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?

truly had sealed me away in his past and moved on, never once looking

be a great embarrassment to him, showing up here, years after leaving him, and with a

Maybe he hated me.

outsider.” The girl in pink motioned

even his voice was monotone. Another moment of

I followed him. He led me to an adjoining room, separated by a

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

to look at the man, who nervously backed up a

is an

course, sir.” The man

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

I had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas again, and

to say. What would he think of me, to see me as

cried herself to sleep, eyes closed and

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

hands stayed gentle on Elva, his arm looped more

my child from me?”

I blinked once, twice, but,

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

at Elva, softly sleeping in his arms. She was three years old. That lined up with our breakup

so

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

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

said, hoping to

from him would have been a cruelty. He would likely have struggled forever over

That’s her name. But

before

he wanted to say, he seemed to struggle

me and Elva.

Her birth mother was my identical twin sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas. Elva

question for him,

startled. What

immediately cut off the deep rumbling

down onto one of the plush couches

mad at Mommy,” came Elva’s quiet