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.

my attention. She recovered quickly this time, thank

frail and sick often. I have to work hard to care for

chin. “Piper, you

“Yes, but-

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

I froze.

thought of that. Would the royal family truly be

disbelief on my face. “While you are here, you are under the care of my family. We wouldn’t simply stand by and let

Turning away a sick child would surely

would be horrible, be said, smile adding

was be being so

to know the real

I asked him, Julian laughed. A roguish light danced in

than gold, with no

not so different than I was in

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