Chapter 31

Nicholas

I had no idea why I decided to help Piper. She had betrayed me in the past. By all accounts, I should have been pleased to see her fail.

Yet, when I stood outside the sitting room and heard Lena suggest the traditional punishment for Piper, I couldn’t stand idly by and do nothing.

The thought of Piper kneeling out in a storm, soaked, chilled, and miserable sent an unfamiliar tremor of rage through me.

I didn’t feel strong emotions like that anymore, not since I turned off my heart three years ago. But this hot anger had been enough to melt through my emotional freeze.

I couldn’t be detached, not with this.

Ambassador Zale had taught the royal family the secret Merfolk greeting only a few hours before. The timing had been peculiar, almost as if he had expected us to utilize this new knowledge to help the girls with the challenge, if we so wished.

I hadn’t intended to teach the greeting to anyone. But that had been before the Queen threatened Piper over something as trivial as glove length.

An insult to the royal family, the Queen had said. Unlikely. She had always been fickle with such frivolous things, but never to such an extent that she would exert so vicious a punishment.

This felt purposeful, like Piper was being targeted.

I’d known she’d garnered unwanted attention simply by being here, but to see my own family participate in the cruelty made my insides twist.

We were hoping to earn the favor of our kingdom’s people, and yet, the Queen herself was going to punish one of them for not knowing her obscure, unspoken rules.

Yes, with the future of the kingdom in mind, I could almost pretend that I was helping Piper selflessly, to continue to garner goodwill with the populace.

However, my heart knew the truth. I sent Mark to teach Piper the secret greeting solely because I wanted to.

Now, watching her dance with Zale while everyone else in the room stared in either shock or jealousy, I allowed myself to feel relief.

With the ambassador’s favor, Piper was out of immediate danger. This left me time to ponder over other concerns. Mainly, why didn’t Piper’s maids warn her about her glove length?

The Queen had implied that it had been Piper’s duty alone to know, but we had assigned knowledgeable maids to each of the girls precisely to prevent these kinds of mistakes.

Lena had been the one to suggest the harsh punishment for Piper. Perhaps she was involved.

I looked for her behind the thrones, but she was gone from her usual position near the Queen.

Mark returned to my side with a satisfied look on his face. I nodded approvingly. He did his job well, as always.

Like now, how quickly he could tell something was off.

“Are you looking for someone?” he asked.

“Lena,” I said.

He motioned toward a discreet servant’s door in a corner of the ballroom. “I saw her sneak out there, sir.”

“Thank you.” I began walking in that direction. Mark, without needing the command, fell in step behind me.

I pushed through the side door and found a staging area, where the servants were plating the hors d'oeuvres and straightening their uniforms.

Seeing me walk in, they looked mortified. That hadn’t been my intention.

I raised my hands, hopefully in a placating gesture. “I’m only here for Lena.”

At once, they waved me through, not toward the kitchen, but to another door that led to a hallway.

In the middle of that hallway, Lena stood talking to one of Piper’s maids. The sight rankled my nerves. This was beyond suspicious.

I’d hoped to eavesdrop what they were saying, but my presence drew attention in every corner, even here. They both immediately looked at me.

Lena dismissed the maid as I approached. The maid bowed to me, then disappeared before I could object.

Fine. Let her go. The maid was likely only obeying Lena’s orders anyway.

“What a surprise, Your Royal Highness. You must know how improper it is for you to be in the servants’ area. If you require me, you need only to –”

“I’m here now.” I tired of her empty platitudes. She was obligated to obey my commands, but the whole of the palace knew the Luna was the one who held her loyalty.

Unfortunately, Lena also had the Queen’s favor. I had to be careful here, lest I risk offending my own mother.

“I have questions,” I said.

Lena dipped her head. “Of course. I live to serve, sir.”

Behind me, Mark quietly snorted in disbelief. He quickly covered it with a cough.

Lena glared at him.

I cleared my own throat, drawing her attention back to me. “The traditional punishment has not been implemented in many years. Why would you believe that it is appropriate in this case, with Piper?”

“The palace has not allowed guests in a long time,” she said. “That is the only reason the punishment has not been used.”

She was being misleading. The palace had accepted guests, even when the royal family had maintained its anonymity. No cameras had been allowed. Everyone was searched.

“There have been balls over the years,” I said.

“Which were strictly for the nobility, sir. The guests I’m referring to are…” She seemed to think her words through now, and didn’t say whatever she had been about to.

“Commoners,” I finished for her.

Her nose scrunched in open disgust. “This was no mistake. That girl made a blatant display of disrespect.”

“So if another girl made the same mistake…?”

“Piper and her offspring do not belong here, Prince Nicholas. She’s grown too complacent, bending the rules however she wishes. This is what would happen if she is selected. Nothing would ever be the same again.”

Maybe it was time for change if attitudes like Lena’s were what the traditions fostered.

“She is a guest in this house, and will be treated the same as everyone else,” I said with finality.

Lena had the gall to try to stand against me. “If you could hear yourself –”

Mark stepped forward. “I know you are not attempting to argue with your prince, Lena.”

Immediately, Lena closed her mouth. She paled a little, then lowered her head. “Apologies, sir. My passion overran my manners.”

“Something to correct,” I said. “But not something deserving of the traditional punishment.”

I hoped she could see her own hypocrisy. The traditional punishment for what she had done was much worse than Lena’s. Could she not understand why leniency was important in both cases?

The stubborn clench of her jaw left me doubting. As I walked away, returning to the ballroom, I wondered just how much of Piper and Elva’s distress had been Lena’s doing.

How could I prove it?

I didn’t have time to think of the answer. No sooner had I returned to the ballroom, than Julian found me, a smug smirk on his face.

“There you are, brother! I’ve been looking for you.”

Those words sent a shot of trepidation through me. Julian only wished to see me when he meant do to me harm – likely a prank at my expense.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What do you want, Julian?”

“Such callousness for your own brother. It’s shameful.” His smile only grew wider. “Honestly, though, I only want you to watch.”

I crossed my arms. “Watch what?”

He winked at me. Without another word, he spun away and crossed the room to where most of the girls were standing.

Was he attempting to upstage me? That wasn’t difficult for him, with his boisterous personality. Why did it matter if I watched or not?

I turned away, determined to ignore whatever show he had planned.

But then Mark said, “Sir.” He knew the animosity between Julian and me. He wouldn’t call my attention back if it wasn’t important.

I returned my gaze to my reprehensible brother, only to find him standing directly in front of Piper.

“If I may have everyone’s attention,” Julian said into a microphone. Where had he gotten that? How long had he been planning this?

My feet were moving before I thought to move them.

My mind was completely devoid of thoughts.

I only knew that I had to get him away from Piper.

He didn’t deserve her. He didn’t –

What am I doing?

I planted my feet, stopping myself in the middle of the dance floor. Fortunately, the dancers had already stopped to observe the spectacle.

Julian took one of Piper’s gloved hands in his.

“Piper, will you accompany me on a solo date?”