I followed Lilliana further into the gardens to a small rod–iron table with two chairs. Lilliana motioned for

me to sit and then sat in the opposite chair.

“I’m glad we could finally have a chance to talk like this,” Lilliana said. She rested both hands on top of

the table.

I’mirrored her for a moment, but it felt unnatural having my hands lifted so high. I lowered them into my

lap instead.

“What was it you wanted to

talk to

me about?” Nervousness prickled at my skin. While it wasn’t unusual for the candidates to talk to each other, this still felt like a special event. Lilliana had called me out in front of Nicholas himself. She very nearly broke character to do it.

She gave me a sour kind of look. The way a disappointed principal would make to a rowdy student in. their charge. “Prince Nicholas. I want to ask you to please leave him alone. You are a distraction to him.”

we are friends.”

“I’m not doing anything to bother him, or at least, not trying to. But we

Nicholas had come to my rescue more than once now. And somehow when I needed things or support, Nicholas was always around to help. But that’s what friends did.

Lilliana narrowed her eyes. It was unusual for her to show any emotion. Tiny alarm bells started sounding in my head.

“What is your problem, Piper?” she snapped, voice suddenly much sharper than it had been before. Her narrowed gaze had become a fully blown glare.

moment. I opened and

wait for my reply. “You can’t have both brothers! If you are after Julian, you should stick with him and leave Nicholas alone. It doesn’t even make sense to

anyone.” I lifted my hands now, palms forward in defense. “I’m not after any of

supposed to believe that.”

“It’s true!”

pick you in the next elimination, Piper. Focus your efforts on Julian, who I shouldn’t need to remind you that you have

to her so much as she was a threat to herself. Nicholas might say now that he will marry whoever the King wants, but

a partner. Not

my chin. “I am friends with

want him to be with someone he actually likes and not someone who

the time.”

at me for a moment, then threw her head

not how royalty works. What did you think he was going to

me but she didn’t have to be so blasé

sad about

I think that should change, and not just for the sake of the princes,

“You want to save us all, huh? Oh, Piper. You need to just accept this is how things are. This is how they’ve always been,

to accept that, and

riot,” Lilliana said, chuckling

In the blink of an eye, she shifted from the haughty laughing princess to a

know that Nicholas had approached us from behind me.

Nicholas said. “I’ve never heard you laugh so… boisterously before,

her mouth and cleared her throat. “She can

to be.”

had

smile dimmed

to include me in that statement, when everyone in

was common.

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