Chapter 37
Nichs waited for Kirsten to answer, even while she hesitated. Slowly, he lowered his hand that had
been disying the wrist guard down to his side.
She shifted nervously from foot to foot. Sheced her fingers together.
“Well… you see…
As she struggled, Elva moved into the space between Nichs and me. She took both of our hands.
Looking down at her, I could tell that Nichs had wiped her tears away. She wasn’t crying anymore,
though she still seemed uncertain, half–hiding behind my skirt.
Nichs continued to wait.
Kirsten was visibly sweating. Finally, she said, “1–I did, of course.” He attempted a giggle,
forced, painful sounding. “Why would you think otherwise?”
“Because I heard what you just said.”
“You… did…?”
but it was
“You lied to me,” he said, his voice perilously monotone. “You made me believe you had done me a
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kindness, when truly all you had done was attempt to cheat me.”
Kirsten began to tremble. “It’s not like that, Prince Nichs. I swear to you
“There is no excuse for what you’ve done. You are wasting my time.”
“But, Your Royal Highness —!”
Nichs looked at both of the guards, one and then the other, as if measuring their mettle by sight
alone. At once, both guards lowered their heads.
“I imagine you two were only doing what you were told,” he said, shing a quick re in Lena’s
direction.
She flinched.
Her obvious difort gave me more satisfaction than I wanted to admit.
“As such, you may remain on duty for now,” Nichs said. “You have the following orders.
The lifted their heads again,ing to attention.
“You are to escort Kirsten to her room to gather her things, then you are to see her off the property.
Lena,
I trust you can help arrange for a car to take Kirsten back home.”
“Yes, Sir,” the guards said quickly.
“Yes, Sir,” Lena said, much slower.
“H–home. ?” A look of confusion twisted Kirsten’s features. “Why would I be going home?”
“Because you are eliminated, Kirsten,” Lena said, stepping closer to her. “Do not disgrace yourself with
further questioning of your prince.”
Kirsten did not see Lena’s words for the clear warning it was.
“That can’t be! It’s weeks yet until the first elimination!”
The royal family has the right to eliminate anyone from thepetition at any time,” Lena said. “Please
control yourself.”
“No! That’s not fair.” She hurried forward too quickly. Her heels sunk into the grass, and she stumbled
down onto her knees. “Piper… Piper, tell him.”
She crawled to me. Reaching out, she tugged at the hem of my dress.
“Piper, you have to tell him. We’re friends, right? Tell him.”
Nichs looked at me.
I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t expected Kirsten, who had always been such a bully to turn into a
simpering, pathetic mess when threatened in return.
I also hadn’t expected Nichs to wait for me to say something. like he valued my opinion on the
matter. I had done nothing to earn that right, especially in his eyes.
He still thought I had betrayed him all those years ago.
Now he watched me, waiting to see if my judgement matched his
Kirsten was a sad sight Exaggerated sobs wracked her body, though her makeup remained pristine.
She had no real tears. She was faking this disy
If she had been genuine, I still would have deferred to Nichs’s judgement, but I would have felt a
Ivenge of quit about it for a moment or two.
As it was, I held no sympathy for her
Her cruel words to Elva were unforgiveable. Especially with no apologies given.
Looking at Nichs, I gave him a small nod.
His features did not change but an understanding crossed his eyes. He waved at the guards. “Carry out
those orders. Now.”
As they had earlier done to me, the guards grabbed Kirsten by her arms and yanked her back onto her.
feet.
“Wait! No, wait!” Kirsten shrieked. The fake sadness vanished and fury reced it in an instant. She
struggled against the guards. “Let me go! I’ll w her eyes out! This is your fault, Piper! Your fault!”
Her shouting persisted, even as the guards carried her away. “You can’t do this to me! Don’t you know
who I am? I am of high breeding! You can’t treat me like this!”