Chapter 36

The next morning, when I woke up, I headed straight for the window to look at the sky. Fortunately, there was no cloud in sight. Today, it seemed, I would escape my punishment.

One of these days, however, my luck would run out and I would be forced to kneel in the storm and hope my body was strong enough to take it.

Elva and I dressed for the day, and hand in hand, we exited our room to head down to breakfast. Just outside of the room, we were greeted by Mark.

“Piper. Elva.” He turned toward the two guards standing behind him. “From now on, these two will be personally assigned to you.”

Their uniforms were more or less similar to other guards I’d seen, except these ones had green trim around their cuffs.

“They are a part of Prince Nicholas’s personal guard,” Mark explained. “You will also find that others on this floor have been replaced, though these two will be outside your door at all times if you need them.”

The two gave me soft nods. They seemed nice enough, much nicer than my previous guards. And if they were personally vetted by Nicholas, then I had little reason to mistrust them.

Despite our tumultuous past, Nicholas seemed fond of Elva. I believed him when he said he would keep her safe. Really, that was all I could ask.

Then, Mark dropped to one knee to talk to Elva.

“I’m sorry for the things that happened to you, Elva. But I can vow to you that it will never happen again. From now on, you have my reassurances.”

Elva didn’t reply, just looked at him with wide eyes.

Mark’s smile wavered. “If you are ever scared, and your mom or Prince Nicholas aren’t around, you can ask for me, okay? Do you know my name?”

Elva shifted to look up at me. At my nod, she gave him her attention again. “Mark.”

“That’s right,” he said, smile restored. He rose to his feet. “Are you both headed down to breakfast? May I escort you?”

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it, Elva?”

“Okay…” Elva seemed less sure.

Though she had calmed down a lot since the day before, she still seemed nervous, especially around the guards, Mark included.

The subtler differences in their outfits were lost on her. She saw them all as the one who chased her around and pushed her out of a window.

Hopefully, in time, she would come to trust them again. At least, the right ones.

During breakfast, the girls were loudly chatting about the previous day’s events.

The cameras had been banned from the gardens before I had gone out there. The Queen, it seemed, like to do all of her punishing in private.

This meant that none of Elva’s endangerment made it onto television, thank goodness. However, just because the cameras didn’t catch it, did not mean the other girls had not heard of it.

Nicholas’s date from yesterday – who wasn’t Lilliana, much to her obvious irritation – was loudly regaling the story once again, about Nicholas’s daring rescue. The story became more elaborate with each telling.

By the end of the fourth telling, even Elva, who I had hoped was distracted with the waffles on her plate, corrected her.

“We didn’t fall,” Elva said, matter-of-factly. “Nick-lass carried me. Mommy, what’s a summer… a summer…”

“A somersault?” I asked.

She nodded.

“It’s when you tumble roll.”

“Well, we didn’t do that either.”

Some of the other girls snickered at the storyteller’s expense. She herself became much quieter after that.

Instead the topic of conversation switched to the girls’ individual motivations for the games. Most of the girls could be split into three main camps.

In camp one, the girls were after a specific prince. Nicholas, Julian, and even Joyce to a lesser extent, had their own little fan clubs. Their attractions to the boys was mostly based on appearances, but as the royal family had been in hiding for so long, I couldn’t fault them for not knowing more yet.

In camp two, the girls were chasing any prince. It didn’t matter which one. These ambitious girls just wanted to be Luna. Olivia and Linda were firmly in this camp.

In the third camp, where I belonged, the girls were here involuntarily. Perhaps their parents wanted them to engage in a political marriage, or perhaps they were simply chosen and couldn’t say no. These were the quiet ones, like Susie, and definitely the minority.

One of the more curious girls asked, “What do you think of the rule that we aren’t allowed to flirt with anyone other than a prince?”

“Who else would we flirt with? A guard? Don’t make me laugh!” said another girl.

“Some of the Betas are handsome,” said Susie. Many people, including me, glanced at her with surprise. When she noticed, her whole face turned red. Her gaze dropped to her lap. “Never mind.”

I thought it was terribly unfair to the girls. So many of us here for just three boys. But I kept my opinion to myself.

I could practically hear what they would say, What is the point of this if not for the princes? Or, no one got to be Luna by flirting with a guard.

Meanwhile, Olivia and Linda had been previously whisper-hissing at each other too quiet for anyone to hear, but now their argument was rising in volume.

The two were considered front-runners by the other girls. Both were from prominent packs, and were confident and beautiful.

When they argued, it drew attention.

Both, it seemed, had intentions for Nicholas.

“I refuse to settle for a lesser son,” Olivia said. “I have told you that, time and time again, every time you propose this foolish alliance.”

“Prince Nicholas would suit me best, Olivia. My suggested alliance was only offered in an attempt to keep you from being needlessly eliminated.”

“He would ‘suit you best’ for the same reason he would suit me best, and don’t you dare deny it, Linda.”

“Surely you aren’t doubting yourself. Any prince you pick would have a chance.”

Olivia narrowed her eyes. “I won’t fall for your flattery. If you believe that, than you go for the second son and leave the first to me. I will be Luna, make no mistake on it.”

“Oh, dear Olivia.” Linda laughed. “How will you be Luna when I am? Nicholas is the prince for me. With him on my arm, I won’t fail.”

Their disregard of Nicholas’s choice in all this scratched at my nerves. They acted like he was some kind of prize to be won and not a person.

“I’m warning you, Linda. Back off.”

“Prince Nicholas belongs to me, Olivia.”

My outrage spiked and I stood so fast, I knocked my chair over.

“Prince Nicholas is a person! He doesn’t belong to anyone.”

Olivia, Linda, and everyone else looked at me in surprise.

“He is a person with thoughts and feelings and desires of his own. Maybe instead of staking claims, you ask him if he even wants you.”

“Of course, he wants… me…” Olivia trailed off, then coughed politely into her napkin.

The whole of the room had hushed, but they weren’t looking at me anymore.

I had the distinct feeling I was missing something.

“Hi, Nick-lass!” Elva said.

Oh, no.

Slowly, I turned toward the entrance of the dining room.

Nicholas stood there, looking back at me.

I couldn’t tell how much he had heard. He was just… staring at me.

I wanted to explain myself, but what would I say? That I hadn’t meant it?

I had meant it. I meant every single word.

Nicholas deserved to be treated like the person he was.

So why was he looking at me like he couldn’t believe I’d said so?