The Luna Choosing Game

I awoke the next morning to the sound of thunder outside my window and pounding on my bedroom door. I’d barely gotten out of bed when the door burst open and a slew of Joseph’s guards flooded in.

“Mommy!” Elva shouted as she hid under the covers.

“At least let me get dressed,” I said, holding up my hands.

The guard closest to me shook his head. “Orders are orders.” He grabbed me roughly by the arm and

dragged me toward the door.

met

In the hallway, Joseph’s guards were arguing with Nicholas’s. Mark was running toward me.

“Mark!” I called to him. “Elva’s in there!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll watch her!” he called back. He tried to come closer to me, but one of the guards roughly

shoved him. “Hey!”

“Mark, please.” I was worried he might start something. “Elva!”

Mark grit his teeth, but stepped backwards, letting the guards and me pass.

“Keep her away from this! Please!”

“I will,” he promised.

In my nightgown, I was dragged through the hallways. It was early, just before dawn, but many of the

girls peeked their heads out of their doors to see the spectacle.

seen. Likely this was

to see.

floor, near the back door, Lena had her

hoping to appeal to her sense of decency. If I went out

nightgown, it would soak

“You should have thought of that

I have had the time? Somewhere between being startled awake and dragged into the

back to her would get

forward, out into the gardens. They

one of them warned. Then they disappeared somewhere behind

away from the palace. I couldn’t see what happened behind

looking out at the flowers

tiny, frozen daggers. After only a few minutes, my nightgown was entirely damp, clinging to me like a

I wrapped my

They hadn’t said I couldn’t do that. It was all I had to

growing chill.

kneeled there. The cold

a nearby tree

with the rain to hide them. I was cold and tired and miserable, but I couldn’t

1. up.

what they wanted me to do. They

couldn’t. Elva needed her medicine. Julian

trade. And Nicholas…

Nicholas yesterday. The way he smiled.