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 and Joseph existed in

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

didn’t mean I

for my dress into three separate parts that

ready to combine the three elements into

finished Elva’s matching dress

quiet maid insisted on doing the final work, as

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

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

I

kept thinking about Nicholas’s solo date, but it shouldn’t be enough to bother

and I were over long

room, nervousness and trepidation waging war within

Elva called to me. “Mommy, come

for the distraction, I joined her

pointed down toward

near the entrance of the stables as horses

hands.

that greedily accepted

was a brown and white mare that

whenever

own horse to approach Lilliana. He offered her a sugar cube

her horse. Lilliana shook her head, refusing to offer

distance, I couldn’t hear the exact words spoken beyond some mumbled voices, but with the way Lilliana held up her pure white

ing dirty.

getting dirty.

how she would hold

I

sugar cube to the horse himself. In his presence,

Nicholas’s help, lifted

hands lingered near her waist,

riding together. He had helped me

same way.

still feel the phantom touch of his strong

he’d said then. “Tell me

him a playful smile. “What if I want

I

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

properly

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

Nicholas moved his hands away from

distance, these two did not seem to like each other

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

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

at the window.

gasped when she realized, “He’s coming over

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

She waved both arms.

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

hand and waved