The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Chapter 43

At first glance, she appeared friendly enough, smiling peacefully. She curtsied to me and introduced herself.

Tm looking forward to serving you,” she said.

But I found it strange. Surely she had passed my other maid being taken away down the hall. What kind of person would be smiling so calmly after having witnessed such a thing?

icholas.

I

I

Today was the day for Nicholas’s solo date, and I was trying my very best not to think about it.

Ever since receiving Joseph’s threatening letter, I’d been hiding out in my room as much as I could to

avoid him and the mean–looking guards.

With the First Ball fast approaching, I used the extra time in my room to help my maids work on me and

Elva’s gowns.

The dress had to be perfect. The order of introductions for the girls at the ball was to be determined by

the princes‘ preferences of the dresses.

Once the gowns were finished, pictures were to be taken of them and given to the princes, who would

then select their favorites. Those favorites would be the first ones introduced at the ball, and therefore

given the most time with the princes.

And with the cameras.

A major component of the Luna Choosing Game, was earning the public’s favor. I had a small advantage

common people, being one myself. But people like Lena and Joseph existed in every

my slight advantage, I would make it far

mean I wouldn’t

I had split the design for my dress into three separate parts that we had

Now, we were ready to combine the three elements into

already finished Elva’s matching dress

doing the final work, as

dresses photo shoot. Elva’s dress was not to be included in the shot, since that would ruin the anonymity

was looking at something outside the window, likely the horses again, with the

I

sure why, I kept thinking about Nicholas’s solo

and I were over

nervousness and trepidation waging war within my

called to me.

the distraction, I joined her at

Elva pointed down toward the stables. “It’s

of the stables as horses were brought to

hands.

regal black stallion that greedily

Lilliana was a brown and white mare that seemed

sidestep whenever Lilliana came too

his own horse to approach Lilliana. He

horse. Lilliana shook her head,

Lilliana held up her pure white gloves, I assumed she refused

ing dirty.

getting dirty.

how she would hold

I

himself. In his presence,

Nicholas’s help, lifted herself up into

her waist, keeping her

remembered the times we had gone horseback riding together. He had helped

same way.

could still feel the

won’t let you fall,” he’d said then. “Tell me when you are okay,

him a playful smile. “What if I want to stay like

I

riding for today and return to one of our rooms instead. If you want me to hold you, I’d

properly

the same thing to Lilliana, But, no. They didn’t

Nicholas moved his hands away from her waist quickly and

from a distance, these two did not

chosen her, out of all the candidates, for his first

bring her mare alongside his horse, and then together they started to ride forwards at a slow pace –

at the window.

gasped when she realized, “He’s

going to do, she shouted from the window, “Hi,

She waved both arms.

both immediately looked up. Lilliana glowered, but

a hand and waved