The Luna Choosing Game

Nicholas

I stood before the King in his chambers. He was angrily pacing the length of the room. Back and forth,

back and forth. Occasionally he would stop to shout at me, but he’d always break himself off, unfinished,

and continue pacing.

“How could you think –?”

“You deliberately disobeyed –!”

“What do I even –?”

A few minutes in, his face was turning red, and my mother, the Luna was forced to intervene. She stood

in his path to keep him from pacing, then whispered into his ear.

I never totally understood their relationship. My mother was a private person. And though the two of

them often gave compliments to each other, any meaningful conversations only went on behind closed

doors.

them both my entire life, I had no idea if they even

if their marriage was a show

took a few deep breaths. He nodded at my mother, and then turned to face

you not

his eyebrow or a downward curl of his lip.

belong here.”

we are helping to

me. “She deserves to be as much –

–

—

threw his hands

forward. “She can be a fine person without being

event with flying

being biased because she was common. I wanted to help them see without directly calling them out. To do so would be incredibly dangerous, even for

opinions could

King huffed in the Queen’s direction. “He’s

for the sake of the kingdom that I caution you, but for her sake, too. She cannot bear the weight required. Her goodness? Her kindness? Her spirit? All will be

I knew she spoke true. Piper could be

would press down on her. It would wear

enough to protect her.

illness. She didn’t need the added weight of a near war

I said, burying the ache in