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?

changed, sure, but not enough to become unrecognizable. Unless he truly had sealed me away in his past

maybe he was simply pretending, to save face. I could be a great embarrassment

Maybe he hated me.

is the outsider.” The girl in pink motioned to

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

He led me

in a suit hurried toward him. “Your Royal Highness, please remember

the man, who nervously backed

an exception,”

sir.” The

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

churned. I thought I might be sick. I had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas again, and especially not like

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

his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed and

once, his perfect façade cracked. He frowned. His golden eyes

Elva, his arm looped more protectively

you hide my child from me?” he

once, twice,

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

glanced at Elva, softly sleeping in his arms. She was three years

We’d been so young then,

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

to slide into bewilderment. His gaze shifted, like he was trying to remember

I said, hoping to give him

hide a child from him would have been a cruelty. He would

That’s her name. But

a moment, before

he seemed to struggle to

me and Elva. “She looks

Nicholas. Elva was mine in

to answer some unspoken question for

What could cause

and he immediately cut off the deep

Elva down onto one of the plush couches in

Mommy,” came Elva’s