Princess School II. Freshman Fall Orientationby Jennifer Brock Kayden Winne’s family is poor so when he gets a scholarship to a prestigious private high school, he is at first happy about it. Then he realizes he knows just enough French to translate the name of the school, L’École pour les Dauphines, to English: School for Princesses. (story squib by Erin)

Headmistress Lillian Blackburn is seated behind a large antique mahogany desk, its corners carved in the shape of heraldic dolphins. Behind her a large picture window, framed by navy blue drapes, looks out onto a well-manicured lawn where a stone bench sits in front of an enormous oak tree. The delicate floral wallpaper on the wall to either side of the window is barely visible, as an array of framed photographs of uniformed school girls standing in rows nearly covers the entire wall. Four delicate straight-backed chars are set up in a line facing the desk. Her intercom buzzes. “Miss Winne is here, Headmistress.”

Ms. Blackburn presses a button. “Thank you, Miss Livingston. Show her in.”

A door opens and Kayden Winne enters. She wears the same uniform as before, but her hair has now been cut and styled in a rounded bob with side-swept bangs tucked behind her left ear. Her earlobes are decorated with simple stud earrings bearing sparkling blue princess-cut stones in silver settings. Her fingers sport a French manicure on oval-shaped nails that extend a quarter-inch past her fingertips. Her eyelashes have either grown fuller or are wearing a coat of brown mascara. There is the slightest hint of mauve on her eyelids and pink on her cheeks, and her lips ae glossy and Barbie-pink. She slowly and deliberately crosses the room, her head held high, and her arms straight and motionless. She steps to the third chair in front of the desk, scoops her skirt behind her with her left hand, and sits down, pressing her thighs together and folding her hands in her lap. She nervously smiles at Mrs. Blackburn, and only the sharpest eye could spot the invisible aligners covering her pearly whites. “You wanted to see me, Headmistress?”

“Yes, Miss Winne, I wanted to see how you felt things were going.”

Kayden shrugged. “I think my special lessons are going okay, but you can ask my teachers if you wanted to know that. The summer students still don’t talk to me much when our paths cross in the dining hall; I’m not sure if it wasn’t better those first few weeks when I was in isolation and they were bringing me my meals in my room. But at least the food’s good! Can they sense that I don’t really belong here?”

Ms. Blackburn nodded. “That’s an astute observation, my dear. They do think, incorrectly might I add, that you don’t belong here, but not for the reason you suspect. It appears that Ms. Weiss tried to motivate a pair of foreign-born students trying to reduce their accents by comparing their progress to that of ‘the Scholarship student’ she’d been tutoring in proper language. So you see, the other girls are just avoiding you out of basic classism. It is a harsh truth that you will need to work harder than most of our students to earn the respect of your peers. Keep in mind that most of those summer students are here because they needed remedial lessons just like you did, so in some ways they’re no better than you.”

Miss Winne gave a half smile. “Please don’t think I hate it here. I have figured out which princess I am!”

“Excuse me?” The headmistress cocked her head.

“Well, I’d been thinking that with my mother being a servant and all, and you training me to become a princess, that pretty much made me a Cinderella type. But I was exploring campus and discovered the library, and realized that I’m cool with all the rules and restrictions here as long as it means I get to hang out there and read. So, it makes more sense that I’m totally Belle! And if being a princess here means I end up having to dance with some princely guy, it’s more likely that I’ll find him beastly than that he’ll knock me out of my shoes!”

The headmistress chuckled. “Those Disney people have so much to answer for. But if modeling yourself on a fictional character helps you with your self-image, I won’t stop you. However, on that note I have some news. I’m aware that you may be having some difficulty emotionally handling the need to maintain an illusion all the time, so I’ve let another of our staff in on your secret. Our counselor, Dr. Pollard, is back from her summer vacation, and I’ve let her know about our little experiment. She often serves as a sounding board for students who are overwhelmed by the disciplinary methods we use here, so if you ever feel like you need someone to talk to, just ask Miss Livingston to schedule you an appointment.”

Kayden nodded. “Okay. That sounds like a good thing. Thanks.”

“Are you eager for the academic term to begin, or would you rather have a longer summer?”

“Well, I’m still scared that someone’s going to notice that I’m not a real girl like everyone else, but I’m kind of looking forward to having some classes in actual school stuff. I mean, I’ve learned a lot from the teachers you had me working with, but it might feel less weird and more normal-ish to be sitting in a class learning math or English or something like that, even dressed like this, than Ms. Spencer teaching me to walk with a book on my head, or Ms. Weiss telling me not to mumble and open my vowels, or especially Ms. Calderon showing me how to do my makeup. I’m looking forward to having classes in more than just girl stuff.”

