The Luna Choosing Game

Around us, the girls were speaking with each other and the royal family. Only Nicholas, Susie, and myself

were silent.

The King gave Nicholas a hard look, and Nicholas’s lips twitched like he wanted to frown but didn’t.

I thought he might talk to me, but instead, he leaned forward to see Susie around me.

“It is a pleasant evening, wouldn’t you agree, Susie?”

Susie paled. “You… know my name?”

“Of course. I know the name of every candidate.”

“… oh…” She audibly swallowed a spoonful of soup. “Of course. Sorry to offend.”

“I’m not offended,” Nicholas said. “But, to my question. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Susie’s face shifted from white to red so fast, I worried she might be lightheaded. I placed an arm beside her, ready to catch her if she tilted.

“A–Agree?” Susie stuttered

“Yes.” Nicholas’s brow furrowed slightly. “That the weather is pleasant?”

“Ohl Yes, Yes, very pleasant.” Susie pushed her chair back. “If you’ll excuse me, I… I, uh… I have to use the bathroom!”

She jumped to her feet and started walking away. Halfway to the door she turned around, seemingly having realized she was still clutching her cloth napkin. She dropped it onto her chair, and then scuttled away, pressing her hands to her face.

at all otherwise, like he couldn’t quite

very shy,”

recovered then, glancing at me. He sat back in his chair and focused on his

he

with the girls, and with the

be zooming in on

attention to myself. 1,

at me again, his frown clear this

I tilted my head toward

noticed the camera and immediately schooled his frown into a passive

birds, Piper?” he asked me. He didn’t wait for me to answer. “I’ve taken to raising some. Beautiful, majestic creatures. But there is

“Which is?” I asked.

into me. “They lay their eggs in other

tactic, but shameless.”

blood pulled away from my face. He was talking about me.

think this was

To aim higher than I had any

mouth with my napkin, giving myself a moment to recover

Then I spoke.

I

I love

He lifted his soup–filled

swan. They are so pure, loyal. Monogamous. Among swans,