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."

ring in my pocket near doubled,

Mark. And Nicholas both. They are down in the sitting room

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

a

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

"True."

who I

talk about you

her into another hug. How grateful I was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt

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

at it and

her. "He wants

the ring from my palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect

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

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 away. You

continued looking at the ring for another minute

see

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

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 cut himself off when Susie and I returned to the

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

he said, the word overflowing

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

a deep bow. "Please allow me to marry your

parents both went wide-eyed.

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

her condition!"

quicker. She touched

And I would raise it as my child, with

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