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

But people like Lena

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

didn’t mean I

I had split the design for my dress into three separate

ready to combine the

finished Elva’s matching dress

work, as she had the most experience with

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

at something outside the 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

and I were over

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

called to me. “Mommy, come

the distraction, I joined her at the

down toward the stables. “It’s

entrance of the stables as horses were brought

hands.

was a regal black stallion that greedily accepted a sugar cube from

brown and white mare

sidestep whenever Lilliana

his own horse to approach Lilliana. He

her head,

the exact words spoken beyond some mumbled 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 would hold

I

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

approached then, and with Nicholas’s help, lifted herself up into

hands lingered near her waist, keeping

we had gone horseback riding together. He

same way.

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

then. “Tell me when you are okay, and I’ll

given him a playful smile. “What if I

I

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

properly

he was saying much the same thing to Lilliana, But, no. They didn’t

moved his hands away from her waist quickly

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

chosen her, out of all the candidates, for his

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.

realized, “He’s

she was going to do, she shouted from the

She waved both arms.

up. Lilliana glowered, but Nicholas’s

lifted a hand