The Luna Choosing Game

The Luna audibly gasped. Some of the girls around me started screaming. Guards quickly moved in to usher them from the room. I was urged forward.

“End the program,” the King shouted. “Now.”

The cameras immediately shut off.

Before I could reach the staircase and earn my favor from the prince of my choice, my path was blocked

with a very angry King and Queen,

“Nicholas!” the King shouted.

“What have you done?” the Luna cried.

Nicholas quickly came down the staircase to join me at my side. I stared at him, bewildered.

“You heard the public,” he said. “This is what they wanted, even if you were too bullheaded to see it.”

“Careful,” the King said.

“Piper won the people’s favor. More, she won the game by the rules we’d assigned.”

“I can do one better than that, even,” Julian said, jumping down from the stage. He carried

my broken

bow in his hands. Where had he gotten it? Had his Beta kept it hidden for him?

He threw it down into the space between the King and Queen, and me and Nicholas.

“She excelled even when our own staff tried to have her killed,” Julian said.

“Our staff?” the Luna gasped.

“Who?” the King demanded.

Julian and Nicholas both shifted their gazes to where Lena was tucked in the Queen’s shadow.

Her face went pale.

Julian smirked, “Anything to say, Lena?”

She seemed set, like she had no intention of moving. The Queen herself motioned her forward.

“Is this true?” The Luna motioned to the broken bow. “Is this your doing?”

She did not answer. It seemed even

she said. “I only ever

the royal throne.”

Nicholas said. “Piper could have died had

harm. I only wished to keep her from finishing the contest. I had no reason to believe that this girl would wander alone into the forest

that is exactly what

Lena bowed.

Queen looked at each other. Neither seemed pleased by this revelation, or truly by anything

happened tonight.

the King said. “We will

she will be reprimanded?”

King said. All eyes looked

out and send in your

of this

my Queen.” Lena scurried to obey the

rubbed his forehead. “What an absolute

he hurried closer. “Great news! The public has

They applaud you for making the choosing of

fine.” The King pushed him away.

“We need to move into the second area now, Your Majesty,

area?” I whispered to Nicholas.

replied, voice just as soft. “You’ll

the moment,

to send

was doing here, Nicholas should have sent me home, Hedert vn

stuck his neck out

maybe I should duck out for the night,” I said. If I was there,

party.

his head. “Stay.”

me to

found that now, just like three years ago, I had trouble

a simple

I

we were led into the ballroom. The servants directed me to join the line of remaining girls. The cameramen were setting up to record a long shot, moving one by one through the fifteen, until every

waited as a group while hors d’oeuvres were served, as the King’s servants pulled each girl one by one for her personal

room, an orchestra was setting up. In the other corner, a water station was prepared beside a table of champagne

speak with me, twice he got no farther than, “Piper,

he was escorted away

available to talk after the King has had his time to speak with each,” Nathan said

on

turn to face the King. The servants guided me to a familiar sitting