All Chapters of Royal Rivalry : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

49 Chapters

Harmless Rivalry

Rowan's POV The classroom felt quieter than usual. It wasn't because the students were silent, it was because their silence was directed at me. Although Leonie and I walked in, it still felt like all the attention was on me alone.Their whispers hovered, their glances lingered, their expected curiosity filled the room like an electrical current. Leonie already gave me a heads-up so I used her advice and ignored them.I was flipping through nothing on my phone when the door opened and Principal Whitcombe stepped in. Immediately, everyone in the room straightened. I did too.“Good morning, everyone,” she said warmly, smiling brightly as if nothing in the world could trouble her.“Good morning, principal,” the class responded in unison.Her eyes found me immediately after the greetings. “Mr Ashbourne,” she said gently, “welcome again to Hillsborough.”Although I was already tired of the attention, her attention, I nodded my head politely. “Thank you, Principal Whitcombe.”“I hope you're

The manipulator and the manipulated

Rowan's POV As he approached me, I knew my evening was about to get ruined. But before he could ruin it, I looked at him, not the gibberish side of him. I took note of his face, his hair, how it was still neatly done even after school hours. Theo is a charming boy but his attitude makes his charm completely disappear. The moment he opened his mouth to speak, my brain forgets everything beautiful about him. “I thought princes followed rules,” he shouted even as he already closed the space between us.I looked away, pretending not to see him. I didn’t look up immediately either. “I thought prefects minded their business,” I said after counting number one to twelve in my mind.He took another step closer. I felt something weird as his presence hovered.“It’s past school hours,” he said coolly. “Everyone’s meant to be at the hostel.”“And yet here you are,” I said, looking at the other side. The truth is I don't even know such rules exist. I've not even gone through the prospectus. A

His first party

Rowan's POV When I heard that the “welcome party” would be held in an abandoned building behind the school, I suspected foul play. Of course, parties are not allowed and if Hillsborough had rules about curfew and decorum, the abandoned building clearly existed outside because of them. Music pulsed through the walls, the bass heavy enough to make the floor vibrate beneath my feet as Leonie and I approached.She glanced at me with a grin. “I have a good feeling about this party.”“I can't say the same,” I said dryly.“You might change your mind if you're the open-minded type,” she replied.“I’m not close to being an open-minded type” I corrected. “But it sounds like something regular.”She laughed. “I forgot you're not the regular type of guy.”I stared at her while she was looking into the crowd. She was wearing a short black leather dress that would definitely catch everyone's attention. It fit her confidently like it was personally made for her. Her blonde hair fell loose around h

Captured kisses

Theo's POV I knew exactly what I had done. It wasn’t poisonous, nor was it anything dangerous. It was a little way of marking my territory, a way of showing him who was in control. Just a crushed candy dissolved into his drink, he was already shaking like a jelly fish. What if I had added more? I knew what I gave him was not enough to hurt him. It was just enough to rattle him because rattling Rowan Ashbourne was a victory to me.Since the day he arrived, I haven’t been able to look away. He walks like he owns air, speaks like he has never doubted himself once. He looks at me like I’m nothing but a background noise. He has been a consistent bone in my throat. So yes, I spiked his drink a little. I wanted to see him lose that perfect composure. And I wanted him to know what I'm capable of if he tries it again. When he rushed out of the building, I followed without thinking. The music dulled behind me as I stepped out. Outside, the night was cooler and quieter, but the only person

No fair play

Rowan's POV I woke up with a pounding in my head. The kind that made every blink hurt and every movement a minor annoyance. My eyes scanned the room and thankfully, the room was familiar. I was in my bed, I could see my window and other things but I couldn't see nor remember anything from last night. I tried to recall how I got here but my pounding head wasn't helping. In fact, my memory was blurry. I remembered hurrying out of the hall. I remember the fading music. I remember the strange heat coursing through me, and… Theo. How he appeared out of nowhere.Aside from these, nothing else. What did he do? What did he say? And most importantly, how did I reach my room? The answers were blank.I groaned and rolled over. My chest still felt warm, as if something in my body had been stirred. And then I remembered the drink. Theo's drink. The cup he had handed to me. My stomach churned. I had tasted alcohol and that was definitely not alcohol. So what had he given me?The thought sharpene

