The Luna Choosing Game

1 felt the warmth of her hand long after she had removed it.

I followed my father away from the dining room and to his rooms. He did not look back at me once, nor spoke to me until we were behind closed doors.

Once the door had shut behind us, however, he swiveled to glower at me.

“You’ve ignored my summons these past days.”

I had. “There have been many things that required my attention.”

“Matters more important than respecting your King?”

“More important than humoring the tired whims of my father, yes.”

The King’s face went bright red. “How dare you! Who do you think you are?”

I stood my ground. “Tell me you have some reason to want to see me other than Piper.”

He thrust his finger into my chest. “She is a danger, Nicholas. You are not taking this seriously.”

He huffed out a frustrated breath, then turned on his heel again. He placed some distance between us.

“You could have better handled the revelation of your past relationship. You nearly made us the laughing

stock of the kingdom.”

“Piper is popular with the people,” I said. “No one was laughing. If anything. It helped us gain their

respect.”

I hated that it was true. I had no intention of using my relationship with Piper in such a way. I had only wanted to protect her. But if it would help appease my father and therefore get him to lay off Piper, I was willing to use anything to my advantage.

I would apologize to her later.

The King crossed his arms. “We need her gone, the sooner the better.”

I crossed the room, closing some of the distance between my father and I. He stood near the fireplace,

staring down at the flames.

“I’m doing everything you want. I’ve asked Lilliana on another date. Piper is not a threat to you.”

“But she is. Can’t you see?” He looked back at me. The flickering flames cast shadows across his face. The way you talk about her, Nicholas, is very peculiar. I know she was special to you once, but sometimes

Don’t be ridiculous. Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

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“You know you can never be with her, don’t you? You are my oldest son. Regardless what we told the

producers and the promoters, you are most likely to take my throne when I pass. As King, you cannot

allow some commoner –”

“You don’t need to over–dwell on this, father. I know better than anyone how much Piper doesn’t belong

here.”

“Then why do you insist on allowing her to stay?”

I shook my head. “The people adore her

“The people would adore any of our choices. Lilliana, for example. Think of ways to bring her up in the

people’s eyes. They don’t need Piper to rally behind.”

In my mind, I tried to replace my shared moments in Piper’s presence, with Lilliana instead. It was almost laughable.

She would never go with me to an orphanage to feed the children. She wouldn’t smile at me like Piper

did. If it had been her in the kitchen the night before, I would not have been tempted to kiss her by the

oven.

“You need to reassess your priorities, Nicholas,” the King said. “I’m only looking out for you.”

I knew, in his own way, that he meant those words. The kingdom was important, and so was my place in

1. it. Any lingering feelings for Piper threatened to unravel everything he had planned for me.

I tried to keep that in mind. I tried to be strong.

I would be.

But that didn’t mean Piper had to leave.

“My priorities are in order,” I said. “Piper is good for ratings and to garner the people’s good will, but I

have no remaining feelings for her,”

It was a lie, but, I would take the truth to the grave with me.

“Good,” the King said. “Let’s keep one thing very clear…”

The King looked once more into the fire.

“Piper will never be Luna. Not so long as I live