Julian and I stayed out in the woods until just before dawn, when we finally made our way back toward the palace. Just as we broke the tree lines and came into the field on the outside of the gardens, Julian stilled. I stopped beside him and looked at him curiously. His gaze seemed to be fixed on

Not long after I parted with Julian and returned to my room to change, I was alerted that the candidates were to report to the foyer to receive the results of the theater event. I had expected the results to come quickly, but this seemed extra fast. Though with Bridget the professional actress amo

After receiving Bridget’s warning, I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t risk running into Nicholas, which meant avoiding the places we usually went together. Instead, I ended up in the library with Veronica. Veronica didn’t seem surprised to see me when I joined her. She didn’t even really greet m

That evening, after preparing for dinner, I stopped to chat with the guards at my door. By now, they had all become friendly, familiar faces, and though I wouldn’t consider us friends exactly, it was always a pleasure to stop and say hello. It was also a relief knowing the people in charge of mine

I blinked, staring at Julian. Go on vacation with them? Was he talking about the reward for the theater event? That would explain Veronica’s presence. I stepped back and welcomed them into the room. Then I reminded them, “I’m not one of the high ranking candidates.” Julian shrugged. “Who cares?”