Before Alicia could say anything, there was a knock on the door. The monitor turned off and Knightly returned back to Alicia’s watch. Her gadgets blended into the background, hidden in plain view. Alicia took a deep breath and opened the door.
It was Edward, one of her parents’ butlers.
“Greetings, Miss Maxwell”, he said, smartly dressed in a suit, his bald head shining under the lights, “your parents are calling you”
Edward escorted her into the palace. Anyone who had never been to the palace would have been awestruck by all the glistening chandeliers, expensive flower vases and the gold framed paintings on the walls. But Alicia didn’t even notice them. In fact, she was tired of seeing them.
They entered the throne room where the King and Queen, her parents, were reading and signing important documents. When Edward left, Alicia stood quietly behind them, waiting for them to notice her.
“Hi mum. Hi Dad”, she finally said.
“Oh, Alicia, you scared me!”Queen Hellen squealed when she saw her daughter behind her. She gave her a hug.
“We’re so glad you could join us. We have something very important to discuss”
Alicia’s heart raced with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. The throne room, usually a place of formality and royal duties, felt different today. It was as if the air itself buzzed with the promise of change.
Her parents turned to her, their expressions serious yet tinged with a warmth that only parents can have for their child. King Alexander, a man of few words but deep wisdom, spoke first. “Alicia, we’ve received a letter about an opportunity for you,” he said, his voice steady.
Queen Hellen’s eyes were bright, reflecting a mother’s hope. “It’s from Woodland Academy,” she continued. “They say it’s a place for gifted individuals like you, where you can grow and use your talents.”
Alicia’s mind whirled. The RSS and Woodland Academy—the two were one and the same, yet her parents knew nothing of the secret society. She realized this was the cover story the RSS had crafted for her. A lie, yes, but one that opened the door to a world of adventure she had always dreamed of.
She took a deep breath, the weight of the decision pressing on her. “I… I would love to go,” Alicia managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her parents beamed with pride. “We knew you’d make the right choice,” her father said, standing to place a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“We’ll miss you, but we know you’re destined for great things,” her mother added, pulling her into another hug.
While talking about her leaving, Alicia looked at the royal emblem and remembered her family and past life. She felt a strong wish to make her own way and show that she’s more than a princess; she’s also a brave member of the Royal Secret Society.
The adventure was calling, and she was ready to answer.
The day of departure arrived sooner than Alicia had expected. Her bags were packed, not just with clothes and personal items, but with gadgets, art supplies, and the blueprint of her rejected invention. She was ready for whatever the Royal Secret Society had in store for her.
Her parents, King Alexander and Queen Hellen, stood at the gates of the palace, their faces a mixture of pride and concern. “Remember who you are, Alicia,” her father said, his voice firm. “You carry the legacy of our family with you.”
Alicia nodded, feeling the weight of her family crest pinned to her jacket. “I will, Dad. I promise.”
Her mother hugged her tightly, whispering, “Be safe, my dear. And don’t forget to write.”
“I won’t, Mum. Thank you for everything,” Alicia replied, her voice thick with emotion.
With a final wave, she climbed into the carriage waiting to take her to Woodland Academy—or rather, the RSS headquarters. As the horses trotted away, she couldn’t help but look back at the receding figures of her parents, the pillars of strength and love in her life.
The journey was long, and the landscape changed from the familiar rolling hills of her kingdom to the dense forests that bordered the RSS territory. When the sky was dark and the carriage finally stopped, it was in front of an imposing gate that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
The gates opened and a dark figure stepped out. Alicia squinted, her eyes now getting used to the darkness, and saw that it was a man. He had a tall, hefty figure and dark brown hair perfectly combed backwards. He wore a polo shirt and black trousers and shoes with a blazer that had a strange emblem on it. A shield with crossed swords in the middle and crown on top.
When Alicia got out of the carriage with her belongings, the man shook her hand.
“Greetings Alicia Maxwell”, he said, smiling, “we are so happy you’re here”
“Um…Thank you”, Alicia said, looking around, “where am I, sir?”
“This is Woodland Academy”, the man said, “a school like no other, a prestigious and exclusive place of learning”
Alicia raised an eyebrow. She knew the truth. She could detect the lies in his voice. The man seemed to notice her suspicion.
“Pardon my foolish sayings”, he said, shaking his head, “my name is Agent Zane. Welcome to the secret headquarters of the Royal Secret Society”
With all the lanterns, Alicia could properly see the headquarters. It was a tall, Dark-Academia style castle with ivies hanging off the walls and crows that flew over the rooftops. Great, another royal castle, Alicia thought but she could sense something different about it. Something not quite right. She could sense this wasn’t your average, normal royal castle.
“Please, follow me”, Agent Zane said as they entered the building. They were now in a dimly lit hallway that felt mysterious. Agent Zane turned to her.
“As you know through the letter, the Royal Secret Society is a secret program, aimed to train young royals to be the defenders of the nation. It’s a big job and only the best are chosen. You, Alicia Maxwell, are soon going to be a hero of your kingdom”
Alicia’s body buzzed with excitement. Secret headquarters, training, defender…it all she had dreamed of!
“When do we start?”, she asked.
“First thing tomorrow morning. You will meet your new teammates and be properly equipped for training”, Agent Zane replied. He pressed a button on the wall that Alicia hadn’t noticed. The wall lit up beside her.
“Follow the lights to your dorm room. I bid you goodnight”, Agent Zane then walked away.
With her bags in hand, Alicia followed the lights up the stairs and into her dorm room. She sat on the strangely comfy bed and took out a spiral notebook and pencil case from her bag. With a black pen, she wrote Alicia’s Journal on the cover and began to write, as she looked forward to tomorrow.