Ms. Blackburn cleared her throat. “First of all, Miss Winne, I’d prefer you didn’t refer to our classes that enhance the beauty, grace and charm of our students as ‘girl stuff.’ The other students most likely wouldn’t think of them that way, and you have a secret to keep. Secondly, while your course load this coming term will contain classes in English composition, intermediate French, algebra, world history, biology, art, and music that might seem familiar to you, I can assure you that the way lessons are taught here will be unlike that of the underfunded public schools you’d previously attended. Thirdly, you will continue taking classes in elocution, poise, and grooming to carry on from the tutoring you’ve had, and in addition you will be taking the other classes we start all our freshman students on: deportment, penmanship, and conversation. At Ms. Spencer’s suggestion, your physical education for the autumn term will be introductory ballet – she believes you need to learn to move with more fluid grace. As an aside, a slight complication is that on the days you have ballet, Ms. Crawford will be attaching your prosthetic breasts in the morning with adhesive, since the leotards are worn without a separate brassiere, and I believe she also said something about needing to give you a bikini wax. In brief, I’m of the opinion that you will find your academic life here neither familiar, nor free from feminine emphasis.”

Kayden’s smile faded. “Wow. That seems like a pretty heavy schedule.”

“Since the majority of our students are here to correct serious flaws in their attitude or behavior, we don’t grant them much free time; a fair amount of your instruction will occur in the evenings. And you’ve performed admirably so far, Miss Winne. I wouldn’t assign you so many classes if I expected you to fail.” The headmistress gestured toward at a file folder on her desk. “Based on your aptitude test results, I am certain that you will be able to meet the challenge of the more academic classes. And the other classes should each do their part in molding you into an elegant young lady of whom I can be proud.”

Kayden felt the need to look down and see that her skirt was smooth and her knees were together before looking back up at Ms. Blackburn. “I will do my best.”

“On another note, your classmates will be arriving in the next few days; are you ready to meet them?”

Kayden shrugged. “I’m not sure if I’ll ever be ‘ready,’ but I guess I am curious what it will be like.”

“Very well, then let’s start with your most important classmate.” She pressed the button on her intercom. “Miss Livingston, send in Miss Winne’s new roommate.”

The door opened and another student entered the office. She was in the uniform of L’École pour les Dauphines, but unlike Kayden, her skirt was hiked up so the hem came to the middle of her thigh, her blouse was not tucked into her skirt and its top two buttons were undone, and her blazer wasn’t buttoned at all and its sleeves were rolled up. Her straight, blonde hair hung just past her shoulders in back and was cut in straight bangs in front. Wide silver hoops hung from her ears. Her pale complexion contrasted sharply with her cherry-red lipstick. Strong black eyeliner drew attention to her cobalt blue eyes. Her eyebrows had been groomed to very thin arches. Her head swiveled back and forth as she strode across the room, taking in everything. She lowered herself into the chair next to Kayden and crossed her legs, then also crossed her arms. Rolling her eyes, she looked at Ms. Blackburn and said, “You’re like the one in charge here, right? This is all some game of my parents to try to scare me or whatever; I’m sure they’ll be coming to get me out of this place in a couple days, so whatever you have to say to me, just save it. I’m not staying. Could you give me back my phone, now?”

Meanwhile, Kayden was just watching her, wide-eyed. “Astrid?”

Before the newcomer could react to being named by a stranger, the older woman stood. “I am indeed the Headmistress here at L’École pour les Dauphines, Miss Vanderhausen. Let me dispel your illusion; this is no joke. Your parents have paid your tuition for the year, and it is neither a pittance nor refundable. If you are properly obedient, you will be allowed monitored access to your smartphone for three thirty-minute sessions a week. But until you demonstrate the proper respect, that access will be denied you. Your parents enrolled you here for, among other reasons, a marked insubordinate attitude toward authority, and we will break you of that, I assure you.”

Astrid rolled her eyes again. “Whatever.”

Ms. Blackburn’s voice didn’t get any louder, but somehow seemed to fill the room. “Miss Vanderhausen, the proper reply when I have spoken to you is ‘Yes, Headmistress.’ Do you understand?”

Astrid could not meet Ms. Blackburn’s gaze. She mumbled her reply. “Yes, Headmistress.”

The headmistress’ face relaxed and her aspect stopped seeming to channel the Forces of Darkness. “Now, with that unpleasantness taken care of, I can say that I will be giving you a unique responsibility, and how well you manage this has the potential to provide you with a number of privileges, including increased access to your smartphone and perhaps releasing some others of your personal items which we have confiscated. The details of this duty cannot leave this room; you are forbidden from mentioning it to anyone, not even through telephone or letter. Have I piqued your interest?”

Astrid didn’t roll her eyes this time. “Um, yeah, I mean, yes, Headmistress.”

Ms. Blackburn waved her hand toward Kayden. “Astrid Vanderhausen, allow me to introduce Kayden Winne.”

Kayden turned to Astrid. “Hi.”

Astrid laughed. “That is so weird. Our housekeeper is named Winne, and I’m pretty sure she’s mentioned a kid named Kayden. But I thought it was a boy.”

