The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Chapter 0369

The King and Queen watched from atop their thrones as the princes danced with and among the candidates and guests, while the cameras swooped in and out to capture all.

We kept our smiles bright, eager to show how much fun we were having – all to maintain our standing in the competition, of course.

My cheeks were starting to hurt from how big and fake I was smiling. Fake laughter sounded all around me, every contestant competing with each other for the royal family’s attention – as well as for the cameras.

Eventually, as Julian was swirling me around the dance floor, I noticed Susie standing near the edge of it. Her smile was shaky. She seemed more nervous than happy, even to pretend.

I tapped Julian on the shoulder and motioned toward Susie. “I need to talk to

her.”

He understood and released me. “I’ll make the rounds.” He instantly

disappeared back among the dancers, with a new partner now. He switched so quickly, I didn’t even see who it was.

It didn’t really matter, though, so I hurried to Susie’s side instead. Relief covered her face the moment she noticed me.

“Piper. Thank goodness.’

“What’s going on?” I asked her.

She worried her hands together. “I can’t do this.”

“Do what? Dance?” I knew she could dance. I’d seen her do the steps countless times before. She’d even taught me a few moves.

“Pretend,” she said.

I stepped beside her and we both looked out over the dance floor. From this angle, the scrunched up too-much smiling faces seemed extra unnerving. It looked like everyone had a clown mask on. Only Julian looked truly genuine, though he was the best actor.

Nicholas was dancing with Olivia, I noticed. He wasn’t smiling at all, but a prince didn’t really need to. Olivia seemed pleased. She wasn’t overselling it.

so loudly, smile so big, that it

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now,” Susie said, “I know we need to try to lift the spirits of the

looked at me for guidance, and I was honored that she sought

able to tell this was fake. Hell, even if it wasn’t, what kind of message was it truly sending? Sorry

inappropriate.

I was being optimistic, I could see how the royal family was desperate enough to try. If part of the public unease was distrust in

We were just two young women caught in a game created by people with more power

remembered Julian’s words, before he pulled me

pretending,” I told Susie now, “We could try to have

went wide, as if surprised. Did she think

friends, aren’t we?” I

“Of course,” she said.

start acting

pulled her with

asked, though went

stuffy moves and the practiced dances. Let me show you some of the dances from

a shopping cart. “Then you reach,” I said, and lifted my arm up, as if pulling an item off the shelf, then mimicked placing said

eyes were wide, even as her smile grew bigger, more

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know,” I said. “It’s

doing such an informal dance while listening to an orchestra, but a

items in her imagined shopping cart and then laughed and laughed. “Wait, what if I need something heavy?” She pretended to lift something off the ground with both

it was so funny, watching Susie in

laughed so hard

antics quickly drew

I’ve never seen it

cart dance,” Susie

A few of the guests followed along. Susie came out of her shell a bit, perhaps seeing how much they actually enjoyed it. Even

the dance floor was with people, young and old, men and women,