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?

he truly had sealed me away in his past and

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

Maybe he hated me.

girl in

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

held Elva, so I followed him. He led me to an adjoining

Highness, please remember that per the selection

man,

is an exception,”

Of course, sir.” The man bowed twice

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

stomach churned. I thought I might be sick. I had never

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

seemed at ease against his chest. She must have cried herself

his perfect façade cracked. He

gentle on Elva, his arm looped more

you hide my child from me?” he

stop. I blinked once,

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

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

We’d been so young then, too eager and excited

I couldn’t remember where he was when he’d climaxed. But, hadn’t he been wearing a condom

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

I said, hoping

He’d even said so on television. For me to hide a child from him would have been a cruelty. He would likely have struggled forever over the guilt for the

her name. But

moment, before the

to say, he seemed to struggle to get it out. He

between me and

that to Nicholas. Elva was

to answer some unspoken question for him,

startled. What could cause that

he immediately cut

one of

Mommy,” came Elva’s