The Luna Choosing Game

As Nicholas asked out Lilliana, I stood in the back of the crowd of watching girls, my heart down on the

floor.

I had no right to be upset. I knew that. I had given up the right to be upset a long time ago.

Yet I couldn’t deny the feeling.

First, Nicholas had returned the handmade gift I made him, and now he was asking another girl on a solo

date.

According to the rules of the competition, solo dates were only supposed to be awarded after a girl performed well in one of the events.

Of course, from what I’d heard, the rules also stated that a prince could ask any girl out at any time, sol supposed such a thing wasn’t unheard of.

But for it to be Nicholas who asked for the first solo date felt like the hardest pill to swallow.

I understood that the candidates were invited here to the palace to date the princes. Soon, Nicholas would pick someone to marry.

abundantly clear that he would

both moved on since then.

to the dining room, holding Lilliana’s hand with only the barest touch, he didn’t seem happy.

seemed like a shell of the man I once knew. It hurt me to see. I couldn’t stand to look

turned away from the spectacle

tree line. The sky was painted in a palette of orange and purple. It

window to see it. We had never gotten much time to appreciate nature back in the bustle of

hoped she

a male voice said, suddenly behind

jumped, startled, and turned to face

hair out of place or

stripes and fringe than the other

was because he was the

I had noticed him when some of the other

pointed him out.

severe expression. I felt much like

more,” he said, voice gruff.