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.

my slight advantage,

didn’t mean

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

Now, we were ready to combine the three elements into a

finished Elva’s

the final work, as

began arranging the mannequin for the dresses photo shoot. Elva’s dress was not to be included

herself was looking at something outside the window, likely the horses again, with the stables so

I

felt restless, though I wasn’t sure why, I kept thinking about Nicholas’s solo date, but it shouldn’t be enough to bother me like

and I were

of the room, nervousness and trepidation

to

the distraction, I joined her at

Elva pointed down toward

and Lilliana stood near the entrance of the stables as horses were brought to them by

hands.

a regal black stallion that greedily accepted

Lilliana was a brown and white mare that seemed nervous around her.

sidestep whenever Lilliana

to approach Lilliana. He offered her a sugar cube

horse. Lilliana shook her head,

beyond some mumbled voices, but with the way Lilliana held up her pure white gloves, I assumed she refused to treat the horse

ing dirty.

getting dirty.

how she would hold

I

to the horse himself. In his presence, the

and with Nicholas’s help, lifted herself up

her waist,

gone horseback riding together. He

same way.

could still feel the phantom touch of his strong hands

said then. “Tell

had given him a playful smile. “What if

I

eyes had been fond, green sparkling brightly under the sun. “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 do

properly

wondered if he was saying much the same thing to Lilliana, But, no.

all. Nicholas moved his hands away from her waist quickly and

from a distance, these two did not seem to

out of all the candidates, for his first

stallion. He waited for Lilliana to bring her mare alongside his horse, and then together they started to ride forwards at a slow pace – which brought them

at the window.

realized, “He’s

before I could figure out what she was going to do,

She waved both arms.

looked up. Lilliana glowered, but

lifted a hand and waved