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Back Princess at Heart Save as PDF
Chapters (49)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. The Rosewood Chronicles
  4. Dedication
  5. Prologue
  6. Part One
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. Part Two
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. Part Three
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. Author’s Note
  48. The Rosewood Houses
  49. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

‘Looks like my time is up.’ Haru’s eyes were looking out through the glass doors into the grounds.

On the other side, blue from the shadows of the final seconds of sunlight, Lottie was sitting on a bench, waiting for Jamie. She gave him a wave when his eyes landed on her, round cheeks turning into ripe apples as she gave him a beaming smile, the kind that made his chest hurt and his stomach twist in a way he’d given in to.

‘I’ve stolen you away for well over an hour now, Jamie. You should go back to your princess.’ He gave Jamie a soft push towards the door, ignoring his protests, and despite himself Jamie thought of the box again, part of him wanting to open it. ‘We’ll train again next week.’

As usual, Haru left him feeling confused. But Lottie, and most likely his princess, were waiting for him. The crown always came first.

12

Walking through the school in the last hour of curfew felt like travelling through a city preparing for imminent disaster, everyone rushing to do whatever they needed. Ellie was no exception. Scurrying through the grounds, she felt like a rodent, not wanting to get caught on her private scavenging mission, and since learning about Haru there was never a moment when she didn’t feel watched.

She ducked her head irritably as she stepped past another security guard in a black jacket on her way into the art block, his presence a reminder of everything she’d caused. The school didn’t feel safe any more; it felt like a cage – one that Lottie was getting blamed for, one in which Lottie and all her friends were also trapped, with Haru as their keeper. And it was all Ellie’s fault.

It had been hours since the incident in Anastacia’s room. The images in Ellie’s mind of Jamie on the field with their enemy and Lottie’s crumbling face as she admitted to yet another secret she’d been harbouring to protect her burned a hole in Ellie’s chest, leaving her feeling hollow. Round her neck like a lead, the wolf pendant and her family locket tangled. She ignored their heavy pull.

With quick, echoing steps through the grand mezzanine where Rosewood displayed its most prominent art pieces, Ellie shuddered at each looming shadow from a statue or dead-eyed stare from a painted portrait. Picking up her pace, she glanced around to make sure she wasn’t being followed, and squeezed herself through the double doors at the very back of the hall. The doors closed behind her with a heavy groan; the sound was ominously similar to a tomb being shut.