Chapter 378

“I don’t understand,” I said. My thoughts were entirely addled. How could Nicholas’s parents not only forgive Bridget for all that she had done but also continue to want her to be Queen? Hasn’t she proven herself unsuitable? Unstable? At least, disrespectful?

They had to have known that she slapped Nicholas. Since they didn’t care about me, I wasn’t totally surprised that Bridget’s actions against me had been thrown to the side. But surely, Bridget’s attack on a prince wouldn’t be ignored?

Nicholas frowned deeply. When he spoke, the words came out with disgust. “They said that her actions only prove that she has the mettle to survive in aggressive situations. They seem to think that she will do what needs to be done to protect the crown.”

“But she’s only looking out for herself,” I said.

“I agree. Unfortunately my parents do not see it the same way. They think her actions will shift to protect all of the royalty once she and I are married.”

I tried to understand their point of view, but it was difficult. Perhaps for the sake of self-preservation, Bridget might extend her defensiveness to include Nicholas. But I doubted it. Especially because of the way she had treated Nicholas already.

That behavior was unlikely to change.

“They know that she slapped you, don’t they?” I asked.

“Yes,” Nicholas said. “Nathan had given them a full report after it happened, which I then corroborated during my meeting with them.” He shook his head, face twisted with obvious disgust. “They have forgiven the slap. They said she was just emotional for being called out.”

I did not like this potential future, of Nicholas marrying Bridget and her continuing with her behavior. Nicholas was a strong Alpha. Bridget wouldn’t be able to physically hurt him. But to be slapped and berated by the person he should be able to trust most in the world?

It was too sad. Forgetting all other elements of my dislike of them being together, including my jealousy, I didn’t want Nicholas to be resigned to a life of such misery.

He was the kindest, bravest man I’d ever known. He deserved so much better than a life with Bridget would give him.

“They won’t listen to reason,” Nicholas said. “They made their choice, and they are doubling down now.”

I didn’t need for him to spell this out for me. I could read between the lines.

The King and Queen wanted Bridget to stay, which meant she would survive the next elimination ceremony well enough. But, as Bridget’s biggest competition at the moment, I knew this likely meant the King and Queen would work as hard to keep Bridget, to get rid of me.

“Surely the public should have a say…” I said. “I know some of the footage has been twisted to present Bridget in the best light, but the editors couldn’t have possibly hidden everything that she did.”

Nicholas sighed. “I’m afraid they’ve done worse than that.”

“Worse?”

“The editors, under my parents’ orders, have been trying to twist the footage so that when it aired, Bridget looked entirely blameless. Instead, they made it seem as if you, Piper, shamelessly educed Ronan and then rejected him. They want the kingdom to believe that you are at fault for your own attack.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“You and I know that, but I have no idea if the public was receptive to it.”

No. They couldn’t be. Even if the footage had been shifted to make me look like the vilest of seductresses, I still would not be deserving of being attacked like I was. I was almost killed! Surely the worst victim blaming wouldn’t side with an attempted murderer over me.

But then, who knew the lengths the editors had gone to, at the behest of the King and Queen? Maybe they even doctored footage or dubbed my voice? There was no end to the bottomless well of the King and Queen’s power.

Nicholas, meanwhile, looked down and to the side. He wouldn’t meet my gaze even as I walked nearer to him.

“Nick?” I prompted, fear weighing heavy on my heart.

“Unfortunately, that isn’t all of the bad news I have to share,” he said.

I braced myself. “What else?”

“Joyce has somehow escaped.”

I gasped, shocked. How could that be? The youngest prince had been given the nicest prison cell I had ever seen in my life, but it was still a prison cell, buried deep under the palace grounds. This place is crawling with guards. How in the world would he escape?

And why would he want to? Veronica had been working with him, helping him understand the depths of his brainwashing. Had he reversed to his previous thinking in Veronica’s absence?

Oh, God. Veronica was going to be devastated. She’d been working so hard with him. She saw part of herself in him, and sought to save them both. She would undoubtedly see this as her own failing.

“There’s no sign of tampering with the lock,” Nicholas said. “No missing uniforms, no discrepancy among the guard, who are vetted beyond the norm to be assigned to such a post. I don’t doubt them. Instead, it is simply as if he vanished into thin air.”

Nicholas finally lifted his gaze to mine and I felt a pit open up in my stomach. I knew what he was saying with that look. My thoughts had traveled down a similar past.

Who else could appear and disappear in an instant but Hawk, leader of the underground organization? After all, he had done similar when he’d rescued Jane from her fall off the balcony.

“What could the underground organization want with Joyce?” I asked. “Hasn’t he already served his purpose?”

“He is a prince,” Nicholas said. “If anything were to happen to my father, and then Julian and myself, Joyce would have legal claim to the crown.”

Oh, I really didn’t like that. Were the underground planning on hurting Nicholas and Julian?

Or… were they expecting a war with the Bear People to do the job for them?

Shivering, I wrapped my arms around myself. “The war makes everything so much more complicated…”

Nicholas blinked, surprised. It cleared away from his face in the next instant, taking away some of the worry with it. “Don’t worry about a war.”

“But the Bear People…?”

“Julian is already investigating, searching for the lost princess. Even if she is dead, Julian will find her bones and return those.”

I wanted to believe that. I trusted Julian. If anyone could find the lost princess, it was him.

But there were so many things to worry about, I was beginning to feel overwhelmed. I could carry all the burdens, I would to help Nicholas. I wouldn’t shrink under their weight.

But it was a lot to think over, to consider, and to plan out what to do next.

Especially with knowing the King and Queen were working hard to turn public opinion on me. I could be gone with the next elimination ceremony, and then I wouldn’t be able to help with any of these other problems.

“Nick, if I get eliminated –”

“You won’t,” Nicholas said.

I met his eyes which burned with fierce determination. He believed his words so strongly, that belief was starting fires in my own chest.

“I don’t care what my parents do or say,” he said, “I am not picking Bridget in the next elimination ceremony.”

“But, Nick…”

“No, Piper. You are the one I want, and I won’t be convinced to choose otherwise.”

I adored him for his words, but worried the choice ultimately wouldn’t be up to him.

He seemed determined to prove it to me though.

His arms wrapped around me, pulling me against the hard line of his body. Then he leaned down and kissed me.