The Luna Choosing Game

Nicholas

I had no idea why I decided to help Piper. She had betrayed me in the past. By all accounts, I should

have been pleased to see her fail.

Yet, when I stood outside the sitting room and heard Lena suggest the traditional punishment for Piper, I

couldn’t stand idly by and do nothing.

The thought of Piper kneeling out in a storm, soaked, chilled, and miserable sent an unfamiliar tremor of

rage through me.

I didn’t feel strong emotions like that anymore, not since I turned off my heart three years ago. But this

hot anger had been enough to melt through my emotional freeze.

I couldn’t be detached, not with this.

Ambassador Zale had taught the royal family the secret Merfolk greeting only a few hours before. The

timing had been peculiar, almost as if he had expected us to utilize this new knowledge to help the girls

with the challenge, if we so wished.

I hadn’t intended to teach the greeting to anyone. But that had been before the Queen threatened Piper

over something as trivial as glove length.

An insult to the royal family, the Queen had said. Unlikely. She had always been fickle with such frivolous

such an extent that she would exert

felt purposeful, like Piper was being

she’d garnered unwanted attention simply by being here, but to see

made

to earn the favor of our kingdom’s people, and

of them for not knowing her obscure,

I could almost pretend that

to gamer goodwill

the truth. I sent Mark to

wanted to

dance with Zale while everyone else in the room

to feet

+15 BONUS

to ponder over other concems. Mainly, why didn’t Piper’s maids

had implied that it had been Piper’s duty alone to know, but we had assigned knowledgeable maids to each of the girls precisely

the harsh punishment for Piper Perhaps she was

thrones, but she was gone from her usual position near

look on his face. I

always.

he could tell something was

you looking for someone?”

“Lena,” I said.

motioned toward a discreet servant’s door in a comer of the ballroom.

sir.”