Lady Kaetlyn twists in her seat in front of me, craning her neck to look back at Ryker—Anders, as I stubbornly call him. Everyone else at school seems resigned to using his given name, but knowing it gets under his skin makes it all the more enjoyable for me. “Ryker,” she begins, “I was hoping you could help me?—”
Trysten’s growl cuts her off. “Turn around, Kaetlyn.” I fight the stupid smile threatening to spread across my face as Kaetlyn’s red hairswings around her shoulders, her cheeks turning a dark crimson as she faces forward again.
“How many planets do not have a breathable atmosphere?” Professor Brendn asks.
Instinctively, my hand shoots up. I love learning, and frankly, my private tutors—the best in the system—ensure that school never really ends, even during breaks. It keeps me busy, which I appreciate.
“Yes, Raea?” Professor Brendn leans back against his makeshift desk of manuals and maps. He crosses one ankle over the other, his silver brows rising in a silent prompt.
“There are only four planets without a breathable atmosphere,” I reply, relieved that my astronomy professor’s weekly quizzes at home are paying off. “Three are in the Kadora Kingdom, but one planet is in the Ateria Kingdom.”
“And how do those planets survive? We know all four are inhabited with growing populations,” he presses, knowing I will continue. Students around the room turn toward me, half of them likely hoping I get it wrong. Since school started, I’ve already faced my share of criticism about preferential treatment. People either love or hate my parents. It seems the closer we get to graduation, the more vocal citizens—both ours and those of other kingdoms—become.
“The Kadora Kingdom created what are called Mesh units that allow each citizen to walk around in their own breathable atmosphere. A Mesh can be worn on any piece of clothing. Their colonies are also surrounded by Mesh barriers, allowing free movement without a personal Mesh. Single-Mesh units are primarily assigned to scouts and reconnaissance teams who train on their volcanoes. The planet Zinik in Ateria began trading with Kadora in UC 183, and Zinik now has its own Mesh cities.”
He nods. “Well, Princess, it would seem your parents have done a great job with your education.” He rubs a hand over his beard. “Bonus question: What are the Mesh units made of?”
Thankfully, during my kingdoms tour—which requires royals and nobility entering their junior year to visit all capital planets and three trade planets—I toured the facility that makes the Mesh units.
“They’re made of plasma shingles meshed together. The plasma shields you from the toxic atmosphere and radiation while recycling your own oxygen, allowing you to breathe fresh air. The mesh stretches and moves with you, keeping you within its protective bubble.”
I settle back in my seat as Ciara rolls her eyes next to me. “Showoff,” she whispers, twisting the tablet pen she uses to sketch creatures onto her notes.
“Hey, can you help me with my planets assignment?” Tate whispers from my other side. “I can’t remember which planet is which, or which kingdom it belongs to.” I glance at him, noticing his black, wavy hair is once again a mess, hanging over his forehead. Still, his eagerness to learn wins me over, along with his goofy grin.
“We can study before class. I’ll help you. Now, pay attention.”
For the remainder of class, we learn about flying through wind, fog, rain, and blizzards. Most students here have never flown through all four, but thanks to Lt. Piori, I have. On my home planet of Kyrr, we deal with intense fog and rain, but it never snows. For snow, we have to head towards the Ateria Kingdom, where their planets have the highest and most prominent mountain regions in the system.
Our closest planet to Ateria, Gowden, experiences similar weather patterns, but its mountains aren’t as high or cold. Kuron is always unhappy when we fly through there, but Lt. Piori seems unbothered by my guard’s general grumpiness.
“Now, an assignment for you all,” Professor Brendn announces. A resounding sigh and groans echo through the room. “By the end of the week, I want you to name every weather pattern you might experience during a typical flight. I don’t want to know about planets you may never visit. Instead, focus on the planets your kingdoms trade with, and which kingdoms you’ll be required to visit during Bonding ceremonies. Turn them in before class. Don’t forget to check your transport assignments on your way out. You are dismissed.”
I grab my bag and stand with Ciara as we head back to the dorms before lunch. It’s an unusually hot day, and I pin my hair up, desperate for any breeze to cool me down. Throughout my years on Baedyn, theweather has been temperate, but this year, I seem to be struggling to stay cool. The moment I rip my corset off in my room, I feel ten degrees cooler. The Nakata material it’s made of is the strongest in the system—impenetrable, fire-resistant, even supposedly safe from an asteroid chunk. My parents would put me in a full-body uniform if they could.
Between the corset, the energy shield band I wear on my wrist like jewelry, and the near-zero crime on Baedyn, I’m practically invincible. But today, I quickly change into lighter leggings and a thin black tank, happily forgoing the corset—only for today.
After lunch, we have a short break before History Class, so Ciara and Tate follow me to one of the many study spaces on the first floor. We find the first empty one: a circular glass room with a round table at the center, perfect for projections. It’s the ideal spot to help with their planet assignments. After dimming the lights and shading the glass walls for privacy, I take control of the panel.
“Tate, what planet are you from again?” I’m a little embarrassed I have to ask, though he doesn’t seem to mind. He’s already shuffling books and his tablet from his bag across the table.
“Brinvek.” I use the system simulator to project our three planets in the center. Ciara and I, of course, will no doubt have the same planets and route on a typical mission. She spends half the year in the Southern Forests of Kyrr, where her family estate is, and the other half on Kallik, a planet near the Kadora Kingdom. Kallik is renowned for its sturdy timber and is one of the most vital trade planets in our kingdom.
Ciara leans back in her chair like she’s already done the assignment, and I can’t help but giggle a little. I wish I could be more like her—so laid back and calm all the time. She’s six months younger, but sometimes I feel ten years wiser. Her light caramel skin is still tanned from her kingdoms tour, and her long brown hair is woven into a mix of small and large braids that reach her mid-back. Her big brown eyes soften as she glances at something on her Prism before setting it down. She’s the perfect blend of her parents: her father, tall with carob skin and one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, and her mother,beautiful, fair-skinned, loyal to a fault, and possessing a presence that makes everyone pause.
“Okay, so let’s start with my kingdom so you can see how I learn and what planets I know will be along my route.” Tate nods, holding his pen as if everything I’m about to say is crucial. I appreciate that about him. For all his goofiness, he still takes his studies seriously.
“So, obviously, Kyrr is near the center of the system, making it a stronghold. My kingdom has twenty-two planets in total. My instructors helped me by breaking them into smaller groups of resources and trade routes. If I bring up all the planets with essential natural resources…” I change the map, and eight planets appear.
“These eight planets have many of the resources that power the kingdoms. Resources essential for colonies and villages, and more importantly, these planets provide the materials for cleaning the water in the smaller, outlying planets.” Tate is fascinated, as if he’s never seen them before. This is surprising since he should have completed several hours of tours before returning to school.
“So, okay. Essential resource planets. Do you visit those?” he asks, brushing back his loose hair.
“Of course. What kind of leader would I be if I never took the time to visit and understand exactly what we’re harvesting and trading? How can I rule if I don’t understand how precious these planets and their resources are? The colonies there live and breathe the work they do.” I swipe my hand, and the planets drop to small dots, replaced with our ten essential trade planets.
“These ten are our trading outposts, where supplies move in and out of the kingdom. For example, Rayek borders the kingdom of Thirik and is a direct shot to the kingdom of Mori, which needs timber and minerals. Do you know why Mori needs them so badly?”
Tate and Ciara both shake their heads. Gods, from here on out, I’ll have to teach them. I can’t help but feel that, somehow, the academy has failed them. To me, this is essential knowledge. Then again, they aren’t in line to be king or queen.
