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 embarrassment to him, showing up here, years after leaving him,

Maybe he hated me.

The girl in pink motioned to

and even his voice was monotone. Another moment of staring at me blankly, then

I followed him. He led me to an

Royal Highness, please remember that per the selection

man, who nervously backed up a

is an

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

servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas,

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

he think of me, to see

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

his perfect

gentle on Elva, his arm looped more

you hide my child from

a stop. I blinked once,

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

arms. She was three years old. That lined up with our breakup three

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

he was when he’d climaxed. But, hadn’t he been wearing a condom at

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

I said, hoping to give him some

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

That’s her name. But she’s not

eyes widened a moment, before the

he seemed to struggle to get

and Elva. “She looks like

tell that to Nicholas. Elva was mine in every way that mattered. I would not

answer some unspoken question for him, and

startled. What

he immediately cut off the

he lowered Elva down onto one of the

be mad at Mommy,”