The Good Crown

Chapter 54

The night felt heavy as I finally lay in my childhood bed, the comfort of home wrapping around me. The familiar creaks of the house, the cool air slipping in through the cracked window—it all should have been enough to lull me into a peaceful sleep. But it wasn't. My mind was racing, twisting and turning, tangled up in thoughts I couldn't quite shake.

When I finally drifted off, it was as if I was immediately pulled into another world.

In the dream, the setting was so vivid, so real. I was standing in the middle of a grand, open field with wildflowers brushing against my ankles. The sunlight was warm, casting a golden glow over everything. In the distance, I could hear laughter—familiar laughter. I turned toward the sound and froze.

Noah stood there, a soft smile on his face, his arm around me. But it wasn't just the two of us. There were children—three of them. Two girls and a boy, all with a mix of my features and Noah's. One of the girls tugged at his sleeve, her curly hair bouncing as she smiled up at him. The other two ran through the field, their laughter ringing out in the air.

I looked around, and there were more people—my family, Noah's parents—everyone together. Happy. Smiling. Like we were one big family. My heart raced in the dream, a strange warmth spreading through my chest. I felt a pang of something deep, something terrifying, but also something... right.

Noah turned to me, his smile growing as he pulled me closer. "This is our life, Daniella," he whispered. "This is what we could have."

The dream shifted, the sunlight turning brighter, the children's laughter echoing around me like a lullaby. And for a moment, I felt it—the impossible future I could never have. The life I wasn't allowed to dream of. I could see it, feel it, as though it was real.

But then, just as quickly, the image began to blur, fading into a soft glow before the field disappeared entirely.

I woke with a start, my heart pounding in my chest. I gasped, the dream still so fresh in my mind that it felt like I could still hear the laughter echoing in the room. My eyes flickered around the dark space, reminding me I was back in my room, back in reality. I ran a shaky hand over my forehead, wiping the thin layer of sweat that had gathered there.

"What the hell was that?" I whispered to myself, trying to calm the frantic beating of my heart.

I had never dreamed anything like that before—so real, so... intimate. I could still feel Noah's hand on my waist, hear the soft whispers of our future together, as if it were a path that was already written. But it wasn't. It couldn't be.

My heart tightened painfully in my chest as I realized how deep my feelings had become. I couldn't let them grow any more than they already had. I couldn't dream of a future with Noah. I couldn't let myself imagine something that could never be. It wasn't just foolish—it was dangerous.

I buried my face in my hands, trying to shake the images from my mind. It was just a dream, I told myself. It didn't mean anything. But even as I thought that, a small part of me whispered that it did mean something. That it meant everything.

Noah had wormed his way into my heart, into my dreams, and now I didn't know how to escape.

But I had to. There was no other choice.

I couldn't afford to let this grow any further. Because every moment I spent dreaming about him was a moment I was failing the mission. Failing myself. The rebellion had to come first. My family, my people—they had to come first. This dream, this impossible future—it could never be mine.

With a heavy sigh, I lay back down, staring up at the ceiling, trying to force my mind to quiet itself.

Morning light filtered through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the room. I lay in bed, still grappling with the remnants of my dream, when a sudden weight crashed down on me.

"Daniella! Wake up!"

I jolted awake, blinking rapidly as I felt Haven bouncing on my bed, her giggles filling the air.

"You have to come help out on the farm! There's so much to do today!" She was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement, her pigtails swinging with every jump.

"Ugh, Haven, five more minutes!" I groaned, burying my face in my pillow, but I could already feel the sleep slipping away.

"No way! Mom said you have to help! Come on!" Haven tugged at my blankets, and I could feel the warmth of the sun inviting me to rise.

Reluctantly, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my pajamas clinging to me like a second skin. I ran a hand through my messy hair, the remnants of sleep still lingering in my mind.

As I trudged down the stairs, the smell of breakfast wafted through the air, mingling with the crisp morning breeze that slipped in through the open windows. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the last vestiges of my dream about Noah, when I turned the corner into the kitchen—and froze.

My family was gathered around the table, all dressed in their Sunday best. Magnolia sat next to Dylan, her smile bright and radiant, and my parents were chatting animatedly. They looked so put together, while I stood there in my worn pajama shorts and an oversized shirt, hair sticking out in every direction.

"Good morning!" my mother greeted, her eyes lighting up as she took in my disheveled appearance. "Nice of you to join us, Daniella."

"Yeah, if joining means looking like a raccoon," Magnolia teased, stifling a laugh, while Dylan shot me a charming smile that made me momentarily forget my embarrassment.

"What's going on?" I stammered, cheeks burning as I took in the scene before me.

Mom turned toward me, her warm smile barely hiding the teasing glint in her eyes. "You've been at that royal academy for so long you've forgotten our Sunday breakfast tradition."

Magnolia chuckled as she sipped her tea, and Dylan gave me a polite nod. "It's alright, Daniella," Magnolia chimed in. "We were just talking about heading to the farm to get started on the chores before the day really kicks off."

I blinked, trying to catch up with the morning. "Sunday breakfast... right. I've missed a few, haven't I?"

"A few?" Haven piped up, grinning mischievously. "More like all of them since you left!"

"Guess I've been out of the loop," I mumbled, feeling the disconnect between my life here and the one I'd been living at the academy.

Mom's eyes softened, and she stood from her chair, walking over to cup my cheek gently. "It's alright, Daniella. We know you've been busy with your studies and all. But you're home now, and there are eggs that need gathering from the farm."

I smiled at the familiar task. "I can handle that."

"Good," Mom said, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead. "It's easy to forget about the simple things when you're off rubbing shoulders with royals."

The teasing made me laugh, but there was a truth in it that gnawed at me. The longer I stayed at the academy, the more distant this life felt. But standing here, surrounded by my family, the smell of fresh-baked bread in the air and the sun filtering through the windows, I realized how much I'd missed this.

"Alright, let me just get my boots," I said, already turning toward the door.

"Don't take too long," Dad called from his seat, his smile wide.

As I stepped outside, the cool morning air hit my skin, and for the first time in a while, I felt at ease. The tension that had been winding itself around me at the academy eased just a little.

I pulled on my boots and headed for the chicken coop, a part of me grateful for the distraction. But even as I gathered the eggs, my mind drifted back to Noah, to the dream...