Chapter l315

Chapter 0315

Nicholas

After leaving Piper’s room, I knew what I had to do. What I should have done from the start, as soon as I learned of Piper and Julian’s fake relationship.

I went to my father’s rooms and requested an audience. Nathan didn’t seem thrilled about it, but announced me all the same. The King generally had an opened-door policy with his sons, assuming no other matter was pressing, so I was welcomed inside.

The King was at the head of his long table, shuffling through some documents I didn’t recognize. At a glance, they appeared to be reports from our border patrols. More unrest in the North?

My father lowered the documents as I approached. He did not address them. Instead, he kept his gare on me.

“Something’s bothering you,” he said.

My father appreciated straight-forwardness, so I dove in without preamble. “Piper should not need to be in a relationship with Julian.’

The King sighed. “I knew you would disapprove. But you must understand that their relationship is of vital importance to our public relations.”

“Find a different way to improve it,” I said firmly. “Something that doesn’t involve Piper.”

“Using Piper is the easiest way.”

“I don’t care about easy,” I said. “I don’t want her involved in this.”

She’s already involved, Nicholas. Her entire presence here at the competition has only ever been to improve our image with the common people.” The King rubbed his temple. He seemed

bored with this discussion, which irked me to no end.

He didn’t care about Piper. Maybe he didn’t care about any of the commoners. He only

seemed invested in optics.

“Piper is a tool in our repertoire. One we need to properly utilize,” he said.

She is not a tool. She is a person.’

.”

The King sighed. He wasn’t listening, not really. If I didn’t turn this conversation around, he’d likely just dismiss me without a resolution.

From his demeanor, I could tell he wasn’t going to change his mind on this. Piper was in the

thick of it here, and I wouldn’t be able to convince him to let her out of it.

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+15 BONUS

Perhaps I could offer a compromise instead.

“Let me be the one to date her,” I said. “If she has to be with one of us, I’m the more stable choice.”

“Absolutely not,” the King said flatly. I opened my mouth to argue, but he beat me to it. “We all expect that you will be the one to inherit the throne, Nicholas. We cannot have you tangled

in scandals like this.”

“It won’t be a scandal – ”

“It’s already a scandal!” He smacked his hand down on the table. “Do not think for one minute that I have forgotten your antics at the last elimination ceremony. Already there is talk of what is going on between you and Piper. But let me make one thing very clear.”

An unusual fire burned in his eyes, something like betrayal and hatred, likely stowed by Terry and simmering since. I knew he didn’t hate me. He didn’t hate Julian either. But his position

forced him to see shadows when there were none.

“Piper will marry none of my sons, not even Julian. When the time is right, and it will no longer reflect badly on us, they will go their separate ways. And a public breakup with Julian would be far less da mning for the entire family than anything involving you, Nicholas.”

“Father, if you would hear me out…

})

“There’s nothing more to be said on this matter,” the King said. “If you stay, I expect you to speak only of different matters.”

I closed my mouth.

“That’s what I thought.” The King sighed. “Do not let this trouble you overmuch, son. When

the competition progresses, Piper will soon enough be gone and we can all move forward.”

I didn’t want to move forward. I didn’t want to move any direction that would not include

Piper.

Chapter 0316

+15 BONUS

But arguing with my father was useless. Once he set his mind to something, he would not be swayed.

So I did the only thing I could do. I nodded and saw myself out.

As soon as I opened the door, Julian stumbled away from it, backing up into the hallway.

I narrowed my eyes at him. He had clearly been eavesdropping. I would have called him out right away, but I didn’t want father to overhear. So I stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind me.

“So I eavesdropped… slightly,” Julian said, waving one hand. “That’s not a crime.”

“It is, if it’s the King you’re eavesdropping on.”

“It’s not, if you are the King’s son.”

My frown deepened. He exhaled long and slow.

“I can see you aren’t in the mood for games,” he said.

“Do you even know how to have a conversation without them?” I asked.

He placed a hand over his heart like I had hurt him. “Honestly, brother, it’s not you I’m worried about, anyway. It’s our Piper that concerns me.”

“What about her?”

Memories of Julian cupping Piper’s face, his mouth on hers, made a storm erupt within me. I wanted to throttle him until I felt better, but I knew I’d never feel better.

I’d told Piper I wasn’t jealous but that was a d amn lie. I didn’t want anyone’s arms around Piper but my own. That Julian had k*ssed her, made me want to riot. 2

“She likes you,” Julian said. “It’s obvious to everyone. Even when she was sweet with me, I had to convince her to pretend I was you.’

That warmed something chilly inside of me. I hadn’t necessarily thought that Piper would prefer Julian to me, but having the confirmation was nice.

“You could have her if you weren’t such a da mn coward,” Julian said.

My good feelings vanished. What the hell did he mean by that? I glared at him.

He shrugged. “All you would have to do is actually stand up to our father.”

“The King is to be obeyed,” I said.

+15 BONUS

Julian snorted out a harsh laugh. “Go d, you are ever the perfect, most obedient son. No wonder you are the favorite, following around on his heels all the time.”

“The King has the best interests of the kingdom at heart,” I said, because that’s what I always said. I trusted my father. I had to. If I didn’t, how could I support him as the leader of the kingdom I loved?

“Do you ever wonder why you lost Piper that first time?” Julian asked, startling me into silence. “She didn’t trust you with her secrets. She didn’t know you were a prince, but she knew you would never put her first.”

“I’m a prince,” I said, like that held all the answers. Maybe, at one point in my life, it had. It seemed to be much less significant now. “I can’t put Piper first in my life. The kingdom will always come first.”

Julian shrugged. “That’s why you’ll never have her. And why you’ll never deserve her.”

I felt rooted to the spot. His words cut into me more than I wanted to admit to him, or to myself.

I knew I was right. I was the oldest prince. I was the one most likely to inherit the crown. I had to live my life a certain way and always follow my father’s rules.

Maybe Piper did deserve better than me. (1

“That’s the difference between you and I, brother. She can be my number one priority,” Julian said. “And when the time comes for father to tell me to drop her, maybe I won’t.”

I went very still. “What are you saying?”

Julian shrugged. “Maybe I’m the one Piper needs.”