Chapter 11
You and Nichs have a special bond, and I can’t wait to see how far I can bend it.
I didn’t understand Julian at first. Nichs and I hadn’t been a couple in three years. Whatever bond
we
had was assuredly broken by now. The ns Julian had for us would make no difference anymore.
But then I realized, this wasn’t about me, or me and Nichs as a couple.
Julian’s hostility was aimed fully at Nichs himself.
They had always seemed like fierce enemies at the Academy. Perhaps the addition of them being
brothers didn’t make that perception untrue. Maybe it only intensified their rivalry.
“If you are nning on using me against Nichs, you are making a big mistake,” I said. “Nichs no
longer cares for me. In fact, he likely hates me. You’d be wasting your time.”
Julian’s smile neither grew nor wavered. He merely watched me a moment, then dipped his head.
“Good luck in the selection, Piper.”
Without another word, he turned and exited the room.
I had no idea what he was thinking.
I stayed in the room for a while, after that. The maids that were assigned to me had yet to appear. That
was fine. I didn’t need anyone to look after my daughter and me.
I began unpacking our suitcases, cing our clothes into the empty drawers of a nearby dresser. Elval
was diligently following me from the bed to dresser and back again. She pointed at everything she
could
“What’s that, Mommy? A painted vase atop a cab held a bushel ofvender.
“Who’s that? On the wall, a portrait of a couple hung in an borate golden frame.
“Look at that!” Out the window, a pair of horses grazed in a fenced–in field behind a stable.
humored her, answering her questions as best I could, until she grew disinterested and returned to her
toys. Ed pulled theforter off the bed and draped it across the back of a tall chair, giving her a
eshift fort to hide under and y.
restond to impacking
ck sounded on the door, Thad only blowed the door parties
As the door swung open, Nichs stood there with a few of his guard.
Despite my best efforts at holding back my feelings, my heart leapt into my throat at the sight of him. It
must have been a reflex. So many times he’d sneaked into my room at the Academy. Seeing him now,
in my doorway, sent me straight back in time.
For a moment, his gaze held mine. I wondered if he was there in the past with me.
But then he looked away.
“May Ie in?” he asked.
“Of course,” I said. Then, remembering myself, I added, “Your Royal Highness.”
His brow furrowed at the use of his title, but he didn’t say anything against it.
Maybe the reminder was good for us both.
“We’re making the rounds, taking note of each candidate’s needs.” He waved forward one of the
guards, who stepped diligently to his side. “This is Mark, my Beta.”
I bowed a little. “Nice to meet you, Mark.”
Mark’s eyes went wide, like he was surprised by my greeting. Surely the other girls would have been as
polite
Although thinking of that girl in the pink dress, and how she had roughly shoved Elva… Perhaps not.
I didn’t want to call out Mark’s reaction and potentially embarrass him, so I motioned toward my mostly-
empty suitcase on the bed.
1 think we have it covered here,” I said.
Nichs and Mark both frowned.
You unpacked your own bags?” Nichs asked, his voice lower than before. “Where are the maids
assigned to you?
Oh I immediately felt guilty. I didn’t want to get anyone in trouble. Lena said they had other duties to
attend to first, before they came to me.”
Uld sha Nichs said. It didn’t sound like a question so I didn’t answer, He shifted his eyes to Mark
“Thank you, Mark.”
“It’s really not a big deal.” I said, taking a step forward. “I don’t mind.”
“You are a guest here, miss,” Mark said. “It’s inappropriate for you to not be treated as such.”N?velDrama.Org is the owner.