#Chapter 175: Pretend To Be In Love

In the following days, new rules were assigned to the candidates. None were allowed to wander the palace without a personal guard. No one was allowed outside, not even into the gardens. The King and Queen had totally barricaded themselves away. Joyce had too. Only Nicholas and Julian could occasionally be seen, flittering through the hallways with maps and blueprints under their arms. They’ve kept me privy to their activities, mostly with messages sent through Mark. Despite the number of passageways found, my sister remained like a ghost. She always seemed to be one step ahead. No one really knew how it was possible. Julian and Nicholas were getting more and more frustrated. The tension in the palace was cracking, soon to break one way or another. The candidates were stir-crazy. Even the guard seemed unnerved. Outside, the protestors chanted day and night without end. One morning, at breakfast, Tiffany dropped her face onto her empty plate and said, “I’m going to scream.” Veronic