When I returned to the bedroom, Elva was missing from the bed. I nearly screamed, were it not for both of maids, who quickly approached me.

“W–where’s Elva?” I asked them, panic quaking my voice.

“You caused a right commotion, running around,” the talkative maid said. “It was enough to catch the

attention of Prince Nicholas.”

Nicholas? “He’s still at the banquet…?”

I remembered looking back at him as I was leaving. He’d been smiling at an eager girl desperate for his

attention.

“The banquet is still occurring,” the maid said. “He must have excused himself early.”

Why would he do such a thing? Surely he hadn’t overheard what Susie said about Elva? Even if he had, he w

wouldn’t have cared… would he?

“Prince Nicholas.came in here,” the quieter maid said. “He felt Elva’s fever, and then carried her out of

this room himself.”

mind was a spiral of fear and worries. I struggled to think straight. I only

to

leave the palace, would he? She was just a little

certain of that. Especially when I thought of how gently he had held her when she ran to him at the mixer in

would he take

was a prince. Nowhere in the palace was

room. That was a grave offense.

to be strong for Elva. I needed to

think I wanted to scream in

I

the door,

who had told me they’d been

seemed much less troubled now, looking fully at me. “Miss Piper, you

I’ll show you

me through the

I’d been

if it brought me to

few beds and a wall of bookcases. Several

equipment and microscopes.

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