Dear Diary,

It's so dumb that we have to write a diary. There is no way I am ever letting anybody read this thing. I'll "accidentally" lose my copy the day before we're supposed to turn it in. That way the Madames can't say I didn't make the effort but they also won't have a clue how much I despise their efforts to turn me into yet another mild-mannered, empty-headed "Lady" without a single original thought.

So...yeah. I'm Mira Silera. Yeah, the Silera family. My father Julian was supposed to be the next great leader of this nation, until Voorik showed up. Miranda is (was...) the greatest Herbsian the world has ever known. My adopted sister Leah used to be the greatest person on the planet. Until she abandoned me. That's why I'm stuck in this awful place.

I don't want to talk about Leah anymore.

I like getting dirt under my nails, climbing trees and discovering new places. I'm going to explore every corner of this land, then go check out all the surrounding lands. Why? Because that's what great explorers do. I'm going to make a name for myself, not for what my parents have done...

But for what I'm going to do.

Today's Theme: What Do I Hope To Accomplish?

Dear Diary,

Escape.

That is literally all I hope to accomplish, when it comes to this school. I certainly won't learn anything useful, sitting in a cramped desk with a bunch of giggling girls whispering nonsense about dresses and boys.

Guess I'm not making the 100 word requirement for today's entry. Good thing nobody will ever read this, right?

Today's Theme: Who Inspires Me?

One word: Mom.

She could've lived a luxurious life, hiding behind her family name but her love of the green world inspired her to get right down in the gutters and care for sick people who could never afford the services of even a midwife. She could've charged crazy amounts for the herbal remedies she discovered. Instead, she spent many long nights creating tonics and elixirs to cure the ills of people from all walks of life. How often did they thank her? Rarely. How much did she take to her own bed because they were too foolish to follow the most basic guidelines of safeguarding one's health? Often. She never complained. Me, I get the slightest cold and everyone around me will be hearing about it for the next month, even if I'm feeling better within days.

I know a lot of people admire my Dad but how admirable is a guy who lets himself be taken as a political prisoner for fifteen years?

Okay, maybe I am a little bitter that he basically missed my childhood. A girl needs her father.

Especially when his presence would've prevented her from ending up in a dumb School for Girls, writing out totally pointless diary entries that are destined for the fire.

What Does Being A Lady Mean To Me?

1. Wearing more frills than a baker's finest cake.
2. Smelling like dead flowers.
3. Smiling until your facial muscles become permanently frozen.
4. Learning 847 different ways to sit down in a skirt.
5. Considering a whole carrot with your lettuce salad a luxury.
6. Fainting if a single speck of dirt gets on your clothes.
7. Keeping your skin paler than fresh-fallen snow.
8. Going against everything Mother taught me.
9. Keeping all your true feelings carefully hidden behind a mild mask.
10. Forgetting what having fun feels like.

She was a free spirit, meant to wander the mountains barefoot, disregarding the purple juice that stained her cheeks when she stumbled upon a wild berry patch. She should be out in the world following in the footsteps of her mother and making discoveries to change the world, not cringing over a porcelain plate and forgetting (for the sixth time that day) which fork to use.

Miranda's death had been a shocking blow but it was Leah's betrayal that had nearly destroyed her. Her best friend. Her adoptive big sister. The one who snuck out in the middle of the night without so much as a note, leaving her future in the hands of a fussy aunt with seven little ones of her own and a grudge going back to earliest girlhood.

Mira's first escape attempt had taken place the night of her arrival at Madame Mildred's School for Fine Ladies. She'd done her best not to nod off when the headmistress gave her well-rehearsed speech about etiquette, elegance and excellence. It had been a close battle. She'd managed to turn a snore into a cough. It was obvious that the next two years would be a living hell if she didn't take her life into her own hands.

She'd walked right out the front door at 2:00 A.M.

She had to bite her wrist on the way out to keep from laughing loud enough to wake every girl in the place.

She'd wandered the streets for two glorious hours before a trio of Guards pinned her in a back alley. They'd had her description from Mildred. She could have ducked into a run-down tavern guarded by a toothless old woman. Maybe there would have been a back door she could slip through.

Or maybe she would've been dragged out of the place and humiliated even more thoroughly. She'd gone with them quietly, already plotting for her next opportunity.

A week into the semester, she fully regretted not taking her chances against the toothless crone.

Her stitches were sloppy and crooked. She danced with all the grace of an elephant that had sat on a beehive. She dunked her sleeves in the soup and could overhear class sweetheart Sarina's comment about "that backwoods Guardsman daughter's disgusting eating habits".

She made it a point to slurp her tea as loudly as possible. Sarina was a jerk.

Her next escape attempt came the day of Voorik's Proclamation of Capture. She was out the window in a trice, making for the distant docks. She'd hire on as a cabin girl and finally start seeing the world.

She didn't make it three blocks before she ran into the very same Guards who had thwarted her before. She led them on a merry chase that resulted in her slipping on a rotten head of cabbage and spraining her wrist.

The injury put a damper on further escape attempts but on the upside, a lady could hardly sew or dance with an injured hand.

The day of the execution dawned with a bloody sky. Mira woke with the sun, doing the exercises prescribed by an herbsian and steeling herself for Attempt #3.

Mildred was a known supporter of Voorik. Her staff wouldn't pass up the opportunity to sneer at the misfortune of someone they considered below them.

Mira tucked her long brown hair under a lumpy cap and dressed in the clothes of a stable girl. The only item she couldn't bear to part with was a pair of supple brown leather boots. They'd been a gift from Julian. Her father hadn't been much of a presence in her life...but the man knew a good pair of boots.

She took off running at the sound of boisterous voices, ignoring the rain as it began to fall.

She didn't see the boy coming from the other direction until they collided.

He looked so ridiculous with water streaming down his chin. The laughter died in her throat when she got a good look at his face.

"You're related to him aren't you? I thought he was the only Masterson left."

He cringed. "Do you want to get me killed?"

"You'll do that for yourself, wandering the heart of Voorik's domain. What's your name?"

"Alec."

She held out a hand to help him up. "Good to know you, Alec. I'm Mira Silera."

"Julian's daughter?"

She sighed. "Yes, yes. My father's the Hero of Biwater, my mother was the greatest herbsian of all time. Their legacies will pale compared to mine...if I can just get away from this stupid school." She blushed. "I am sorry for your loss, by the way. I've admired Tauren all my life, the way he could defy Voorik and always slip away from the likes of Kethor. I truly had hoped he could avoid capture until our false Alphan finally went to the place where demons dwell."

Alec smiled. "Clearly you haven't heard the news. Tauren escaped. The Lady in Green rode right up on stage and snatched him from under Voorik's staff."

"This lady didn't happen to carry a green bag...did she?"

"A massive one, from what I heard."

Mira's smile was at once reassuring and terrifying. "I'm quite in the mood for an adventure, Alec. Care to join me?"

"Where do you have in mind?"

"Let's just say we're both in for a family reunion."