CROWNS ACADEMY || A Royalty's Academia Book Series #1

⁠෴⁠ VOLUME [26]෴

RAI'S POV

I had always loved the festive season. To me, it wasn’t just about gifts or decorations — it was about joy, togetherness, and the magic of giving. That’s why, on Christmas Eve, I was in the kitchen, happily baking cupcakes and cookies to donate to the less privileged at the town square.

Carols blasted from the speakers as I danced around, mixing different cupcake flavors. My outfit was perfectly on theme: flared white pants, a red long-sleeved turtleneck crop top, black ankle-length heeled boots, and a white fur trench coat with green buttons. I probably looked like a clumsy chipmunk with the way I was dancing, but the Christmas spirit was alive and well in me.

The TV buzzed in the background. 
"Prince Liam turns down Russian Princess Luna and reunites with the love of his life," a reporter announced. I immediately turned up the volume. 
The report detailed how Luna had tried to blackmail Prince Liam into ending things with me. As the truth unfolded, a weight lifted from my heart. I smiled, feeling a new burst of energy, and went back to baking with even more joy.

Since I'd woken up early, Mum was still asleep. I carefully packed the cupcakes and cookies into individual boxes, each decorated with festive ribbons. I couldn’t wait for the morning — Christmas presents were calling my name!

"Morning, merry Christmas!" Mum greeted, her voice warm behind me. I turned to find her smiling, arms open for a hug.

"Merry Christmas, Mum! Now, can we open the presents?!" I asked, my eyes wide with excitement.

Laughing, Mum nodded. I tore into my first gift — a customized notebook with a dreamy space theme and my name embossed on the cover.

"Aww, Mum, I love it," I said, pulling her into another hug. You could never have too many hugs on Christmas.

After opening a few more presents, I loaded the treats into my car and drove off to Kingdom Square to share the holiday joy.

At the square, the air smelled of cinnamon, pine, and happiness. Children crowded around the table of colorful cupcakes and cookies.

"Can I have the pink one?" a little girl asked shyly, pointing.

"Of course you can, dear. Merry Christmas!" I said, handing her the cupcake with a bright smile.

The square buzzed with laughter and chatter. Holiday cheer was everywhere — until a deep, exaggerated child's voice cut through the noise.

"Can I get the blue one, Miss Santa Claus?" 

I looked up — and there he was. 
Siin, or rather, *His Highness Prince Siin, grinning mischievously.

"Oh hey, Siin — or should I say, your highness," I said, curtsying dramatically.

"I see you’re spreading Christmas cheer for my kingdom," he said, tucking his hands into his pockets.

As he stepped closer, his bodyguards mirrored his movement, causing some of the kids to retreat nervously.

"Now, can I get that cupcake?" he teased, reaching for one.

"Sorry, sir, but you’ll have to pay for that," I said in a mock-serious tone, playfully pushing his hand away.

"And maybe tell your bodyguards to back off — you’re scaring my customers!" I added with a wink.

Laughing, Siin grabbed an apron — which struggled to fit over his broad frame — and waved the guards away. He joined me at the table, handing out cupcakes and cookies to the surprised townspeople.

"Wow, you’re really going to serve your people," I teased, air-quoting the word serve.

"Yup. That’s my definition of service," he said with a smile, handing a cupcake to a giggling couple.

෴

Later that evening, the house buzzed with excitement.

"Okay guys, time to cut the cake!" Mum called from the living room.

Debby, Sandra, Ivy, and I dashed downstairs. Our Christmas cake tradition was sacred — Mum always hid sweet surprises inside the cake, and we couldn't wait to find them.

Just as we all grabbed the knife together, the doorbell rang. Without thinking, I ran to open it — still holding the knife.

"Surprise!" a chorus of voices shouted.

There, on my doorstep, stood all my friends from Crowns. I barely had time to react before they bombarded me with hugs.

"Oh my goodness! How did you even find my house?" I laughed, still gripping the knife.

Then I saw Siin at the back of the group, waving with a mischievous grin. Standing with him were the four princes — each looking like they had walked straight out of a fairy tale — along with Princesses Silantoi, Sasha, Lex, and Tinku.

"Woah, easy there! We're not serial killers," Csan joked, pretending to shield Princess Sasha.

Blushing, I quickly hid the knife behind me. 
"Come in, come in!" I said, stepping aside.

Ivy, Debby, and Sandra stood frozen, mouths agape, and even Mum looked starstruck as I introduced everyone.

"You mean... you’re friends with the most famous royals in the world?!" Debby squealed, practically vibrating with excitement.

"And can I, like, take a picture with you? I'm your biggest fan!" she added, dragging Tinku to sit beside her.

"Aren't you guys supposed to wear tiaras or something?" Ivy asked, still trying to process everything.

"Not all the time," Lex laughed, sitting next to her.

Mum, ever the gracious host, returned with more knives. 
"We were just about to cut the Christmas cake — care to join us?"

Everyone cheered as we sliced into the cake, singing along to classic Christmas songs.

After cake came dinner, and to my horror, Ivy, Sandra, Debby, and Mum spent the meal recounting every embarrassing childhood story they could think of. My death glares didn’t deter them, so eventually, I gave in and laughed with the rest.

Since my house couldn't fit everyone, we decided to spend the night at the castle.

Later, in the royal limo, Liam slid into the seat next to me.

"Hey, Stargazer," he said, his voice soft.

"Hey, Stargazer," I replied with a smile, our old nickname filling the space between us.

"Look, I’m so sorry about everything—" he began.

"You don't have to apologize," I interrupted gently. "I saw the whole news story. I know the truth."

Relief washed over his face, but his voice was thick with emotion. 
"I missed you so much," he whispered.

"And I missed you more, Stargazer," I said, before pulling him into a kiss that was nothing short of electrifying.

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