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.

be a great embarrassment to him, showing up here, years after

Maybe he hated me.

The girl in

and even his voice was monotone. Another moment of staring at

held Elva, so I followed him. He led me to an adjoining room, separated by a

hurried toward him. “Your Royal Highness, please remember that per the selection rules, you aren’t to be alone with

stopped to look at the man,

is an

sir.” The man bowed twice

A servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas, Elva, and I alone in a small

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

to see me as I was? To

who seemed at ease against his chest. She must have cried

his perfect façade cracked. He

stayed gentle on Elva,

you hide my child from me?” he

skidded to a stop. I blinked once, twice,

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

She was three years old.

We’d been so young then, too eager and excited and

couldn’t remember where he was when he’d climaxed. But, hadn’t

certainty that fueled it seemed to

hoping to give him

me to hide a child from him would have been a cruelty. He would likely have struggled forever over the

name. But she’s not

a moment, before

say, he seemed to struggle

me and Elva. “She

to Nicholas. Elva was mine in every way that mattered.

silence seemed to answer some unspoken question

What could cause

he immediately cut off

one

be mad at Mommy,” came Elva’s quiet