The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 43

At first glance, she appeared friendly enough, smiling peacefully. She curtsied to me and introduced herself.

Tm looking forward to serving you,” she said.

But I found it strange. Surely she had passed my other maid being taken away down the hall. What kind of person would be smiling so calmly after having witnessed such a thing?

icholas.

I

I

Today was the day for Nicholas’s solo date, and I was trying my very best not to think about it.

Ever since receiving Joseph’s threatening letter, I’d been hiding out in my room as much as I could to

avoid him and the mean–looking guards.

With the First Ball fast approaching, I used the extra time in my room to help my maids work on me and

Elva’s gowns.

The dress had to be perfect. The order of introductions for the girls at the ball was to be determined by

the princes‘ preferences of the dresses.

Once the gowns were finished, pictures were to be taken of them and given to the princes, who would

then select their favorites. Those favorites would be the first ones introduced at the ball, and therefore

given the most time with the princes.

And with the cameras.

A major component of the Luna Choosing Game, was earning the public’s favor. I had a small advantage

with the common people, being one myself. But people like Lena and Joseph existed in every class.

that even with my slight advantage, I

didn’t mean I wouldn’t

two maids and I had split the design for my dress into three separate parts that we

were ready to combine the three elements into a

finished Elva’s matching dress

on doing the final work, as she had

mannequin for the dresses photo shoot. Elva’s dress was not to be included in the shot, since that would ruin the anonymity

something outside the window, likely the

I

restless, though I wasn’t sure why, I kept thinking about Nicholas’s solo date, but it shouldn’t be

and I were over

nervousness and trepidation

to me. “Mommy, come

for the distraction, I joined her

Elva pointed down toward

and Lilliana stood near the entrance of the stables

hands.

horse was a regal black stallion that greedily accepted

brown and white

trying to sidestep whenever

noticing. left his own horse to approach Lilliana. He offered her

horse. Lilliana shook her head, refusing to

mumbled voices, but with the way Lilliana held up her

ing dirty.

getting dirty.

wondered how she would

I

sugar cube to the horse himself. In his presence, the mare seemed to

help, lifted

hands lingered near her waist,

horseback riding together. He had helped me

same way.

myself remember, I could still feel the phantom touch of his strong

you fall,” he’d said then. “Tell me when you are okay, and

him a playful smile. “What if I want to stay

I

“Then we should give up on horseback riding for today and return to one of our rooms instead. If you want me to hold you, I’d like to

properly

I wondered if he was saying much the same thing

all. Nicholas moved his hands away from her waist

from a distance, these two did not

had chosen her, out of all the candidates, for

horse, and then together they started to ride forwards at

at the window.

she realized, “He’s coming over

she was going to do,

She waved both arms.

looked up. Lilliana glowered, but Nicholas’s stern

a hand and waved