The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0997

"All right," dad says, coming back in with mom and settling the tray of drinks on the coffee table. Mom hands me my tea before going to perch on the arm of the big lounge chair that dad sits in. "Tell me about this plan to adopt Marigold."

My eyebrows go up. "Sorry?" I ask, looking between him and mom, realizing that mom must have told him about it. Which is not a surprise - mom and dad talk about everything and rarely, if ever, keep secrets. "Is it...a problem?"

Jackson tenses a little, likewise looking between my parents.

Goldie gives a little squeak, reaching for some coloring supplies on the floor, and I lower her on to down. She dashes over to the coloring book and picks up a fistful of crayons as I turn back to my mom and dad, giving them my full attention.

"It's not a problem," dad says, shaking his head slowly, his sharp green eyes on me. "Your family is your own, Ariel, and if you're kind enough to welcome a child into it as your own then I certainly won't stop you. But there are certain complications."

My eyebrows go up and I glance up at Jacks, who sends a pulse of confusion to me down the bond, moving a little closer to my side.

"What complications?" I ask, a bit soft.

considered," dad continues, looking between both of us now, "that your adopting Marigold as your daughter places her third in

that at all. I sit back against the couch cushions, dazed at the realization that my dad is right. I mean,

mate is Maryam, and she's human, then they probably won't be able

eyes turn towards the little girl on the floor, happily scribbling over a picture of a cat

to me. "I didn't...I

the floor. “Except that...this is a

means..." I whisper, "that some could understand Marigold's reign as

correct," dad intones, sitting back in his chair and putting a hand on mom's back, letting me and Jackson put together the

the idea of the Community having any claim, at all, to Marigold or

Community - in fact, she wasn't even ever there, right? They have no true claim on her. And we'll raise her to be a patriot - to understand her responsibilities and be

or not we claim her and she understands herself as Princess of Moon Valley doesn't mean

too," Jackson says

it. A child not of the Sinclair line..." he sighs, moving his eyes