The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 135

“I’ve been walking through this castle alone for years, sire,” she says, putting her hands on her hips. “And not once have I been accosted.”

“Oh yeah?” Rafe asks. “What’s your secret?”

“Pepper spray,” she says with a shrug, making both of us laugh. “No, but really,” she continues with a grin, “servants’ corridors. Honestly, we’ll be fine.”

“All right,” my brother says with a nod, surprising me. I didn’t expect him to agree to that so easily – I guess our little two-second chat earlier really hit its mark. He turns to me then. “How long do you think?”

I shrug, looking over at Daphne. “An hour? Maybe two?”

“Let’s make it two,” she says, wrinkling her nose at me. I grin and nod to Rafe, who sketches a little bow and turns away, waving over his shoulder.

Daphne gives a little squeak of excitement, pulling me into the room. “Oh my god,” she says, pressing the door shut behind us and leaning back against it for support, “that was Rafe Sinclair! At my door!”

I laugh, shaking my head at her. “Don’t be so impressed - it’s just Rafe,” I say with a shrug. “Plus,” I gesture to myself, “Nation’s princess! Right here!”

“Oh, I know,” she says, laughing and grabbing my arm, tugging me over to the bed and gesturing for me to sit down. “But you’re not nearly as hot as he is.”

I squeak in dismay, standing up straight at the offense.

Daphne just rolls her eyes at me as she crosses the little room. “You’re very pretty, Ariel, but you just don’t do it for me.” She reaches up to a shelf and grabs a bottle of wine as well as two small glasses. “Can I persuade you?” she asks. “I know it’s technically illegal but,” she shrugs and gives me a hopeful look.

“As long as you promise not to tell my brother,” I say, eyeing the bottle – because honestly, a glass of wine sounds fantastic right now.

“As long as you promise to dish,” she counters, laughing as we both sit down on the bed. Daphne pulls her bedside table close and pours us each a glass of red wine.

“Dish about what?” I ask, taking the glass she offers me and leaning back against the pillows. I grin, pleased that it’s so instantly easy between us. Daphne - I feel like I’ve already known her for years. But, I guess that makes sense, when someone’s carrying your deepest darkest secret.

“About everything,” she sighs, smiling warmly at me. “I want to hear all about your week, and about how no one else has figured out you’re a girl –“

“Because boys are idiots –“ I say, taking a sip of my drink and humming lightly with pleasure at the velvety taste.

She laughs, and nods. “Yes, tell me all about the boys.”

“Daphne,” I say, sighing, “as the only acknowledged girl in this castle, you could have your pick of the boys. You know that. So why do you need me to tell you all about them when you could just go knock on any door you want and have him kneel at your feet, spilling his guts?”

“Because,” she sighs, a low and devastated sound, “I’m abstaining.”

“Why?” I ask, grinning.

“Because I have dreams,” she groans, shaking her head like its’s a great sacrifice to give up boys for the sake of your ambitions. I smile then, recognizing the feeling, especially considering that all I want to do is hurl myself at my mates. But I, too, am abstaining. Or, at least I’m trying to.

“What dreams?” I ask, wanting to know more – wanting to know all about her, frankly.

“All of them,” she sighs, smiling at me and leaning forward. “I want a big life, you know? I want to do everything – feel everything, see everything, touch everything, taste it. I want to do it all.”

My smile deepens as I consider my friend, swept up a little in her verve for life. “What’s stopping you?” I ask quietly, sipping more of my wine.

“Money,” she says, giving a chagrined little shrug. “We…didn’t grow up with much.”

I nod, listening, my mind going back to Jackson who I’m starting to think might come from a similar world. “Well, what does that have to do with boys?” I ask. “Why does that make you ‘abstain,’ as you say?”

Daphne just gives me a long, slow grin.