I tried to pull my eyes away just to prove him wrong. Too quickly, I was looking again. “She’s the King and Queen’s favorite,” Julian said. “Your brother’s, too.” I tried to keep the distain from my voice, but I was a poor actor. I was certain that it shone on through. “Maybe.” Julian studied

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but we had given consideration to the spirit of the event,” I said. It wasn’t totally a lie. I had given some thought about how our divided display could still indicate some measure of cooperation, even if Linda hadn’t. “Explain yourself,” the Queen said. I motioned

I wished I could tell him that I understood he meant his words and that I appreciated them, but there was no real opportunity for me to do so. “Everyone needs to know their place, nobility and commoner alike,” Linda said. The King nodded. The Queen decided to change the subject, “I will try th

“Sabotage?” The girls around us burst into loud chatter. “Could it be possible? How would she do it?” “Anything’s possible. She could have done it.” “Someone get the guards! If it’s true, that’s an attempt on the Queen’s life!” At the sound of that accusation, the guards closed in around my

“But in the meantime –” Joseph tried again. Nicholas interrupted him. “I will accept personal responsibility for her. I will keep her by my side and make certain that she does not find herself in any more trouble.” Relief flooded me so quickly, I felt dizzy. I rested one hand on the table in cas

“Love has no place in royalty.” Nicholas tilted his head down and lowered his gaze. “I will be forced to marry the best Luna candidate in the Choosing Game. I can only hope that, at the very least, perhaps a sense of friendship will blossom later.” “And Lilliana is the best?” I asked. He sighed.

“Right.” Nicholas tightened his jaw. “Well, she certainly did in this case,” I said, inserting myself into their conversation. “I would never hurt anyone.” Lilliana looked at me blankly. “I believe that,” Nicholas said. Then Lilliana added, “Yes, me too. Piper would never hurt anyone.” I f

Joseph’s smile was twisted with cruelty. It deeply unnerved me. This man was not a noble himself, simply employed by them. He must have been like Lena, a traditionalist. Someone who wanted to uphold the way things had always been, rather than accepting necessary changes. I hated that such ideals c

Linda took the eggs off the stove too soon. I wondered if they had fully solidified. When she cracked them on a bowl, however, the whites of the eggs, at least, seemed whole. Yet when she cut them in half, to remove the yokes, the yellow yoke was slimy. She didn’t seem to mind and poured them into

As Linda dived at me, knife first, both Julian and Nicholas moved at once. Nicholas ran at me. He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me toward him, shielding me behind his body. Julian, meanwhile, went straight for Linda. He grabbed Linda’s wrist and twisted. The knife clattered down onto th