Chapter 0266


    “You came!” I breathe, thrilled and relieved and nearly insane with happiness as Jacksonughs


    and lifts me up, holding me tight against his chest.


    “I could get used to this greeting,” he murmurs, his arms wrapped so snug around me, his face so


    close to mine that our noses brush.


    “You scared me!” I protest, halfughing and half shouting as I smack him on the chest with both


    hands, one after the other. “Why didn’t youe into our train car!? Why didn’t you tell me!? I was


    so sad! I thought you stayed behind!”


    Jacks shrugs, smiling at me like he can’t keep the joy off his face, his blue eyes shining. “I figured


    my presence in your fancy royal car would cause more trouble than it was worth. You deserved a


    minute to be calm and happy, and I didn’t mind riding with the other cadets. I just slept the whole


    time anyway.”


    “And you didn’t think,” I say, taking his perfect face between my palms and narrowing my eyes,


    scolding yfully, “that maybe I wanted you close by?”


    “Well, you’ve got me close by now,” he murmurs, lifting his chin towards me in a bit of a challenge.


    “So, what are you going to do with me?” He tightens his arms, further proving his point as his voice


    drops an octave to a level that…does dangerous things to me. Emotionally. Physically.


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    My smile grows slowly, a little devious, but my response is clipped by the sound of Rafe clearing his


    throat again.


    I turn my head and blink in surprise to see my family and friends standing around us now, and the


    guards grouped around them, all of them staring at us.


    Except for Luca. A strong pang of guilt runs through me when I see him staring at the ground to his


    side, clenching his jaw.


    “Ariel?” Rafe says, his arms crossed as he res at me. “Would you like to…climb down? Before


    the paparazzi get some great footage of this?”


    “Um,” I say awkwardly in response before turning to Jackson and giving him a little grimace.


    Unperturbed, he smiles at me and slowly lowers me to the ground, careful to ensure that my skirt


    doesn’t ride up.


    “You know, you don’t have to pick her up every time you greet her,” Rafe says softly, frowning at


    Jackson.


    Jackson just stares at Rafe like that is clearly not true.


    Rafe just rolls his eyes,ughing a little as he moves on and I fix my dress into less rumpled lines.


    Captain Conner looks a little frantically between me and Jackson before moving his eyes to Luca,


    with whom I was just holding hands. I sigh, realizing that…whatever secrecy I held on to at the


    Academy, isn’t hasn’t really disappeared here, has it?


    Unless I want the entire nation to know about myplicated love triangle, I have got to learn to


    cool it.


    “Captain Conner,” I say, stepping forward towards him and doing my best to be the nation’s


    Princess again. “This is Jackson McClintock. We got identally separated from him on the way


    home, but he’ll be joining us at the Pce for break and should have all the rights and freedoms of


    an honored guest.”


    “As you will it, Highness,” Conner says, giving me a sharp bow. He casts out a hand towards the


    three-story arch through which the city waits. “If we have our entire party now…?”


    His implication is clear and, with another little re at me, Rafe leads the way out. Luca follows


    close behind him, not looking at me, and Daphne sends me a little smile and a nod before she


    hurries her steps to walk with Luca, making a little small talk that I hope willfort him.


    Ben and Jesse fall in with Jackson and I as we bring up the rear, both of them greeting Jackson


    warmly and likewise telling him that they’re thrilled he came along. Jackson’s smile in response to


    their genuine excitement to see him fills my heart with joy, because I’m watching him realize that he


    truly has friends now.