The Good Crown

Chapter 41

The next day, I headed out to where Leo, Thomas, and Elara were gathered under out usual tree. Leo was already in his uniform, pacing with restless energy, clearly fired up for the big game. He waved as I approached, but his smile turned into a smirk the moment he saw me.

Leo narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. "So, how's it going with the prince? You getting anything useful out of him yet?"

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "He's been telling me some stuff. He doesn't really agree with the king's rules, you know. He seems serious about helping the town."

Leo raised an eyebrow, incredulous. "Come on, you can't actually believe that. He's a prince. They're all talk, just like his father."

I frowned, feeling an unexpected twinge of defensiveness. "I don't know, Leo. He really seems to care about what happens to the people outside the palace. ."

Leo let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "And you think he's not just playing you? Feeding you what you want to hear so you'll trust him?"

I hesitated, the weight of his words pulling at me. But then I shook my head, standing my ground. "No. I don't think so. Noah seems different."

Leo's expression shifted, growing serious. "Careful, Daniella. You can't get too close. Remember why we're here."

I bit my lip, nodding. "I know, Leo. I'm not forgetting the mission. But... maybe Noah's not as bad as we thought."

Leo shrugged, clearly unconvinced. "He's if royal blood. They're all raised to be bad." His tone was light, but there was an edge to it that made me feel like I'd said too much.

Elara, sensing the tension, nudged me with a smile. "Let's focus on the game, huh? It's not every day you get to see Leo strut around the field like a peacock."

I laughed, grateful for the change in subject, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Noah. Was I getting too close? Or was Leo just being paranoid?

As I glanced toward the field, my mind spun with questions, but one thing was clear—I wasn't sure where the lines were anymore between the mission and my own growing doubts.

The day flew by and the game at already started. As I stood by the field, I glanced at the crowd forming on the sidelines, already buzzing with excitement for the game. Leo's words from earlier echoed in my mind, and I found myself wondering if I was really in over my head.

Elara nudged me, pulling me back to the present. "You good?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied me.

"Yeah," I replied quickly, forcing a smile. "Just thinking."

"About the prince," she teased, though her tone was light. "Speaking of which..."

Before I could even turn around, I felt the presence behind me—Noah. And there he was, smiling in that easy, confident way that somehow managed to disarm me every time. In his hands, unmistakable, was his jersey. The very one I had forgotten about.

"Daniella," he said, voice low enough to make my pulse quicken. "Glad I found you, almost forgot about our promise."

I stared at the jersey, a rush of heat flooding my cheeks. "I—uh—forgot," I stammered, mentally kicking myself for not coming up with a better excuse.

Noah raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my flustered state. "No worries. That's why I brought it." He extended it toward me, his smile softening. "Go ahead, put it on."

I hesitated, my fingers brushing the fabric. "Here? In front of everyone?"

Elara was watching us closely, her eyes flicking between Noah and me with clear interest. I could feel the weight of her gaze, and it made my stomach twist. "I don't know, Noah... It's kind of a big deal, wearing your jersey."

He tilted his head, his grin widening. "It's not a big deal. Tons of people wear my jersey numbers during the games—you'll blend right in. The only difference is, this one's actually mine." His voice dipped on the last word, and I could feel Elara's eyes practically burning into my back.

I glanced at the students around us, noticing that, sure enough, plenty of them had jerseys with Noah's number on it. But the thought of wearing his in front of everyone, especially with Leo and the others watching, made me feel shy in a way I hadn't expected.

Still, the way Noah was looking at me, with that mix of expectation and playfulness, left me with no real way to refuse. "Okay," I sighed, taking the jersey from his hands.

I pulled it over my head, feeling a little ridiculous but trying to shake off the nerves. Elara's eyes were practically sparkling with amusement as she watched me adjust it, her smirk growing wider.

"Well, well," she teased, giving me a nudge. "Looks like you've got the prince whipped already. You're way better at this fake dating thing than you let on."

I rolled my eyes, brushing off her comment, though my face was still warm from Noah's earlier grin. "It's not like that," I mumbled, though even I didn't sound convinced. I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "We're just sticking to the plan."

Elara raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Uh-huh. Sure."

"Shut up," I muttered, even though part of me knew she wasn't entirely wrong. "It's just... he's natural at this. That's all."

She gave me a knowing look. "And you're not? You've got him wrapped around your finger. Did you see the way he looked at you when you put the jersey on?"

I shrugged, not sure how to respond to that. "It's just for the mission," I said, but my voice sounded weak even to me.

Elara nudged me again, her smirk deepening. "Right. Mission. Just don't forget that."

I glanced at the field, watching Noah jog back to his teammates. He looked so confident out there, like he belonged at the center of everything. It made me feel... strange, like I was standing on the edge of something I hadn't fully realized yet.

The game started, and I tried to focus on it, but my mind kept drifting back to Elara's words. Was I really better at this than I thought? Or was Noah making it easier because he was actually—no, I couldn't think like that. It was all part of the plan, nothing more.

But as I watched him move across the field, calling out orders and working with his teammates, I couldn't deny there was something more. The way he'd handed me that jersey, the way his smile had lingered—it felt real.

Elara leaned closer, lowering her voice. "So, any actual intel on him yet? Or are you too busy playing the role of his girlfriend to dig anything up?"

I hesitated, glancing at her. "He's not what we thought," I admitted. "He really wants to bring change, help the town kids stay in the academy. I think he's serious."

Elara's eyes widened, though she still looked skeptical. "Serious? Princes don't go against their kings, Dani. That's not how this works."

"I don't know, Elara." I shook my head, feeling torn. "He doesn't seem like he's faking it."

She studied me for a long moment, then sighed. "Just don't get too close, alright? We can't afford to lose sight of what we're here for."

"I won't," I promised, though the weight of Noah's jersey on my shoulders made me question if that was really true.