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?

Unless he truly had sealed me away in his past

face. I could be a great embarrassment to him, showing up here, years after leaving

Maybe he hated me.

The girl in pink motioned

his voice was monotone. Another

He led me to

him. “Your Royal Highness, please remember that per the selection rules, you

man, who nervously backed up

an exception,” Nicholas

sir. Of course, sir.” The man bowed twice

into the room. I went inside after them. A servant stepped forward and closed

be sick. I had

had no idea what even to say. What would he think of me, to see me as I was? To see me here, as part of

She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes

stepped forward toward Nicholas, and at once, his perfect façade cracked. He frowned. His golden eyes

hands stayed gentle on Elva,

dare you hide my child from

thoughts skidded to a stop. I blinked once,

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

his arms. She was three years

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

when he’d climaxed. But, hadn’t he been wearing

retained its anger, but the certainty that fueled it seemed to slide into bewilderment. His gaze shifted,

mistaken,” I said, hoping to

hide a child from him would have been a cruelty. He would likely have struggled forever over the guilt for

That’s her name. But she’s not

before the anger returned

to struggle to

glanced between me and Elva.

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

some unspoken question for him,

startled. What could

immediately cut off the deep rumbling

one of the

Mommy,” came Elva’s quiet