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?

he truly had sealed me away in his past and

he was simply pretending, 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

still held Elva, so I followed him. He led

toward him. “Your Royal Highness, please remember that per the selection rules, you aren’t to

to look at the man, who

is an exception,”

course, sir.” The man bowed twice as he

forward and closed the door behind us, leaving Nicholas, Elva, and I alone in a

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

would he think of me, to see me as I was? To see me

who seemed at ease against his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes

perfect façade cracked. He

on Elva,

you hide my

once, twice, but, no, I couldn’t make

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

glanced at Elva, softly sleeping in his arms. She was three years old. That lined up with our breakup three years

memory. We’d been so young then, too eager and excited

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

its anger, but the certainty that fueled it seemed to

mistaken,” I said, hoping to give

Nicholas wanted children. He’d even said so on television. For me to hide a child from him would

That’s her name. But she’s

widened a moment, before the anger

say, he seemed to struggle

glanced between me and Elva.

wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas. Elva was mine in every way that mattered. I would not have her

answer some unspoken question for him, and he started

startled. What could cause that

he immediately

Elva down onto one of the plush couches in the

mad at Mommy,” came Elva’s