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?

enough to become unrecognizable. Unless he truly had sealed me away in his past and moved on,

could be a great embarrassment to him, showing up here, years after leaving

Maybe he hated me.

outsider.” The girl in

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

followed him. He led

man 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

man,

an exception,” Nicholas

course, sir.” The man

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

might be sick. I had never imagined I’d meet

he think of me, to see me as

ease against his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed and drooling. She seemed

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

his hands stayed gentle on Elva,

you hide my child from

thoughts skidded to a stop. I blinked once, twice, but,

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

in his arms. She was three years old. That lined up

tried to recall the memory. We’d been so young then, too eager

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

fueled it seemed to slide into bewilderment. His

said, hoping to give him

was no secret that Nicholas wanted children. He’d even said so on television. For me to hide a child from him would have been a cruelty. He

That’s her name. But

moment, before the anger returned

seemed to struggle

and Elva.

was my identical twin sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas. Elva was mine

seemed to answer some unspoken question for him, and

straightened, startled. What

his arms, and he immediately

he lowered Elva down onto one

at Mommy,” came Elva’s quiet