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 him,

Maybe he hated me.

is the outsider.” The girl

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

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

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

man, who nervously

is an exception,” Nicholas

Of course, sir.” The man bowed

stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas, Elva, and

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

had no idea what even to say. What would he think of me, to see

have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed and

Nicholas, and at once, his perfect façade cracked. He frowned. His golden eyes filled with

his hands stayed gentle on Elva, his arm looped more

hide my child from me?” he

skidded to a stop. I blinked once, twice, but, no, I

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

Elva, softly sleeping in his arms. She was three years old. That lined up with our breakup three years

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

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

seemed to slide

hoping to

was no secret that Nicholas wanted children. He’d even said so on television. For me to hide a child from him would have been a cruelty. He would likely have struggled forever over the

name. But

eyes widened a moment, before

seemed to struggle to get it out. He

and Elva. “She looks

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

to answer some unspoken question for him, and he

What could cause

his arms, and he immediately cut off the

one of the plush couches

Mommy,” came Elva’s