Monday, April 16th
Dear journal,
Let me just be perfectly clear that this is not a diary. I’m not that type of girl who writes all their secrets and crushes and ‘BFFs’ in a pink, probably glittered diary. This is a journal, a very professional notebook that a lot of artists and inventors use. So, I’m going use it.
Anyway, there has been a sudden BIG change in my life. Let me give you a recap of what happened: I, Alicia Maxwell, got accepted into a secret organisation that trains young royals like me to defend the kingdom. I just arrived at the headquarters!
I can’t give too much information because that’s probably not allowed. But I can bet you my life just got ten times cooler and more exciting!
I have to go now. I’m just so exhausted and need a lot of unpacking to do.
Goodbye and God Bless,
Alicia Maxwell :)
***
The next day, Alicia got woken up by a loud, constant knocking on the heavy wooden door. She groaned and got up. She opened the door and saw a girl about her age with straight, blond hair and green eyes. She wore a long, yellow dress with tennis shoes . The girl smiled at Alicia.
“Hi! My name is Sophia!”, the girl said, “welcome to Woodland Academy!”
Sophia did jazz hands as Alicia rubbed sleep out of her eyes. Last night, she didn’t bother looking for pyjamas to wear. She just wore a faded torn shirt and baggy shorts. Her curly black shoulder-length hair looked messy and dishevelled. I probably look like a drunken rockstar, she thought.
“Thanks for the warm welcome”, Alicia said, “but I am aware of what’s going on, you know. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t”
“Yeah, totally”, Sophia said, obviously not convinced, “so, tell me about yourself. Your name, your age, what you’re doing here…”
Alicia was getting annoyed. Did this girl really think she wasn’t supposed to be here?
“I’m here because the Royal Secret Society chose me!”, she snapped, “Like I said before, I know what’s going on!”
With that, Alicia slammed the door shut. She huffed with frustration. Why was everyone always judging her? First it was Vivian and the YIC, now this girl named Sophia. Alicia took a deep breath and looked around her dorm. Now that she wasn’t so tired, she realized that the room looked a lot bigger on the inside. Her bed was on one side, unkempt. Her wardrobe on the other side, overflowing with the clothes she’d dumped in there. The bathroom suite was in the corner. A desk was facing the window with a full length mirror beside it. Alicia looked closer and saw that one of the desk drawers was slightly opened. Weird. She opened the drawer and saw a small booklet with her name and the RSS emblem on the cover. She took it out and read it.
THE RSS CODE OF CONDUCT
RULES AND REGULATIONS
Keep Secrets: Never tell anyone outside about the RSS.
Respect Everyone: Treat all members with respect, no matter who they are.
Be Creative: Always try to invent new things and solve problems.
Stay Brave: Be honest and brave, even when it’s hard.
Learn from Others: Be open to learning about different cultures and ideas.
CLASSES
Gadget Lab
Disguise Class
Combat Training
Stealth Moves
Royal History
Etiquette
Tech Skills
Cultural Studies
Invention Workshop
Alicia's eyes widened with a mix of awe and excitement as she read through the list. "So much to learn, so much to do," she whispered to herself. With a newfound determination, she placed the booklet on her desk, its pages still warm from her touch. She grabbed a soft, plush towel and strode towards the bathroom, her mind already racing with ideas for her first invention workshop. "Time to gear up for the day," she thought, "and for the mission ahead."
Dressed in a black t-shirt, white sneakers and pink flowy skirt with pop socks, Alicia stepped out of her room and into the quiet hallway, though she heard voices downstairs. Before she could close the door, she heard a familiar voice.
“Forgetting me, Miss Alicia?”, Knightly said. He was on her desk, in the form of Alicia’s smart watch.
“No. Never”, Alicia smiled and put her digital confidant on her wrist. She went downstairs.
In the dining room that Alicia had found, she saw Sophia, another girl and two boys chatting and eating breakfast at a long, cafeteria-like table. Alicia, not planning to join them, was about to leave when a soft hand landed on her shoulder.
It was a woman. She had light brown hair packed in a neat bun and deep brown eyes. She was wearing a white blouse, a black pencil skirt and a dark brown blazer.
“You must be Alicia”, she said, “the newest member of the RSS. Welcome! My name is Agent Jade”
“Um…thank you”, Alicia managed to say.
“Come meet your new teammates”, Agent Jade said, gently dragging her to the table. Alicia followed obediently.
“Team, this is Alicia”, Agent Jade announced and the chatter ceased. The other kids eyed her with a mix of curiosity and appraisal.
Sophia, the girl who had been less than welcoming before, now offered a small nod. "Hi, Alicia," she said, a hint of warmth in her voice that hadn't been there before.
The boys, one with tousled hair and one with glasses perched on his nose, each gave a wave or a nod. The other girl, who was Black with long braids, smiled broadly. "Welcome to the RSS," she chimed.
Alicia took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment. These were her peers, her future allies in the adventures to come. She mustered her courage and offered a smile. "Thanks, I'm excited to be here," she replied, her voice steady.
Agent Jade's eyes twinkled with approval. "Let's have breakfast together. You'll need the energy for your first day," she said, guiding Alicia to an empty seat.
As Alicia sat, Knightly's voice whispered from her wrist, "You're doing great, Alicia." She glanced down at her smartwatch, grateful for the invisible yet ever-present support of her AI friend.
“I’ll leave you guys to chat for a bit”, Agent Jade said, adjusting her blazer, “remember, classes start at eight! Don’t be late!”
With that, Agent Jade walked away, her black high-heeled shoes clicking against the oak wood floors.
“So…this is awkward”, the girl with the braids said, tapping her spoon on the plate.
To be continued...
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