With the Second Ball only a few short days away, the dressmaking was underway and took up most of my time. My room had become something of a command center, with Charlotte, Elva, the nanny, Mark, and I as regulars. Susie visited quite often, sometimes with a maid or two in tow. Her gown, leopard-t

I sidestepped into his path, blocking him. His eyes narrowed marginally for a moment, before his overly-friendly expression returned. “Forgive her, sir,” I said. “It will take her some time to come around to a stranger.” “This is what I am attempting to rectify,” Terry countered. “I don’t wish

Nicholas I wanted to talk to my father about the state of the people that I had seen when I had taken Piper shopping, but the King was too busy to see me for several days. When I was finally allowed audience inside of his chambers, he had his war map stretched out over the dining table. My mothe

If I wanted to help the people, I would have to do it on my own. As for the border, I could only hope Terry’s arrogance didn’t lead us into full-scale war. “I’m not sure it’s wise to send that many troops north,” the King said. “If this is an innocent endeavor on their part, we might then look the

I sat in a sitting room at a table for two, having tea and pastries with Julian. I wasn’t surprised when Julian asked me on another date. We had plenty left to investigate, after all. But I was confused when he led me here, to what seemed like a legitimate date. I was startled that Nicholas and Li

His gaze sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. Blushing slightly, I glanced away from him and toward the cameras instead. Their presence reminded me of where I was and what Julian had just asked me. I cleared my throat. To Julian, I said, “You’ll have to wait and see.” He laughed. Ten minutes

On the night of the Second Ball, Charlotte helped me add the finishing touches to my costume. My sheer butterfly wings hung close to my shoulders, not extending too far, just enough to show. My hair was up and mostly hidden under a sea of brightly colored flowers. My mask covered most of my face,

Nicholas held my gaze the longest. He finally glanced away when a girl tugged on his arm. The music started and she pulled him toward the dance floor. It seemed that anonymity made everyone feel a bit bolder than usual tonight. Myself included. I stopped by the drink table to grab a flute of

Tonight at the Second Ball felt like a night where anything could happen. As Nicholas pulled back from our kiss, I immediately wanted him to return for another. I had butterflies in my stomach, remembering the way he said my name. He said it again now. “Piper.” “How did you know it was me?”

Terry waited through the length of my indecision. When he motioned a second time for me to sit, this time I joined him on the couch, sliding down onto the spot he indicated. “Tell me about the girl in the black dress,” I said. “Uh, uh. Demanding is not very becoming, Piper. Here, have some champ