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

with my slight advantage, I would make it far in this

mean

the design for my dress into three separate parts

were ready to combine the three elements into a complete

Elva’s matching

on doing the final work, as she had the most

newest maid began arranging the mannequin for the dresses photo shoot. Elva’s dress was not to be included in the shot, since that would ruin the anonymity

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

I

about Nicholas’s solo date,

were over

I paced the length of the room, nervousness and trepidation waging

Elva called to me.

I joined her

pointed down toward

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

hands.

that

chosen for Lilliana was a brown and

to sidestep whenever Lilliana

left his own horse to approach Lilliana. He offered

her horse. Lilliana shook her head, refusing

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

ing dirty.

getting dirty.

how she would hold the

I

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

help, lifted

near her waist,

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

same way.

myself remember, I could still feel the phantom touch of his

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

a playful smile. “What if I want to stay

I

green sparkling 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 me to

properly

he was saying much the same thing

moved his hands away from her waist

from a distance, these two did not seem to like each other

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

mare alongside his horse, and then

at the window.

gasped when she realized, “He’s coming over

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

She waved both arms.

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

hand and waved