The Luna Choosing Game

By the next morning, the drug had worked its way through my system and I felt like my old self again. I

went down to breakfast, where I was reunited with Elva, who had stayed with Susie the night before by

order of Nicholas.

I was grateful for his foresight. Mortified as I was by my actions and sounds, I was at least spared the

embarrassment of explaining any of this to Mark or the nanny myself. Or worse still, to Elva..

A thought so stomach–churning, I dared not even think of it.

So when I did finally greet her, it was with a tight hug and big smile, the same as always.

Susie and I didn’t always sit together, but we chose to that morning. There were still many empty chairs with the previous elimination, and I was feeling vulnerable from what had happened the night before. I needed my friends.

Around us the girls were chattering about the curiousness of the evening’s events. Terry was to be one of the main judges of the night, but he never came to ballroom.

Also as curious, both Nicholas and Julian disappeared sometime in the night, only to reappear this morning, one with a black eye and the other with an injured hand.

“You don’t suppose the princes got into a fight with each other?” one of the girls asked.

“No,” Lilliana said flatly. “He is too mature to take part in such childish antics.”

“Julian does love to tease,” said someone else.

“Not enough to tempt a prince away from his decorum,” Olivia added. “Prince Nicholas been around Prince Julian for years. He’s surely built up a tolerance.”

“Well, then what happened with Sir Terry?“”

“Maybe he started the fight,” someone said, and another laughed. A third shushed them.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Olivia said, rolling her eyes.

her seat to face me. I had Elva in my lap, but she was busy stuffing

Piper? I heard some

my head, pushing away her concern. I felt hungover some, with a cloudy head and tired eyes, but otherwise

the bile rising in my throat, and left

to pick at.

took great strength to keep

left at some point last night and

sense of relief and for the first time that day, I took in

now, at least, I was

to linger in my mind,

feel Terry’s cold hands on

breath.

Who was she? Where had she come from? How had

many unanswered questions. It felt worse now, somehow, because I would never be able to find the answers. Not since Nicholas had forbad Julian and me

his heart he was only worried for me and for the kingdom, but it frustrated me that he

exposed, it would protect people like me from ever being manipulated into giving

by Terry, or by Nicholas. I

of those innumerous other souls out there who just wanted to do the right thing, and lost

the care of her nanny and Mark, I set off on my

check the empty ballroom. I found him sitting

him to be so isolated or so

heels on the tile steps, he

want to be alone?” I asked him. I had

of vulnerability faded. In its place was the same sort

mind company if it’s you,” he said.

at his flirtatious charms and took a seat on

that Julian was also there last night. He had bome witness

tell me it wasn’t

Nicholas moved away.

wouldn’t

circumstances of my desire much

I was still

did have desire for Nicholas. I had wanted him to kiss me on the balcony.