The Real Princess Doesn’t Need A Prince Chapter 01

The Real Princess Doesn’t Need A Prince Chapter 01

I’d been spoiled rotten my whole life.

On move-in day, my bodyguards hauled two giant suitcases into the dorm room. I stood in the doorway, scanned the space, and laid down the rules.

“Keep the AC on 24/7. I’ll cover the electricity bill.”

“I’m a light sleeper. No noise after 11 PM.”

“The bathroom needs to be wiped dry after every use. I’m a bit of a germaphobe.”

“I don’t do manual labor. Anyone who takes my dorm duty shifts or picks up my packages gets five hundred bucks per chore.”

My three roommates stared at me, stunned.

I glanced at them and added, “No offense. It’s my first time in a dorm, so I figured I’d get this out of the way upfront. Save us all from drama later.”

With that, I pulled out the welcome gifts I’d prepared: a full La Mer set for each of them, plus the entire Apple ecosystem bundle—iPhone, MacBook, iPad, AirPods. The works.

“Thanks in advance for putting up with me,” I said with a smile.

Their eyes lit up like Christmas morning. “You’re officially our one and only sister from now on!” they shouted.

Too bad the dorm’s resident damsel in distress had other plans.

Behind my back, she told people I was treating her like dirt, that my gifts were nothing but charity.

“All that money and designer stuff—she thinks she can buy my servitude? I may be broke, but I have my pride!”

And it got worse. My fiancé, Preston Ford, actually flew back from overseas just to defend her.

“Vivian, can’t you dial it back for once? Serena comes from a tough background. Don’t you think dropping that kind of money on her puts her in an impossible position? How’s she supposed to pay you back?”

“And can you not be such a princess for five minutes? The world doesn’t revolve around you.”

I looked at him, standing there like a knight in shining armor, shielding Serena from me. And I just started laughing.

Fine. If you all think I’m some bully throwing my weight around, let me show you what a real Kingston heiress can do.

***

I grew up with money. My friends joke about me being “the princess of Kingston.”

It’s not entirely a joke.

Not when you’ve got one of the most powerful old-money dynasties in the country backing you up.

So when I stood at the door of a dorm room that wasn’t even as big as my bathroom at home, and realized I’d be sharing it with three other people, I was honestly a little overwhelmed.

My bodyguards made my bed before I even stepped inside. My three roommates stood off to the side, eyeing me. The looks on their faces? Pure judgment.

I took in the line of security detail blocking the hallway and the mountain of luggage taking up half the room.

Okay, fine. Maybe it was a bit much.

I sat down on my freshly made bed and put on my friendliest smile. “Hey, I’m Vivian Sterling. Local from Kingston. Looks like we’ll be roommates for the next four years.”

“Since this is my first time in a dorm, I’ve got a few ground rules.”

“First: AC stays at 75 degrees, 24/7. I’ll cover the electricity.”

“Second: I’m a light sleeper, so after 11 PM, complete silence.”

The three of them traded uncomfortable glances. The unspoken word hanging in the air? High-maintenance.

I snapped my fingers, and one of my bodyguards carried in three gift boxes.

“These are from Miss Sterling. A little welcome gift.”

They opened the boxes and froze. La Mer full sets. Apple bundles. Chanel lipstick collections.

Given all my requests, they deserved a little something. That’s just how things worked in my circle—money smoothed over friction faster than goodwill ever could.

“I’m just laying it all out so we don’t have issues later.”

A girl named Mandy Shaw was the first to crack a grin. She was the loud, straightforward type.

“Holy crap, I thought we got stuck with some spoiled princess, but she’s actually the real deal!”

“With this kind of generosity, I’m almost embarrassed to accept.”

I smiled. “Also, I don’t do heavy lifting or cleaning. Five hundred per cleanup. A thousand for picking up packages.”

I paused, considering. “If you’re not interested, I can always ask the room next door—”

Mandy jumped up, dragging our other roommate, Zara Chase, to her feet. “We’re in! Queen’s loyal subjects reporting for duty!”

Zara looked at me with more intensity than my actual bodyguards. “For the record, I know some self-defense. I’ve got your back on campus.”

As we were all getting acquainted, I noticed Serena Snow, the quiet one in the corner, gripping her gift bag so hard her knuckles went white, her teeth digging into her lower lip.

I didn’t think much of it at the time. Figured she was just shy.

I had no idea she’d become the biggest plot twist of my freshman year.