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

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

even with my

mean I wouldn’t

maids and I had split the design for my dress into

to combine the three elements into

finished Elva’s matching

on doing the final work, as she

mannequin for the dresses photo shoot. Elva’s dress was not to be included in the shot, since

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

I

sure why, I kept thinking about Nicholas’s solo date, but it shouldn’t be enough

were

the length of the room, nervousness and

to me.

I joined her

Elva pointed down toward

stood near the entrance of the stables as horses were brought to them by

hands.

horse was a regal black stallion that

chosen for Lilliana was a brown and white mare that seemed nervous around her. The

to sidestep whenever Lilliana

horse to approach Lilliana. He offered her

Lilliana shook her head, refusing to

spoken beyond some mumbled voices, but with the way Lilliana held up her pure white gloves, I assumed she refused to

ing dirty.

getting dirty.

how she

I

cube to the horse himself. In

with Nicholas’s help, lifted herself

hands lingered near her waist, keeping

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

same way.

feel the phantom touch of his

let you fall,” he’d said then. “Tell me when you are okay, and I’ll

a playful smile. “What if I want to

I

brightly under the sun. “Then we should give up on horseback riding for today and return to one of our rooms instead. If you want

properly

was saying much the same

Nicholas moved his hands away from her

two did not seem to

Nicholas had chosen her, out of

his stallion. He waited for Lilliana to 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 coming

she was going to do, she

She waved both arms.

up. Lilliana glowered, but Nicholas’s stern expression seemed

lifted a hand and waved