Princess Academy by Shannon Hale, 2005

When the king's priests divine that Mount Eskel is the home of the prince's future bride, all the mountain girls between the ages of 12 and 17 1/2 are rounded up to attend the Princess Academy, obtaining training in the standards of Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, as well as Poise, Commerce, Conversation, History, Dancing, etc. Competition, danger, love, epiphanies, as well as some of the Hale magic-language communication are abundant. It's not a Newbery Honor book for nothing. Recommended.