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.

reclaimed my attention. She recovered

sick often. I

“Piper, you realize this is

“Yes, but-

you have access to all the royal resources?

I froze.

of that. Would the royal family truly be willing

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

sick child would surely be bad

would be horrible, be said,

was be being so generous with what

know the

roguish light danced in his eyes. They were

brown than gold, with no flecks

not so different than I was in the Academy,”

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