The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 34

I gape a little as we walk down the long, dark tunnel towards…

I mean, I don’t even know what we’re walking towards.

“Where are we going?” I ask Rafe, a little breathless with intrigue and excitement.

“Into the Academy,” he hisses back, like it’s a secret, but I know he’s kidding even before I glare up at him.

“Uniforms,” Jesse says smoothly, running a hand through his hair like he’s very suave. “We’ve got to get fitted, because Academy cadets always look good.”

“What?” I say, a little confused. “Honestly, that can’t be first –”

“His dad,” Rafe says, “the vainest man in the world –”

“Um, justifiably,” Jesse counters, grinning.

“Yeah, whatever,” Rafe says, grinning, “anyway, Uncle Roger really did decide that all of the cadets enrolled here need to look their best at all times. So, yeah,” he shrugs, “first thing is fittings for uniforms.”

“Whoa,” I say, and my awe is not simply for Uncle Roger’s semi–predictable flare for looking good, but also for the cavernous room we walk into next. Because, I mean, the tunnel was literally just that a tunnel, with rough walls and low lighting.

But this?

“Damn,” Luca says, a smirk on his face as he comes up next to Jesse. “Looks like this city boy has finally made it, haven’t I?‘

I nod as I stare around the room, with its three–story arching stone ceilings and polished floors. And I mean, this is the bottom of the castle, where I assumed the dungeons were. If this is here, what the hell is upstairs?

“This way,” Rafe says, tugging me along towards a line of professors waiting at a set of tables ahead of us, a set of boxes in front of them.

“Ah, Cadet Sinclair,” one of the professors says, smiling at Rafe as he steps forward. “Naturally we thought you’d be one of the first to appear, but now I see that you

Chapter 34

blinks a little at Ben and 1, clearly having no

putting on his best

according to your candidate apparel. Also within the box is your dorm information and key, the Cadet Handbook, and a map of the parts of the castle which you’ll need to find your classes. Class information will be along

Rafe, listening interestedly, and I jump a

name.

surprise that it’s the dark–haired professor again – the one who made us hold that strange orb this afternoon. I move eagerly towards him, seeing he has what I assume is my box in his hands. “Congratulations, Cadet.” he says, his voice dry and amused

you,” I say, and then I hesitate because…I mean, he’s just staring at me

forward to

twist up into a practiced smile, a knee–jerk reaction after years of Princess training that taught me to be sweet to anyone who says they look forward to seeing me again, but my reaction just makes his own smile deepen. And suddenly, as he holds my gaze, I get the sneaking suspicion that he knows….absolutely everything

ground here, and under a great deal more scrutiny, as a cadet

clear my throat, straightening my shoulders, doing my best to be, I don’t know, masculine.

he just chuckles a little, clearly pleased and entertained, and nods

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and Jesse accept their own boxes, my mind racing as I follow Rafe to the next step in our process.

as we step into the next room, which is smaller and has walls covered in mirrors. I look around passively, my

professor teach? They’re so different

my eyes lock on a figure across the room and I go very still in shock before I suddenly burst

coming to my side.

myself as I turn a little, observing my plain face with no makeup, my

second and then looks across the room like I’m doing, his face bursting into a grin as he sees my reflection there too. He laughs.

I murmur. Because honestly, I do look like a boy, but I’m sure

voice says, and I go still when I hear it, turning towards it in shock as she laughs a little too and waves me forward. I mean, it’s not like I recognize the voice or anything – it’s just….a girl. “A lot of guys have that reaction when they see themselves for the first

“Come forward,” she says. “I’ll take your measurements, and we’ll have you looking dashing in a custom uniform before you

that this

to touch my

figure out the precise dimensions of my form. And while

SUN, LU Mar

Chapter 21

have access to some details I don’t want

“No worries, if you’re shy, I can