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.

opened and closed my mouth

after Julian, you

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

to believe that.” She

“It’s true!”

elimination, Piper. Focus your

was a threat to herself. Nicholas might say now that he will marry whoever the King wants, but I refused he would be able to follow

a partner. Not

my hands and lifted my chin. “I am friends with Nicholas. That is all. But because

be with someone he actually likes and not someone

the time.”

me for a moment, then threw her head back and laughed. “Piper, you are so naïve!

you think he was

fun of me but she didn’t

love.” She didn’t even look sad about it. She had simply just accepted it as

not just for the sake of

huh? Oh, Piper. You need to just accept this is how things are. This is how they’ve always been, and it’s

to accept that, and you

Lilliana said, chuckling again.

stifled herself. In the blink of an eye,

even need to look to know that

“I’ve never heard

and cleared her throat. “She can be quite funny when she wants

to be.”

I had said was a joke.

table, a small smile on his lips. Yet one look at me, and that smile dimmed into an expression of confusion. “I know it

to include me in that statement, when

was common.

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255