Chapter 0315

Nicholas

After leaving Piper’s room, I knew what I had to do. What I should have done from the start, as soon as I learned of Piper and Julian’s fake relationship.

I went to my father’s rooms and requested an audience. Nathan didn’t seem thrilled about it, but announced me all the same. The King generally had an opened-door policy with his sons, assuming no other matter was pressing, so I was welcomed inside.

The King was at the head of his long table, shuffling through some documents I didn’t recognize. At a glance, they appeared to be reports from our border patrols. More unrest in the North?

My father lowered the documents as I approached. He did not address them. Instead, he kept his gaze on me.

“Something’s bothering you,” he said.

My father appreciated straight-forwardness, so I dove in without preamble. “Piper should not need to be in a relationship with Julian.”

The King sighed. “I knew you would disapprove. But you must understand that their relationship is of vital importance to our public relations.”

“Find a different way to improve it,” I said firmly. “Something that doesn’t involve Piper.”

“Using Piper is the easiest way.

“I don’t care about easy,” I said. “I don’t want her involved in this.”

“She’s already involved, Nicholas. Her entire presence here at the competition has only ever been to improve our image with the common people.” The King rubbed his temple. He seemed bored with this discussion, which irked me to no end.

He didn’t care about Piper. Maybe he didn’t care about any of the commoners. He only seemed invested in optics.

“Piper is a tool in our repertoire. One we need to properly utilize,” he said.

“She is not a tool. She is a person.”

The King sighed. He wasn’t listening, not really. If I didn’t turn this conversation around, he’d likely just dismiss me without a resolution.

his mind on this. Piper was in the thick of it here, and I wouldn’t be able to convince him to let

+15 BONUS

offer a

said. “If she has to be

flatly. I opened my mouth to argue, but he beat me to it. “We all expect that you will be the one to inherit the throne, Nicholas. We cannot

be

at the last elimination ceremony. Already there

likely stowed by Terry and simmering since. I knew he didn’t hate me.

us, they will go their separate ways. And a public breakup with Julian would be far less dam ning for the entire family than anything

would

said on this matter,” the King said. “If you stay, I

I closed my mouth.

not let this trouble you overmuch, son. When the competition

didn’t want to move forward. I didn’t want to

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Chapter 0316

he set his mind to something, he would not be

only thing I could do. I nodded and saw

as I opened the door, Julian stumbled away from

eavesdropping. I would have called him out right away, but I

Julian said, waving one hand. “That’s

if it’s the King you’re eavesdropping

if you are the

He exhaled long

you aren’t in the mood for

to have a

“Honestly, brother, it’s not you I’m worried about, anyway. It’s our Piper

“What about her?”

made a storm erupt within me. I wanted to

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