“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 first to

to leave. From

reclusive. In that case,

held any hope of

as

I said, and pulled Elva Into

around my neck and

to soothe her. “We’ll be okay. No matter what

+15 BONUS

fell asleep in my arms, I carried her back to our

left us for the night,

for me to finish

sleeping within it, I motioned the maid closer to the door. We spoke

I said:

offending gloves. I hadn’t forgotten the apparent betrayal of my maids, who surely knew bout the Queen’s rules for glove–length and had not warned

wrong gloves,” the quiet maid

blinked at

you. I don’t know where those came from, or why they exist. I swear to you that I made the

of my lecturing from the Queen must have traveled fast in the servants‘ corridors. It likely

to be careful, Miss Piper,” the quiet maid said. “I don’t know why the other

“I

don’t think so,”

“No”

the other maid had purposefully meant to sabotage me. But why? For

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

eavesdropper might be listening at the

shiver ran up

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