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?”

her head. She did not answer. It seemed even

asks for your forgiveness,” she said. “I only ever wished to preserve

the royal throne.”

Nicholas said. “Piper could have died had her wolf not stepped

wished to keep her from finishing the contest. I had no reason to believe that this girl would wander alone into the forest without the

what happened,” Nicholas

Lena bowed.

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

had happened tonight.

the King said. “We will handle this matter privately

will be reprimanded?”

said. All eyes looked to the

Lena, see yourself out and send in your successor. I will not see

the rest of this

my Queen.” Lena scurried to obey the Luna’s command, scrambling from the

forehead. “What an absolute

closer. “Great news!

for making the choosing of Piper so dramatic.”

yes, that’s fine.” The

producer quickly filled the new open space. “We need to move into the second

I whispered to

a small party for those that remain,” Nicholas replied, voice just as soft.

moment, knowing the King and Queen specifically

send me home

doing here, Nicholas should have sent

girls, with Nicholas himself having stuck his neck out to save me. I

I said.

party.

his head.

wanted me to stay?

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

a simple

I

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 girls‘ name

as the King’s servants pulled each girl

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

Nicholas tried to come over to speak with me, twice he got no farther than, “Piper, if we could…”

was escorted away by Nathan,

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

more forcefully on the

long, it was my turn to face the King. The servants guided me to