The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



Silence rings out in the room behind me but I keep my eyes firmly on the Captains.

He straightens up, again looking at me with surprise.

If I'm honest, I think he expected a meltdown - expected me to protest, and to yell, and to demand reconsideration. In short, I think - quite frankly - that he expected me to act like a spoiled little girl.

But that's not what I am. At least, not anymore.noveldrama

"I've been spending quite a lot of time considering my identity over the past couple of months." My voice is quiet, though not a single person here has any trouble hearing me, as I'm pretty sure that most of them are holding their breath. "And honestly, sir, I'm not entirely sure who I am anymore. I'm certainly not Princess Ariel, who was willing to completely negate her happiness and sell herself into a loveless marriage for the sake of a treaty." The Captain blinks at me, taken aback. I don't give him a chance to protest and instead move forward with what I have to say.

"I became Ari Clark in September,” I say, quite calm. “But I'm not him either – not really. He was frightened, and just wanted to be with his friends, and had no real purpose. No, I'm someone else now."

I glance back here at everyone else in the room, wondering if they're aware of the full transformation that I've gone through in the past few months. And with the way that some of their mouths turn up at the corners - Jesse, Rafe, and Jacks in particular - I know that they get it.

"But even if I am confused about my personal identity," I say, turning my attention back to the silent Captain, "there are some things I do know for sure. And one of that is the law of Moon Valley, which my father changed the day he ripped out the previous King's throat. With his teeth."

I let my own teeth show a bit, even as I stand proud and calm before this man.

"Are you aware, sir?" I continue. "Of

who takes the throne in the case of the horrible occurrence of Rafe's death?" I nod over my shoulder towards my brother, though I don't look at him. "Because should Rafe be tragically taken from us, it's not my Uncle Roger who would take the throne. And it's not Roger's heir, Jesse Sinclair. It's not my grandfather Henry, it's not my mother, and it's not even my little brother Mark."

I take one step towards the Captain, whose eyes widen.

"No, sir,” I say, dropping my voice lower. "The third in line to the throne of this nation is me. A fact which I sometimes forget, and which I think you have too."

I let silence reign for a moment as I stand before the Captain, looking evenly at him even if I have to tilt my head back to do it. "Now, I'm not sure how it is that you and your colleagues decide which Cadets at this school are suitable for

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Command positions. I do nove

begrudge your decision to mark Jackson and Rafe as worthy of command they were excellent choices who have proven their worth."

I frown, tilting my head to the side, considering my superior officer.

"But this Academy has long made the mistake of assuming that only Cadets with remarkable physical prowess those on Warrior track, mean - are suitable for Command. Never ever has a Cadet been marked for Command from

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Espionage, Ambassador, of Assassin track. In fact," lgfance now at the little handbook still sitting on my desk in the nook, "we're ineligible for it."

"Your point, Sinclair?” the Captain growls, starting to grow impatient and perhaps seeing the fault in his plans here.

"My point, sir,” I say, a little thrill going through me to hear him address me - finally - in the same way that he addresses Rafe. "Is that from the very start you have marked me as ineligible for Command. Which is a mistake, considering that if I am not the hardest working Cadet at this school, I am also potentially the smartest, the best shot -"

He opens his mouth now to interrupt and I simply raise my voice, speaking over him.

"Not to mention a politically poised demigoddess of remarkable power who recently discovered that she has the probable capacity to burn a city to the ground simply by raising her hand."