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 and Joseph

with my slight advantage, I would make

didn’t mean I wouldn’t

design for my dress

ready to combine the three elements into a

finished Elva’s matching

the final work, as she had

was not to be included

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

I

Nicholas’s solo date, but

and I were over long

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

called to me. “Mommy,

the distraction, I joined her

down toward the stables.

of the stables as horses were brought to them

hands.

black stallion that greedily accepted a

brown and white mare that

sidestep whenever Lilliana

Lilliana. He

her head, refusing to offer

this distance, I couldn’t hear 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

ing dirty.

getting dirty.

wondered how she would hold

I

the horse himself. In his presence,

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

her waist,

riding together.

same way.

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

let you fall,” he’d said then. “Tell

smile. “What if I want to stay like

I

give up on horseback riding for today and return to one of our rooms instead. If you want me to hold you,

properly

he was saying much the same thing to Lilliana,

at all. Nicholas moved his hands away from

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

I couldn’t imagine why Nicholas had chosen her, out

his horse, and then together they started to ride forwards at a slow pace – which

at the window.

when she realized,

could figure out what she was going

She waved both arms.

Lilliana glowered, but Nicholas’s stern

a hand and waved

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