"Attention all Princesses!" Aria's heart raced as she scanned the room for the source of the announcement. She didn't have to look far. On three grand podiums stood the most famous princesses of all the land: Queens Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora Charming. The sight of them instantly replaced Aria's initial nervousness with exhilaration. Although she would miss being homeschooled in Agrabah, the prospect of attending Princess Academy and being among fellow princesses was exciting. Plus, she would be able to see her mom all the time, as she was the Law and Government teacher.

"Welcome to another year at Princess Academy!" Snow White said. Small pockets of students within the audience erupted in cheers, including Aria and the people around her. A young girl with licorice-colored hair and a crest adorned with candy even let out an enthusiastic whoop. However, Aria noticed that most of the crowd responded with polite clapping or sat calmly with their hands folded in their laps.

An older blonde girl seated close to Aria, wearing a crest with the image of a cake, sighed and shook her head in disapproval. She looked expectantly towards the teachers at the end of the rows. Aria followed her line of sight, noting the teachers' surprised expressions in response to the cheering, though they chose not to intervene. When Aria turned back, she was startled to see the blonde girl's face marked by shock and fear. The girl immediately whispered to another blonde nearby. They looked so similar, Aria almost mistook them for sisters before catching a glimpse of the second girl's crest featuring a pair of red, sparkly shoes.