Page 24 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

I nod, and we start down the hallway. And in the back of my mind, I think, Okay, he’s not so bad. But then I realize how dangerous of a thought that is.

Are you seriously getting a crush on a royal, Maddy?

No, I can’t do that because royals and north-siders don’t mix. Not without something terrible happening. Like I’ve said, I’ve heard stories of what can happen, and I’m not about to become some royal’s secret whore. Besides, I already made a vow not to date until I’m done with school, and I refuse to go back on that promise—ever.

Maddison

Walking into the orientation room is almost like walking into class late, butt ass-naked and screaming at the top of your lungs. So many people stare at me that I even sneak a glance down at my outfit to make sure I didn’t accidentally tuck my dress in my underwear or something.

Nope, everything looks good.

At least I’m not the only person getting openly gawked at. They’re also staring at River. And whispering. There’s so much whispering.

“Sorry about this,” River mutters as we make our way past the dining tables that are dotting across the room.

I thought orientation would be like a pep rally or something, but we’re in a dining hall type of room with tables and chairs and all sorts of breakfast-type foods.

“Why is everyone staring at you?” I whisper, trying not to squirm.

“Honestly?” he answers. “Probably because I’m walking in here with you.”

And just like that, my irritation returns full force.

When he notes my expression, his lips part. “I didn’t mean that like how it sounded?—”

“You made it.” Lily materializes with a smile on her face. “I’m so sorry we didn’t stop you from entering that room. We tried to yell, but you didn’t hear us.”

“It’s okay,” I assure her. “I’m honestly confused why it was such a big deal that I walked in there, anyway. So what if it was for football players only? They were just talking.”

“It’s about keeping their plays a secret.” River is the one to reply. He looks at me with his arms crossed. “We have one of the best teams in the country, so the coaches are adamant about keeping everything they do hush-hush.”

“Finn even had to sign an NDA when he joined the team,” Lily chimes in as she inches forward out of a guy’s way.

“Still seems a little weird, if you ask me. And if they don’t want people walking into their little boys’ club room, then maybe they should try, I don’t know”—I shrug—“like closing the door or something.”

This gets Lily to giggle, while River gives me a tolerant look.

Look at me, making new friends.

At least Lily laughed at me.

“Come on,” River says as he walks over to a few chairs at a table. “Let’s go sit down so we can get through this painful orientation.”

Maddison

River nailed it when he called orientation painful. It’s so dull that I get a headache. The only drop of entertainment is the whispering and gawking being thrown my way. I have a feeling that my time at this school will be extremely exhausting, but it’ll be worth it.

I hope.

“So, I have a question?” I ask as Lily and I return to our dorm room.

We took off the instant orientation was over, and no one made an effort to talk to either of us. A group of guys stopped River to speak with him about cross country, and part of me wanted to stay and eavesdrop, but I decided against it. And Wren snuck out before orientation was over, muttering something about being tired of this. By “this,” I assume she meant the boring droning from the dean.

“What’s up?” Lily is texting on her phone but glances up at me.

“This whole staring-at-me thing going on right now”—I point at a group of people doing just that, not bothering to try to hide it—“is it because it’s clear I’m from northside? And do you think they’ll ever stop?”

She pockets her phone and chews on her lip as she mulls it over. “Well, I think it’s partly because you can tell you’re from northside—and I want to point out that you can mostly tell by how you carry yourself.”

---