The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 54

But the Captain just smirks at me and turns his attention back to the group of us, beginning his lecture.

“Espionage Track splits its chosen cadets further into specialties so that we can have a

variety of agents trained for our nation’s particular needs. All of you will be trained by Dr. Neumann so that you can each handle the chemical tools that you’ll need to perform your jobs on the battlefield, wherever that may be. Some of the cadets in your track are spending their alternate days taking lessons with Ambassador–track students, so that we can have agents trained to go into political situations.”

I dart my eyes towards the two young men standing next to me, wondering if they, too, are relieved to be spared those classes. I had enough political training as a Princess – I have no real urge to further study how to handle myself in government negotiations.

No, I want to get to the good stuff.

“Other cadets,” the Captain continues, his voice snapping my eyes back to him, “within Espionage track, are being trained in disciplines which are classified. Your discipline is likewise classified, so I would urge you to be close–lipped with your peers regarding what it is, precisely, that you learn in this class.”

My eyes go a little wide with excitement, because a classified discipline? This, I think, is where it starts to get good.

“I chose the three of you,” the Captain says, folding his arms, “because of your high marksmanship rankings combined with your excellent scores on the intelligence examination. And I get first pick of cadets, so you should see your position here as…elite.”

A little thrill of joy runs through me, because even if I was ninetieth through the door into the Academy? Clearly, the Captain wanted me here.

“Come,” he says, turning sharply and marching towards the back of the room. The other two cadets and I follow immediately. I take a moment to glance up at them, noting the excitement on their faces as well. One of them, I’m surprised to see, is a blonde that I noticed on the first day of candidacy – tall and quiet with a jawline as sharp as a knife. The other is a dark–haired young man only a little taller than me, his face serious, perhaps a little taciturn.

got no real reason to, I like them both

metal partition begins to raise, tucking itself neatly against the ceiling above us like a garage door. And beyond it

unable to help it, at the incredible

says, a distinct hint of pleasure in his voice, “are going to be trained as marksmen. Snipers, specifically, if we can get you there. But experts in long–rage projectiles of a variety of classes. You will each find your specialty

the collection of rifles, bows, crossbows, and even shoulder–mounted missile launchers that range before me, each of them top of the line and state–of–the–art. I mean, I’m not a gun nut or anything, but even I

a question?” the blonde next to me asks, drawing my eyes to

the Captain says, nodding to him. “We can be more casual here than we are elsewhere – I expect a distinct camaraderie to build within

“Is this…everything? All the weaponry at our disposal?” I smirk, because he sounds a little

head. “There is a great deal more – this is simply what has been made available as preliminary weaponry for the course. Is

arms over his chest, “I trained a little in drone strike technology. I would be…interested to continue those

“provided you prove adequate with this,” he nods now

weapons and

going to be used. And then he hands each of us a bow, explaining that we’ll be moving from oldest to newest technologies, hoping to master each

next few months and, in doing so, revealing where

time that the Captain hands me my bow, offering a quiver of arrows that I sling over my

experience with archery?”

other two glare at me a little, perhaps resenting my leg–up. The marksmanship test we took as candidates, after all, only measured

retracting my excitement just a bit. “Just…some target practice at summer camp,” I lie. Because I have that, but also a few years of private tutoring. Jesse and Rafe got hand–to–hand combat lessons which dad decided were too rough for me, so

far end of the room. Humans, I know, would struggle to make out the details that far down the