Fencing

Rowan's POV The day passed by in a blur. Class was mind-numbing, not because the lesson was dull, but because my mind refused to settle. Theo's smirk, the kissing video, everything entirely couldn't make me settle. They remained glued in my mind. I tried to focus, I really did but it was too much for me to handle. I thought I've been through the worst. I thought nothing could bother me but here I was, not even a week and I was already involved in an unhealthy rivalry. Who records a kissing video of themselves? Theo right. He is the only one insane enough to do it. Only if I had listened to Henry and stayed away from Theo, maybe my life won't be tangled with his. And then, I heard Leonie’s voice beside me. “Rowan,” she whispered, leaning slightly across the desk. “I’m sorry for leaving you at the party last night. I came back for you but you were nowhere to be found.”I shrugged, ready to convey a false image. “I left early.” Even if I wanted to tell her the truth, I couldn't. Leo

His win, my lost

Rowan's POV “You know who your first opponent is?” Theo asked, leaning closer just slightly.I shook my head. “Who?”“Me,” he said.“You?” I almost screamed.“Yes,” he said smoothly, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. “You’ve already been warned, first-year. And I wouldn’t let you off easily.”I gripped the sword tighter. “When will you ever play fair?” I asked, keeping my voice steady. I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me scared.“Even the universe doesn't play fair,” he replied, clutching his sword. I'm not a professional fencer, nor have I ever taken practice seriously. Looking at the enthusiasm on his face, it was obvious that Theo is an expert in fencing. If I knew this was his plan, I would have left when I had the chance. But now is not the time to think about regrets. If I use the basic steps, I might be able to defend myself well.I looked at Theo who stood across from me, calm and controlled. That smirk was still there, the one that had haunted my

Warning from friends

Theo's POV I shouldn’t have been smiling, but I was. Watching the video brought back everything I felt that night. I hate to admit it but if I was given the chance to go back to that night, I'd focus more on the kiss than making a video. But it's all good because I get to watch the video over and over again while reminiscing about the feeling of his lips on mine. The kiss wasn’t soft. It wasn’t gentle either. It was a collision of fire.The video played again on my screen and I was smiling at the way Rowan’s hand held my shirt. Another amusing thing was his facial expression when he realized I was making a video. I paused it. Then I replayed it. I thought this video was a leverage. I knew I was lying to myself. I knew this video was not just a leverage or strategy. The truth is I liked the way he looked at me that night. That moment made me forget why I hated him. It almost changed everything between us. But Rowan isn't an easy fish to catch. His existence alone makes everything c

Mentorship

Theo's POV ‘Avoidance is louder than confrontation.’I can't believe Rowan, who used to meet my stare like it was a challenge, now treats me like I'm invisible. Like I was nothing. At first, I thought he didn't notice but I realized that there was never a time he hadn't noticed me. Then, his gaze was always on me before I even got the chance to look at him. But now, what? I've turned into an invisible guy. Le garçon invisible?When I noticed it, I thought I was overthinking it. So to confirm if my claim was wrong or not, I stepped slightly into his path, just enough to make the acknowledgment inevitable.Yet, what did I get? One word, no eye contact, no irritation or reaction. Just a quiet dismissal and that was worse than whatever he has done before. “Are you avoiding me?” shamelessly, I asked.“No,” he replied dryly, keeping his gaze forward. It was intentional, as if he was trying to get a reaction from me. Maybe this was his own game. Silent treatment might be the Second Pri

Freedom within the walls

Rowan's POV I should have known better.I should have known that avoiding Theo in this school was never going to be simple.I had tried everything I could. Giving short answers, avoiding eye contact, walking different routes, sitting farther away in the dining hall. I even went to Principal Whitcombe, thinking if I removed myself from sports entirely, I could remove myself from him.And yet, again, I walked straight into his trap.The moment he opened his mouth in that office, offering to “mentor” me like some noble older brother, I knew exactly what he was doing. Positioning himself as helpful, responsible and reasonable. I couldn't even argue. Losing composure in front of principal Whitcombe would raise suspicions and Theo had something he could use against me. The memory of the video made my stomach twist. And the way he keeps getting involved made my blood boil. Why can't he just leave me alone and continue to live his life the way it was before he met me?I left the office fir

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