The morning after the etiquette disaster, Rynhara awoke to the sharp sound of Kaelira barging into her chambers, her maid outfit rumpled and her patience already fraying.
"Wake up, Princess," Kaelira grumbled, yanking open the heavy curtains. "It's time for day two of your princess tor-lessons."
Rynhara groaned, pulling a pillow over her head. "I'd rather sleep in the lava pits."
"Well, too bad," Kaelira said, crossing her arms. "Lady Scalesworth has an entire day of torment planned, and if I have to suffer, so do you."
"You're way too invested in this," Rynhara muttered, sitting up and blinking blearily. Her rainbow-tipped hair was a tangled mess, and her sharp teeth glinted as she yawned.
Kaelira smirked. "You look like a feral kitten."
"And you look like someone who got dressed in the dark," Rynhara shot back, gesturing to Kaelira's crooked apron.
Kaelira rolled her eyes. "Just get dressed. Your mother will have my tail for lunch if you're late."
---
As Rynhara reluctantly prepared for the day, the castle staff buzzed with fresh gossip about the young princess.
"I heard she tried to use a dessert fork for steak yesterday," the elf maid said, polishing a silver platter.
"That's nothing," the dwarf butler replied, carrying a tray of pastries. "Apparently, she called Lady Scalesworth a 'walking antique.'"
The older dragonkin chuckled softly as she arranged flowers in a vase. "She's spirited, I'll give her that. But the real question is how long Lady Scalesworth can survive."
"I bet she won't last the week," the maid predicted.
Nearby, a young stable hand whispered, "I think the princess is cool. She's not all stiff and perfect like the others."
The elf maid scoffed. "Cool? She's a disaster waiting to happen."
"She's got teeth like a saw," the dwarf muttered. "I'd like to see you call her a disaster to her face."
---
By the time Rynhara entered the training hall, Lady Scalesworth was already waiting, her cane tapping impatiently on the marble floor.
"Ah, Princess Rynhara," the elderly dragoness greeted, her tone clipped. "I trust you've reflected on yesterday's... mishaps?"
"Totally," Rynhara said with a toothy grin. "I've decided I'm more of a casual elegance kind of princess."
Lady Scalesworth's eye twitched. "Today, we shall focus on royal grace under pressure. The art of composure, if you will."
Rynhara glanced at Kaelira, who stood nearby, trying and failing to hide her smirk. "What does that mean?"
"It means," Lady Scalesworth said, "you will learn to handle unexpected challenges with dignity and grace."
---
The first exercise involved balancing a tray of glasses filled to the brim with water while walking across the hall.
"This will teach you poise," Lady Scalesworth explained, setting a tray on Rynhara's hands.
Rynhara eyed the wobbling glasses skeptically. "What's the point of this? I have claws. I could just hold them like this—" She demonstrated by gripping a glass with her sharp claws, accidentally cracking it in the process.
Lady Scalesworth gasped. "Put. The. Claws. Away!"
"Fine, fine," Rynhara muttered, picking up the tray properly. She took a tentative step forward, her wings fluttering nervously.
"Keep your wings still!" Lady Scalesworth snapped.
Rynhara froze, her tail flicking behind her. "You want me to balance this and not move my wings? Are you trying to make me fail?"
"It's a test of discipline," the dragoness replied.
Rynhara sighed and began walking again. She made it halfway across the hall before Kaelira, leaning against the wall, muttered just loud enough for her to hear, "Don't trip."
"Don't jinx me!" Rynhara hissed.
Her foot caught on the edge of a rug, and the tray tilted dangerously. Water splashed everywhere, soaking her dress and pooling on the floor.
Kaelira burst out laughing.
Lady Scalesworth groaned, pressing a claw to her forehead. "This is hopeless. Maybe I'm getting to old for this and should just retire after all."
---
Later that afternoon, Kaelira found herself scrubbing the hall's marble floors while Rynhara sat nearby, reading a book she was forced to read while sulking in a dry dress.
"I thought I was the princess," Rynhara said, watching Kaelira work.
"You are," Kaelira replied, wringing out her mop. "But apparently, I'm the one cleaning up your mess."
Rynhara grinned. "Wow!It's almost like you're a real maid."
Kaelira glared at her. "Don't push it."
"Come on," Rynhara teased, leaning back against the wall. "You have to admit, it was pretty funny."
Kaelira snorted. "You tripping? Yeah, it was hilarious. But next time, try not to drown the floor."
Rynhara laughed, her sharp teeth glinting. "Deal."
---
That evening, as the castle settled into its nightly rhythm, the staff gathered in the servants' quarters to share the day's events.
"She dumped half a gallon of water on herself during posture training," the elf maid reported, barely able to contain her laughter.
"The poor girl's trying," the dragonkin said, shaking her head. "She's just... unconventional."
"Unconventional is one word for it," the dwarf butler muttered. "Chaotic is another."
The stable hand, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up. "I think she's cool. She's not like the other members of the royal family. She's built different."
The room fell silent for a moment.
"Must be all that evil dragon she inherited in her bloodline," the dragonkin agreed softly. "And there's also her fathers bloodline which is what makes her unique."
"Unique or not," the elf maid said with a grin, "she's the most entertaining princess we've ever had other than her mother that is ."
The others nodded in agreement, laughter bubbling up again as they recalled Rynhara's latest antics.
Meanwhile, in her chambers, Rynhara sat on her bed, watching her reflection in a hand mirror. She smiled faintly, her mismatched eyes gleaming.
"Maybe this princess thing won't be so bad," she murmured to herself.
From outside the door, Kaelira's voice rang out. "Don't get used to it!"
Rynhara rolled her eyes. "Too late."