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?

truly had sealed me away in his past and moved

great embarrassment to him, showing up here, years after leaving him, and with

Maybe he hated me.

girl in pink motioned

was monotone. Another moment of staring at me blankly, then he

still held Elva, so I followed him. He led me

official-looking man in a suit hurried toward him. “Your Royal Highness, please remember that per the

man, who nervously backed up a

is an exception,”

sir.” The man bowed

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

churned. I thought I might be sick. I had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas again, and especially

he think of me, to see me as I was? To see me here, as part of the

against his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep,

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

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

my child

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

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

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

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

haste. I couldn’t remember where he was when he’d climaxed. But, hadn’t he been wearing a

that fueled it seemed to slide into

I said, hoping to give

no secret that Nicholas wanted children. He’d even said so on television. For me to hide a child from

That’s her name. But she’s not

before

seemed to struggle to get it out. He swallowed

glanced between me and Elva. “She looks

to Nicholas. Elva was mine in every way

unspoken question

startled. What could

his arms, and he immediately

lowered Elva down onto one of

Mommy,”