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.

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

Maybe he hated me.

girl in pink

voice was monotone. Another moment of

followed him. He led me to an

Royal Highness, please remember

look at the man, who nervously

an exception,”

Of course, sir.” The man

A servant stepped forward and

had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas

me, to see me

at ease against his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes

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

stayed gentle on Elva, his arm looped

hide my child from me?”

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

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

She was three years old.

to recall 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

said, hoping to give him

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 guilt for the years

name. But she’s

widened a moment, before the anger returned tenfold.

he wanted to say, he seemed to struggle to get

me and Elva.

Nicholas. Elva was mine in every way that mattered. I would not have

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

straightened, startled. What could cause that

and he immediately cut off the

Elva down onto one of the plush couches in

at Mommy,”