CROWNS ACADEMY || A Royalty's Academia Book Series #1

෴VOLUME [43]෴

Rai's POV

There’s something about December in Ecuador — the way the sun kisses the cobblestones in Old Town, the scent of cinnamon and roasted plantains in the air, and the soft hum of villancicos echoing through the streets.

This was our second Christmas together in Quito, and somehow, it felt even more magical. After the great stay in Kenya, we decided to spend Christmas in Ecuador again. Except this time the wouldn't surprisingly bombard me at my house like last year.

The moment our jet touched down, I was buzzing with excitement. My mother was waiting on our house steps, wrapped in a crimson poncho, a wide smile on her face. Behind her stood Debby, Sandra, and Ivy — my best friends from home — waving like we hadn’t just talked the night before.

Lex ran to hug them first. “I missed you guys! Where’s the colada morada?”

“You’re early, troublemaker,” Debby teased, already pulling her in for a squeeze.

Liam stood behind me, a warm hand at the small of my back. “You’re glowing,” he whispered.

I leaned in. “This is home. You’re seeing me in my element.”

Everyone hugged as we started to catch up even before we reached the living room. The house was beautifully decorated, even more than we had done in the past years. I liked that mum kept all our old decorations, they brought so much nostalgia.

I quietly slipped away upstairs into my room as the others continued to catch up. When I got in, I was engulfed with overwhelming emotions of nostalgia, joy, sadness, peace. I jumped into my small bed with a huge sigh. My room had been my sanctuary in both the good and bad days and it made me feel closer to my dad.

I slowly stood up and made my way to the window. I watched with a subtle smile as the snow fell freely on the ground outside. I felt a lot of peace and gratitude. I brought my hands to my hair and removed it from the high ponytail, I let it fall down my back freely.

I felt free.

My train of thought was then interrupted by my mum calling down from the kitchen for us to go and cut the annual surprise Christmas cake.

After a night of fun stories and games, I kissed my mum goodnight before we went to the castle to spend the night.

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The Castle was Alive with Color. The halls were strung with handwoven garlands, poinsettias at every corner, and golden fairy lights woven through the trees. Mama had insisted on decorating everything herself. She claimed no royal decorator could ever get Ecuadorian Navidad right. This was part of her business that I had gifted her the previous year.

Christmas Eve dinner was held in the courtyard, long wooden tables beneath floating lanterns. Debby and Ivy brought out empanadas and hornado while Sandra DJed holiday classics and reggaeton remixes.

Silantoi wore a flowing red dress with golden beadwork, and Kyle couldn’t take his eyes off her. “You’re glowing,” he told her, echoing Liam’s earlier words.

Csan helped the maids grill meat, his sleeves rolled up and a smudge of spice on his cheek. Sasha joined him, tying her hair with a silk ribbon and humming along to the music.

And Liam — he was by my side, always. Holding my hand under the table. Brushing his thumb along my cheek when he thought no one was watching.

At midnight, we lit candles and walked to the edge of the garden for our annual star wish.

“It’s like the stars always listen here,” Sandra whispered.

We each made a wish and placed our candles on the small lake beside the castle. Liam whispered something in my ear — in Spanish this time — and my heart fluttered.

Later, we exchanged gifts by the tree. Lex gave everyone custom socks with our faces on them. Siin gifted us all personalized pens shaped like swords. I gave the girls matching bracelets with our initials, and Liam gave me a delicate silver anklet that spelled out 'Siempre.' Of course these were just part a few of the gifts we had given each other.

“I want it to remind you,” he said, “that no matter where we go, this—us—is forever.”

After the gifts, I snuck away with Liam to the rooftop terrace. Quito sparkled beneath us, wrapped in peace and lights.

He pulled a blanket around us both. “Do you ever think about what next Christmas might look like?”

I rested my head on his chest. “Only if you’re in it.”

He kissed my forehead. “Then it’s going to be beautiful.”

The night ended with us laughing under the stars, surrounded by old friends and new love. 
And for a moment, the world felt exactly how it was always meant to be.

෴

On boxing day I woke up before everyone and then of course I woke them all up. We were going to make my annual Christmas cupcakes and give them away at the kingdom square. Last year it was just Siin and I but this year, it's all of us.

We spent the whole morning baking, decorating and packing the cupcakes then we got ready and it was finally time to go.

The sun was setting gently over Quito, casting a honey-golden glow across the city square. Church bells chimed softly in the distance as the townspeople gathered around the grand tree at the kingdom square.

We arrived as a group — dressed warmly but fashionably, of course. I wore a cozy cream poncho over a red dress and Liam held my hand as we walked down the stone-paved path. Lex was already tossing candy into the crowd with a grin. “¡Feliz Navidad!” she called out.

Siin and Csan were manning a booth with Debby and Lynne, handing out traditional Ecuadorian Christmas sweets like dulce de higos and a lot more. Sasha had woven silver ribbons into her braids and handed out warm cocoa with Silantoi, who wore a kitenge scarf gifted from her kingdom.

The air buzzed with laughter, music, and the scent of roasted chestnuts.

Someone in the crowd gasped, “Is that… Prince Siin? And Princess Estrella?!”

“Prince Kyle is here too! And that’s Princess Silantoi from Kenya!”

Phones came out. Gasps echoed. A few children ran up to us, eyes wide.

“You’re real?” one little girl whispered to Liam.

He knelt down, offered her a candy cane, and smiled. “Very real. And you, pequeña estrella, are the brightest one here tonight.”

My heart swelled. The moment felt straight out of a dream.

A boy tugged at my hand shyly. “Are you the princess who models?”

I smiled and knelt to his level. “I am. But tonight, I’m just your Christmas elf.”

"C'mon Siin, this is the only day of the year where you get to serve your people without the queen mother having a heart attack." I said as we continued to serve the ever growing crowd.

By the time the string lights lit up and the choir began singing Noche de Paz, we were surrounded by love. Not the kind you find in ballrooms or behind palace gates — but the kind that lives in warm cocoa, soft hugs, shared laughter, and wide-eyed wonder.

And as Liam wrapped an arm around me and the crowd began to sway with the carols, I knew this Christmas would never be forgotten — not by the people, and not by us.

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