Chapter 254


    Chapter 0254


    Nathan led Nichs and me into a sitting room where the King sat upon a chair. All other chairs had


    been pushed to the back of the room. It was clear he meant for the rest of us to stand.


    As we entered, the King narrowed his eyes in Nichs’s direction. Nichs lifted his chin.


    “Nathan, I believe I was clear in my orders that Piper arrive alone,” the King said.


    Nathan bowed his head. “My apologies, Your Majesty.”


    “It’s my fault,” Nichs said. “I refused to allow Piper to face you on her own.”


    The King frowned deeper. “And if I ordered you to leave?”


    Nichs squared his shoulders. “You would have to have be forcibly taken from this room.” (1


    The King and Nichs stared at each other for a moment, as if in silent conversation. Then the King


    sighed, long–suffering.


    “Stay then,” the King said. “I will be amused to hear how either of you can defend Piper’s actions from


    tonight.”


    I spoke at once, “I deeply apologize –”


    “Apologize?” the King scoffed, cutting me off. “You honestly believe that a mere apology will fix all that


    you’ve done? You called one of our benefactors tonight a ‘fat cow. And I won’t dare repeat the things you


    said to Mrs. Maple.”


    “I’ll do whatever it takes to redeem myself,” I said.


    “I don’t care about your redemption! I want to know what possessed you to speak and act as you did to


    start with! Did you temporarily lose your mind? Has the pressure of the contest addled your senses?”


    The


    King’s voice slowly rose.


    I lowered my chin down to my chest. “I have no excuses, Your Majesty. I surrender myself to your


    punishment.”


    “No, she doesn’t,” Nichs snapped. He stepped forward and half in front of me, shielding me from


    some of the King’s re.


    “Nichs, you are treading on thin ice,” the King said through his teeth.


    “I will not allow punishment to fall on her when she has done nothing to deserve it.”


    “You don’t believe her actions are worthy of punishment?”


    “No.”


    The King was bbergasted. “Why ever not?”


    “Nichs, please,” I whispered. Was he nning on revealing the truth about Jane? He couldn’t do that!


    Nichs hesitated.


    “Answer me, Nichs. Exin to me why she does not deserve punishment.”


    “She just doesn’t,” he said, haltingly, like each word pained him.


    “Your Majesty, if I may.” I sidestepped around Nichs. “If I may ask, Sir, please allow me a list of


    everyone who I offended so that I may personally apologize through letters.”


    “That won’t be enough. Many of the nobility are fiercely angered. Even those you did not directly insult.”


    “I understand, Sir. But I would like to try anyway. My behavior tonight was truly out of line, and I will


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    make amends. This I promise to you.


    The King considered me a moment. “That’s very good of you, Piper, but this should never have been


    necessary.”


    “I understand and agree,” I said.


    Silence filled the room for a long moment.


    “I still require a reason. Despite the misunderstandings you’ve created, Piper, you have generally been


    harmless. I would know what drove you to make such a fool of yourself, and of me, for hosting you.”


    I swallowed hard. I did not want to lie to the King, but I couldn’t tell him the truth. I searched through my


    thoughts and feelings, and pulled out the most logical, honesty–adjacent reason I could find.


    “Elva wasn’t feeling well again,” I said. “I fear my worry for her drove me to act irrationally.”


    The King watched me with a hárd expression. I stood tall and proud, epting his judgement. Then he


    shook his head.


    “I can understand your concern over your ailing child. But a Luna would never allow her personal worries


    to interfere with her royal duties. Tonight has disyed your weak character not just to me and


    my Queen, but to the entire Kingdom through the television.”