Their Hidden Princess (Zora) novel Chapter 75

**Where Sleeping Rivers Dream We Follow Trails Toward Tomorrow by Evan Milesa Cade**
**Chapter 75**

The dawn broke softly, casting a gentle light through the curtains of Maximus’s room. I slipped out of the warmth of his bed, careful not to disturb his peaceful slumber. As I dressed quickly, I paused for a moment, leaning down to press a soft kiss on his cheek, savoring the warmth of his skin against my lips. There was something comforting about this quiet intimacy, but I knew I had to hurry. I darted back to my own room, collapsing onto my bed, fatigue wrapping around me like a cozy blanket, and I fell into a deep sleep almost instantly.

Later that evening, Loren and I settled into our room, the air thick with the excitement of the day’s events. We tackled our homework with a sense of urgency, but soon enough, our focus shifted to the gossip from the party. The laughter bubbled up between us as we recounted the evening’s highlights, the thrill of shared secrets weaving a bond that felt unbreakable.

As the sun rose on Monday morning, I found myself back in the gym, ready to train with Valentin and Thorne. Emerging from the women’s locker room at seven, I was clad in my training gear, and Mona had already given me a spirited pep talk about the importance of shifting. I stepped into the gym, but my heart sank as I took in the scene before me.

There, standing provocatively between Valentin and Thorne, was my adopted sister, Amara. She wore training clothes that left little to the imagination—her sports bra barely a strip of fabric, crisscrossed at the back, accentuating her toned shoulders. Her shorts were scandalously short, clinging to her like a second skin, leaving the underside of her backside exposed. A part of me felt a surge of competitive excitement, imagining the satisfaction of knocking her down a peg.

“What on earth is she doing here?” I snapped at Valentin as I approached the group, irritation bubbling within me. Amara was uncomfortably close to Thorne, and it ignited a flame of jealousy in my chest.

“Good morning, Miss Smith,” Valentin responded, his tone flat and unyielding. “The Queen has instructed me to extend my training sessions to Princess Luna. It seems her previous school was lacking in combat training, and the Queen wishes her to catch up.”

My lips pressed into a thin line, and I locked eyes with Valentin, sensing the underlying message in his words. Amara was meant to be the only Princess, and Valentin’s decision to train her was a given, even if it irked me.

“How delightful,” I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Isn’t it a bit peculiar for a servant to have personal training sessions with the headmaster?” Amara teased, her tone mocking as she cracked her gum and flashed a smirk. “Isn’t that right, Thorny?”

The nickname made me cringe, and I shot a glance at Thorne, who wore a smug smile in response. “That’s exactly what I’ve been saying,” he chimed in. “But it’s strange that I never saw you in the castle before meeting you here. Amara claims you were her personal servant? You must have been quite the secretive one.”

My heart raced at his words, and I turned to Valentin, silently pleading for him to intervene. But he remained unfazed, waving his hand dismissively.

“You can gossip about castle politics later,” he instructed, his voice steady. “For now, let’s concentrate on the purpose of this early meeting.”

“Please,” Amara rolled her eyes dramatically. “I’d rather not be dragged from my beauty sleep for trivial matters.”

Valentin ignored her entirely, gesturing toward the sparring mat. “First, I’d like Ainara and Zora to spar so we can evaluate Amara’s skill level.”

A smirk crept onto my face as I dropped into a defensive stance. “Bring it on, Princess.”

“With pleasure,” Amara shot back, her demeanor shifting as she lunged at me with surprising speed.

The punches she threw were unlike any I had faced from the other Alphas. They lacked the force I was accustomed to, and I easily blocked them, countering with a few of my own. She stumbled back, her movements reminiscent of a fawn taking its first steps.

But then, she came at me with renewed vigor. While she might not have had strength, her speed was impressive. I managed to dodge most of her punches, but one clipped my ear, sending a sharp ringing through my left eardrum that I quickly dismissed.

“Keep your hands up, Miss Smith,” Valentin called, his voice a reminder that I was still in a training session.

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