The Luna Choosing Game

The next morning, I awoke to a knock on the door. Beside me Elva began to rub her eyes.
I hadn’t indulged in too much alcohol, unlike some of the other girls, but I still felt a pressure in my head, probably from having
stayed up too late.
I wanted to turn over in bed and ignore the knocking, but if Elva was already waking up, I knew any attempts to return to sleep
would be futile.
With a groan, I rolled out of bed and headed to the door. Any annoyance I felt that morning immediately vanished the moment I
opened the door and saw Charlotte standing there.
“Surprise?” she said, smiling.
“Charlotte!” I excitedly pulled her into a hug. We hadn't been apart all that long, but seeing another familiar face here warmed my
heart. Charlotte had become such a good friend, I was I always happy to see her. “What are you doing here?” I “Prince Nicholas
asked me to come,” she said. She gently returned my hug.
“To escort your new wardrobe.” I pulled back from the hug, and noticed there were quite a few servants standing out in the
hallway, each holding suitcases and bags.
I immediately stepped to the side, and like a parade, the servants brought in the suitcases and unpacked them until the drawers
and closet were full of new dresses and shirts and pants. Even
underwear and swimsuits were included in the mix. €» Elva fully awoke in the excitement and rushed to give Charlotte a hug of
her own.
When the servants had gone, and all the clothes were in their place, Charlotte and I sat down to talk while Elva played with her
toys.
“How are things back at the palace?” I asked her. There was a small table at the corner of the room with two chairs.
We sat there now, sipping from cups of coffee.
“Mostly quiet,” Charlotte said.
“Though not without the usual drama.” She sipped her coffee.

“Lilliana has been particularly vocal about your inclusion on this trip, while they are forced to stay behind. Olivia,
meanwhile, has been taking advantage of the absences by having daily tea with the Queen.” &» - Of course she was. Olivia was
ever the one to watch out for. She might have stood back while Bridget took the forefront of everyone’s attention, but that woman
would never give up. If she couldn’t make headway with Nicholas himself, it made sense that she would attempt to sway his
parents instead.
It was a solid plan, I supposed. I doubted how successful it would be, with how much favor the King and Queen regularly
bestowed upon Bridget. But I couldn’t fault Olivia for making the best of an awkward situation.
We continued talking.
“I received the call late last night, about putting together a new wardrobe for you. I thought to pack up your things from the
palace, but the message said all new, to be delivered straight to the island. And I was to facilitate their delivery.” “I didn’t need all
this,” I said.
Charlotte smiled at me a little. “The message was clear. Prince Nicholas wanted the best for you.” I knew Nicholas was behind all
this, but to hear to what lengths he went to for me...
I lowered my head to hide my smile.
Charlotte yawned a little. “With all the excitement, I haven't been to sleep yet p »
This alarmed me. “You need to get some sleep!” Charlotte laughed a little. I could see now the bags under her eyes. “Maybe for
a little while.” We split ways then. Charlotte went to the servants quarters assigned to her to sleep. Elva went to make
sandcastles with the nanny. I went searching for Nicholas, to thank him for such a generous gift.
It didn’t take me long to find him. All 1 had to do was descend the staircase. He was standing in the hallway near the bottom,
arguing with... Nathan? When had he gotten here? Standing behind Nathan was a camera crew. They weren't filming yet, but
they were arranging their gear like they meant to soon.
“This is supposed to be a getaway, Nathan,” Nicholas argued. “A reward for a job well done. There weren't supposed to be any
cameras here.” “The King has made the decision, Prince Nicholas,” Nathan said. He was respectful enough, but his tone had an
air of dismissal, like his words were enough to end all argument. Maybe they were. Or should have been.
But Nicholas continued to press. “It’s hardly a reward if we have to keep being on guard all the time.” “you expect the competition
to simply... take a week off while you are here? And you believe the ratings would return after that break?” Nathan shook his

head. “Be realistic, Nicholas.” “1 am realistic,” Nicholas snapped.
«phen you'll know that the opportunity to see the princes and candidates in their swimsuits would only help to draw viewership to
the competition,” Nathan said. “We cannot pass up this opportunity.” “1 still don’t =” “What's the harm?” said a chipper female
voice. Bridget walked out of the kitchen, a coffee in hand and stepped nearer Nicholas. She wore a big charming smile, her eyes
bright and full of life.
How was this the same woman who had passed out on the beach last night? Even I had a small hangover! How was Bridget
immune? She seemed as cheery and energetic as she had the first day I met her! Bridget turned her smile on Nicholas.
“None of us have anything to hide.
What does it matter if the cameras are here?” She said the words kindly enough, but even I could hear the slight threat
underneath. None of us have anything I to hide. She suspected the opposite was true, if her outburst last night was anything to
go by.
The tiny voice inside of me wondered if Bridget herself hadn’t helped influence the arrival of the cameras. Perhaps Nicholas
hadn’t been the only one to have made the call home. Maybe Bridget herself called to suggest that the cameras would be
welcomed here.
«She makes a good point,” Nathan said, and Nicholas grimaced slightly.
«1t seems I have no choice,” Nicholas said. © Nathan nodded. “The King knows what’s best.” Realizing I had stopped on the
stairs to blatantly eavesdrop, I tried to subtly begin walking again, descending the staircase.
At once, all three sets of eyes turned to look at me.
Nathan dismissed me at once, turning toward the camera crew, likely to direct them further.
Bridget lifted a brow at me, but otherwise didn’t react. Her smile remained unchanged, until she sipped at her coffee. Whatever
had taken hold of her last night — likely the wine — had long left her, and she was fully in control of herself once more. I
wondered if I should be afraid of that.
Only Nicholas let his gaze linger. At first, his expression was as hard as it had been while talking to the others.
Yet, the longer we looked at each other, the closer I came down the stairs, the more his face shifted to one of... apology.

I gave a small smile in return. He needed to know I didn’t blame him.
None of this was his fault.
But any hopes I had about us pretending to be other people falling in Jove all over again flew right out the window.