The Good Crown

Chapter 30

So I'm now courting the prince...

The thought echoed in my mind, a mix of disbelief and confusion. It sounded crazy, even to me. I mean, who would've thought that a girl like me, from the town, would be faking a relationship with the future king of the kingdom? And yet, here I was.

I pressed my forehead against the cool metal of my locker, hoping it would somehow help me disappear. I've been doing everything I could to avoid Noah this past week. He's odd to me... I mean what does he see in a town girl?

He's been relentless, though. Every morning there's a new bouquet of flowers stuffed into my locker—lilies, roses, peonies, all of them extravagant. He appears out of nowhere between classes, always asking if I want to hang out or go for a walk around the palace grounds. And every time, I've made some excuse, some reason to shut it down.

Because if I'm being honest, displaying this whole charade to the school feels worse than the lie itself. Everyone's watching us now, speculating, whispering, and I can feel their eyes on me. They're all wondering what the prince sees in me, a girl who doesn't even belong here.

It's getting harder to keep my thoughts in check. The more time I spend with Noah, the more I find myself questioning everything. Was I playing him, or was I getting played by my own emotions? It didn't help that his smile made my heart flutter, or that he actually listened when I talked about my life in the town. But this wasn't supposed to be real. It couldn't be. My mission was to gather information, to help my friends. To help the rebellion.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Daniella!"

I turned just as Noah approached, his usual group of teammates trailing behind him. They were all part of the soccer team—handsome, popular, and, from the looks of it, clearly speculating something. Their glances shifted between Noah and me, like they were waiting for confirmation of some rumor. I braced myself for whatever was coming next.

Noah's face lit up as he neared, and my stomach did an anxious flip.

"I've been looking for you all day," he said, his grin wide. His teammates hung back, pretending to be occupied with their own conversation, but I could feel their curiosity, like they were silently judging every interaction.

"You found me," I muttered, trying to keep my voice light but failing to hide my nervousness. I didn't want to be seen right now, especially not in front of all these people.

He didn't seem to notice. Instead, he pushed on with the same enthusiasm he'd had all week. "So, listen. We have a big game coming up in a week, and I want you to be there..." He paused, glancing back at his teammates, and then turned to me with a more serious look.

My heart stopped for a second, and I blinked up at him in shock. "What?"

He shifted, rubbing the back of his neck as if he was nervous too. "I want you to come to the game, and..." His eyes met mine with a soft intensity. "Wear my jersey."

My chest tightened. Wear his jersey? That was basically a public declaration, a way to announce to the entire kingdom that we were together. And we weren't. Not really. But he didn't know that.

I struggled to find the right words, my mind racing. This was spiraling faster than I could control.

"Noah, I—"

But he cut me off, stepping closer and lowering his voice. "I know you're bashful about our relationship. But I don't want to force you." His gaze softened as he continued. "You don't have to say yes and I respect your wishes of keeping things between us."

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm as the weight of his words hit me. This was exactly what I needed to get closer to him, for the rebellion. But it was happening too fast. Too suddenly.

"Noah..." I began, but my voice trailed off.

His teammates were still watching from the distance, and the hall felt like it was closing in on me. I had to think fast. I had to keep this going, for the mission.

In the end, I did what I always did. I forced a smile, even though my heart was in turmoil.

"I'll be there," I said, my voice steady despite the knot in my stomach. "I'll wear your jersey."

Noah's face lit up, his smile so genuine that it almost broke me. "Really?" He questioned, sounding shocked that I had agreed.

"Yes." I forced a huge smile, though I was dying inside.

"Wow... I mean, I'm happy but semi-shocked," he laughed, running a hand through his hair nervously.

"I'm not evil, Noah," I joked, trying to keep things light as he laughed along, nodding his head.

"Listen, how about you come over to my dorm after classes? I have to head to practice right now," he offered, his eyes hopeful. I pressed my lips together, not wanting to go at all.

"I'll think about it," I said honestly, hoping it would get him off my back for now.

"Well, I'll be waiting for your answer. If you decide to come, I'll be at the field," he said before rushing back to his friends, leaving me to exhale a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

I stood there for a moment, trying to shake off the awkwardness of our conversation when I heard footsteps approaching from behind.

"That looked... painful," Elara's voice broke through the silence as she appeared beside me, her arms crossed and a knowing smirk on her face. "What's got you all twisted up?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "He invited me to his dorm after classes. I told him I'd think about it, but honestly, I don't want to go."

Elara raised an eyebrow. "And why not? You should be jumping at the chance. This is exactly what you need to get more information on his father."

I frowned, looking at her. "You're kidding, right? He's always... nice. Too nice."

"Exactly," Elara leaned in closer, her voice dropping. "That's why you need to go. Use that. If Noah trusts you, he might slip up about the king. He's practically handing you a perfect opportunity."

I shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know, Elara. I can't just... lead him on like that."

Elara sighed, grabbing my arm gently. "Daniella, we don't have the luxury of caring about his feelings. You need to get close to him. The rebellion won't wait for your conscience to clear."

I bit my lip, glancing over to where Noah had gone, the knot in my stomach tightening. "Fine. I'll go."