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.

had no

if their marriage was a show

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

specifically told you not to,” he said. Rage crackled under

of his voice, occasionally leading to a twitch in his

belong here.”

genuine, with a sick child we are helping to take care

inside of me. “She deserves to be as much – if not more than anyone

–

—

threw his

fine person without

every event with flying colors.”

see without directly calling them out. To do so would be incredibly dangerous, even for me.

could never

in the Queen’s

of the crown can do to good people. It’s not just for the sake of the kingdom that I caution you, but for her sake, too.

loathe as I was to admit it, in my heart, I knew she spoke true. Piper could be a good and

cruel world would press down on her. It would wear at

enough to protect her.

Elva’s illness. She didn’t need the added weight of a near war and a disgruntled

you want me to do,” I said, burying the ache in my