The Good Crown

Chapter 60

The hallways were buzzing with excitement, everyone abuzz with talk of the coronation just days away. Noah was the center of attention, as he always was, but now more than ever, the weight of his impending crown drew people to him like moths to a flame. Students gathered around him, asking questions, offering congratulations, but I kept my head down, pretending not to notice. I couldn't afford to get pulled into his orbit again. Not when I was trying so hard to keep my distance.

As I reached my locker, I fumbled with the combination, my fingers shaking. I just needed to grab my things and get out of here before Noah noticed me. But as I swung the door open and started gathering my books, I felt a sudden slam against the locker beside mine. The noise made me jump, my heart pounding as I whipped around to see Penelope standing there, glaring at me with her arms crossed.

"Well, look who it is," she sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "The prince's escort. I still don't understand why someone like you got that honor."

I clenched my jaw, swallowing down my irritation. Penelope had always been a problem, but now, with Noah's coronation so close, she was more unbearable than ever. I could feel the weight of her disdain pressing down on me, but I didn't have the energy to engage. Not now. I just wanted to disappear before Noah could—

"Daniella!"

Too late.

I glanced over Penelope's shoulder and saw Noah pushing through the crowd, his eyes locked on me. Panic surged through me as he approached. The last thing I needed was to talk to him right now, not when everyone was watching, not when Penelope was standing there with that smug look on her face. I turned back to my locker, shoving books into my bag as quickly as I could, pretending not to hear him.

Penelope, of course, wasn't going to let me get away that easily. She stepped closer, blocking my path. "Oh, now you're ignoring me? Think you're too good for the rest of us just because the prince gave you some special attention?"

I glared at her, frustration bubbling up in my chest. "I don't have time for this, Penelope."

But before I could say anything else, Noah was suddenly there, standing right beside me, his presence commanding the space around us. His voice was firm as he addressed Penelope, not unkind but unmistakably authoritative. "Penelope, that's enough."

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly masked it with a forced smile. "Oh, Noah, I didn't see you there—"

"Clearly," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Why don't you give Daniella some space?"

Penelope hesitated, clearly irritated at being brushed aside, but she wasn't about to defy the soon-to-be king. With a tight-lipped smile, she muttered something under her breath and stalked away, leaving me alone with Noah.

I could feel his eyes on me as I hastily zipped up my bag, heart racing. I didn't want this conversation, not here, not now. But Noah wasn't about to let me escape so easily.

"Daniella," he said softly, stepping closer. "Why are you avoiding me?"

I didn't meet his gaze. I couldn't. "I'm not," I lied, hoping he would drop it.

"Yes, you are." His voice was low, almost pleading.

I clenched my fists, trying to keep my emotions in check. I could feel the stares of everyone in the hallway, could hear the whispers as people watched us, wondering what the prince and his supposed escort were discussing. It made my skin crawl.

"Noah, I really can't do this right now," I said quickly, swinging my bag over my shoulder and stepping away from the locker. "I have to go."

"Daniella, wait—" He reached out as if to stop me, but I was already moving, slipping through the crowd as fast as I could without looking back.

The weight of his gaze followed me the entire way down the hall.

By the end of the day, I was a mess. Everywhere I went, I could hear whispers. People pointing, murmuring about how I—the girl from a small town—was the prince's escort for the coronation. It was as if the entire academy had found out overnight, and it wasn't even something I had shared with anyone, not the town, not my family. Yet somehow, the rumor spread like wildfire, and I spent the entire day avoiding people, ducking out of sight, trying to focus on my classes while the weight of it all bore down on me.

As soon as the final bell rang, I rushed back to my dorm, practically running through the halls to escape the stares and whispers. My heart pounded in my chest as I unlocked the door, slipping inside and shutting it behind me. I threw my bag to the floor and jumped onto my bed, burying my face in my pillow as I screamed, desperate for peace. Just one moment of quiet, where I could breathe without feeling like the whole world was watching me.

The muffled scream helped release some of the tension, but not enough. I lay there, face buried in the pillow, as the reality of the situation crashed over me again. In three days, I would be standing beside Noah at the coronation in front of everyone. How did I get here? I had wanted to blend in, to stick to the plan, but somehow I had become tangled up in something much bigger than myself.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I groaned, hoping it was Elara or one of my friends, but when I opened it, I was startled to see a guard standing there, his expression neutral but firm.

"Miss Daniella," he said, his voice professional. "You've been summoned for a fitting. Please follow me."

I blinked in confusion, still reeling from everything that had happened. A fitting? I hadn't even thought about what I would wear to the coronation. "I—what?"

"Please, Miss," the guard repeated, gesturing for me to follow him.

Reluctantly, I nodded and grabbed my shoes, slipping them on as I followed him down the hall. My heart raced as we walked in silence, my mind buzzing with nerves. I hadn't been mentally prepared for any of this—the coronation, the attention, and now, apparently, a dress fitting?

We eventually stopped outside a small room near the academy's tailor, and as the guard opened the door for me, I stepped inside, completely unprepared for what awaited me.

Three women stood there, waiting with pins and fabric draped across their arms, and in the center of the room, hanging on a mannequin, was a dress that took my breath away. It was a soft blush pink, delicate and elegant, with intricate embroidery and shimmering fabric that caught the light in the most beautiful way. It was unlike anything I had ever seen, and certainly nothing I had ever imagined wearing.

"Is this... for me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

One of the women, an older seamstress with kind eyes, smiled and nodded. "Yes, my dear. This is your dress for the coronation. We've been preparing it just for you."

I stared at the dress in disbelief, my heart pounding in my chest. The blush pink fabric looked almost too perfect, too beautiful for someone like me to wear. I felt out of place, like I didn't belong here, in this fancy fitting room with these elegant women and this stunning gown.

But as they motioned for me to step forward and try it on, something shifted in me. This was real. The coronation was real. And whether I liked it or not, I was going to be a part of it.