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

in the sitting room

think anything would have kept him away. If your parents wouldn't have let him

a little

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 all, more likely they'd let me

"True."

parents knew who I was..." I

about you

life! Though how much it hurt to hear

pocket. "Mark told me to give you this." I held my palm out with the ring sitting in the

at it and

told her. "He wants to ask you

to her, to inspect it.

softening all of her features. Then, in the next, she began to cry again. "What's the matter?" I asked

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

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

continued looking at the ring

to see

we didn't need the butler to guide us back

ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile.

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

and his on her. Then his gaze dropped

he said, the word overflowing with

moving closer to Susie's parents, closer than even Nicholas

into a deep bow. "Please allow me to marry

both

am in love with your daughter," Mark

her condition!" Susie's

touched her

confirmed. "The baby is mine. And I would raise it as my

"He is my Beta and a loyal man besides. He