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

myself. But people like Lena

to believe that even with my slight advantage, I would make it far

mean I wouldn’t

for my dress into

ready to combine the three elements into

finished Elva’s matching dress

doing the final work,

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

window, likely the horses again, with the

I

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

were

room, nervousness and trepidation waging war

to me.

the distraction, I joined her at

toward the

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

hands.

stallion that greedily accepted a sugar cube from

and white mare that seemed nervous around

to sidestep whenever Lilliana came too

approach Lilliana. He offered her a sugar

Lilliana shook her head, refusing to offer the

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

ing dirty.

getting dirty.

she would hold the

I

the sugar cube to the horse himself. In his presence, the mare seemed

and with Nicholas’s help, lifted

hands lingered near her waist, keeping her

horseback riding together. He had

same way.

let myself remember, I could still feel the phantom touch of his strong hands on

he’d said then. “Tell me

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

I

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

properly

wondered if he was saying much the same thing to Lilliana, But,

Nicholas moved his hands away from her waist quickly and without

these two did not

had chosen her, out of

her then and mounted 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 – which brought them closer to

at the window.

realized,

what she was going to do, she

She waved both arms.

immediately looked up. Lilliana glowered, but

hand