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 up here, years after leaving him, and

Maybe he hated me.

is the outsider.” The girl in pink motioned

into this,” Nicholas said, and even his voice was monotone. Another moment of staring at me blankly, then he

followed him. He led me to an adjoining room, separated by

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

look at the man, who nervously

an exception,”

sir.” The

stepped forward and closed the

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

what even to say. What would he think of me, to see me as I was? To see me here, as

She must have cried herself

at once, his perfect façade cracked. He frowned.

gentle on Elva,

dare you hide my child from me?” he

to a stop. I blinked once, twice, but, no, I couldn’t make

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

three years old. That

been so young then, too eager

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

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

I said, hoping to give

on television. For me to hide a child from him would have been a cruelty. He would likely have struggled forever

her name.

eyes widened a moment, before

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

me and Elva. “She looks

was my identical twin sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas. Elva was mine in every way that mattered. I

silence seemed to answer some unspoken question

What could cause

immediately

lowered Elva down onto one of the plush couches

at Mommy,”