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.

to believe that even with my slight advantage, I

didn’t mean I

maids and I had split the design for my dress into three

to combine the three elements

Elva’s matching dress

maid insisted on doing the final work, as she had

was not to be included in the shot, since

looking at something outside the window, likely the horses again,

I

sure why, I kept thinking about Nicholas’s solo date, but it shouldn’t be enough to bother

were over

the room, nervousness and trepidation waging war

to me.

the distraction, I joined her at

down toward

entrance of the stables as horses were brought

hands.

black stallion that greedily accepted a sugar cube from

chosen for Lilliana was a brown and

trying to sidestep whenever Lilliana came

own horse to approach Lilliana. He offered

her head, refusing to

mumbled voices, but with the way Lilliana held up her pure white gloves,

ing dirty.

getting dirty.

wondered how she would

I

the horse himself.

with Nicholas’s help, lifted herself up into the

lingered near her waist, keeping her

the times we had gone horseback riding together. He had helped me then,

same way.

if I let myself remember, I could still feel the phantom

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

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

properly

I wondered if he was saying much the same thing

moved his hands away from her waist

two did not seem to like each other

imagine why Nicholas had chosen her, out of all the candidates, for his first solo

Lilliana to bring her mare alongside his horse, and then together they started to ride forwards at a slow pace

at the window.

realized, “He’s

going to do, she

She waved both arms.

up. Lilliana glowered, but Nicholas’s stern expression

a hand and waved