The Luna Choosing Game

The guards grabbed me by the arms and yanked me to my feet. Once I was standing, they continued to

grip, as if I might try to run away.

I’m not surprised,” Lena said, turning up her nose at me. “It was only a matter of time before this one

started some trouble.”

I struggled to maintain my calm. “She wished harm onto my daughter.”

Kirsten rolled her eyes. “Please. No one believes that. I am of the highest breeding. My word carries so

much more weight than yours, or that of your spawn.”

“But-

off

“Save your excuses for the head of the royal guard.” Lena cut me off. “He’ll be the one deciding a

punishment that will fit this show of disrespect.”

The head of the royal guard? Not the King or Queen or the princes?

must have seen the confusion on my face. “Arguments between

royal family about. These matters can be handled by

stomach. What punishment could

to be ejected from the competition without the royal family’s consent. As

good to drop me flat before the first elimination. But expulsion wasn’t all they

ΠΕ

us to a smaller, windowless room. Or take away some of my freedom of

potential punishments I could handle. None of them were

was that they would take

and complacent,

you again? You should

You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as the prince, let alone speak to him.”

chooses whom he can speak to,” I said, daring a soft

Nicholas would not speak to anyone common

regarding our shared past, not because of my

Her eyebrow twitched, revealing the

talks to you because he is a good person and he feels

you actually have a chance in this competition? Someone like

here. I knew I was allowed to stay simply

the royal family among the