The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Nicholas held Elva safe and secure in his arms as he stood to his full height. Elva buried her face into the corner of his neck and shoulder. He gently patted her back.

He glanced down at Elva, his gaze so tender that it made my heart clench.

“There, there,” he whispered. “You are safe now.”

“Oh my God,” said one of the other girls in the room, fanning herself. “Of course he’s good with children.”

“Someone pinch me,” said another. “I think I’m dreaming.”

Nicholas’s soft expression hardened as he glared out at the rest of the room. “Whose child is this? Why is she here?”

I started forward, but the girl in the pink dress spoke before I could reach him.

“An outsider sneaked in, unless she’s a maid.”

Some of the other girls snickered at my expense.

“She can’t be a participant,” another girl fake-whispered, loud enough for half-the room to hear. “I thought we had to be virgins, and she’s got a kid.”

I wanted to disappear into a corner. Whether virgin or not, I was nothing compared to the rest of these girls.

My clothes weren’t as nice as theirs, and my figure wasn’t like what it had been at the Academy. I’d lost much of my musculature. I was skinny from too many nights of skipped dinners.

Elva’s wellbeing had always come before my own.

Her sake was the only reason I continued forward rather than hide in embarrassment. I stopped only when I reached Nicholas.

He looked at me, and I looked at him.

I’d forgotten how gorgeous his eyes were, golden brown with flakes of green. When we’d dated, I had spent hours looking at them, trying to memorize that color, but it had seemed different each time.

Before, when I’d stared long enough, I could earn a bashful smile from him. Now, his face was totally devoid of emotion. He looked at me like I was a stranger.

Did he… not recognize me?

become unrecognizable. Unless he truly had sealed me away in his past and

simply pretending, to save face. I could be a great embarrassment to him, showing

Maybe he hated me.

the outsider.” The girl

was monotone. Another moment of staring at me blankly, then he turned

led me to

man in a suit hurried toward him. “Your Royal Highness, please remember that per the selection rules, you aren’t to be

at the man, who nervously

is an exception,”

sir. Of course, sir.” The man bowed

A servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving

I might be sick. I had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas again,

What would he think of me, to see me as I was? To see me here,

against his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep,

and at once, his perfect façade cracked. He frowned.

stayed gentle on Elva, his arm looped more

you hide my child from me?”

stop. I blinked once,

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

his arms. She was three years old. That lined up with our breakup three years ago.

recall the memory. We’d been so young then, too

in clumsy haste. I couldn’t remember where he was when he’d

the certainty that fueled it seemed to slide into bewilderment. His gaze shifted, like he was trying to remember

mistaken,” I said, hoping to

no secret that Nicholas wanted children. He’d even said so on television. For me to hide a child from him would have been a cruelty. He

her name. But she’s not

a moment, before

wanted to say, he seemed to struggle to get it

glanced between me and Elva. “She

my identical twin sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas. Elva was mine in every

question

startled. What could cause

stirred his arms, and he immediately cut off

gently, he lowered Elva down onto one of

be mad at Mommy,”