“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 !

knew I’d be the

be forced to leave. From then on, we’d only

reclusive. In that case,

couldn’t pretend like our future held any hope of maintaining this lifestyle, including

as a

said, and pulled Elva

wrapped her arms around my neck and cried

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

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asleep in my arms,

the night, but the quiet maid

for me to finish

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

I said:

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

the wrong

at her.

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

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

“I don’t know why the other maid gave

“I

think so,” I

“No”

meant to sabotage me. But why? For

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

like an eavesdropper might be listening at the door. “Someone might

ran up my

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