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?

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

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

Maybe he hated me.

is the outsider.” The girl in pink

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

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

him. “Your Royal Highness, please remember that per the selection rules, you aren’t to be alone with the contestants

at the man,

is an

Of course, sir.” The man

A servant stepped forward and closed the

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

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

She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed

his perfect façade cracked. He frowned. His

gentle on Elva, his arm looped

hide my child from

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

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

arms. She was three years

the memory. We’d been so

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

it seemed to slide into bewilderment.

hoping to

children. He’d even said so on television. For me to hide a child from him would have been a cruelty. He would

name. But she’s not

a moment, before the anger returned tenfold.

he seemed to struggle to get it

me and

sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas. Elva was mine in

to answer some unspoken question for him,

What

arms, and he immediately cut off the deep rumbling

one of the plush couches in the

at Mommy,” came