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.

coughed and immediately reclaimed my attention. She recovered quickly this time, thank God, and returned to

Julian, “My daughter is frail and sick often. I have to work hard to care for her.

chin. “Piper, you realize this is

“Yes, but-

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

I froze.

family truly be

are under the care of my family. We wouldn’t simply stand by and let you or

at him. Turning away a sick child

horrible, be said, smile

was be being so generous with

to know

roguish light danced in his eyes.

more brown than gold, with no flecks of

so different than I was in

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