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

the common people, being one myself. But people like Lena and Joseph existed

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

mean I wouldn’t

and I had split the design for my dress into three separate parts that we had worked

ready to combine the three elements into

Elva’s matching dress

the final work, as she had

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

window, likely the horses again, with the stables

I

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

and I were over long

room, nervousness and trepidation waging war within my chest. My

to

distraction, I

toward the

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

hands.

that greedily accepted a sugar cube from Nicholas’s

brown and white mare that seemed nervous around

whenever Lilliana came

Lilliana. He offered her

her horse. Lilliana shook her head, refusing to

voices, but with the way Lilliana held up her pure white gloves, I assumed she refused to treat the horse

ing dirty.

getting dirty.

wondered how she

I

to the horse himself. In

with Nicholas’s help, lifted herself up

near her

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

same way.

feel the phantom touch of his strong hands

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

“What if I

I

today and return to one of our rooms instead. If you want me to hold you, I’d like to

properly

much the same thing to Lilliana, But, no.

much at all. Nicholas moved his hands away from her waist

distance, these two did not seem to like each other

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

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.

she realized, “He’s coming

what she was going to do, she shouted from

She waved both arms.

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

lifted a hand and