The Good Crown

Chapter 20

The chatter in the hallway was a dull hum as I stood at my locker, sorting through my books and notebooks for the day's classes. Thomas leaned against the locker next to mine, casually munching on an apple, while Leo animatedly recounted his first soccer practice to Elara, who was only half-listening, twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers.

"First game's on Friday," Leo said, puffing his chest out a little. "I'm telling you, once I'm on that field, the team's never gonna be the same. I'll carry them to victory."

Elara rolled her eyes, smirking. "Leo, you've been to one practice. Don't get ahead of yourself."

Thomas chuckled. "Yeah, you might wanna pump the brakes, man. It's gonna take more than one game to turn the team around."

Leo waved them off, still grinning. "You'll see. Just wait until I score the winning goal. I'll be a legend by the end of the week."

I smiled to myself as I stuffed my textbooks into my bag. It was nice hearing them talk about something normal for a change—no rebellion, no plotting, just regular high school stuff. It felt almost... comfortable. Almost.

Suddenly, the conversation around me died down, and I felt a strange shift in the air. Turning to look, I saw him—Prince Noah—making his way toward us through the hallway. His usual group of friends trailed behind him, but his eyes were locked on our little group.

I exchanged a quick glance with Elara, who raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Thomas straightened up from his slouch, tossing the apple core into the trash, and Leo shifted his stance, as if trying to look nonchalant.

"Hey, guys," Noah greeted, his voice casual, but his gaze seemed to linger on me a beat too long.

"Hey, Prince Noah," Thomas said, offering a nod. Elara and Leo echoed similar greetings, while I remained silent for a moment, unsure how to respond after last night's encounter.

Then, almost out of habit, I blurted, "Hello, Prince Noah," my voice sounding a little too formal, even to my own ears. I caught the faintest flicker of surprise in his eyes.

He smiled, but there was something a little more reserved in the way he looked at me.

"So, are you all coming to Family Day this Saturday?" Noah asked, shifting the conversation smoothly, his gaze sweeping over all of us.

Leo, Elara, and Thomas exchanged glances before shaking their heads almost in unison. "Nah," Leo said, trying to keep his tone light. "Our families aren't allowed to come. You know, being from the town and all."

The atmosphere shifted. It was subtle, but there was a tension now, something unspoken hanging between us and Noah. He glanced at me, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of realization in his expression. Family Day wasn't for kids like us—it was for the royals and the nobles, for people whose families mattered in this kingdom.

"I didn't know," Noah admitted quietly, his brows furrowing. "That's... that's not right."

Thomas shrugged, his tone nonchalant but his eyes sharp. "It's how it's always been. No big deal."

Elara crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. "Yeah, we'll survive. It's not like our families would want to come to this place anyway."

Noah's expression softened, but before he could say anything else, I stepped in, forcing a smile. "It's fine, really. We'll find something else to do."

His eyes flicked to me again, and I could tell he wasn't entirely convinced. But before the conversation could go any deeper, the bell rang, cutting through the tension like a knife.

"Well," Noah said, his usual easygoing smile returning, "I guess I'll see you guys around."

"Yeah, see you," Leo said with a wave, and the rest of us nodded in agreement.

As Noah turned to leave, his gaze lingered on me for just a second longer than necessary.

As soon as Noah disappeared down the hall, Elara nudged me hard enough that I almost dropped my books.

"Well, well, well," she said, her voice dripping with amusement. "I think our little plan is going better than we thought. Did you see the way he looked at you?"

I rolled my eyes, trying to brush it off. "He was just being polite, Elara. It doesn't mean anything."

She smirked, clearly not buying it. "Oh, please. I've seen him talk to others, and he's never lingered like that. He's interested, Daniella. And that's exactly what we need."

"Maybe you're imagining things," I said with a shrug, though her words stirred something uncomfortable in my chest. Noah had been acting different lately—more attentive, less formal. But that didn't mean he was interested in me. He was probably just being nice. Right?

Leo, still grinning from ear to ear, threw an arm around my shoulders. "Elara's got a point. He's definitely warming up to you. Keep this up, and we'll have all the information on the king before you know it."

I let out an exasperated sigh, gently pushing Leo's arm off me. "You guys are crazy. I don't even know how to flirt, let alone flirt with a prince."

Thomas chuckled. "Well, it seems like you're doing just fine without even trying. Just keep doing whatever it is you're doing."

I shook my head, ready to drop the topic. The truth was, all of this—flirting, manipulation—was new territory for me. I'd never even thought about using someone like this, and I wasn't sure I liked how it made me feel. But I also knew what was at stake. If I didn't play along, we'd lose our best chance to gather intel for the rebellion.

"Let's just get to class," I muttered, adjusting the strap of my bag and starting down the hallway.

Elara fell in step beside me, a sly grin still playing on her lips. "Sure, sure. But remember, Daniella, this is just the beginning. "

"Yeah, I know," I replied, though the knot in my stomach refused to ease. If only this whole thing didn't feel so... wrong.

As we headed to class, I couldn't help but think about how easy everything seemed for everyone else. Leo had his soccer team, Elara was confident in the plan, and Thomas always seemed to know what to say. Meanwhile, I was just trying to survive this place—pretending I belonged in a world I wanted no part of.