?Chapter 0602


    Nichs, meanwhile, looked down and to the side. He wouldn''t meet my gaze even as I walked nearer to him.


    "Nick?" I prompted, fear weighing heavy on my heart.


    *Unfortunately, that isn''t all of the bad news I have to share," he said.


    I braced myself. "What else?"


    *Joyce has somehow escaped."


    I gasped, shocked. How could that be? The youngest prince had been given the nicest prison cell I had ever seen in my life, but it was still a prison cell, buried deep under the pce grounds. This ce is crawling with guards. How in the world would he escape?


    And why would he want to? Veronica had been working with him, helping him understand the depths of his brainwashing. Had he reversed to his previous thinking in Veronica''s absence?


    Oh, God. Veronica was going to be devastated. She''d been working so hard with him. She saw part of herself in him, and sought to save them both. She would undoubtedly see this as her own failing.


    *There''s no sign of tampering with the lock," Nichs said. "No missing uniforms, no discrepancy among the guard, who are vetted beyond the norm to be assigned to such a post. I don''t doubt them. Instead, it is simply as if he vanished into thin air."N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Nichs finally lifted his gaze to mine and I felt a pit open up in my stomach. I knew what he was saying with that look. My thoughts had traveled down a simr past.


    Who else could appear and disappear in an instant but Hawk, leader of the underground organization? After all, he had done simr when he''d rescued Jane from her fall off the balcony.


    "What could the underground organization want with Joyce?" I asked. "Hasn''t he already served his purpose?"


    "He is a prince," Nichs said. "If anything were to happen to my father, and then Julian and myself, Joyce would have legal im to the crown."


    Oh, I really didn''t like that. Were the underground nning on hurting Nichs and Julian?


    Or... were they expecting a war with the Bear People to do the job for them?


    Shivering, I wrapped my arms around myself. "The war makes everything so much moreplicated...


    Nichs blinked, surprised. It cleared away from his face in the next instant, taking away some of the worry with it. "Don''t worry about a war."


    "But the Bear People...?"


    *Julian is already investigating, searching for the lost princess. Even if she is dead, Julian will find her bones and return those."


    I wanted to believe that. I trusted Julian. If anyone could find the lost princess, it was him.


    But there were so many things to worry about, I was beginning to feel overwhelmed. I could carry all the burdens, I would to help Nichs. I wouldn''t shrink under their weight.


    But it was a lot to think over, to consider, and to n out what to do next.


    Especially with knowing the King and Queen were working hard to turn public opinion on me. I could be gone with the next elimination ceremony, and then I wouldn''t be able to help with any of these other problems.


    "Nick, if I get eliminated -


    "You won''t," Nichs said.


    I met his eyes which burned with fierce determination. He believed his words so strongly, that belief was starting fires in my own chest.


    "I don''t care what my parents do or say," he said, "I am not picking Bridget in the next elimination ceremony." "But, Nick..."


    *No, Piper. You are the one I want, and I won''t be convinced to choose otherwise."


    I adored him for his words, but worried the choice ultimately wouldn''t be up to him.


    He seemed determined to prove it to me though.


    His arms wrapped around me, pulling me against the hard line of his body. Then he leaned down and kissed me.