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

tell who did

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

Luna

care. You are a hindrance, not an adversary. Surely the royal

walked by me and out the door. The other girls all shunned me,

sympathetic wave.

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

remember exactly what we had decided upon.

about Linda’s preferences, after having heard them drilled into my head

an hour. Using that knowledge, maybe I could at least make a compatible half of the

names I could guesstimate were maybe correct, I rushed down to the kitchen to

one of the King’s servants found

audience with the king.”

servant’s fault that I was maybe about to

chase me. I doubted I

buried 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

the winding hallways until we entered the King’s personal chambers.