“Marry him, then.” She nodded, like it was decided. Like it was somehow that easy.

I hated disappointing her. I wished I could let her believe what she wanted.

“I’m sorry, Elva. But Prince Nicholas and I won’t ever be a couple. No matter what.”

She looked up at me with large, vulnerable eyes. “Not ever?”

I shook my head.

“But why?”

Because I broke his heart? Because he thought I had betrayed him? Because he’d returned the gift I’d

made him? Because he was a prince, and I was just a wolf–less waitress?

There were so many reasons. All of which felt like too much information for my small daughter.

“We’re just not meant to be,” I said.

Elva had a grasp of fairy tales and happily ever after. Even if she couldn’t understand everything, she

might be able to handle this much.

She must have, because her questions stopped. But then she started to cry.

“But I like him, Mommy,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “If you married him, then he would be my Dad.”

I hated more than anything to disappoint her, but what could I do? I couldn’t lie to her about this, not to

then have to reveal the truth like it was all some cruel joke.

Soon, I would be eliminated from the competition. I’d had a good showing tonight, but that didn’t mean !

I’d be the

From then on, we’d only ever see the princes

went back to being reclusive. In that case, we wouldn’t even

pretend like our future held any hope of maintaining this

as a

sorry,” I said, and pulled Elva Into my

around my neck

her back to soothe her. “We’ll be

+15 BONUS

asleep in my arms, I carried

maids would have left us for the night, but the quiet maid stayed nearby, as

for me to finish

motioned

can get some rest” I said: “I don’t

tugged at my offending gloves. I hadn’t forgotten the apparent betrayal of my maids, who surely knew bout the

you the wrong gloves,”

at

“Those are not the gloves I made for you. I don’t know where those came from, or why they exist. I swear to you that I made the gloves the correct

the Queen must have traveled fast in the servants‘ corridors. It likely wouldn’t take

know why the other maid gave you the wrong gloves. Maybe it was

“I

don’t think

“No”

other maid had purposefully meant to sabotage me.

already going to be the first one to go home. Why make things even worse

maid glanced around, like an eavesdropper might be listening at the

shiver ran

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