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.

he was simply pretending, to save face. I could be a great embarrassment to

Maybe he hated me.

the outsider.” The girl in pink motioned to

said, and even his voice was monotone. Another moment of staring at me blankly, then he turned

led me to an adjoining room, separated

Highness, please remember that per the selection rules, you aren’t to be alone with

stopped to look at the man, who nervously backed up

is an exception,” Nicholas

The man

into the room. I went inside after them. A servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas, Elva,

sick. I had never imagined

he think of me, to see me

who seemed at ease against his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed and drooling. She seemed

forward toward Nicholas, and at once, his perfect façade cracked.

stayed gentle on Elva, his arm looped more protectively

dare you hide my child from

once, twice, but, no, I

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

softly sleeping in his arms. She was three years old. That lined

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

he was when he’d climaxed. But, hadn’t he been wearing a condom at the

anger, but the certainty that fueled it seemed to slide into bewilderment. His gaze shifted, like he was trying

I said, hoping to

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

her name. But she’s

before the anger returned

say, he seemed to struggle to get it out. He swallowed it

and Elva. “She looks like

tell that to Nicholas. Elva was

seemed to answer some unspoken question for him, and he started

straightened, startled. What could

immediately cut off the

gently, he lowered Elva down onto one of the plush couches in the

mad at Mommy,”