NovelEnglish
Chapter 0327
The next morning, as I was preparing for the day, a messenger came to the door to call me to a
meeting with the King, I immediately put back the jeans and t-shirt I was going to wear and selected a
dress instead. Charlotte helped me dress in a hurry, and then I rushed to follow the
messenger.
I was led to Nichola s’s private rooms where the King was pacing back and forth in front of the secret
passageway opening on the wall. Nicholas and Julian were there as well. Nicholas stood straight, as if
at attention. Julian had his arms crossed.
When the King noticed me, he stopped pacing. “Now that we are all here, I want someone to explain to
me exactly what happened here last night. The guard told me what they could, but there are many
blanks that need filled in.”
I swallowed hard, not sure where to even begin. The King looked at me with such intense focus that I
felt vulnerable in a way I didn’t like. Under such scrutiny, it was difficult to get my thoughts in order,
especially my necessary lies.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtFortunately, Julian stepped in first. “The underground organization attempted a bold move last night by
attempting to kidnap Nicholas.”
“Nicholas?” The King’s sharp gaze snapped toward his eldest son. “Why wasn’t your guard up against
such an attack? The guard found no sign of forced entry.”
I held my breath. Please don’t mention Jane!
“I mistakenly believed that the person at my door was someone who could be trusted,” Nicholas said,
keeping it vague, thank goodness.
The King narrowed his eyes. “Who?”
Nicholas hesitated only an instant, before replying, “A guard.”
“You can hardly fault him for trusting a guard, father,” Julian said, smoothly sliding in. “At that time of
night, he likely thought it was an emergency and wasn’t thinking for his own safety.”
“Well, you should have been,” the King said. “We have enough chaos around here, without my oldest
prince to go missing.”
Nicholas swallowed. “Yes, sir.”
“Yeah, and you were concerned about his well-being too, right, father?” Julian added. He smirked but it
had an edge. “He could have died last night.”
“Unlikely, if they meant to kidnap him,” the King said, turning away. He switched his focus to me now.
“And what was your part in this, Piper? I’ve heard many accounts that you were
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His eye twitched, like he expected me to deny it.
“I was here,” I said.
“Piper was with me last night,” Julian said. “We arrived together to the scene.”
The King blinked. “…together?”
“Yes,” Julian continued. He walked across the room to stand at my side. Easily, he slipped his arm
around my waist, resting his hand on my hip. “Together.”
Behind the King, Nicholas glared at Julian. Julian just smiled brighter.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
“I see,” the King said, and eased somewhat. He smiled a little. “Yes. Good. Very good. Did the cameras
see you?”
“Perhaps we should focus on the task at hand,” Nicholas said.
The King turned to him. “Yes, you’re right. The underground organization is growing bolder by the
minute. I cannot have them threaten my livelihood.”
“And your kids,” Julian added. “Don’t forget we’re flesh and blood.”
“What else would I be talking about, Julian?” the King snapped.
Julian closed his mouth. His fingers tightened on my hip, ever so slightly.
“I will need to speak to Joseph about this,” the King said, and stormed from the room without another
word – or a backwards look.
I hated him a little then, for not giving his children the comfort they were looking for in him. Nicholas
and Julian seemed fine, standing tall, but this was not the behavior a father should have after one of his
children was nearly kidnapped or killed.
If someone had tried to take Elva, I would have burned down the whole palace in search of the
attacker. I suspected that was also true for Nicholas and Julian. Thank G od they managed to grow
some empathy even growing up in an environment that lacked any.
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