Another student walked in. She had Chinese features, with pale skin and dark eyes. Most of the encantos in Biringan had the same features as their human counterparts in the Philippines—a mix of Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish heritage. Her hair was up in a braided bun, and she wore the pink-and-green Lambana robes. I noticed the hem was stained and fraying, and some of the seams were coming undone. She plopped down in the seat next to me, out of breath. “Phew!” she exclaimed. “Didn’t think I was going to make it.” She looked at me. “Oh, hey! You’re the newbie. King Vivencio’s daughter.”
I nodded. “That’s me.”
She held out her hand. “I’m Phoenix Xing. But people I like call me Nix.”
I shook her hand. It was nice to be treated somewhat normally after the last couple days. “I’m MJ,” I told her. “Your name sounds really familiar.”
“So. Is it true you’re half-human?” she asked.
I hesitated. After what Fortunada said before, I wasn’t sure how to answer that. In those few short seconds since we met, I already wanted Nix to like me. I liked her casual, no-nonsensestyle right away. “Yes,” I said. If she wasn’t going to like me for that, then she wasn’t going to be a good friend anyway.
“Yeah, me too,” she said, like it was no big deal. “I lived in the human world until last year.” She lowered her voice and leaned closer. “It’s bananas, though, right? All of this?”
I nodded emphatically. “Totally.”
“I’ll help you out.” She winked. “Us hapas, or hapcantos, have to have each other’s backs.” She gestured at Lady Oscura with her pen. “Especially with those types. I didn’t even know girls like that existed anymore. Didn’t she hear bullying is out of style?”
“She tried to send me to the refuse room,” I told Nix. Her eyes widened.
At that, an elderly man with a long white beard glided into the room.
“Here comes Gandalf,” Nix whispered to me. I stifled a laugh, but it snuck out as a snort. Lady Oscura turned and curled her lip at me.
The professor stood at the front of the room and surveyed us. It seemed like he didn’t like what he saw. Aside from the Court of Sigbin menace and her boyfriend, there were me, Nix, and a few other students from the various courts.
“You have found yourself enrolled in Pagkahari at Paggalang, an exclusive course of study only for court heirs and future rulers that replaces your former second-hour classes. If that is not you, please exit quietly.” He waited a second. No one stood. He grunted. “Excellent. In that case, we can begin. My name, as most of you know, is Professor Manatubay. It is not ‘Manatubay.’ Nor is it ‘Prof.’ It is ‘Professor Manatubay.’ Now that we’ve established that I am your instructor and not your friend, we can move on to ourfirst line of business: You are all expected to come prepared to work on a daily basis. Our first unit will focus exclusively on those skills which are of utmost benefit in light of the impending coronation of our new queen.”
Everyone looked at me again. I smiled weakly and shrugged. I was not used to being the center of attention like this. I was no one in the human realm—forever the new kid, always out of place. Here, I was a princess, but mostly I felt like a fraud.
At least I managed to stay awake this time, not because Professor Manatubay was catering to me, but because of Nix’s entertaining commentary, which she slipped across our desks on tiny pieces of paper.He’s actually older than Gandalf, I think,said one, and the next was a hastily drawn sketch of Lady Oscura and the boy she was next to, with a leash around his neck. Underneath his portrait Nix had writtenSir Lucas the Loyal. So that was her boyfriend’s name: Lucas.
Professor Manatubay snatched the paper off Nix’s desk. “What is this?” He stared at it. “Mocking our classmates, are we? Is that conduct worthy of royalty?”
“But, sir, Amador tried to kill the princess,” Nix said sweetly.
A series of gasps erupted around the room. Even Professor Manatubay was shocked. He stammered before managing to say, “Don’t make baseless accusations against—”
“It’s not baseless,” Nix insisted. “She sent the princess to the refuse room.”
Professor Manatubay looked at Lady Oscura, who had her hand over her heart and her mouth hanging open. “What is the meaning of this?” he asked her.
“Professor, I, for one, am floored.Of courseI wouldn’t dosomething like that. It was a simple mistake. Why would I want to hurt our princess?” She locked eyes with me. I refused to look away first.
The professor stepped between us. “There will be no more nonsense like this at our school. Is that understood?”
He glanced around while everyone murmured, “Yes.”
“Good,” he continued. “Perhaps it needs to be reiterated: Biringan faces an uncertain future. These are dire times. We must all play our part in keeping the realm in balance, or else everyone suffers. I will not tolerate destructive behavior unbecoming of our future rulers. Each of you carries great responsibility; do not squander it. Or you squander us all.”
Everyone remained silent while he walked back to the front of the room, crumpling Nix’s drawing along the way.
***
At the end of class, Nix asked me where I was going next, so she could give me real directions. I pulled out the parchment again. “By the way, what do we do in the afternoon?”
“Oh. We leave after lunch.”
“Really?” I was stunned. School here was only a half day?
