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 no idea if they even liked each other at

a show they put

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

told you not to,”

a twitch in his eyebrow or a downward curl of his

not belong here.”

sick child we are helping to take care of,”

of me. “She deserves to be as much – if

–

—

his hands up.

“She can be a fine person without being a

nearly every event with flying colors.”

being biased because she was common. I wanted to help them see without

opinions could never

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

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

my heart, I knew she spoke true. Piper could be

press down on her. It would wear at

to

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

you want me to do,” I said,