The Good Crown

Chapter 37

The days at the academy had become a blur of schedules, lessons, and late-night conversations with Noah. Between the endless classes on royal etiquette, strategy, and history, I barely had time to catch my breath.

But amidst all of that, something unexpected happened. Elara, the girl who was always more reserved, the one I'd begun to trust as a partner in this whole spy mission we were carrying out, dropped a bombshell at lunch one day.

"I'm thinking about trying out for the cheer team."

I stared at her, blinking, trying to process what she had just said. Cheer team? Out of everything I thought she might do here, that hadn't even crossed my mind.

"Wait, what?" I asked, my fork pausing halfway to my mouth. "You? Cheerleading?"

Elara laughed, her eyes lighting up with a kind of excitement I hadn't seen before. "I know it sounds crazy, right? But I've always loved the energy, the way it brings people together. And, well... I figured, why not go for it while we're here? Might as well try something different."

I shook my head, still trying to make sense of it. "I just didn't think that was your thing. You always seem so... I don't know... focused on other stuff."

"I am," she said, her smile softening. "But I don't want to miss out on everything while we're stuck in this place. There's more to me than just the mission, you know? I want to feel like I'm part of something, not just on the outside looking in."

It was the most candid Elara had been since we'd met, and I realized then how little I actually knew about her beyond our shared goals. She was showing me another side of herself, one that wasn't all about espionage and keeping up walls. It made me realize how easy it was to assume things about people without really knowing them.

"I get that," I said after a moment. "Honestly, I'm still getting used to this place, and I haven't even figured out who I'm supposed to be here."

"You don't have to figure it all out at once," Elara said, offering me a reassuring smile. "Just... try new things. Make the most of it while we're here."

Her words stuck with me long after our conversation ended. Elara, who always seemed like she had everything under control, was opening up to the idea of exploring who she really was. Maybe there was more for all of us to learn while we were at the academy, even beyond the mission that had brought us here.

Meanwhile, I was still navigating my way through the growing connections with the other town kids. Slowly but surely, walls were starting to come down, and it wasn't just with Noah. Leo and I had begun joking around more during lessons, and I found myself sharing bits of home with Elara and the others—stories from the town that reminded me of simpler times.

The academy might have been a world apart from the life we'd known, but we were all figuring it out together.

As Elara and I were finishing our lunch, I was still thinking about everything she'd shared with me. It was strange, realizing that I barely knew this side of her, and I couldn't help but admire her willingness to try something new, especially in a place like this. My thoughts were interrupted when suddenly, two hands covered my eyes from behind.

"Guess who?" a familiar voice teased.

I smiled instantly, knowing exactly who it was. "Noah, you're terrible at surprises."

He chuckled, uncovering my eyes and stepping around the table to sit across from me. In his hands was a small bowl filled with berries—the kind that had quickly become my favorite since arriving at the academy. "Thought you might be hungry for these," he said, grinning as he placed the bowl in front of me.

I raised an eyebrow at him, trying to suppress a smile. "Berries?"

"I pay attention," he shrugged, popping one of the berries into his mouth with a smirk.

Elara, who had been watching the whole interaction, let out a quiet laugh and stood up, grabbing her tray. "I'm gonna head to class. You two... enjoy." She shot me a knowing look before walking off, leaving me alone with Noah.

I glanced after her, then turned back to Noah. "You're going to give people ideas, bringing me berries like this," I teased, though I couldn't help but feel a little flustered by the gesture.

Noah just grinned and reached across the table to take another berry from the bowl. "Let them think what they want," he said casually, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling as I took one of the berries and ate it. They were perfectly ripe, sweet, and slightly tart—exactly the way I liked them. We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, sharing the bowl, until Noah leaned forward, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

"Meet me tomorrow morning," he said, his tone mischievous.

I blinked, confused. "Why? What are you planning?"

"An adventure," he said with a grin. "Into the town."

That caught me completely off guard. "Wait, the town? You want to sneak off?"

"Exactly," he nodded, clearly excited by the idea. "We'll need to leave early. Before anyone notices."

I stared at him, trying to process what he was suggesting. Prince Noah was asking me to sneak out of the academy to go on some secret adventure with him. This was the last thing I'd expected from him. "You're serious?"

"Dead serious," he replied, his grin widening as he popped another berry into his mouth. "What do you say? Are you in?"

I hesitated, unsure whether I should be excited or nervous. But the spark in his eyes, the way he was looking at me like we were about to embark on something thrilling, made it impossible to say no.

I bit my lip, excitement battling with nerves. "Are you sure this is safe?" I asked, lowering my voice. "What if we get caught? Sneaking off campus isn't exactly low-risk."

Noah leaned closer, eyes glinting with confidence. "No one's going to know."

I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head. "This side of you... I didn't expect it," I admitted, though I liked it more than I was willing to admit out loud. Seeing Noah loosen up, seeing the adventurous, rebellious side of him—it was different.

"Guess I'm not as predictable as you thought," he said with a smirk, leaning back casually. "But seriously, no one will catch us. By the time anyone notices we're gone, we'll already be back. You trust me, don't you?"

I narrowed my eyes at him,"fine," I said, trying to sound reluctant but failing to hide the excitement in my voice. "But if we get caught, I'm blaming you."

He stood up from the table, grinning wide as he tossed the empty berry bowl aside. "Deal. But I promise, we won't get caught." He started to walk away, then paused, looking over his shoulder with that same playful smile. "Dawn tomorrow. Be ready."

I watched him leave, feeling a rush of excitement I hadn't felt in a long time. This side of Noah—the daring, unpredictable version of him—was something I didn't expect, but it made me like him even more. There was more to him than just being a prince, and I couldn't wait to see what this adventure had in store.