The Luna Choosing Game

Forcing my voice level, I asked, “Why wasn’t I previously informed that Elva was suffering from a

terminal illness?”

The pitying one pushed his glasses up his nose with his index finger. “Perhaps we were optimistic before. But she has since taken a turn for the worst. We aren’t fortunetellers, ma’am.”

That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. “So you won’t treat her? At all?”

The pitying one shrugged. “What’s the point?” He placed his hand on my shoulder, and it took everything within me not to shove him away. “Giving up now is for the best. You’ll see that soon enough.”

“I will never agree with that,” I said. “Elva is worth saving. At least try. Please. I’m begging you.

The doctor with the pitying look shook his head. He called to his colleague. “We’re done here.” a

“No…” My legs went weak.

As one doctor walked straight out the door, the other, the one with the blank expression stopped at my

side.

In a whisper that no one else could hear, she told me, “Perhaps leaving the palace would be better for

her.”

I looked at her in confusion, but she offered no further explanation. She left the room without glancing

back

Was she insinuating that someone here might have done something to Elva? Or was she saying that no one here would help her because of who she was?

I collapsed. I would have likely banged my knees on the floor if my maid hadn’t caught me and helped.

me down.

What was I going to do? I couldn’t let Elva die! Even if she was sick enough… even if it was fated… didn’t

she deserve some treatment?

The poor girl was in pain!

Miss Piper said the second maid from Elva’s bedside,

Aluson I pushed myself back to my feet and scrambled to Elva’s side: Her little hand was reaching out

in both of mine

“It’s okay, honey. Mommy’s here now. It’s going to be okay.”

She seemed soothed by my presence, enough to fall asleep.

I glanced at the second maid, who was diligent in holding that compress and watching Elva. Confident she would alert me if something else occurred, I stepped back from the bed to consult with the doctors.

As I came toward them, they stopped their hushed words to each other and looked at me. One wore a blank expression. The other had a pitying look.

Elva have a fever?” I asked.

each other,

treatment plan,” the blank one

must have misheard. “Excuse

pitying doctor also had a tiny condescending smile. I

at that moment.

hope you will see reason,

hot. “You are talking about a person – a

that needs

of survival,” the doctor with the blank

her

understand. Were their resources so scarce they would refuse to help a child? Why hadn’t that been mentioned earlier? Julian had made it seem like they

were, saying she didn’t deserve a

I asked. My voice

no one said a thing about her having a

need to shout,” said the pitying one. “We can hear

expression crossed her

it came out shaking. I wanted to scream at them, but I had dealt

shouting wouldn’t work. For Elva’s sake, I had to submit to

I

Chapter 0022

“Why wasn’t I previously informed

terminal illness?”

up his

since taken a turn for the worst. We aren’t

wasn’t what I wanted to hear. “So you won’t treat her? At

one shrugged. “What’s the point?” He placed his hand

me not to shove him away. “Giving up now is for

that,” I said. “Elva is worth saving. At least try. Please. I’m begging

doctor with the pitying look shook his head.

legs went

the door, the other, the

side.

one else could hear, she told me, “Perhaps

her.”

she offered no further explanation. She left the

back

insinuating that someone here might have done something to Elva? Or was she saying

here would help her because

banged my knees on the floor if my maid hadn’t caught

me down.

was I going to do? I couldn’t let Elva die! Even if she was sick enough… even if

she deserve some treatment?

girl was

said the second

back to my feet and scrambled to Elva’s side. Her

“It hurts…”