The memory came back wrong at first.
Not loud. Not sudden.
Just… clearer.
I was halfway across the courtyard, the echoes of the Gathering still ringing in my ears, when I saw her again — the Crown Princess surrounded by advisors, her expression composed, her movements measured like she'd been trained to carry the world without letting it show.
And something inside me shifted.
The way she'd stood too close to Xavier.
The way he'd moved instinctively, protectively.
The way his voice had turned cold when he told me to forget what I saw.
Forget whatever you saw.
My steps slowed.
Oh.
My chest tightened as the pieces locked together, one by one, cruelly neat.
She hadn't been some girl.
She hadn't been a secret worth hiding out of shame.
She'd been a secret worth hiding because of power.
Royal blood. Future crown. Consequences.
I stopped walking entirely.
So when Xavier had looked at me that day — not angry, not flustered, but sharp and controlled — it hadn't been arrogance.
It had been caution.
No.
It had been command.
A chill slid down my spine.
I exhaled slowly, steadying myself.
I hadn't just wandered into something private.
I'd wandered into something dangerous.
And somehow, impossibly, I'd walked away untouched.
Across the courtyard, laughter rose. Life moved on.
I straightened my shoulders.
Whatever this meant — whatever they were — I knew one thing now:
Xavier hadn't threatened me because he hated me.
He'd threatened me because she mattered in that moment.
And that realization sat heavier than fear ever could.
I turned the corner too fast and walked straight into something solid.
"Oof—"
"Did they also forget to teach you how to walk in Ravenwood," a familiar voice drawled, "or was that an optional course?"
I looked up.
Xavier.
Of course.
"Very funny," I muttered, regaining my balance. "Did they teach you manners here, or do those come after threatening new students?"
His brow lifted. "Threatening? That's a strong word."
"You told me to forget what I saw."
"And did you?" he asked lightly.
I hesitated — just a fraction.
"No," I said. "Turns out I just needed context"
I should've walked away.
I shouldn't have let anger get the better of me but
Instead, I said, "I figured it out."
"Figured what out?" he asked.
"The girl," I said. "From my first day. She's not just anyone."
His gaze sharpened, then cooled just as quickly. "And?"
"And ?" I chuckled in dismay "She's royal,not just important. Crown important."
He sighed, like I'd just confirmed the weather.
"Yes," he said. "And?"
The dismissal stung more than I wanted it to.
"So you threatened me over a Queen-to-be," I said. "Good to know my first impression here involved treason."
"I didn't threaten you," he replied coolly. "I made a request."
"Subtle."
"Effective."
Silence settled between us.
"I didn't say anything," I added. "Then or now."
"Good," he said. "Then we're done here."
He stepped past me, clearly finished.
"Are you...
"Oh," he said , cutting me off like l was nobody "next time you overhear something that isn't yours—walk away faster."
I smiled thinly. "Next time, lock the door."
His laugh was brief, humorless.
We went our separate ways