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."

my pocket near doubled, and I regretted

know. Mark. And Nicholas both. They are down in the sitting room with your parents," I said. Susie's eyes went wide as

him away. If your parents wouldn't have let him inside, he would have scaled the walls and climbed

a little

he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this. It

"True."

parents knew who I was..."

a little. "I talk about you often. You

lurched 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

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

at it

her. "He

and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips, treating it as a precious, rare, fragile

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

go for it," she said. "And even if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole life away with this.

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 for another minute

want to see him," she

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

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

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

Susie's eyes were on Mark, and his on her. Then his gaze dropped to her hand, where she'd already put

word

forward, moving closer to Susie's parents, closer

deep bow. "Please allow me to marry

both

love with your daughter," Mark said.

don't know of her

was quicker. She touched her husband's arm. "He

"The baby is mine. And I would raise it as my child, with Susie as

is my Beta and a loyal