Settings:

Mt Eskel: The mountain where Miri's people live, where it is abundant of linder, the mountain's stone

The Princess Academy: An academy that the eligible girls of Mt Eskel attend. It is located close to Miri's village and is run by tutor Olana. They train there for the day of meeting of the prince.


Lowlands: The land spread beneath Mt. Eskel and home to the king of Danland, his courtiers, and the other Danland people.


Asland: Danland's capital city. Where the royal family, palace and goverment worker live.

(Spoiler) Summary

Miri, a small mountain girl, longs to work in the quarry. It's where her family and friends work hard chipping away linder, the mountain's stone.

One day, a messenger, from the king, and soldiers come, announcing that the priests have destined Prince Steffan's future bride in Mt. Eskel. All the girls from twelve to seventeen years old, would go to the academy that would be built to train the girls on the day of meeting the Prince. Many despise the idea and don't want to leave home, such as Miri, but every one's parents agreed and the soldiers took them away.

They worked hard and tried their best to please Olana, their strict teacher. Miri is at first ignored by the other girls, because she ruined their chances of going home that one day, but she claims that Olana and her rules are unfair. However, during this isolation, Miri is able to befriend Britta, a lowlander sent to Mount Eskel to live with her distant relatives. Miri also begins to learn quarry-speech, an extraordinary type of communication among the mountain people.

Later on in the winter weeks, When Olana announced the final exam, many girls had troubles. So Miri, being the kind, considerate girl she is, uses her new talent to help everyone through the exam. While looking through some books, she was able to obtain new information about Commerce, which had helped the village. When Katar and Miri were in the lead of the class and they were tied up on their scores, they voted for Academy Princess. Miri won.

On the day of meeting the prince, every girl, except Britta who was sick from what might have been nervousness, wore a pretty dress and attended the ball, thanks to Miri and her assistance in quarry speech. The Prince Steffan had acted far away and uninterested. He looked almost disappointed, which frustrated the girls, who had worked so hard. The prince and Miri had a nice conversation, though, and he seemed more normal then. Unfortunately, he left, not choosing his wife, but promising to return in the spring.

After he had gone, more misfortune arrived. Unexpected bandits came and demanded for the bride-to-be of Prince Steffan, wishing to keep her hostage. They thought the frightened girls were lying about him not choosing a princess. For several days they were kept in the bed chamber room, eating only watery porridge and having the criminals a watchful eye on them.

During this, Miri is using quarry speech, trying to contact the villagers.

One night, the girls are able to slip quietly through the window, but the bandits woke up sooner than expected and were able to capture most of the girls. Miri's family and friends came, with their mallets threatening, but not wanting to trigger death among the girls. However, they were able to scare most of the bandits away,but a few stay loyal to Dan, the leader of the bandits. Miri's father and her friend, Peder, and his friends try to rescue Miri, one of the last girls left in the bandits' hands.

Eventually, Dan is cornered and falls off the mountain's edge, from Miri's father's mallet striking him on the forehead.

The bandits had eaten most of the academy's food and spoiled the rest, so they could not continue living there. Olana, Knut and the girls went back and helped make up all the work since they had been gone. They also continued learning in the small chapel in the village.

In the spring, the prince came back to choose his wife. He chooses Britta, his friend when they were children, and names Mount Eskel as an official province. After all the chaos, Peder and Miri, too, reveals their feelings about each other.

Characters

Miri : a fourteen-year old girl who lives in the great Mount Eskel. Miri lives with only her father, Laren, and sister, Marda. Her mother died after the birth of little Miri. She is brave, and determined. Miri's name comes from the pink petite flower that grows in the cracks of her mountain

Peder : Miri's childhood friend. He envies the prince.

Britta : A lowlander who was sent to live with her distant relatives in Mt. Eskel

Prince Steffan : Prince of Asland. He is what the girls are training for. Childhood friend of Britta.

tutor Olana : The teacher of the "Princess Academy". She is highly strict and shows no mercy. The girls feel low around her. After a while, the rules change and her punishments are more mild.

Esa : Peder's sister. She has a disabled arm.
Pa (or Laren) : Miri's father that works in the quarry
Marda : Miri's kind sister
Doter : Peder's and Esa's mother. She also works in the quarry. She gives the village wise words
Frid : a friend to Miri
Enrik : a trader that Miri has traded with for a couple of years

Katar : a bitter girl that doesn't like Miri very much and wants to marry the prince so she can leave the mountain

Gerti : youngest girl of the academy

Dan : Captain of the bandits

Onor : Bandit

Dogface : Bandit

Knut : The cook and the man-of-all-work

Liana : Has a crush on Peder and is best friends with Bena

Bena : Fancies Peder and is best friends with Liana

The Princess Academy

The academy was made to prepare the mountain girls to meet the prince, who would then choose his wife in the end of the year, after the girls are fully trained and ready. In the school, they learn proper conversation, history of Danland, how to dance, and Commerce, which gives Miri ideas that help her village. She finds out that linder costs more than what they usually get in trades, and that her village has been decieved. Their village is able to thrive with these new discoveries.