After the confrontation with Mark, I expected to be approached by Nicholas, so I wasn’t shocked when he called me away from the dining room at lunchtime to speak with me privately. He started walking away from the dining room and I fell in step beside him. Eventually, in an empty hallway, he tur
Just then, I noticed some guards patrolling the hallway they were in. They glanced at me and at Nicholas. “That is a command as your prince,” Nicholas said again, when they were closer in earshot. He had me backed into a corner now. I couldn’t disobey a direct royal order, especially in fron
It wasn’t that I didn’t believe Mark when he had told me that Julian had left the palace and hadn’t been seen since the morning, but I still had to snoop around some to be sure. I needed to talk to him so badly, I couldn’t just sit around and wait for him to return. I asked some of the servants
I didn’t want to think about Nicholas anymore, so I made my way over to Joyce instead. I knew his two brothers well, but not him, and that seemed a shame. When I drew near, Susie glanced up to smile at me. “Oh, Piper. Have you met Prince Joyce? Should I introduce you?” How could I say that i
I quickly excuse myself from Joyce and his group and rush from the room, with Charlotte following me. “The doctor should be in with her now,” Charlotte said. “Mark sent a guard to retrieve her just as I left to find you.” “Good,” I said. We did not speak again as we hurried through the hallw
The rules stated that we were to avoid the personal rooms of the royal family unless explicitly invited. I was taking a great risk by sneaking here now. But for Elva’s sake, this was only the beginning of the level of danger I was willing to take on. I walked to Julian’s door and lightly tapped
Nicholas licked at the seam of my lips before coaxing his way into my mouth with his insistent and demanding tongue. I closed my arms around his neck, holding on as best I could while he delved and mapped my mouth like he belonged there. Like this, it felt like he did. His hands dropped to m
But his eyes were crystal focused now. Whatever fire that had sparked there had been well contained. He was pulling himself back under control, and I felt cold, mourning the loss. He didn’t apologize, thank God, but he didn’t say anything else either. No explanations. No words of comfort or crue