Chapter l56

Chapter 0056

“Marry him, then.” She nodded, like it was decided. Like it was somehow that easy.

I hated disappointing her. I wished I could let her believe what she wanted.

“I’m sorry, Elva. But Prince Nicholas and I won’t ever be a couple. No matter what.”

She looked up at me with large, vulnerable eyes. “Not ever?”

I shook my head.

“But why?”

Because I broke his heart? Because he thought I had betrayed him? Because he’d returned the gift I’d

made him? Because he was a prince, and I was just a wolf–less waitress?

There were so many reasons. All of which felt like too much information for my small daughter.

“We’re just not meant to be,” I said.

Elva had a grasp of fairy tales and happily ever after. Even if she couldn’t understand everything, she

might be able to handle this much.

She must have, because her questions stopped. But then she started to cry.

“But I like him, Mommy,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “If you married him, then he would be my Dad.”

I hated more than anything to disappoint her, but what could I do? I couldn’t lie to her about this, not to

then have to reveal the truth like it was all some cruel joke.

Soon, I would be eliminated from the competition. I’d had a good showing tonight, but that didn’t mean !

would get to stay. Everyone knew I’d be the first to leave, including me.

After, Elva and I would be forced to leave. From then on, we’d only ever see the princes on television,

unless they went back to being reclusive. In that case, we wouldn’t even see their images.

I couldn’t pretend like our future held any hope of maintaining this lifestyle, including keeping Nicholas

around, even as a friend.

I’m sorry,” I said, and pulled Elva Into my arms.

She wrapped her arms around my n*eck and cried into my shoulder.

gently rubbed her back to soothe her. “We’ll be okay. No matter what happens.

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Later, after the ball had ended and Elva fell asleep in my arms, I carried her back to our room and tucked het into bed

I had thought the maids would have left us for the night, but the quiet maid stayed nearby, as if waiting

for me to finish

Stepping back from the bed, and Elva sleeping within it, I motioned the maid closer to the door. We spoke in quiet tones

You can get some rest” I said: “I don’t need anything more tonight.”

I tugged at my offending gloves. I hadn’t forgotten the apparent betrayal of my maids, who surely knew bout the Queen’s rules for glove–length and had not warned me

She gave you the wrong gloves,” the quiet maid said.

I blinked at her. “What?”

She pointed to the gloves I’d scrunched up in my hand. “Those are not the gloves I made for you. I don’t know where those came from, or why they exist. I swear to you that I made the gloves the correct length.”

News of my lecturing from the Queen must have traveled fast in the servants‘ corridors. It likely wouldn’t take long until the entire palace knew of what happened.

“You have to be careful, Miss Piper,” the quiet maid said. “I don’t know why the other maid gave you the wrong gloves. Maybe it was an accident, but…

“I

“You don’t think so,” I said.

“No”

So the other maid had purposefully meant to sabotage me. But why? For what purpose?

I was already going to be the first one to go home. Why make things even worse for me?

The quiet maid glanced around, like an eavesdropper might be listening at the door. “Someone might be out to harm you

A shiver ran up my spine.

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Later, after the ball had ended and Elva fell asleep in my arms, I carried her back to our room and tucked

her into bed.

I had thought the maids would have left us for the night, but the quiet maid stayed nearby, as if waiting for me to finish.

Stepping back from the bed, and Elva sleeping within it, I motioned the maid closer to the door. We

spoke in quiet tones.

“You can get some rest,” I said. “I don’t need anything more tonight.”

I tugged at my offending gloves. I hadn’t forgotten the apparent betrayal of my maids, who surely knew about the Queen’s rules for glove–length and had not warned me.

“She gave you the wrong gloves,” the quiet maid said.

I blinked at her. “What?”

She pointed to the gloves I’d scrunched up in my hand. “Those are not the gloves I made for you. I don’t know where those came from, or why they exist. I swear to you that I made the gloves the correct length.”

News of my lecturing from the Queen must have traveled fast in the servants‘ corridors. It likely wouldn’t take long until the entire palace knew of what happened.

“You have to be careful, Miss Piper,” the quiet maid said. “I don’t know why the other maid gave you the wrong gloves. Maybe it was an accident, but…”

“You don’t think so,” I said.

“No.”

So the other maid had purposefully meant to sabotage me. But why? For what purpose?

I was already going to be the first one to go home. Why make things even worse for me?

The quiet maid glanced around, like an eavesdropper might be listening at the door. “Someone might be

out to harm you.

A shiver ran up my spine.