Chapter l356

Chapter 0356

“It’s just strange,” Julian said, as he escorted me from our room for one of our dates. “I guess since pretty much the time the King saw you and Nicholas, he’s been locked up with his advisors. I’ve seen him many once in passing, but he didn’t stop to talk to me.”

To me, that didn’t seem all that strange. Up until the event began, the royal family were reclusive. Even the King himself was not typically seen. However, for Julian to be so worried about it that he would bring it up with me, indicated a deeper problem than I would have otherwise assumed.

“Is that so unusual for him?” I asked. “He doesn’t seem like a big family man.”

“Maybe,” Julian said. “But usually he keeps us three princes in on the plans. Whatever ideas he and his advisors are coming up with now, I don’t think he’s even talking to Nicholas about

Watching his puzzled expression, I frowned in solidarity with him.

“My parents think I’m a wildcard, they might not tell me everything,” Julian said. “But to keep Nicholas out of the loop, too? It’s troubling. God knows what kind of plans they are concocting without our input.”

“Surely the advisors would know what they are doing?” I asked.

Julian sighed. “I wouldn’t trust those guys with my lunch order, let alone the sake of the whole nation. I guess the fact that nothing has happened yet is a measure of comfort. Some of those advisors, I’m sure, want to chase away the protestors with violence.”

My nerves prickled. “Wouldn’t that just make the protests worse?”

“Protests?” Julian huffed a sharp laugh. It had no humor in it and died quickly. “That kind of act might trigger a civil war.”

My heart jumped once with sharp worry.

Julian noticed, maybe from the look of increasing worry on my face, and lamented. “I’m sorry, Piper. I shouldn’t talk to you about these things.”

“You can talk to me about whatever you like,” I said.

He shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s cruel of me to put all of this on you. Besides, maybe you are right. Maybe the advisors are actually coming up with good ideas this time. Or my father is. Anything is possible.”

I let the words settle in around me. Perhaps Julian was needlessly worrying, but… he was always so observant. I had trouble believing he could be wrong about anything he’d witnessed.

1/2

“We haven’t seen much of Prince Joyce either,” I said, just to make conversation, and hopefully, to pull the conversation away from more ominous worries.

“He does stay cooped up in his room most days. He loves to read,” Julian said. Though, as my words lingered, he said, “When was the last time you saw him?”

I tried to think back. We’d had no formal dinners in a while, nor events.

“The last time I saw him was that night on the balcony,” I said. “When he’d given me that letter.”

“And locked you out there,” Julian added. He sounded suddenly pensive.

I didn’t really want to think about that part, but, “Yes.”

He’d never apologized for that, though perhaps he never realized that he’d done it. If he’s been locked up in his room, then who would have told him? The only other people who knew about it were Julian and Nicholas. 1

“You haven’t spoken with him, either?” I asked Julian.

“No. I haven’t even seen him myself.” Julian sighed. “But that’s not so unusual either. As I said, he oftentimes stays in his room. And if father hasn’t summoned us…”

I nodded.

“Sometimes I think about that night,” Julian said.

“Me, too,” I said. What almost happened to Nicholas stayed with me all the time. I clutched it

my close. That memory was what would help me, when the time came, to deal with sister.

“I don’t just mean what happened after we went after Nicholas…” Julian added. He seemed far away for a moment. I wondered where he went.