Page 1 of Falling Princess

MATCH

CHAPTERONE

“Come on.” I grabbed Raina by the arm and dragged her to the stairwell. “This might be our only chance.”

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this, Zosia. We’ll becaught. Cata always finds out,” my friend hissed.

Raina is a bit of a coward. She has reason to be. Catadoesalways find out. We’re too young and sheltered to outsmart a capable leader in her forties—not for long, which is why we need to hustle. I turned eighteen last month and Raina is not yet twenty.

We don’t speak the language here, and sneaking out of our hotel at one in the morning, wearing little more than sparkly tank tops and too much makeup beneath our plain hoodies, is liable to get us into major trouble if we’re not back within a couple of hours. I’ve paired my nondescript sweatshirt with tight leggings and comfortable pink-and-white sneakers calledConverse.

They’re the first shoes I’ve ever worn that weren’t custom-made for my feet. I’m not certain I’ve nailed street fashion, however. I have little to go on, apart from what I’ve seen online.

“Sh. Follow me, and we might get a few hours of freedom.”

From the outside, it might seem that what we’re doing is stupid. I’m sick of filtering my entire life through the lens of how other people see me—which is why tonight is so necessary.

Tomorrow, we fly home from Beijing. It’s now or never.

All I ask is a break from the crushing scrutiny.

No guards.

No gowns.

No press.

Just me and my friend, making our escape into the night, a flight into freedom. Raina went along with my idea—helped me pull off the scheme, in fact—though she doesn’t ache to be free of this burden in quite the same way. Mostly because she isn’t constantly watched.

Ever since we arrived in Beijing, I’ve been under heavy guard. Even within the Olympic Village I wasn’t permitted to socialize with the other athletes. Once we go home, it’ll be more of the same. This is my last chance to try beingnormalfor a few hours.

We burst out the side entrance of the hotel into the warm night. On the street, we hailed a cab—no apps, we’d be tracked before we got outside if either of us brought our phones; anonymity is essential.

Inside the car, I handed a slip of paper to the driver with the location written on it. I hope I copied the right information. I’m good with languages but my Mandarin is rudimentary at best. He nodded and we swung into traffic. There’s no going back, now. Pushing my hoodie back, I rolled down the window and gazed out at the neon lights flashing by.

“Goddesses,” breathed Raina.

My grin widened. I know exactly what she means.

Tonight, we’re two anonymous tourists in a strange city, entranced by the scene beyond our windows. So many cars. So different from our home, Auralia.

A backwater. We’re a hundred thousand people, give or take. An island lost to time, forgotten by history. At home, I live in a black castle made of black volcanic rock and travel by horse-drawn coach or on horseback. At home, where I have to be perfect every time I leave my bedroom.

Out here, I can beanyone.Lightness in my shoulders. My feet tap air in the cheap shoes. It’s worth the risk of discovery.

Everyone thinks they want to be a princess.

Think again. It sucks. On the surface, I’m a good one. I’ve been trained to be cool, royal perfection. But inside…

I’m a volcano on the brink of eruption.

No one would want this life if they knew what it entails. Loneliness. The crushing weight of expectations. Never being able to show your true self. I don’t know who I am without my title, and I’m terrified I’ll be pressured into marriage without ever finding out. My entire life is already absorbed by duty to the crown. I, Zosia, may as well not exist.

If I weren’t the last of my line, I’d have abdicated the day I turned seventeen. Unlike Raina, I have no sisters, aunts, or cousins. I don’t have that option—especially not with war looming.

“Where are we going?” She never took her eyes from the city flashing past our window, rolled down part way to let the smells and the noise seep in. Soaking it up, like I am.

“The Dragon’s Nest. A nightclub,” I clarified. Auralia doesn’t have nightclubs. We do have large, winged lizards called dragons, which reproduce in nests, hence the potential for confusion. Raina’s mouth ticked up at the corners.

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