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

was simply pretending, to save face. I could be a great embarrassment to him, showing up here,

Maybe he hated me.

outsider.” The girl in pink motioned

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

him. He led me

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

look at the man, who nervously backed

is an

The

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

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

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

must have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed and drooling. She

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

gentle on Elva, his arm looped more

dare you hide my child from me?”

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

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

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

been so young then, too eager and

was when he’d climaxed.

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

said, hoping to give him some

Nicholas wanted children. He’d even said so on television. For me to hide a child from him would have been a cruelty. He would likely have struggled forever over the guilt

her name.

a moment, before the anger

he seemed to struggle

between me and Elva. “She looks

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

unspoken question for him, and he started

straightened, startled. What could cause that

he immediately cut off the

he lowered Elva down onto one of the plush couches in

at Mommy,” came