The Luna Choosing Game

I forced myself to my feet. The tailor, after making sure I was upright and unharmed, immediately rushed from the room to retrieve a towel and a servant to clean the mess.

My soggy notes were beginning to fall apart in my hands, to wet to even maintain their paper shape.

“Linda,” I said, going to her.

She scrunched her nose as I came close, as if the very sight of me disgusted her. I was disheveled now, true, with my gown damp in some places and my hair a mess. But even so…

“Can I have those names again?” I asked. I knew she had written them down same as me.

She quickly hid her notepad from my sight. “If you lost those names, then this is on you, Piper. You need

to learn to take responsibility.” She narrowed her eyes. “We wouldn’t want anyone to think you had unfair

advantage.”

“It’s not like that,” I said.

She continued on, like I hadn’t said anything. “At least half of our table will look good, and the royal

will be able to tell

of the event,” I said. “We’re supposed to work together.

like the Luna is supposed

a hindrance, not an adversary. Surely

other girls all shunned me, except for Susie, who

sympathetic wave.

where we had been, but we’d tried on so many things,

had decided upon. I tried to remember what I could.

guess about Linda’s preferences,

I could at least make a

down the fabric and color names I could guesstimate were maybe correct, I rushed down to

there, pouring over the pages, when one of the King’s servants found me.

have been summoned to stand in audience

that I

chase me. I doubted I

my fear deep down, rose my chin in defiance, and decided to face my inevitable end. I only hoped Nicholas could hear of it and intervene before I was hanged for treason,

servant led me out of the kitchen and around the winding hallways until we entered the King’s personal