The new maid made me so uneasy that I sent both away whenever I could. Where I had appreciated the steady comfort of the quiet maid’s presence and enjoyed the conversations with the talkative one, this new maid seemed to be constantly watching me, even while I dozed. “Don’t you need help babysitti

The fact was, for whatever the reason, he hadn’t revealed my secret yet. If I played his game, maybe he’d continue to keep it. I pressed my hand to his elbow and nudged him closer to the door, further from Elva. I didn’t want her to know the truth yet. We’d have our own conversation in time, when

I’ll leave you two to chat,” Julian said, tapping Nicholas on the shoulder. Side by side Julian and Nicholas were of comparable height, with Nicholas an inch or two taller. They looked similar too, though Julian’s features were somewhat softer than the hard angles of Nicholas’s face. Nicholas wa

It was hopeless. To clear my head, I suggested to Elva that we go for a walk in the gardens. She eagerly agreed. Twenty minutes later, we were hand in hand among the flowers and the fresh air. The world did seem more peaceful out here in nature, and I began to let some of my anxieties slip away.

The guards grabbed me by the arms and yanked me to my feet. Once I was standing, they continued to grip, as if I might try to run away. “I’m not surprised,” Lena said, turning up her nose at me. “It was only a matter of time before this one started some trouble.” I struggled to maintain my calm.

Her fury, which I had caused to heighten for a moment, quickly smoothed out again. Her grin returned, wide and sharp. “I should have known you were the one who made that sad little gift. It was so simple, so… fashion-backwards. I had been ready to apologize for its very existence, before the princ

Nicholas waited for Kirsten to answer, even while she hesitated. Slowly, he lowered his hand that had been displaying the wrist guard down to his side. She shifted nervously from foot to foot. She laced her fingers together. “Well… you see…” As she struggled, Elva moved into the space between

Lena pressed a hand to her face. “Lena, we will speak about your part in this later,” Nicholas said, dismissing her. “Yes, Sir.” Lena, keeping her eyes on the ground, quickly turned and walked back toward the palace. Elva, who had been hiding behind my skirts, peeked her head out. “Is it over?

Nicholas What I said hadn’t been a lie. I did have other wrist guards, made by artisans and leatherworkers from all across the country. Yet none of them had been quite as meaningful as the one handmade for me by Piper. Hers was more comfortable too. I wasn’t sure how she could remember the siz

Piper couldn’t think I was running away from her, despite that being exactly what I was doing. I’d never let her know she had any power over me still. If she knew, she’d likely use it against me. I continued to suspect that she was only here for nefarious purposes. Her presence couldn’t have b