Nicholas held Elva safe and secure in his arms as he stood to his full height. Elva buried her face into the corner of his neck and shoulder. He gently patted her back.

He glanced down at Elva, his gaze so tender that it made my heart clench.

“There, there,” he whispered. “You are safe now.”

“Oh my God,” said one of the other girls in the room, fanning herself. “Of course he’s good with children.”

“Someone pinch me,” said another. “I think I’m dreaming.”

Nicholas’s soft expression hardened as he glared out at the rest of the room. “Whose child is this? Why is she here?”

I started forward, but the girl in the pink dress spoke before I could reach him.

“An outsider sneaked in, unless she’s a maid.”

Some of the other girls snickered at my expense.

“She can’t be a participant,” another girl fake-whispered, loud enough for half-the room to hear. “I thought we had to be virgins, and she’s got a kid.”

I wanted to disappear into a corner. Whether virgin or not, I was nothing compared to the rest of these girls.

My clothes weren’t as nice as theirs, and my figure wasn’t like what it had been at the Academy. I’d lost much of my musculature. I was skinny from too many nights of skipped dinners.

Elva’s wellbeing had always come before my own.

Her sake was the only reason I continued forward rather than hide in embarrassment. I stopped only when I reached Nicholas.

He looked at me, and I looked at him.

I’d forgotten how gorgeous his eyes were, golden brown with flakes of green. When we’d dated, I had spent hours looking at them, trying to memorize that color, but it had seemed different each time.

Before, when I’d stared long enough, I could earn a bashful smile from him. Now, his face was totally devoid of emotion. He looked at me like I was a stranger.

Did he… not recognize me?

I had changed, sure, but not enough to become unrecognizable. Unless he truly had sealed me away in his past and moved on, never once looking back.

great embarrassment to him, showing

Maybe he hated me.

girl in

was monotone. Another

held Elva, so I followed him. He led me

hurried toward him. “Your Royal Highness, please remember that per the selection rules,

to look at the man,

is an exception,”

The man bowed

A servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas,

churned. I thought I might be sick. I had never imagined

even to say. What would he think of me, to see me as I was? To see me here,

seemed at ease against his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed and drooling. She seemed

his perfect façade cracked.

his hands stayed gentle on Elva, his arm looped more

hide my child from me?”

once,

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

three years old. That lined up

so young then, too eager and excited and

haste. I couldn’t remember where he was when he’d climaxed. But, hadn’t he been wearing

seemed to slide into bewilderment. His

mistaken,” I said, hoping to

a child from him would have been a cruelty. He would likely have struggled

name. But she’s

before the anger returned

he wanted to say, he seemed to struggle to get it out. He swallowed it

and Elva. “She looks like

mother was my identical twin sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas.

some unspoken question for

What

arms, and he immediately cut

he lowered Elva down onto one

Mommy,” came Elva’s quiet

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