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.

my entire life, I had

their marriage was a show they put on for the

at my mother, and then turned

you not to,” he said. Rage crackled under

leading to a twitch in his eyebrow or a downward curl of his lip. “That girl

not belong

genuine, with a sick child we are helping

deserves to be as much – if not

–

—

King threw his hands up.

stepped forward. “She can be a fine person without being a good Luna,

event

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

King’s opinions could

Queen’s

Nicholas, what the weight 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. She cannot bear the weight required. Her goodness? Her kindness? Her spirit? All will be crushed, to say nothing of her little girl.”

it, in my heart, I knew she spoke true. Piper could be a good and just Luna,

would press down on her. It would wear at her soul, and I alone

enough to protect her.

her wolf, and poor little Elva’s illness. She didn’t need the added weight of a

do,” I said, burying