The Luna Choosing Game

Nicholas held Elva safe and secure in his arms as he stood to his full height. Elva buried her face into the corner of his neck and shoulder. He gently patted her back.

He glanced down at Elva, his gaze so tender that it made my heart clench.

“There, there,” he whispered. “You are safe now.”

“Oh my God,” said one of the other girls in the room, fanning herself. “Of course he’s good with children.”

“Someone pinch me,” said another. “I think I’m dreaming.”

Nicholas’s soft expression hardened as he glared out at the rest of the room. “Whose child is this? Why is she here?”

I started forward, but the girl in the pink dress spoke before I could reach him.

“An outsider sneaked in, unless she’s a maid.”

Some of the other girls snickered at my expense.

“She can’t be a participant,” another girl fake-whispered, loud enough for half-the room to hear. “I thought we had to be virgins, and she’s got a kid.”

I wanted to disappear into a corner. Whether virgin or not, I was nothing compared to the rest of these girls.

My clothes weren’t as nice as theirs, and my figure wasn’t like what it had been at the Academy. I’d lost much of my musculature. I was skinny from too many nights of skipped dinners.

Elva’s wellbeing had always come before my own.

Her sake was the only reason I continued forward rather than hide in embarrassment. I stopped only when I reached Nicholas.

He looked at me, and I looked at him.

I’d forgotten how gorgeous his eyes were, golden brown with flakes of green. When we’d dated, I had spent hours looking at them, trying to memorize that color, but it had seemed different each time.

Before, when I’d stared long enough, I could earn a bashful smile from him. Now, his face was totally devoid of emotion. He looked at me like I was a stranger.

Did he… not recognize me?

I had changed, sure, but not enough to become unrecognizable. Unless he truly had sealed me away in his past and moved on, never once looking back.

save face. I could be a great embarrassment to him, showing up here, years

Maybe he hated me.

the outsider.” The girl in pink motioned

this,” Nicholas said, and even his voice was monotone. Another

Elva, so I followed him. He led me to an adjoining room,

please remember that per the selection rules, you aren’t

to look at the man, who nervously backed

is an exception,”

sir. Of course, sir.” The man

I went inside after them. A servant stepped forward and closed

stomach churned. I thought I might be sick. I had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas again, and especially not

even to say. What would he think of me, to see

against his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed and

stepped forward toward Nicholas, and at once, his perfect façade cracked. He frowned. His golden

Elva, his arm looped

dare you hide my child from me?” he

my thoughts skidded to a stop. I blinked once, twice, but, no, I couldn’t make sense

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

in his arms. She was three years old. That lined up with

memory. We’d been so

he was when

retained its anger, but the certainty that fueled it seemed to slide

hoping to

from

her name. But she’s not

eyes widened a moment, before

struggle

and Elva.

mother was my identical twin sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas. Elva was mine in

question for him, and he started to

What could cause

stirred his arms, and he immediately cut off the deep rumbling

one

Mommy,” came Elva’s