The Luna Choosing Game



Terry continued, listing each girl as well as the points they earned.

Toward the end, he said, "Susie. Two points." He offered no explanation. Susie looked relieved.

*As for our final candidate," Terry began. I held my breath because by now, I was the only one who had yet to be mentioned. "I recommend the royal family dismiss her from the competition entirely."

My breath caught. Some of the other girls turned to look at me. I wanted to crawl out of my skin.

Terry looked straight at the camera, as if speaking directly to the viewers at home. "This woman attempted to seduce me in my own home. She flirted relentlessly. When I attempted to refute her, she grew violent."

He turned toward the royal family. "Please. I implore you. For the sake of the competition... For the good of the kingdom.... remove this girl that has been nothing but a blight among us."

The Luna nodded, clearly agreeing.

The King frowned, seemingly less sure.

Beside me Nicholas started growling,

I felt numb, like I was trapped inside of a nightmare. This couldn't be reality. He couldn't have just stood up there on that stage and insisted to the entire world that he was the one who was wronged. That I was the one who attempted to assault him, and not the other way around.

In the King's hesitation, the Queen stepped forward. "Bring Piper to the stage," she demanded.

Guards began to weave through the crowd.

Nicholas tugged me behind him. As the guards came close, he snarled, "Fucking try it, and I'll tear your throat out."

The guards seemed unsure, their brows crumpling.

"I said, bring her to the stage," the Queen said again, more forcefully.

The guards began to inch forward again. The hierarchy was clear. In the royal family and beyond, the Queen's word weighed more than the prince's.

Nicholas's growl became louder. His body tensed. His hands curled like they might become claws.

I touched his shoulder. I didn't want there to be a brawl. Besides, "They are just following orders."

"That's no excuse," Nicholas said.

Yet before Nicholas could start a brawl, I pushed forward and offered myself up to the guard.

"Piper!" Nicholas called.

The guards gripped me roughly by the arms and pulled me toward the stage. I was dragged up the stairs and then shoved across it. I stumbled, tripped over the hem of my dress, and fell to my knees at Terry and the Luna's feet.

They both sneered down at me, the Luna in obvious distain, Terry with a hint of a smile. He was enjoying this.

Julian took one step toward me from the end of the stage. The Queen shot him a sharp glare. "You stay there, Julian, and don't you dare interfere."

Julian's hands formed fists.

The Luna looked down at me.

"Piper, it is against the rules of the competition for a candidate to flirt with another man outside of the three princes," the Luna said. "You have broken this rule."

"I'm innocent," I said.

"Silence," the Luna snapped with such ferocity that it startled me. "The cameras have captured evidence of your deception and now you will face judgement for what you've done"

A sob caught in my throat. I couldn't handle the injustice of it all. I was the one who had been harassed and then assaulted. I had almost been raped.

Yet now, I was the one being paraded like a criminal, thrown down to my knees, and told I needed to face judgement. Judgement for what? Being the object of a sick man's obsession?

I could have cried, but I held back the tears. Terry would want me to cry. He'd want to see my desperation.C0ntent © 2024 (N/ô)velDrama.Org.

I wasn't going to give him anything that he wanted.

"Piper, as Luna, I decree -"

Suddenly, the King came to stand beside his wife and said, "Stop."