Over the years, Aolyn and I have become fast friends despite a royal decree discouraging close friendships, especially between royals of the opposite sex, out of fear that the royal houses might actually Bond.
It’s not like the Lumos Bond is dictated through friendships, but fear is a powerful thing. A century has passed since it’s happened, so the rule seems unlikely to apply, but rules are rules.
Activating my tablet, the blue Taeolyn crest appears before a login screen. I log in to my school account and find that I have beenassigned a room on the fifth floor with Princess Aolyn as my dorm mate.
A touch of nostalgia settles as I realize she begins and ends her time at the academy as my dorm mate. Class schedules will be distributed with our division assignments, splitting the Executive Order’s three distinct dorms into nine separate groups.
Kellan and I ascend the stairs together, the scent of nature and old books filling the air. On the third floor, he stops, turning to me with a warm smile, but I see the disappointment just beneath.
“See you in orientation.” He heads toward his assigned room. I want nothing more than to ensure his happiness this year, yet I sense the blow of not being placed in Veker will cast a long shadow. My own relief, however, is laced with a potent dread. Anders Rykerson is also assigned to Taeolyn. Ten months. My heart hammers the words, a frantic drum against my ribs.We are in the same dorm.And suddenly, the thought of graduation feels a lifetime away, stretching out before me, long and utterly inescapable.
two
. . .
After climbingthe stairs to my room, I open the door, stepping into the palatial room I will call home for the next two years at Drithm. It seems that I’m the first one here. My bodyguard, Kuron, and my handmaid, Mera, have ensured that all my belongings are perfectly arranged and unpacked.
Taking a moment to fully absorb my new room, I spin in place and can’t help but feel a sense of fullness, a sense of joy, and a sense of finality.I'm finally here. I move through the room, which looks more like a sanctuary than a dorm, and smile.
My gaze drifts to the windows, where elegant white drapes cascade from the ceiling, currently held back with a golden rope. The large windows let in a soft, natural light, filling the room with a gentle glow of sunlight.
I smile softly, noticing that Mera has already laid out my school uniform for the day on a dresser near the closet. Inside the large walk-in space, Mera also unpacked and organized my clothes, neatly displaying my dinner gowns.
A giddy noise escapes me when I wander into the connecting bathroom, noticing that we each have our own. It’s rare for students to have living arrangements such as these, but I gladly accept thisupgrade. My bathroom is stunning, its architecture beautifully reflecting the same style as the rest of the dorm, with white stone and arched entrances.
Noticing the time, I quickly rinse off and then dress in my uniform: stretchy black pants and a fitted black shirt. I spritz my favorite mist and style my hair into six braids, tying them back into a long ponytail. My natural waves cascade down my back. Feeling refreshed and ready, I grab my tablet and Prism, slip them into a bag, and exit my room. However, I collide with a solid wall just as the door clicks shut behind me.
The collision knocks the wind out of me, sending me stumbling backward and off balance. Before I hit the wall, two firm, calloused hands grip my arms, steadying me. My heart races as I look up, and up, into a pair of intense sapphire blue and silver eyes.
Oops.
“Princess,” Prince Anders drawls, his voice rich, resonating somewhere deep in my bones and uncomfortably low in my stomach. A strange current of energy courses through my body, and I can’t help but tilt my head slightly to get a better look at him. His eyes swirl with an otherworldly quality, catching me off guard. The movement is so subtle you wouldn’t be able to see it from a step away.
I’ve never met anyone with eyes like his. When he blinks, the moment vanishes, and I remember who we are and the fact that we aren’t friends. Can’t be.
“Anders,” I respond curtly, though I manage to nod politely even as I take a step back, as if some distance will quell the heat pooling in my stomach. The moment I inhale, I’m hit with an intoxicating wave of scents: the briny tang of raging seas, vibrant notes of citrus groves, and warm and woody sandalwood mixed with something distinctly masculine. The aroma envelops me, heady and rich, and for a reason I can’t quite explain, I feel the overwhelming urge to lean in and fill my lungs with more.
The amused look he gives me is enough to make me flinch inwardly, but I mask it, maintaining my careful composure. “Running late to orientation?” he asks mockingly, with a raised brow and aslight quirk on his gorgeous full lips. He crosses his arms over his broad chest, just below where his buttons hang open, revealing sun-kissed skin.
The action and realization of how close he is makes my throat dry.
“No, I will be early if you’ll just excuse me.” I pivot on my heel, desperate to put as much distance between us as possible. Just as I think I’ve managed to get away, his arm shoots out, hooking around my waist and yanking me back toward him. Heat and energy flare where his arm makes contact, and I silently curse him.
“Wrong way, Princess,” he purrs, his words dripping with a smoothness that sends a fresh wave of tingles across my skin. The way the ‘S’ rolls off his tongue feels like a magnetic pull, awakening me. Blushing furiously, I turn away from him, acutely aware of the flush in my cheeks, and begin walking in the opposite direction, determined to get away quickly. I don’t have time to consider my reaction because humiliation burns worse. Much to my annoyance, his long strides keep pace with me, shadowing my every step.
“Don’t you have some women to flirt with or a mirror you need to brood in front of?” I toss over my shoulder, annoyed that I can’t seem to move fast enough.
He snorts. “Jealous?”
Ialmostlaugh. “Did your mother drop you on your head as a baby?” I stomp around a corner. “You do realize that the system doesn’t revolve around you?”
He grips my elbow, swinging me around so fast I nearly collide with him again. “You’re a feisty little thing. Where’s the beloved princess that has the whole system wrapped around her finger?” My nostrils flare with barely contained annoyance.
“Has it ever occurred to you, Prince Anders,” I say with a saccharine smile, “that maybe it’s just you that I don’t like?” His eyes narrow, and he clenches his jaw. I inwardly do a little dance for getting under his skin.
He steps closer, our bodies nearly brushing, and I have to tilt my head to look up at him. “Do tell me, Princess,” he says with an icy, calm voice. “What is it about me you don’t like? You don’t even knowme.”True.Not that I’m willing to admit it. I know enough, and he doesn’t realize that women love to talk. Talk and talk and talk. And who is the number one source of gossip? The annoying prince before me.
“I know enough,” I retort, spinning on my heel and yanking my arm out of his grasp.
