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 past

great embarrassment to him,

Maybe he hated me.

the outsider.” The girl in pink motioned

into this,” Nicholas said, and even his voice was monotone. Another moment of staring at

Elva, so I followed him. He led

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

at the man, who nervously backed up a

is an exception,” Nicholas

sir. Of course, sir.” The man bowed twice as he

servant stepped forward and closed the door behind

had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas again, and especially not

think of me, to see me as

have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed

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

stayed gentle on Elva, his arm looped more protectively around

you hide my child

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

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

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

recall the memory. We’d been so young

couldn’t remember where he was when he’d climaxed.

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

said, hoping to give

a child from him would have been a cruelty. He would likely have struggled forever over the guilt for the

name. But

moment, before

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

glanced between me and Elva. “She looks like

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

unspoken question for him, and he started to

startled. What

he immediately cut off the

lowered Elva down onto one

be mad at Mommy,”