“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 !

get to stay. Everyone knew I’d

Elva and I would be forced to leave. From then on, we’d only ever

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

future held any hope of maintaining

as

I said, and pulled Elva Into my

arms around my neck and cried

to soothe her. “We’ll be

+15 BONUS

Elva fell asleep in my arms, I carried her back to our room and tucked het

have left us for the night, but the quiet maid

for me to finish

back from the bed, and Elva sleeping within it, I motioned the maid closer to the door.

I said:

apparent betrayal of my maids, who

wrong gloves,” the quiet maid

blinked at

“Those are not the gloves I made for you. I don’t know where

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

why the other maid

“I

don’t think so,” I

“No”

purposefully meant to sabotage me.

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

glanced around, like an eavesdropper might be listening at the door. “Someone might be out to

shiver ran up

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