- The girls have been focused on reading, but now their studies are expanded to include Danlander History, Commerce, Geography, Kings and Queens, Diplomacy, Conversation, and Poise. That, Shmoopsters, is what we call a full course load.
- Miri is torn—she wants to give her family that big nice house, but she doesn't want to marry a lowlander. She likes Peder, not some prince she's never even met.
- Miri and Britta are now friends and practice their Conversation skills together, while Katar is determined to beat Miri and become academy princess. Bring it, Katar.
- In her spare time Miri tries to study Commerce, but it's difficult and she doesn't get it yet. She wishes she were home to help her father and sister with some of the winter chores, like killing the rabbits for their stews.
- One day Knut the handyman comes into the room and strikes up a conversation with Miri even though he never talks to any of the other girls—before he leaves, he tells her to keep reading the book on Commerce.
- As she's reading, she finally finds something interesting: according to the market prices set by the king, one squared block of linder is worth a whole gold coin. Miri realizes that this whole time the traders have been cheating the villagers on Mount Eskel.
- Miri is so distracted that when Tutor Olana calls her name in class, she doesn't answer. She gets her outdoor privileges taken away for a week, but she doesn't care—she has a lot more to read in that Commerce book.