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?

had sealed me away in

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

Maybe he hated me.

the outsider.” The girl in pink

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

led me to an adjoining room, separated by a

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

stopped to look at the man, who

is an exception,”

course, sir.” The man

after them. A servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas, Elva, and I alone in a small sitting

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

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

have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed

at once, his perfect façade

his hands stayed gentle on Elva, his arm looped more protectively around

you hide my child from me?” he

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

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

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

been so young then, too eager

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

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

hoping to give

For me to hide a child from him would have

That’s her name. But

eyes widened a moment, before the anger returned

to struggle to get it out. He swallowed it

between me and Elva. “She

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

answer some unspoken question for him, and he started

straightened, startled. What

arms, and he immediately cut off

onto one of the plush

be mad at Mommy,” came Elva’s quiet