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.

cameras were nowhere to be seen. Likely this was not something the royal family wanted the

to see.

the back door, Lena had her

to appeal to her sense of decency. If I

would soak

should have thought of that this

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

to her would get me nowhere. I

forward, out into the gardens. They forced me down to my knees in the

them warned. Then they disappeared somewhere behind

was facing away from the palace. I

reasoned, looking out at the flowers and

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

I wrapped my

arms around myself. They hadn’t said I couldn’t do that. It was all I

growing chill.

kneeled there. The cold had set in. The

struck a nearby

them. I was cold and

1. up.

to do. They hoped I

medicine. Julian and I

trade. And Nicholas…

yesterday. The way he smiled. His