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

to see.

the ground floor, near the back door, Lena had her arms

change,” I said, hoping to appeal to her sense of decency. If I went out into

would soak

“You should have thought of that

between being startled awake and

would get me nowhere. I had

gardens. They forced me down to my

warned. Then they

facing away from the palace. I couldn’t see what

view was better though, I reasoned, looking out at

me like tiny, frozen daggers. After only a few minutes, my nightgown

I wrapped my

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

growing chill.

how long I kneeled there. The cold had set in.

struck a nearby tree and

freely, with the rain to hide them. I was

1. up.

They hoped

medicine. Julian and I were going to expose

trade. And Nicholas…

yesterday. The way he smiled. His kindness