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."

doubled, and I regretted holding it back even this

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

If your parents wouldn't have let him inside, he would have

a little

as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this. It is, after all, more likely they'd let me in to see you than

"True."

parents knew who

talk about you often. You were my

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

told me to give you this." I held my palm out with

at

I told her. "He wants to ask you

my palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She

of her features. Then, in the next, she

parents will never go for it," she said. "And even if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me, Mark

find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you can't let it get

blinked away the tears. She continued looking at the ring

see

Susie leading, we didn't

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

really is a personal matter, Prince Nicholas, as I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie and I

*Susie..." her mom said.

Mark, and his on her. Then his gaze dropped to

the word

Susie's

Mark said, dropping into a deep bow.

parents both went wide-eyed.

in love with your daughter," Mark said. "I

don't know of her condition!"

She touched her husband's arm.

mine. And I would raise

said. "He is my