Chapter 233

The next day at lunch time, Elva and I walked down to the dining room to have lunch with the rest of the candidates. As soon as I walked through the door, I felt the tension in the room. No one was smiling, not even Susie as she saw me. She waved as we came closer.

Per the contest rules, none of us were supposed to watch television or use our cell phones. As such, we shouldn’t have any knowledge of what was going on in the outside world. None of us should be aware of the news of the dire recent events with the King’s statues being defaced.

Yet everyone still seemed to know, if their whispered words and worried faces were anything to go by.

I took the open seat beside Susie and Elva hopped into the seat on the other side of me. Susie gave us both a smile then, but it was tight and dishonest. Still, I appreciated the effort and gave her one of my own.

I imagined she heard the news from Mark. Veronica likely heard it from Julian, if she didn’t have other means. If any of them were kind to their servants, as I was with Charlotte, the servants would likely talk with them. Or maybe a bribe was what was needed.

“What do you think will happen to us?” Tiffany whisper-yelled to Veronica.

“No one cares about us,” Veronica said. “It’s the royal family that is in danger.”

“Unless they burn the whole palace down.”

“Shh,” I said, scolding them both. Veronica nodded. Tiffany seemed affronted – until I dipped my head to Elva.

“Oh,” she mouthed. “Sorry.”

“What are they talking about, Mommy?” Elva asked.

“Nothing, honey,” I said and leaned over to kiss her on the top of her head. “What do you want for lunch today?”

Fortunately, this one time, Elva didn’t seem to want to press. “Grilled cheese?”

“I think they can do that.” I waved down a servant and asked, “Two grilled cheese sandwiches please?”

The servant took the order and quietly left the room.

I had brought a coloring book and crayons for Elva to keep her busy, and set them up for her now so she could work while we waited.

At the other end of the table, Jessica was speaking with Lilliana.

“Do you think they’ll end the competition?” Jessica asked. “After everything we’ve all been through, that would be such a terrible shame.”

Her words rankled my nerves. How could she care about the competition when the royal family’s lives were on the line? Hell, all of our lives were, if what Tiffany feared came to pass and the protesters burned the place down.

But sure, Jessica, worry about the competition.

If I didn’t have so much self-control and will, I would have walked over to her and smacked her upside the head.

It didn’t take long for our grilled cheeses to arrive, and Elva and I ate. To distract Elva from the girls’ chatter, I talked to her about innocuous things, like different kinds of flowers and if we should play a game later, to see how many kinds of birds we could spot in the garden.

As we were finishing up, Nathan came into the room. He cleared his throat to gain our attention. When he had it, he said loudly, “Ladies, in two hours, your presence is requested at the front entrance of the palace for a special announcement.”

All of us looked at each other. Some seemed confused. Most looked worried.

“Even me?” Elva asked.

Nathan looked at her like he was surprised she had spoken to him. “Yes, even you.”

She looked at me and beamed. I tried to smile back, despite the nervousness that was brewing up inside of me.

To the rest of us, Nathan continued, “This announcement will be televised, so we ask that you dress your best. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” a few girls said. The rest nodded. I just watched, a bit in shock.

“Good,” Nathan said. “Do not be late.” Then he left us.

The girls all looked at each other again. And then, at once, in a rush, they stood up and headed for the door.

“What are you going to wear?” Tiffany asked Veronica as they too made their way out. I didn’t hear Veronica’s reply.

Elva and I were the last to leave. We would need time to pick and plan our outfits, but I wasn’t overly worried. Likely Charlotte already had everything handled. And if she didn’t, a simple sundress would do. I was not quite as knowledgeable about outfits as the other girls.

As we walked through the hallways, I paused when we spotted Nicholas and Julian coming toward us.

“Nick-lass!” Elva shouted and ran forward. “Jul-an!”

Nicholas hugged her, and then Julian scooped her up into his arms and swung her around. She giggled and laughed, then hung onto him around his neck as he pulled her closer.

“Have you been practicing what I showed you?” Julian asked her.

Elva nodded her head grandly, but after spotting me watching, she stopped. She leaned in and whispered too loudly to be kept secret, “Mommy doesn’t like it.”

I had to talk to her about that later. It didn’t bother me so much, anymore.

With Elva so thoroughly distracted in a discussion with Julian, Nicholas came closer to me.

“I take it you’ve heard the news?” he asked.

“Yes. Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

“No. We’re just as much in the dark. The King is likely planning something drastic to help bring the royal family into a better light with the public. Julian and I have speculated what that could be, but we’re just guessing.”

“What are your guesses?” I asked.

“I don’t want to worry you,” he said.

That didn’t make me feel any better. “Nick…”

“I’ll protect you, Piper. Whatever it is, you have nothing to fear.”

“But who will protect you?” I asked.

He smiled a little at me, but didn’t say a word. I knew what he was thinking, an old tenant in werewolf culture: an Alpha protects his family.

I wished he would say so allowed, but I knew he couldn’t. We weren’t really a family. We never would be.

But his desire to protect me and Elva made me want to protect him too. I had strength now. If worse came to worse, I would find my own ways to keep him safe.

Two hours later, I, Elva, and the rest of the girls were led to stand in a line out front of the palace. Nathan waited until we were in place.

The cameras were already set up and rolling. The King and Queen were missing, but Nicholas and Julian were there as representatives, standing beside Nathan on a platform.

The protesters outside of the gate were held back a fair bit from the fences by security. The roads were clear.

Nathan, holding a microphone, addressed the cameras. “To add some excitement to our competition, and to spice things up, the royal family has decided that a new contender should be added to the lineup.”

On the road, a limo pulled up to the gate. The gate opened, and the limo pulled through. It slowly crept up the driveway and came to a stop right in front of the platform.

My mind was reeling. A new contender? Was that allowed? Though if it was the royal family’s decision, I supposed anything was.

The limo came to a stop. The door popped open.

I held my breath.

A woman stepped out of the car, a blonde with a big, practiced smile. I recognized her from television, but also from the pictures in Nicholas’s room.

This wasn’t just another contender.

This woman was Bridget.