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.

fault,” I said again,

or unwilling to hear

I would try 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 and

things scarier.

the

the physician said. “When her fever breaks, send for

I

you,” said Piper, voice muffled

physician left. Mark and the maid stayed nearby. I

Elva’s beside. Gently, I led Piper there and helped her sit down. Immediately, she

cradled Elva’s

to the table to retrieve a second chair. Mark was at

“Prince Nicholas?”

and alert my family’s servants

saluted. “At once,

toward the maid. “You may leave

to attempt to stand up to me. Yet it

someone who cared about Piper and

said, softer. “They

this. After one last glance over Piper

with, I returned to Piper’s side, carrying a

sat down