But Julian would know, because he was there.

In another life, being near Nicholas would have given me enough reason to want to stay.

But he’d made his feelings about me clear. And I had other priorities.

My gaze slid to Elva, playing with her dolls at the foot of the bed.

“I don’t want to play house,” I said. “Nor do I want to partake in this game of undercutting nobles and

chasing princes.”

I had been away from nobility for a long time, but I hadn’t forgotten their cutthroat politics, where an action as small as selecting the wrong utensil at dinner could start a blood feud. Backstabbing, betrayals, pretending to be nice just to make someone vulnerable…

The memories made my already tired body even more exhausted.

and immediately reclaimed my attention. She recovered quickly this time,

that she wouldn’t overhear, I said to Julian, “My daughter is frail and sick often. I have to work hard to care for her.

chin. “Piper, you realize this is the royal

“Yes, but-

are here, wouldn’t you have access to all the royal resources? Including

I froze.

family truly be

you are here, you are under the care of my family. We wouldn’t simply stand by

sick child

be horrible, be

so

know the real

him, Julian laughed. A roguish light danced in his

gold,

different than I was in the

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