Chapter 376

During the rest of the flight, I was able to convince Nicholas that I did not need to be emergency lifted to the hospital. He didn’t seem pleased at first, but we compromised with allowing the doctor to look me over once we were back at the palace. If she wanted more tests done, I would concede to her judgement.

After we land, we got into cars which drove us the rest of the way back to the palace.

“Mommy!” Elva said, tapping on the window. “Look, its Susie!”

Through the window, standing at the front of the house, stood Susie with Mark standing beside her. Tiffany was also there. Lilliana and Olivia had been with them, but were now walking away, reentering the house. Those two didn’t seem as pleased to see us as the others.

When the car pulled to a stop, Nicholas squeezed my hand and then let me go. “I’ll see to the bags,” he said.

I gave him a soft smile and then jumped out of the car. Elva and I dashed across the driveway and we both pulled Susie into a hug.

We’d only been apart a few days, but with everything that happened, it felt like an eternity. I was so grateful to be near my friend again.

Susie eagerly returned the hug to both me and Elva. When she pulled back, she gave me a sad sort of smile.

“You’ve been through a lot,” she said. “I wasn’t allowed to watch the coverage of course, but Mark told me some.”

Beside her, Mark gave me and Elva a bow. “It is a pleasure to have you both home. If you will excuse me, I must attend to my Alpha.”

Home. What a kind way of welcoming us back. In many ways, returning to the palace did feel like returning home.

After Mark walked away, approaching Nicholas at the back of the car where he was unloading the suitcases, Susie leaned forward and said, “You must tell me everything.”

I agreed, but side-eyed Elva for now. “Later,” I said.

Susie nodded with understanding.

Tiffany approached us then, as did Veronica. With all of our friends reunited, I felt more at peace than I had since the start of the trip. I didn’t begrudge Veronica and Julian for inviting me. They had no reason to think it would be anything other than a relaxing getaway and a chance to get closer to Nicholas.

How could they have known that Bridget would terrorize all of us?

“I notice Bridget isn’t with you,” Tiffany asked bluntly. “She did something, didn’t see? We all know they chop the heck out of all the footage for television.”

“Jessica,” Susie said lightly. “She said she will tell us what happened later.”

“I will explain to Jessica, if you’d like?” Veronica asked me.

I nodded. Though I liked Tiffany and considered her a friend, the version of events I would impart to her would be much different – more censored – than the full version I intended to give Susie. I was grateful for Veronica’s intervention.

Veronica’s lip twitched, an almost smile. She knew I was appreciative.

Just then, a soldier from the King’s personal guard hurried forward toward where Nicholas, Mark, and Julian had gathered near the luggage.

The King’s guard must have been standing in for Nathan. He looked haggard, even in his full regalia. Heavy bags hung under his eyes and even the feathers in his cap seemed wilted.

“The King is likely anxious to speak with his sons,” Tiffany said. I imagined she was correct. Though we didn’t hear the King’s guard’s exact words, the message seemed clear when Nicholas and Julian both looked at each other. Nicholas straightened. Julian sighed.

Mark took over with the luggage, as the princes followed the King’s guard toward the house.

Just as they were about to enter the house, Nicholas turned to look at me. We didn’t truly say goodbye and already we were pulled apart from each other once more.

Despite all the trauma that occurred at the island, good things happened too. Nicholas and I being able to spend so much time together was one of the good things for sure. But now, we were back to reality. Nicholas would always be called away.

Our gazes lingered on one another, but all too soon, he had to turn and go into the palace. I already missed him.

Later, Susie, Elva, and I went out to the edge of the gardens to talk more privately. Elva played with the two wolves while Susie and I sat on a bench, watching. The two wolves were fond of Elva and licked at her face until she loudly giggled.

Elva’s smile made me smile. It kept me strong, even as I revealed to Susie some of the darker events that occurred on the island.

Susie was sympathetic over my hardships, and shocked over Bridget’s actions. But a different detail seemed to stick out for her more than any other.

“You and Nicholas finally had sex!” she whisper-yelled. She was careful to keep her voice low even as the excitement was obviously bubbling up within her.

“Shh!” I still hushed her, though it was more out of personal embarrassment than fear that anyone would overhear her.

Susie lowered her voice further, but it raised with each word as if she was simply unable to contain her excitement. “Don’t you see? This is a sign that Prince Nicholas is going to choose you as his Luna!”

“It doesn’t mean that,” I said, even as my heart thundered wildly, driven by hope.

“It could,” Susie insisted.

I gently shook my head. “I’ll admit that my heart does… yearn for that relationship. And sometimes, in the quiet moments, I let myself believe that maybe it could be possible. But then I wake up to reality. Susie, I’m not fit to be a Queen.”

Susie’s face scrunched up in annoyance. “Says who?”

“Everyone,” I insisted. “Maybe I can do something things, but a Queen needs to be able to rule. I don’t know how to do that.”

“You are simultaneously being too hard on yourself while overestimating everyone else,” Susie said. “You think Lilliana or Olivia are more capable to be a Queen than you? You think I am?”

My answer is, “Yes.”

Susie’s annoyance flattened out into a look of pity instead. “Piper. You have proven yourself time and time again during this competition. Who always brings a down to earth attitude to every competition? Who puts others first? Who so easily makes friends with everyone, even those that should be enemies?”

“Not everyone,” I tried to argue, but it sounded weak even to my own ears.

Susie gave me a small smile. “You think these other girls would make a better queen, but their selfish attitudes would always hold them back.”

“You are not selfish,” I told her.

She placed her hand on her stomach. She wasn’t showing yet but we both knew the life she was growing there. “If I wasn’t selfish, I wouldn’t be having this baby with the man I love.”

I would argue to the death that choosing her baby and her love over a life of loveless misery did not make her selfish.

But she lifted her hand stopping me before I even began. She must have known what I was going to say.

“This is what I’m talking about, Piper. You are so inherently… good. And that good nature is what will be needed to help rally the spirits of those home and abroad in the coming war.”

I… Wait. What?

I blinked a few times as I tried to process her words. “What war?”