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

෴VOLUME [44]෴

Rai's POV

The promise ball was first approaching, we just had three days remaining. It was being held on new year's night.

I could tell we were all nervous so I convinced all the girls that we go to Greece to cool off a little bit. The boys were going to Dubai or something. So after boxing day in Ecuador, we were on our way.

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There are places that feel like poems.

Santorini was one of them.

The sun poured liquid gold over the white-washed buildings, turning every rooftop and alleyway into a fairytale. The girls and I arrived just three days before new year's eve, and somehow, this dreamy Greek island made everything feel softer — slower.

Our villa overlooked the Caldera cliffs, with an infinity pool that met the horizon. The air smelled of sea salt and citrus, and our laughter floated over the tiled roofs like a song.

Silantoi was the first to wake each morning, always wrapped in a silk robe and sipping black tea while watching the sunrise. Sasha followed, hair tied in a braided bun, humming softly as she journaled. Tinku, naturally, slept in the latest designer loungewear and woke up glowing like she’d just walked off a runway.

As for me — I floated between wonder and thought. Modeling had always been my dream, but recently, the idea of ruling the States beside Liam had become more real. More immediate. It scared me… just a little.

"Is anyone else as nervous as me?" I questioned as we were having dinner.

"Yeah, but that is the beauty of it, of being a royal. It's the fact that we can take all the pressure of royal duties and still look sophisticated and magnificent simultaneously." Silantoi said, making everyone giggle and surprisingly making me feel better. At ease.

On our second night, we walked through Oía, dressed to impress. I wore a flowy, deep-red dress with gold cuffs. My hair was swept into a half-up style, and I carried a tiny beaded clutch Tinku had made for me last Christmas. The cobbled streets were lined with lights, and tourists turned their heads as we passed.

People whispered — some recognizing us, some just stunned by the presence of five royal girls laughing and twirling down alleyways like a perfume ad.

At dinner, a waiter brought us spiced fish and olive-stuffed pastries as the sun melted into the Aegean Sea. We clinked glasses of sparkling lemonade.

“To us,” Tinku toasted, “and to being fabulous.”

“To friendship,” Sasha added.

“And to not being anyone’s queen just yet,” Silantoi teased with a wink.

The laughter faded into a quiet moment.

I took a breath. “Do you guys ever feel like... life is moving faster than we can catch up?”

They looked at me.

“I mean—being royalty, being young, having these dreams. And love. It’s all beautiful, but it’s a lot.”

Sasha smiled gently. “You’re about to be queen and a global supermodel, Estrella. I think you’re allowed to feel everything.”

“I’m still figuring out how to balance it all,” I admitted.

Lex reached across the table. “You will. And you won’t be alone when you do.”

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Liam’s POV

Dubai sparkled like a jewel forged by ambition.

Everywhere I turned, glass gleamed. Gold danced on rooftops. Rolls-Royces purred past like whispers. We were here for one reason — the promise rings — and none of us took that lightly.

Our hotel suite overlooked the Burj Khalifa. The night before shopping, we gathered on the balcony with Arabic coffee and silence.

Siin broke it first. “What if I faint when I give it to her?”

Csan laughed. “Then Lex will post it, meme it, and marry you anyway.”

Kyle nodded thoughtfully. “These rings mean more than jewelry. They’re our futures.”

He looked out into the city lights. “It’s not just about proposing. It’s about showing we see them for who they are… not just as royals or titles, but as the people we love.”

"Yeah, but at least we're not getting married for like the next two years anyway." Csan added lightening the mood, as always.

The next morning, we entered a private jewelry atelier. No cameras. No fans. Just velvet trays and soft lighting.

A breath of fresh air.

I knew Estrella’s style — elegant, sentimental. I asked for a design that looked like two crowns interlaced, stars embedded in the bands. Diamond studded of course. Soft sparkle. Symbolic.

The jeweler nodded. “A promise of shared power… and shared dreams.”

I held the ring between my fingers and imagined slipping it on her hand. She’d smile that shy smile. She’d call me ridiculous. And then she’d kiss me and make the world disappear.

Around me, the others were just as focused.

Kyle chose a diamond cut like a water droplet, with a tiny emerald hidden inside — Kenya’s stone. Siin chose a ring with hand-etched Andean mountains, while Csan picked an asymmetrical gold design that reminded him of Sasha’s strength.

After the rings, we chose tiaras which were also an important requirement for the promise ball.

Afterward, we sat on a rooftop café with lamb kebabs and rosewater sorbet. The rings and tiaras were packed. Hidden. Timed.

“They have no idea,” Csan said, grinning.

“And they won’t,” I said. “Not until the Promise Ball.”

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Rai's POV

We wore matching silk pajamas that night and huddled in front of the outdoor fireplace.

Snow fell gently — just a few flurries, rare in Greece. We shrieked like children and danced barefoot in the cold.

As the flames crackled, we shared childhood stories, dreams we’d never told anyone, fears we hadn’t dared to voice. We braided each other’s hair. Took Polaroids. Listened to Christmas songs in every language we spoke.

Somewhere between hot chocolate and giggles, I whispered to myself, I’m not afraid of becoming a queen. I’m afraid of losing who I am along the way.

But then I remembered Liam’s voice in that voice note: You’re my brightest star. I’ll always find you.

And I knew — I could be both. A ruler and a dreamer. A queen and a model. Estrella and Estrella mía.

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Thank you so much for reading!
This is the second last chapter.