The Luna Choosing Game

My whole heart shattered. “No, no, that’s not true. Prince Nicholas likes you a lot.”

Elva pulled away to look up at me with large, watery eyes. “But she said Nick–lass is mad at me. She said

I was naughty.”

“We can’t listen to her, okay?”

Her cupped her face with my hands and wiped away her tears. New ones just kept falling. My anger for Lena renewed, and I half wanted to chase her down the hall to give her a piece of my mind.

No one makes my little girl cry like this!

“She’s just a mean lady who doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Nicholas likes you. He’s not mad. He waved at you, didn’t he?”

The words seemed to placate Elva somewhat. Her tears lessened, though her sniffling remained. Her brows furrowed like she was thinking it through.

“He did wave…

“Because he likes you.”

“…Okay.” Her voice was small. It didn’t seem like I had fully convinced her, but I doubted I could say anything that would.

She would have to hear it from Nicholas himself.

Maybe if I could talk to him alone, I could convince him to spend some time with Elva.

Lena would hate it, and so would the other girls. I’d have to make sure it happened at a time that didn’t conflict with any of his other obligations.

Surely he would meet with her though? If I told him she thought he didn’t like her?

Surely he hadn’t become totally heartless in the past three years?

No, I knew he hadn’t. I had seen the soft–hearted way he’d interacted with Elva before

He might hate me, but he liked her. He would be willing to do this, I was sure.

I just had to get him alone to ask.

The next morning at breakfast, Lilliana was the most popular girl in the room. Every other girl wanted to know every detail of her solo–date with Nicholas.

attention seemed to go straight to her head, and she calmly and smugly answered every question she

was asked, albeit with a haughty attitude.

I

“Prince Nicholas lifted me into the saddle like the princess I am soon to be,” she said. “The horse

been tamer, however. Something I will rectify

horse had reason to be afraid of Lillianna when

had been said that animals had

the property,” Lilliana said. “I felt as if the prince was showing

belong

she spoke, I noticed she talked of the property and the palace

mention qualities of the prince himself,

qualities in how much it could bring

power. The house and

collected inside of me. Nicholas deserved someone who would notice

him as a person.

was all wrong for him. Hopefully he would realize that

sharing sharp looks toward each other, and open

room thickened as she continued

Ball was quickly

it seemed as if Lilliana was enemy

but I too wanted to see her eliminated

jealous. It was

worthy

Chapter 0046

looked in the mirror, barely recognizing myself. It was the night of the First Ball, and

a tight up do, with a few

near mirror figure of me, though her dress came up to her neck.

and she couldn’t stop giggling as she spun in

looked like

pulled her into a quick

we went to the door, the strange maid stopped me. “Don’t forget your gloves.” She

me

1

their length. It would have been a faux

well, but she was further back

to thank her later

I took her hand. “Let’s go to the ball, Elva”

gave a toothy grin.

for the results for the dress

was beautiful in its own way. They were a rainbow of colors and materials,

she must have been used to it. Others were similar, carefully sidestepping their trains or

gown and I genely

girls hushed themselves We waited with bated breath as Nathan read the erder of

First, he said. “Divis