The Luna Choosing Game

Love has no place in royalty.” Nicholas tilted his head down and lowered his gaze. “I will be forced to

marry the best Luna candidate in the Choosing Game. I can only hope that, at the very least, perhaps a

sense of friendship will blossom later.”

“And Lilliana is the best?” I asked.

He sighed. “She is the one my father has chosen for now. It could change over the course of the

competition. His whims can be fickle. But what would it matter? They are more or less all the same.”

My heart broke at his words. Hearing this usually confident man so… complacent – so accepting of such

an unwelcomed fate – tugged at my emotions.

1 want children,” he continued. “I believe that my life will be fulfilled enough with family, even if I can’t be

with a partner I would have truly wished for.”

I shook my head, refusing to accept it. “No one should turn away from their heart so fully.”

“I don’t have any choice, Piper.”

I took him by the arm and shook him. He was well–muscled, he only wobbled a bit and likely only to

appease me.

do. When you are King,

need to be married to

and deflated a bit. But it still couldn’t be hopeless. There had to be some way for Nicholas to appease his family while still marrying the person he wanted

may be.

contain it if I knew Nicholas was with someone who

his match in both generosity, spirit, and

one here truly seemed to fit those qualifications. Except perhaps Susie,

her own

have any

I told him. “I just can’t accept

“You’ve always

you. I care about you too much to

+15 BONUS

lifted to me. Under the bright sunlight, the green flecks in his eyes

girls had to be alright, somewhere under the surface. If 1 really looked closely,

me a tight–lipped smile. It was sad, and didn’t last more than a second or two.

has to be Lilliana,” he said.

together. “Because the King chose her? Surely anyone here

I’m afraid.” His gaze lingered on me

dropped it away.

said a voice too near us.