in the quarry. She fell and gave birth to Miri prematurely before succumbing to her injuries. Doter says that the village never judged Miri or her father for not allowing Miri to work in the quarry. She also says that Miri is just like her mother, which is why her father wanted to protect her. Marda then returns home, and Miri lies near her to keep her company. She falls asleep, and when she wakes up, her father apologizes to her.

When summer begins, Olana starts giving the girls dancing lessons outside to prepare them for the ball. Additionally, Miri tells her friends the truth about her mother—which has liberated her—and they say that they never thought she was too weak to work in the quarry. Esa also finds it surprising that a girl as bold as Miri would care what others think about her. 

During their rest days, Miri notices that the commerce-related changes made by her and the villagers are bringing in new traders and better goods. During the summer, Miri and her family celebrate her 15th birthday. Marda and their father give Miri a new, sturdier pair of boots. As Marda’s leg heals, Miri starts teaching her how to read, which Marda deeply appreciates. Marda says that she felt unintelligent compared to her sister, but Miri says that is not true. She also confesses that Katar is ahead of her at the moment, but Marda says that Miri can become the academy princess if she wants it. This makes Miri realize that she must find her place in the world beyond the quarry.

When autumn comes, Olana has the girls practice their dancing in preparation for the ball, which will be in a few weeks. She also gives the girls one final exam before she will let them attend. She asks the girls questions, and when Gerti struggles, Miri uses quarry-speech to help her get the answer right so that all the girls can go to the ball. Miri helps the other girls, too, and they begin helping each other, as well. Miri even helps Katar answer a question. 

To Olana’s surprise, all the girls pass the exam. However, Miri, Katar, Esa, Bena, and Liana are all tied for the position of academy princess, so Olana has the other girls elect one of the five. After the girls all tell her their picks, Olana crowns Miri the academy princess. 

Miri is elated but is shocked to find Katar sobbing. Concerned, she goes to talk to Katar, who reveals that she wanted to be academy princess so that she could leave Mount Eskel. Katar’s mother died shortly after her birth, her father was emotionally absent, and the village appeared cold and mean to her. Katar hoped to see the lowlands, but she now laments that she never will. Miri tells her that just because she is the academy princess, it does not mean the prince will choose her—Katar still has a chance. However, Katar doubts this and remains inconsolable. As a result, Miri feels sad for Katar even as she feels excitement about the ball.

Following the exam, the girls have free schedules until the ball. The day before the ball, servants arrive to start preparing while Olana has the girls wait in their bedchamber. The girls make a pact to be happy for whichever girl the prince chooses. However, Britta begins to feel unwell, and Miri notices that she has a slight fever. By the following morning, Britta’s fever worsens. When the seamstresses arrive to help the girls into their dresses, she vomits, making her unable to attend the ball. 

Miri goes to inform Knut. While sneaking by, she sees Prince Steffan. They exchange glances, which excites Miri. She then goes and informs Knut of Britta’s illness, and he tells her that she will likely improve within the day. The seamstresses dress the girls. A girl named Frid feels pretty for the first time, and the seamstresses give Esa a silk wrap to hold up her arm, which had been permanently injured in a quarry accident. The seamstresses then put the silver dress on Miri and adorn her with pink ribbons and cloth rosebuds in her hair. Miri is ecstatic at how beautiful she looks and feels. She then has Olana agree to check on Britta later, before she and the other girls are sent into the ballroom.

Miri is quickly captivated by the rich music and decorations in the ballroom. After curtsying to Prince Steffan and receiving a bow from him, he approaches her for the first dance of the night. At first, she refuses politely but then reveals that she was joking and agrees. The two dance, and while he asks some questions about her village, he does not appear very interested. Afterward, she enjoys dancing with the other young men. Miri notices that the prince also appears uninterested during his dances with the other girls. 

At the feast, Miri imagines living as a princess just to enjoy the food. The prince then asks her to dance once again. Later, the two go outside for a walk. He asks her more questions about her village. Noticing his lack of interest, Miri asks him why he is there. Steffan is taken aback by her tone, but Miri says that she wants to know why he does not seem interested in the girls. He explains that it is overwhelming for him to try to get to know all 20 of the eligible girls in Mount Eskel in such a short amount of time. Miri says that she understands. She then jokes about having to choose between 20 Steffans, to which he jokes about having 19 brothers with the same name as him. They then nudge each other, which makes Miri laugh. Steffan then tells her that her laugh is infectious and that she was his favorite to dance with that night. They sit together, and Miri thinks about what a wonderful night she had.

The following morning, Miri tells Britta about her time with the prince. Then, Olana enters and tells the girls to stand by their beds while the chief delegate talks to them. The chief delegate informs the girls that Prince Steffan will be returning to Asland because he could not reach a decision; he will make his decision in the spring. 

Olana believes that Prince Steffan’s indecision is due to the girls not being ready to be princesses and says that they must study harder until spring. None of the girls are happy about this, and Miri feels confused and hurt. She goes outside and sees Peder. He asks her about the prince, and Miri says that he did not choose anyone. She then expresses her frustration at what she is supposed to do with her life if she cannot be a quarrier or a princess. Peder then angrily tells her that she clearly wants to be with the prince and that he hopes the prince picks her; then, she will never have to see Mount Eskel again. Immediately after this outburst, he runs back to the village. Miri kicks a stone in frustration and hurts her toe. Suddenly, she hears wailing and crashing within the academy. She soon senses Esa using quarry-speech in a game of Wolf and Rabbit, telling Miri to run.