The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0622

The butler showed me to Susie's room, and then quickly excused himself outside of her door. When he was gone, I knocked.

"Go away!" Susie called in a watery voice. She was crying.

I knocked more insistently as I pushed open the door.

*I said -* she started, cutting herself off she say me. "Piper?"

"Hi, Susie," I said.

"Oh, Piper!" She was sitting at her desk, the tears running down her cheeks. As I entered the room, closing the door behind me, she jumped from the chair and ran to me.

We shared a hug. Relief flooded through me.

I stepped back after a moment, to look her over. She didn't seem too worse for wear. Other than the crying, she didn't show any signs of abuse or neglect.

"What are you doing here?" Susie sniffed. "I'm sure word has gotten around by now."

*Rumors don't matter. Come back to palace."

*If you've heard the rumors, you know why I can't."

"Everyone will forget, the moment you appear. They'll all just think it's gossip and it won't matter," I say. "Since Jessica is the only other contender for Joyce, you wouldn't even have to face elimination."

*Piper," she sounded so sad. "I can't come. It's just not rumors. My parents... They know the truth about me."

*How could they?" I asked. She wasn't showing yet. Sure they might suspect, but to have real proof?

"I told them," Susie said.

I startled, speechless.

"I didn't want to lie anymore about any of it," Susie said. "I don't want to have to pretend to have feelings for Joyce, when the only one I really want is Mark."

the ring in my pocket near doubled, and

in the sitting room with your parents," I said. Susie's eyes went

away. If your parents wouldn't have let

laughed a

able to stop him before he did anything drastic. Nicholas had a plan, as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this. It is, after

"True."

parents knew who I was..."

a little. "I talk about you often. You

and I pulled her into another hug. How grateful I was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet and kind, she deserved so many more

tug the ring from my pocket. "Mark told me to give you this." I held my palm out

at it and

told her. "He wants to ask you

held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She

in the next, she

if that didn't matter to

about that," I told her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you can't let it get away. You have to

blinked away the tears. She continued looking at the ring for another

want to see him,"

both headed for the doorway. With Susie leading, we didn't need the

way, Susie slid the ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile. When she saw it, she smiled too, though

Prince Nicholas, as I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He

*Susie..." her mom said.

Then his gaze

said, the word overflowing with obvious

forward, moving closer to Susie's

deep bow. "Please allow me to

both

am in love with your daughter,"

of her condition!" Susie's

mother was quicker. She touched

And I would

my Beta and a loyal man