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

pretending, to save face. I could be a great

Maybe he hated me.

is the outsider.” The girl

monotone. Another

followed him. He led me to an

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

at the man, who nervously

an exception,”

course, sir.” The man bowed twice as

went inside after them. A servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas, Elva,

churned. I thought I might be sick. I had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas again, and especially

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

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

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

on Elva, his arm looped more

hide my child from me?” he

my thoughts skidded to a stop. I blinked once, twice, but, no, I couldn’t make sense of

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

was three years old. That lined up with our

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

where he was when he’d

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

I said, hoping

a child from him would have been a cruelty.

name. But she’s not

eyes widened a moment, before the anger returned

he seemed to struggle to get it out. He swallowed it

me and

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

question for him, and he started

startled. What could cause that

stirred his arms, and he immediately cut

he lowered Elva down onto one of the plush

at Mommy,” came