A Frustrating Future for Astra?

"They're off on a two week state visit to somewhere or other. Surely they must have told you?"

"I suppose so. I must have forgotten."

Agra rolled her eyes, as if to say "How could you possibly have forgotten something like that?" Then she wondered off.

For the first time Astra had a chance to reflect on her odd situation. She was beginning to realise just how frustrating being trapped in the body of her ten year old self, but with an adult mind, could be. What an idiot Miss Kibbi was, for one thing. Yes, the dragon was a terrible scourge, but it made no sense not to mention it and to try to pretend that it did not exist. Besides, if Miss Kibbi didn't want the dragon to be mentioned, then why point at the Northern Caves on the map? It would be stupid to identify the caves and then not mention the dragon. Astra realised that she was going to have to put up with another seven or eight years of schooling, being taught things that she already knew. At least some of the teachers were better than Miss Kibbi.

Another thing that Astra did not like was being so small. She recalled that at her current age of ten (she estimated) she had only been four feet three inches tall. That had caused some concern to her parents, since Aquilarian women in general, and members of the royal familiy in particular, were almost always tall. But their minds had been set at rest when she reached puberty, in another year or two, and had not only gained womanly curves but had shot up in height as well. She had gained a foot in not much more than a year, and had continued to grow - though more slowly - until she reached her adult height of a little over six feet when she was eighteen.

1. After a short break, there was another lesson.
2. School was over for the day. Astra went in search of Anina.
3. School was over for the day. Astra went to her room. She remembered that she had kept a diary, and that should be a useful aide memoire.
4. A boy approached her. Astra recalled that his name was Peter, and that her ten year old self had had a terrible crush on him. How embarrassing!

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