The headmistress smiled. “You are correct. Miss Winne’s mother is indeed employed by your family as a domestic. It is also true that she is technically a boy, although no one outside of a very few people are to know that. In order to keep you from figuring that out on your own, you are being brought into the fold of those in the know.”

“This is like some hazing thing to get back at me, right?” Astrid pointed at Kayden. “There is like no way that she is really a guy!”

Kayden raised her hand and gave a little wave at Astrid. “Um. We’ve actually met, you know. It was like a year and a half ago, so I guess we were twelve. It was a Sunday night. Your folks were going to some charity party, but you told your mom you had the flu, so she called my mom and asked her to come in on her day off to tend to you, but she only agreed if she could bring me. When we got there, your dad was in a tux; your mom was in a shiny red dress, and your sister was in a really pretty blue one, and they all left to go to their thing. My mom checked on you and decided you were probably faking but made you soup anyway. I just spent the time sitting at your kitchen table reading, I think it was Treasure Island, so when you brought the tray with the soup on it back because she’d put carrots in it and you don’t like them, I saw you.”

“I think I remember that gala. Blue has always been my color, but this time Mum let Annika get the blue dress and I was stuck with a green one, and I hate green so I wasn’t going to go!” Astrid blinked and stared at Kayden for a minute. “So that means you really are a boy under there? Weird.”

“The rooms in our dormitory wing are each set up for two students to share a bedroom and a bathroom, thus whoever would be chosen as Miss Winne’s roommate would have to be let in on the secret, in order to avoid undressing in front of her and the like. So that we needn’t share her secret with more people than necessary, the simplest solution is that you, Miss Vanderhausen, have been chosen to share Miss Winne’s room.”

Astrid wrinkled her nose. “Ew! You want me to room with some perv who’s gonna like rape me in my sleep? No way! Um, No way, Headmistress?”

Ms. Blackburn shook her head. “Have no fear, Miss Vanderhausen. Miss Winne is being regularly dosed with hormone-based medicine to prevent her from achieving sexual maturity as a male, and other drugs to eliminate her libido and her ability to become physically aroused. Your virtue will be in no danger from her. And should you demonstrate a willingness to cooperate with us in this matter, I am certain that your parents will be notified that your behavioral issues are improving. On the other hand, if you refuse to accept this mission, we may have to assign you less comfortable duties.”

Astrid rolled her eyes again. “Okay, so like instead of maybe getting come cool girl for a roommate, you’re making me live with a perv who, okay isn’t rapey, but is still like not a girl? And I’d have to pretend that there’s nothing abnormal about my roommate, and like when talking about then say ‘she’ and ‘her’ and stuff, even though that’s not right? And on top of all that, it’s my maid’s kid, so we’d like have nothing in common except coming from the same city? And the only plus side of this like deal, which is totally not really a deal, but a situation I’m being forced to accept, is that you’ll put in a good word with my folks, and maybe they’ll reward me with stuff or maybe even get me out of this place and send me to a real school? It sounds like that’s my best bet.”

Ms. Blackburn smiled. “Excellent logic, Miss Vanderhausen. It appears that we understand each other completely. In addition to sharing lodgings, you and Miss Winne will be in a number of classes together. Not all of them, she has a stronger aptitude for mathematics than you do (perhaps she may be able to help you with some of the difficult work) so she will be in a more advanced class, and your father wanted you to continue studying Mandarin whereas Miss Winne is taking French, and your gifted voice will put you in choir for music and Miss Winne is learning piano. When the two of you are together, I would like you to keep an eye out for any missteps she may be making that could possibly give her away, and let her know of them privately. Also, since your file shows you to have a history with bullying, you’ll likely be able to recognize those behaviors in others – if you notice students giving Miss Winne a hard time, which is bound to happen given her status as a scholarship student, it would be appreciated if you could stick up for her, and perhaps use some of your skills to turn it back around on the offender.”

Astrid’s jaw dropped. “Um, wait. You don’t have like one of those Zero Tolerance thingies about bullies? I thought this was like reform school or something?”

The headmistress’s smile broadened. “My dear Miss Vanderhausen, we are a school whose main purpose is to teach the daughters of families of distinction to become princesses who would be queens. A graduate of L’École pour les Dauphines is not a weak girl, but a confident young woman. Among ladies of society, being able to politely destroy an enemy with a precisely phrased remark is one of the most essential skills, and we would never want to break you of it. Miss Winne is not used to this environment, and will have to toughen up to survive here, but for this her first term here perhaps you could give her a few pointers, as one born into it.”

Astrid’s eyes twinkled as a smirk came to her lips. “You know, I actually think I might have fun here.”

Ms. Blackburn gestured toward the door. “Miss Winne, please show Miss Vanderhausen which room she’ll be staying in. You should find that Housekeeping has already unpacked her things.”