} Chapter 0504 I With Nichs’s arms wrapped safely I around me, I debated with myself \ whether to ask the questions I wanted or to go back to what I was sure would be the I world’s mostfortable sleep.


    In the end, my desire for answers outweighed my sleepiness.


    Nichs could tell without me even saying anything. “I can hear you thinking.” I nearly rolled my eyes, but the effect would be lost as it was, with my back to Nichs’s front. He wouldn’t be able to see my face.


    Instead, I stuck to my questions.


    ?What happened with the King and Queen?” 1 asked. “Why did it take so long?” Nichs sighed, his breath warm on my


    ear. ‘My parents just wanted to lecture me for a while.” That was a non-answer if I ever heard one.


    “Nichs,” I said, pressing.


    He sighed again, louder. “Okay, okay. I didn’t want to get into the details, but yes, they are absolutely furious about my rescue.” ?Because it endangered you?” ?Not exactly, though I’m sure that was part of it. NO. Instead, they were most upset about the optics.” Optics? In the eyes of the public? ?Because of the spection about what happened in the cave?” “No,” Nichs said. ?That was so grainy, thank God, that no one could tell what went on for sure. Even my parents, who had people analyzing the footage to see if they needed to make a statement about it,


    confirmed the results were inconclusive.


    We''re in the clear there. I think. Though people will still specte. Can’t help that.” “Then what optics are you talking about?” “My rescue was highly regarded among the public. It’s lifted my standing in their eyes,” Nichs said.


    [ was confused. “Isn’t that a good thing?” Wasn''t that what this entirepetition was about? To make the royal family look good? (yes. And no. Because I''m not the only one who''s status just got lifted.” He kissed me again, this time pressing his lips to the shell of my ear. “I went for you, Piper, and the public knows it. They saw you fighting for survival. They were cheering for you.” [ couldn’t believe what Twas hearing.


    Once Bridget showed up, my status in the


    \ eyes of the public dropped substantially.


    ) Suddenly noone cared about the underdog wolfness normie when a \ superstar was around, especially one with I a sorted history with Nichs and Julian.


    It seemed like a kind of movie story, \ reunited childhood sweethearts, who were both famous in their own ways.


    Nichs and Bridget should have been the couple to end all couples.


    yet here the kingdom was, once again rooting for me.


    “My parents are furious,” Nichs said.


    ?They''ve spend thest several weeks trying to bring Bridget into the spotlight.


    Apparently I ruined that for them.” [ hated how much it still stung, knowing how much the King and Queen didn’t like me. I knew it wasn’t exactly personal.


    was supposed to be justa publicity stunt to draw ratings and open the hearts of the wary public to the good of the royal family. That 1 actually seemed to stand a


    chance again and again annoyed them to no end.


    yet it did still hurt. Maybe because-tcared about Nichs so much. If the King and Queen weren’t so against us being together, maybe we might have stood a chance...


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Or maybe not.


    Nichs would always do the best for his kingdom. The throne took precedence above all else, even his own heart.


    And], unfortunately, would never make the best Luna and Queen. After leaving the Academy in shame, I''d spent most of my time working low paying jobs just to survive. What did I know about politics? About court intrigue? About war? No. For the sake of the kingdom, Nichs was always going to have to choose someone else. Someone from nobility, who was born and raised to hold a high ce in the royal court.


    Not me. Not an out-of work waitress ?please know that I lectured them nearly as much as they lectured me,” Nichs said, startling away from the downward spiral of my thoughts. “1 asked them what kind of alternative they wanted. Did they want me to just leave you in that hole? Didn''t they understand you could have died there?” I shivered, even in thefort of his embrace, remembering how cold and damp I was in that pit. Thank God Thad been reunited with my wolf before that happened. Without the additional healing factor my wolf provided, I likely would have died there even before Nichs had found me.


    Not wanting to think on it any longer, I turned in Nichs’s arms and buried my nose against his chest. I inhaled his familiar,forting scent, letting the feel of him seep down into the deepest parts of me, until Twas fully


    epassed by all of him.


    Only like this, could I find peace. Only like this, could I truly leave the pit in the past.


    Nichs raised a hand, and traced a finger down the length of my check. At my chin, he lifted my face slightly, then leaned down and kissed me on the mouth I hummed into the soft kiss. I felt like he was kissing life back into me.


    When he pulled away, I felt more like myself than had a few minutes before. I smiled at him in gratitude. He didn’t return the smile with his lips, though his eyes were wari, showing his appreciation for me there.


    [ didn’t need confirmation of Nichs’s affection, not anymore. The man had trudged into a stormy jungle to find me.


    He had saved my life.


    And now he was here, holding me, instead of being literally anywhere else.


    “The conversation wasn''t all doom and ) gloom, though,” Nichs said. “We did talk about some other, more pleasant I things. Like the uing meeting with f the merfolk.” Oh, yes. With all the excitement, I''d I nearly forgotten about that. I''d met an ambassador of the merfolk before, at oi.


    of the first events of thepetition. I remembered the otherworldly nature of the encounter. God help me, I hoped I could remember the customs properly.


    “We’ve all been invited to an underwater ball,” Nichs said.


    My mind scrambled. It made sense that the merfolk, being sea-dwellers, would hold underwater events, including dances and balls. But it seemed strange to me to invite us air-breathers to them. Were we expected to wear scuba gear? Nichs must have seen the confusion on my face. He leaned in and kissed the spot between my brows where a line must


    have been forming.


    \ “IT am so curious to what you are I imagining,” he said.


    He was teasing me. That didn’t happen often, so I leaned into it, indulging him.


    I : : “I have no idea how to dance with flippers on my feet and an air tank on my back,” I said. I didn’t know how I''d talk either. How would they be able to hear me with that thing in my mouth? Nichsughed lightly, then kissed me again. His eyes were sparkling with mirth. God, it was such a good look on him. I wished I could make him this happy all the time.


    But that was a dangerous thought.


    As good as we were, we were not meant for forever.


    I focused on the now instead, however, and tried to remember every curve and crevice of his smile.


    I “piper,” he said. “Have you ever been ) magicked to breathe underwater before?”