The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy
Chapter 0438

"Please," Jackson says, snapping his eyes to me before looking around at everyone else in the room, all of whom sit in shocked silence. "Let me explain." My father narrows his eyes and nods once to my mate as I continue to gape at him, appalled.

"My entire life," Jackson begins, "I have been raised to believe wonderful things about the Community and horrible things about Moon Valley. In the past six or so months I'm coming to realize that I've been deeply mislead and that actually the opposite is true - that the Community is a bad place and that Moon Valley is much fairer than I'd ever believed. What I had been taught about you, sir," Jackson says, lifting a hand towards my father, "has been... directly countered by our personal interactions." Dad nods slowly, hearing him, but the frown tugging at the edge of his mouth lets me know that he, too, does not yet understand.

"I'm inclined to believe that Moon Valley is a good place," Jackson says, "but if you're asking me if I love it enough to give my life for it?" Slowly he shakes his head. "It would be easier, sir, to simply lie to you and say that I am a patriot. But you've been incredibly good to me," he looks at my mom now as well "both of you. And I won't lie to you. I don't love Moon Valley and I'm not a patriot - at least not yet. I...haven't had the time."

My father raises an eyebrow. "Then why should we allow you to continue in this school?" he asks. "We are attempting to raise an army against a serious foe, Jackson, and you could be an incredible asset for our teams -"

"Oh, I'll still fight for you," Jackson says, leaning forward, quite serious. I just stare at him, baffled - because honestly none of this is adding up.

"Please," my dad says, leaning forward and holding up an open hand, begging for an explanation. "Make this make sense, Jackson."

"The only thing to which I have any allegiances in this entire world is Ariel," Jackson replies immediately, turning to look at me. My eyes go wide again as his gaze sweeps over me once, as if to reconfirm what he already knows to be true before he turns back to my dad. "She is...the only thing in this world that I know to be true and good - I don't have faith in anything else, not really. Our bond is the only thing that's real to me. I'll never betray her. And Ariel, I know, is a patriot - which is enough for me."

Jackson turns his eyes back to me now as mine start to fill with tears, as my mouth starts to wobble a bit.

"If Ariel's fighting for Moon Valley," Jackson says softly, "then I am too. She's a Princess of this nation and she takes that role quite seriously, and thus so do I." He turns his head back to look at each of the three others in the room in turn. "You never have to doubt me - not a single moment. Ariel would give her life for her country and I will give mine before I let her do that. I think...it amounts to the same thing. I'll fighting for Moon Valley because that's what Ariel is doing. To my death, if you ask it."

Jackson shrugs as if it's the simplest thing even as the tears start to slip down my cheeks. When he glances at me and sees my wet cheeks he frowns, reaching out to gently brush my tears away with his thumbs. "Don't cry," he murmurs, shaking his head like he forbids it. "It won't come to that. I won't let it."

"Jacks," I croak, totally shattered by the sweetness of him, about the depth of this confession that I don't think he truly understands.

"Please stop crying," he says, laughing a little like he doesn't know what to do as he takes my cheeks in his broad hands. "I - I can't think when you're like this. Please -"

"I can't," I say, melting a little at his touch but laughing at myself anyway - because I know I'm being ridiculous and that everyone is watching.

"Yes, you can," Jackson murmurs, smirking at me. "Come on, Clark - pull yourself together. You're a soldier, after all."

"Oh, shut up, McClintock," I say, laughing and taking my face from his hands, swatting him away and brushing at my cheeks with my sleeve. "It's all your fault anyway - quit making such touching confessions and I won't have to cry so much."

Jackson just laughs again and we both turn back to the others in the room, a little more embarrassment running through me as I see that all of them are just staring at us, looking rather touched themselves. Mom wipes her own tears from her cheeks with the heels of her palm, taking a deep breath and trying to settle down.