The Luna Choosing Game

Nicholas

As I watched, Piper seemed to crumble in on herself. The guilt and the worry pushed down on her

shoulders and made her small. It didn’t suit her. She was strong, a fighter, yet fear for Elva tore straight

through her.

I I had known the child a few short weeks, and already I was in agony, watching her cry and shake with

fever. I could only imagine how Piper felt. To watch her daughter be sick now, and so often, must have

been a special kind of torture.

Holding Piper’s arm, I turned her into me to offer her the physical support of my body. She clung to me, likely about to fall if I did not hold her upright.

I may have been angry at Piper for all that had occurred between us. She had betrayed me once, for reasons I still didn’t fully understand, when all I had ever done was love her.

Yet seeing her like this, so scared for her daughter, I could not help but soften to her.

“It’s not your fault,” I told her. “It could have been any illness. Even someone with a cough could have sent the germs her way.”

“But I was sick.” Tears clung to her eyelashes. They made my chest ache. “I should have waited to see

her until I was sure. I was just so eager. I missed her so much.”

I moved my hand up and down her back in long, soothing strokes.

not your fault,” I said again, more

unable or unwilling to hear me and take my

again. For now, I understood Piper’s worry made reason difficult to accept. Even bad things were easier to comprehend when there was a cause

things scarier.

the

the night,” the physician said. “When her fever breaks, send for me, and I will be able to

you,” I

said Piper, voice

left. Mark and the maid stayed nearby. I nodded to Mark and he moved a chair from

led Piper there and helped

and cradled

back to the table to retrieve a second

“Prince Nicholas?”

to stay,” I told him. “Go and alert my family’s servants of where I’ll be

saluted. “At once,

toward the maid. “You

she said. Bold of her to attempt to stand up to me. Yet it only made me appreciate

someone who cared

softer. “They will need

glance over Piper and

I returned to Piper’s side, carrying a second chair. I placed

down upon