Chapter 0290
Terry continued, listing each girl as well as the points they earned.
Toward the end, he said, “Susie. Two points.” He offered no explanation. Susie looked relieved.
“As for our final candidate,” Terry began. I held my breath because by now, I was the only one who had yet to be
mentioned. “I recommend the royal family dismiss her from the competition entirely.”
My breath caught. Some of the other girls turned to look at me. I wanted to crawl out of my skin.
Terry looked straight at the camera, as if speaking directly to the viewers at home. “This woman attempted to
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtseduce me in my own home. She flirted relentlessly. When I attempted to refute her, she grew violent.”
He turned toward the royal family. “Please. I implore you. For the sake of the competition… For the good of the
kingdom… remove this girl that has been nothing but a blight among us.”
The Luna nodded, clearly agreeing.
The King frowned, seemingly less sure.
Beside me Nicholas started growling.
I felt numb, like I was trapped inside of a nightmare. This couldn’t be reality. He couldn’t have just stood up there on
that stage and insisted to the entire world that he was the one who was wronged. That I was the one who
attempted to assault him, and not the other way around.
In the King’s hesitation, the Queen stepped forward. “Bring Piper to the stage,” she demanded.
Guards began to weave through the crowd.
Nicholas tugged me behind him. As the guards came close, he snarled, “F ucking try it, and I’ll tear your throat
out.”
The guards seemed unsure, their brows crumpling.
“I said, bring her to the stage,” the Queen said again, more forcefully.
The guards began to inch forward again. The hierarchy was clear. In the royal family and beyond, the Queen’s word
weighed more than the prince’s.
Nichol a s’s growl became louder. His body tensed. His hands curled like they might become claws.
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It was strange. Maybe it was the anticipation of seeing Terry, or the knowledge that he was in the same building, but
my nerves pri ckled since coming here. Even with Nichola s’s closeness, I could not release the tension of my
shoulders.
All too soon, Nathan cleared his throat and the event began. It felt more informal, compared to the rest. The
candidates were in our nice gowns, with our hair and makeup done in the modern fashion. But there were no other
guests, and no fanfare.
The royal family came in them, Terry among them, with Julian sauntering along behind.
When I saw Terry, my stomach clenched uncomfortably.
The royal family all moved onto the stage, sans Nicholas who stayed beside me as promised.