Chapter 70

Nicholas

I hadn’t wanted to ask Lilliana on a second date, but after a threatening letter from the King this morning and the way he glared at me all dinner long, I knew I had very little choice in the matter. Especially if I wanted to help protect Piper.

So I had pushed down the part of myself that revolted against the idea, and publicly asked Lilliana. As expected, she accepted simply and concisely with no outward reaction.

That was for the best, I knew. Emotions only complicated things. We didn’t need love between us to get married. Lilliana was best for the kingdom, so I would fall in line.

Even if my heart wanted something else…

Well, it didn’t matter what my heart wanted. I had shut off that part of myself three years before, and no resolution of misunderstandings was going to change that now. It was far too late to open myself up again.

I wanted to forget about Piper. I wanted her and Elva safe and happy, but not… near me. They were dangerous. They reminded me how things could be, what happiness looked and felt like.

I couldn’t be happy. I had to be King.

But then Julian flaunted her in front of me. She looked gorgeous in the dress Lilliana had so poorly tried to emulate. Piper filled out the dress in a way Lilliana’s stick figure never could. Piper had such delicious curves and…

Julian had one of his hands on Piper’s hip. I glared at it, hoping to set fire to it with my eyes. I’d never had that ability before, but one could hope.

I wanted to throttle Julian for staking claim on Piper, suggesting she belongs to him. But how could I deny it? I wasn’t in a place where I could step forward and challenge his claim. And Piper was keeping her beautiful, full lips firmly closed on the matter.

Ugly, green jealousy seared inside my chest.

I couldn’t help remembering the heat of the oven as Piper and I had stood side by side in the kitchen the night before. She had turned to me, her brown eyes dark in the dimly-lit room.

She was so… irresistible. I had leaned forward before I knew what I was doing.

I had wanted to kiss her so badly, my entire body ached.

But then the oven timer had gone off and we had separated. I had played it off like it had been a mistake, or a trick of the moment, but it hadn’t been. I had wanted to kiss her then, just as I wanted to kiss her now.

But I knew it was impossible.

Lilliana smiled at me in a vague sort of way.

Julian smirked much harder. He knew what he was doing, playing with me.

Piper’s face scrunched up, troubled – likely for my sake. She was far too kind.

The nearby cameras, meanwhile, caught it all.

I cleared my throat, gathering myself again. The princely mask easily slid into place, a well-worn routine.

“How good for us both, Julian,” I said, hating every word. “That we have both found favorites in the competition.”

Julian added teeth to his smile. “Yes. Good for someone, alright.” His eyes slid to Lilliana, who gave no indication that she noticed. He didn’t say more.

With Lilliana indifferent to his remark, I felt no strong desire to defend her, so I let the matter drop.

The cameramen and their producers eventually grew tired of our silence and dragged their attention elsewhere.

One of the King’s servants immediately found his way to my side. “The King wishes to speak to you immediately. If you would follow him to his chambers.”

I could have groaned if I had a modicum less self-control. As it was, I simply straightened my shoulders.

“If you will excuse me.”

“Good luck, brother,” Julian said.

Piper reached out and touched my arm. It was a simple gesture. It didn’t have to mean anything. Except it did.

A gesture like that was familiar. Overly so, to some people’s eyes.

I patted her hand, then pulled away before anyone could see.

I felt the warmth of her hand long after she had removed it.

I followed my father away from the dining room and to his rooms. He did not look back at me once, nor spoke to me until we were behind closed doors.

Once the door had shut behind us, however, he swiveled to glower at me.

“You’ve ignored my summons these past days.”

I had. “There have been many things that required my attention.”

“Matters more important than respecting your King?”

“More important than humoring the tired whims of my father, yes.”

The King’s face went bright red. “How dare you! Who do you think you are?”

I stood my ground. “Tell me you have some reason to want to see me other than Piper.”

He thrust his finger into my chest. “She is a danger, Nicholas. You are not taking this seriously.”

He huffed out a frustrated breath, then turned on his heel again. He placed some distance between us.

“You could have better handled the revelation of your past relationship. You nearly made us the laughing stock of the kingdom.”

“Piper is popular with the people,” I said. “No one was laughing. If anything, it helped us gain their respect.”

I hated that it was true. I had no intention of using my relationship with Piper in such a way. I had only wanted to protect her. But if it would help appease my father and therefore get him to lay off Piper, I was willing to use anything to my advantage.

I would apologize to her later.

The King crossed his arms. “We need her gone, the sooner the better.”

I crossed the room, closing some of the distance between my father and I. He stood near the fireplace, staring down at the flames.

“I’m doing everything you want. I’ve asked Lilliana on another date. Piper is not a threat to you.”

“But she is. Can’t you see?” He looked back at me. The flickering flames cast shadows across his face. “The way you talk about her, Nicholas, is very peculiar. I know she was special to you once, but sometimes I feel as if you still hold her in your heart.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You know you can never be with her, don’t you? You are my oldest son. Regardless what we told the producers and the promoters, you are most likely to take my throne when I pass. As King, you cannot allow some commoner –”

“You don’t need to over-dwell on this, father. I know better than anyone how much Piper doesn’t belong here.”

“Then why do you insist on allowing her to stay?”

I shook my head. “The people adore her –”

“The people would adore any of our choices. Lilliana, for example. Think of ways to bring her up in the people’s eyes. They don’t need Piper to rally behind.”

In my mind, I tried to replace my shared moments in Piper’s presence, with Lilliana instead. It was almost laughable.

She would never go with me to an orphanage to feed the children. She wouldn’t smile at me like Piper did. If it had been her in the kitchen the night before, I would not have been tempted to kiss her by the oven.

“You need to reassess your priorities, Nicholas,” the King said. “I’m only looking out for you.”

I knew, in his own way, that he meant those words. The kingdom was important, and so was my place in it. Any lingering feelings for Piper threatened to unravel everything he had planned for me.

I tried to keep that in mind. I tried to be strong.

I would be.

But that didn’t mean Piper had to leave.

“My priorities are in order,” I said. “Piper is good for ratings and to garner the people’s good will, but I have no remaining feelings for her.”

It was a lie, but, I would take the truth to the grave with me.

“Good,” the King said. “Let’s keep one thing very clear…”

The King looked once more into the fire.

“Piper will never be Luna. Not so long as I live.”