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.

great embarrassment to him, showing

Maybe he hated me.

girl

was monotone. Another moment of staring at me blankly, then he turned and

followed him. He led

official-looking man in a suit hurried toward him. “Your Royal Highness, please remember that per the selection rules, you

at the man, who nervously

an exception,” Nicholas

sir. Of course, sir.” The man bowed

servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving

stomach churned. I thought I might be sick. I had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas again, and especially

to see me as I was? To see me here, as part of the selection? And with

chest. She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes

his perfect façade cracked. He frowned. His golden eyes

on Elva, his arm looped

hide my child from me?”

a stop. I blinked once, twice, but, no, I couldn’t make sense of what he

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

She was three

to recall the memory. We’d been so young then, too

was when he’d

anger, but the certainty that fueled it seemed to

I said, hoping to

wanted children. He’d even said so on television. For me to hide a child from

That’s her name. But she’s not

before the anger returned

he wanted to say, he seemed to struggle

glanced between me and Elva. “She

twin sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas. Elva was mine in every way that mattered. I would not have her

silence seemed to answer some unspoken question

What could

arms, and he immediately cut

onto one of the plush couches in the

mad at Mommy,” came