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."

pocket near doubled, and I regretted holding

sitting room with your parents," I said. Susie's eyes went wide as saucers. "Mark

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

a little at

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

"True."

who I was..." I

blushed a little. "I talk about you

in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She

told me to give you this."

looked at

it's overdue," I told her. "He wants to

it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her

awe covered her face, softening all of her features. Then, in the next, she began to

matter to me, Mark

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 follow

continued looking at the ring for another minute

want to see

Susie leading, we didn't need the butler to guide us back downstairs to the

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

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.

her. Then his gaze dropped to her hand, where she'd already put on

the word overflowing with obvious

Susie's parents, closer than

Mark said, dropping into a deep bow. "Please allow me

parents both went

in love with your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot live without

know of her condition!" Susie's father

mother was quicker. She touched her husband's

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

for this man," Nicholas said. "He is my