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

my slight advantage, I

mean

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

we were ready to combine the three elements into

finished Elva’s matching

quiet maid insisted on doing the final work, as she had the most experience

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

at something outside the window, likely the horses again, with the stables

I

why, I kept thinking about Nicholas’s solo date, but

were over

paced the length of the room, nervousness and trepidation waging war within my chest. My

called to me. “Mommy,

distraction, I joined her

Elva pointed down toward the stables.

the entrance of the stables as horses were

hands.

regal black stallion that greedily accepted a sugar

for Lilliana was a brown and white mare that seemed nervous around

whenever Lilliana came

left his own horse to approach Lilliana. He offered her a

horse. Lilliana shook her head, refusing to offer the

Lilliana held up

ing dirty.

getting dirty.

wondered how she would hold the

I

the sugar cube to the horse himself. In his

and with Nicholas’s help,

near her waist,

remembered the times we had gone horseback riding together. He had helped me then, much in

same way.

still feel the phantom touch of

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

him a playful smile. “What if I want to

I

“Then we should give up on horseback riding for today and return to

properly

the same thing to Lilliana,

moved his hands away

two did

why Nicholas had chosen her, out of all the candidates, for

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 –

at the window.

when she realized,

before I could figure out what she was going to do, she shouted from the window,

She waved both arms.

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

lifted a hand and waved