Elara woke up to her phone buzzing on the nightstand. She grabbed it, squinting against the morning light streaming through the windows of her suite.
The phone screen was full of notifications. She opened her social media and her eyes widened.
#PrincessAndTheHeir was trending.
There were a lot of videos of her conversation with Caden from last night at cafeteria with thousands of comments under them.
OMG! they have so much chemistry!
Enemies to lovers arc loading…
She should make him grovel for years!
He doesn't deserve her but I ship it!!
Elara felt sick. People were shipping them, treating her trauma like entertainment.
She opened her official account, the one the royal PR team had set up for her and wrote a statement.
Some people don't deserve second chances.
Within seconds, the comments started coming. Most were supportive, some were disappointed while a few called her cold and unforgiving.
She didn't care. Suddenly her phone rang. It was Henrik.
"Good morning, Princess. I need to discuss the schedule for your parents' arrival."
"When?"
"The King and Queen will arrive on Saturday evening for a private reunion, then a formal presentation at the school on Monday." He paused. "This will be heavily covered by the media."
"I understand."
"Which means you need to be mindful of your public image. The meeting with Mr. Blackwell yesterday…"
"He sat with me. I didn't invite him."
"I know. Your parents will want to see that you're adjusting well, handling your new position with grace. Stay focused on presenting yourself as the princess you are."
Elara just hummed, though frustration burned in her chest. She was supposed to play nice, smile and pretend everything was fine.
"I'll be on my best behavior."
"As expected." He hung up.
Elara made it through her first two classes without any incident. Students still stared, still whispered, but at least no one approached her.
After the third class, when she was passing through the hall she noticed, Amy Grant, a scholarship student crying outside the principal's office. She stopped in front of her.
"What's going on?" Elara asked.
Amy looked up.
"Princess Elara… I…I've been accused of cheating in the midterm exam. But I didn't. I studied for weeks." She paused.
"Someone reported me. They said they saw me with notes during the test. But I never…" Her voice broke. "They're going to suspend me. Put it on my permanent record. I'll lose my scholarship, and I can't afford to stay without it."
"Who reported you?" Elara asked.
"It was anonymous."
Elara's jaw tightened. She looked around and saw Caden, leaning against a locker, watching the scene with satisfaction.
He smiled when she looked at him. The message was clear.
This is what happens to people who associate with you.
"I'll handle this." Elara told Amy. "Don't worry."
She turned towards the administrator standing nearby.
"I want to see the evidence against Miss Grant."
"But this is an internal disciplinary matter…"
"And I'm the most important student of this school, remember? I have the right to help other students, especially one being accused without proper evidence." She smiled. "Or would you like me to have my royal legal team review your procedures? I'm sure they'd be very interested in how scholarship students are treated compared to legacy admissions."
The administrator went pale.
"I'll… I'll have the principal review the case again."
"Good."
Fourth class was of Chemistry. Elara stepped into the classroom and froze. Her name was written on the board under Partner Assignments for the Semester Project along with Caden Blackwell.
"Elara." Professor Davies said. "I hope you don't mind the pairing. I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to show unity."
"Change it." Elara said.
"I'm sorry?"
"Change the pairing. I refuse to work with him."
Caden entered the classroom at that moment, and looked at the board.
"I refuse to work with her." He snapped as well.
"I understand there's been some tension. But this is a significant part of your grade. Perhaps you could set aside personal differences for academic purposes?"
"No." They said in unison.
"I'm afraid I must insist. The pairings are final." Professor Davies looked distressed. "If you'd like, I can speak with Principal Smith…"
"Don't bother." Caden said coldly. "I'll do the project myself. She can put her name on it if she wants the grade."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. I'll do the real work. You just sit there and look pretty in your crown." Caden walked past her to their assigned lab station. "That's what you're good at, right? Looking the part?"
Students around them had gone silent. Elara followed him, slamming her bag down on the lab counter.
"Better a crown on my head than a hand print on your face where I slapped you."
"Creative. Did you workshop that line with your PR team?"
"Did you workshop your personality with Satan, or does being a bastard come naturally?"
"Language, please!" Professor Davies said but no one was listening.
Caden leaned closer.
"You think you're superior now but we both know the truth. You're still the same scared scholarship girl who couldn't stand up for herself. The only difference is now you hide behind your title."
"And you're still the same pathetic bully who hurt others to feel important. The only difference is now everyone sees you for what you really are."
His jaw clenched.
"Careful, princess. You're making enemies faster than you can count them."
"At least I'm honest about my enemies. You just call them friends."
They worked in hostile silence for the rest of the class. When they had to share equipment, they practically threw it at each other. When Professor Davies tried to encourage collaboration, they both ignored him.
By the end of class, they hadn't finished a single task and got a lecture about teamwork and maturity from the professor.
They left the classroom walking in opposite directions, but not before exchanging one last glare.
Elara was heading to the library during her free class when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into an empty classroom. She turned, and saw Seraphina.
"We need to talk."Seraphina said.
"I have nothing to talk to you."
"Then listen." Seraphina closed the door. "You think you've won. You think because you have a crown now, everything's going to be fine. But you have no idea how to survive in our world."
"Your world rejected me for three years. I don't want to survive in it. I want to change it."
"That's what I'm talking about. You're making moves without understanding the game." She paused.
"I've been documenting everything. Every mistake you make, every time you lose your temper, every moment you look less than royal."
"You're blackmailing me?"
"I'm warning you. One wrong move and I'll make sure the whole world knows you're not fit to wear that crown." Seraphina's smiled. "Your family is coming soon. Your parents have never met you, have only known you from reports and videos. Let's see if they think you're worthy when they see what you really are."
"And what am I?"
"An angry, vengeful girl playing dress up." Seraphina opened the door. "The elite will never accept you, Elara. You can have all the titles in the world, but you'll always be the scholarship girl who didn't belong. Remember that."
She left, and Elara stood alone in the empty classroom wondering whether Seraphina was right.