The Good Crown

Chapter 27

Entering my dorm room, I fell down against the door, sliding to the floor as my hands ran through my scalp. My heart was still racing, my mind a chaotic swirl of emotions I didn't quite understand. Noah had just dropped me off, leaving another kiss on my lips as we bid farewell. Another kiss.

How did this even happen?

Just a few days ago, Noah had been nothing more than the prince—the charming, well-spoken son of the king. Sure, we'd talked, shared a few moments, but I hadn't expected things to escalate like this. And now? Now we were... what? Courting? Together? It all felt so fast. Too fast.

I leaned my head back against the door, staring up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of it all. There was this strange, warm feeling inside me whenever I thought about him. The way he smiled when he looked at me, the way his eyes softened like I was the only thing that mattered in that moment. It was... nice. More than nice, actually. It felt good to have someone care about me like that.

But at the same time, guilt gnawed at me, twisting in my chest like a constant reminder of the truth. I wasn't here for Noah. I wasn't supposed to get wrapped up in feelings or romance. My mission was clear from the start—get close to the prince, earn his trust, and gather the information my friends and I needed. And I had done that. In fact, I had done it too well.

How had this all happened so quickly?

I hadn't even had time to think it through, to process how one conversation in the library courtyard had led to this—a kiss, and then another, and now... what? Were we together now? Had I just agreed to be with him because I'd said I felt the same way?

My mind raced back to that moment, sitting beside him on the bench. I had felt something, sure. But was it what Noah felt? I didn't know. I wasn't sure if I even had time to figure it out before everything seemed to spiral out of control.

And now, the way he looked at me, the way he kissed me—it all felt so genuine. So real. It made my stomach twist with guilt. He had no idea that my feelings were a mix of confusion and obligation. I was supposed to be getting close to him for the rebellion, not because I actually cared about him. Right?

But why did I keep thinking about the warmth of his hand, the softness of his voice when he spoke to me?

I buried my face in my hands, groaning softly. This was a mess. I didn't know what I was doing anymore. It was all happening so fast, and I couldn't keep up. One moment we were talking, and the next, we were... this.

And it wasn't just the speed of it all. It was the fact that Noah had been so open with me, so vulnerable, and I had to lie through my teeth just to keep up. I hated it. I hated that I was deceiving him, leading him on. But what choice did I have? The plan depended on me keeping up this act, on playing the part of someone who liked him the way he liked me.

Except, deep down, I wasn't even sure if I was acting anymore. And that terrified me.

I sighed, my fingers tracing patterns on the floor as I tried to make sense of my feelings. This warm, weird feeling inside me wasn't going away. And the more time I spent with Noah, the more complicated everything became.

I wasn't supposed to fall for him. That wasn't part of the plan. But what if... what if I had already started to?

Shaking my head, I stood up, pacing the room as if walking would somehow clear the confusion clouding my mind. I couldn't let my feelings get in the way of the mission. I had to stay focused, had to remember why I was here in the first place. But that was easier said than done when Noah's smile was still fresh in my mind, when the feeling of his lips on mine lingered like a secret I didn't want to admit.

As I paced the room, the sound of the door creaking open pulled me from my spiraling thoughts. Elara stepped inside, her eyes narrowing in concern as she took in the sight of me, pacing back and forth like a madwoman.

"Daniella? What's going on?" she asked, closing the door behind her. "You look like you're about to pull your hair out."

I let out a groan, running my hands through my scalp again, and collapsed onto the edge of my bed. "You're not far off," I muttered. "I think I might be courting with the prince."

Elara's eyes widened, and for a second, I thought she might burst out laughing. Instead, her lips curled into a grin, and she crossed the room, sitting beside me. "Wait—what? With Prince Noah?"

I nodded, staring down at my hands, unsure of how to even explain everything that had happened. "It just... happened so fast. One minute we were talking, and the next, he kissed me. I don't even know how this happened, but now we're... I don't know."

Elara's grin only grew wider, and she nudged me with her elbow. "Dani, that's incredible! This is exactly what we needed. I mean, you getting close to him was the whole point, and now look—he's smitten with you. This is perfect!"

I frowned, the weight of everything still heavy on my chest. "I don't know if it's perfect, Elara. I feel... weird about it. Guilty. Like I'm leading him on. He thinks I really like him, but I don't." I hesitated, glancing at her. "I mean, he's sweet and all, but this wasn't supposed to happen like this. What if I can't keep up the act?"

Elara waved her hand dismissively, as if brushing away my concerns. "Daniella, relax. You're overthinking it. A little fake dating won't hurt anyone, and if it means you get the information we need, then it's worth it." She looked at me more seriously. "Besides, it's not like you're doing anything wrong. You're helping all of us, and if that means pretending to be in love with a prince for a little while, then so be it."

Her words made sense, in a twisted kind of way. This was the plan, after all. Get close to Noah, gain his trust, and use that trust to gather the intel we needed for the rebellion. But still... something about it didn't sit right with me.

"What if it goes too far?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "What if I get in too deep, or worse, he gets hurt? He thinks this is real."

Elara gave me a look, her expression softening as she placed a hand on my shoulder. "Daniella, listen. You're doing what you have to do. Noah's a big boy. He can handle himself. And you're not the only one playing a role here—you've been doing this for our mission from the start. It's not like you're deliberately trying to hurt him. We're all just doing what we need to survive."

I sighed, feeling a small sense of relief from her words, but the guilt still lingered in the pit of my stomach. "I guess you're right," I mumbled, though it didn't make the knot in my chest disappear. "It's just... hard. I didn't expect him to actually like me. And now it's all happening so fast."

Elara smirked, giving my arm a playful nudge. "Well, can you blame him? You're pretty likable, Dani."

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't help the small smile tugging at my lips. "Yeah, sure."

"Look," Elara said more seriously, "you're doing the right thing. This is what we wanted—getting close to the prince, earning his trust. If he likes you, then all the better for the plan. And if you're worried about it going too far, just remember that you're in control of this. You're calling the shots. Fake dating him doesn't mean you're locked into anything real."

Her words helped, even if only a little. I knew she was right. This was about the mission. Everything I was doing was for the greater good, for the rebellion, and a little fake romance wasn't going to hurt anyone.

Still, as I sat there with Elara, I couldn't shake the strange feeling swirling in my chest, the warmth that Noah had left behind. And as much as I wanted to believe I could keep up the act, there was a part of me that wasn't sure how much of it was still acting at all.

"Thanks, Elara," I said after a moment. "I just... needed to hear that."

She grinned, standing up and heading toward the door. "Anytime. Just remember, you've got this, Daniella. We're counting on you."