Chapter 10

Chapter 10 "Princess Pulverizer!" Sir Irontrousers shouted. "Come down from there right now! Knights-in-training do not hang from the ceiling—unless they are surprising an enemy from above." Princess Pulverizer frowned. She really didn't want to come down. It was so much fun swinging from the rafters, high above the other knights-in-training. But she also knew that Sir Irontrousers was her teacher. And that meant that he was in charge. Still, another swing or two couldn't hurt...

So she swung. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and... "WHOA!" The princess let out a loud yelp as she lost her grip on the rafter. CLANK. Her new armor made a loud noise as she landed. SPLASH! The princess's royal bottom landed right in a big bowl of ooey-gooey purple pomegranate pudding.

SMASH. Spoons, forks, knives, teacups, and saucers careened to the floor. There was broken china everywhere. All the other knights-in-training went scrambling away from the table. Princess Pulverizer looked up at Sir Irontrousers and waited for him to yell at her —just the way Lady Frump at the Royal School of Ladylike Manners had. But he didn't. Instead, her new teacher said, "What an excellent way to cause confusion. That will be very helpful to you in battle."

Princess Pulverizer smiled. She was so happy to be in Knight School, where her talents could be appreciated and even encouraged. Thank goodness her father had understood why she had needed to disobey him, and had given his permission for her to attend. "However," Sir Irontrousers continued, "we are not in the middle of a battle right now. We are in a dining hall. You have just ruined the dessert that Dribble, our chef, has prepared for us." Princess Pulverizer looked up from the pomegranate pudding and flashed her friend an apologetic grin. "I'm sorry, Dribble," she said. "I'm sure the pudding was delicious." "It was!" Lucas said. He was sitting at the far end of the table, surrounded by a group of boys. "One of his best yet." "You tell her, Brave Buccaneer!" one of the other boys cheered him.

Princess Pulverizer smiled. No one would be laughing Lucas out of Knight School this time around. Dribble was happy, too. His dream of being a real chef had come true. Everyone in Knight School loved the meals he prepared for them. King Alexander had done a good deed when he'd given him the job. But neither Dribble nor Lucas was as happy to be at Knight School as Princess Pulverizer. And best of all, she'd earned the right to be here. "You're going to have to clean up this mess," Sir Irontrousers told her. "Yes sir," Princess Pulverizer replied. "Right away." She dipped her finger into a pool of pomegranate pudding and tasted it. "This is delicious," she told Dribble. "Was delicious," Dribble corrected her. "It looks like there won't be any seconds today." But he didn't sound angry. The dragon was

used to Princess Pulverizer's antics by that point. As she cleaned up the mess, Princess Pulverizer glanced out the window. Across the way, she spotted a row of young girls in the palace ballroom. Lady Frump was teaching them how to dance.