The Luna Choosing Game

“What the hell is going on in here?” Nicholas asked. “Julian?”

I was too stunned to speak, but when I looked over to Julian, I saw that he was smirking.

Nicholas turned his rage on the producers. “Why are you filming this?”

The producer jumped, then bowed much lower than was necessary. “It was approved by the crown, Your Royal Highness. The King himself commanded us!”

“Retract your claws before you hurt someone,” Julian said casually as he rose to his feet. This isn’t their fault.”

”

Nicholas reared back to him. “Then explain it to me, brother. And while you are giving that explanation, you can explain why you felt it necessary to summon me to witness this.” The way he say this, with such open disgust, made me want to crawl into a hole.

“Our parents thought we should utilize Piper’s popularity for the benefit of the whole,” Julian said. “Because nothing says, we’re worthy of being liked by commoners, than having one of those commoners make out with a prince.”

“A prince,” Nicholas said. “Why did it have to be you?”

I felt like Nicholas too easily accepted Julian’s explanation of why we were being filmed kissing, and jumped straight to why not me?

“Nicholas,” I said.

When he saw me, he seemed to remember the other things too. “Piper shouldn’t need to do this with anyone.”

“Tell that to Dad,” Julian said. “Or better yet, how about those protesters outside? I bet

they’d love to hear from you.”

Nicholas glowered. He frowned so deeply, I thought steam might come out of his ears. He turned to the producers again. “I want to see the footage. Whatever you do, you cannot use

that kiss.”

To Julian, I hissed, “Did you really summon him here?”

Julian shrugged so casually, like it didn’t matter.

“Why would you do that?” I said, my own anger spi king. “You are trying to stir more drama

with Nicholas. He didn’t have to know about this.”

Julian lifted a brow. “You think he wouldn’t have seen it on TV? Trust me, Piper. He was always going

to find out, but this way,

way, it’s more fun.”

“It’s unnecessarily cruel,” I said.

Julian’s smirk took on a harsh edge. “He deserves this and more for stealing Bridget from me.”

Bridget again. Her name made me pause and ebbed some of my anger. When I opened my mouth again, I half-forgot where I was and what was happening. I so very much wanted to ask him for the truth of what happened between him, Nicholas, and Bridget.

Nicholas spoke before I could, and I was ashamed and grateful at once.

“This is a terrible plan,” Nicholas said. His hands were in tight fists, but the rage had

simmered in his voice, likely because he kept glancing at Elva asleep on the chair. “If someone had come to me about it -”

“You would have disapproved, and we’d be in the same terrible pit as before,” Julian said. He motioned toward me. “Piper agreed to all this. I didn’t just spring it on her. She was asked.”

Both pairs of eyes fall on me.

“Is that true?” Nicholas said. “Were you asked? And you agreed to this?”

Either answer would hurt him. He didn’t want anyone to force me to do anything, but so few days ago, IText © owned by NôvelDrama.Org.

had pushed him away, wanting to shield my heart. Now here I was, so casually kissing someone else.

I had my reasons, and they were sound. But nothing felt good enough now, facing with the reality of his pain.

“I’m sorry, Nicholas,” I said. I tried to keep my voice steady, so as not to betray the quaking emotion within me. “It is as Julian says.

I wanted to throw my arms around Nicholas and smother him in my kisses until he knew that he was the only man that I held so dearly in my heart. That Julian and I were only playing pretend.

But I couldn’t move. I had to sit very still.

I curled my hands around my knees, holding on to keep from falling.

“And you are comfortable with this?” Nicholas pressed. “You don’t have to do this, you know. No matter what Julian or my father said to you.”

“I know,” I said, a lie. I had to do this, to protect Nicholas himself. I wouldn’t let the people rebel. I wouldn’t let them tear this palace apart. Since I wielded influence, I would leverage it to protect him. “I am comfortable.”

Nicholas frowned.

Even Julian wavered at my obvious lie. “We’re getting there. But it really is the best plan to quell all this talk of rebellion. Come on, Nicholas. You know it’s true. Like this, we win the hearts of the people, and –”

“I want to talk to Piper alone,” Nicholas said.

Julian sighed as he looked at me. His lifted brow seemed to say, Well? What do

you want?

I raised myself to my feet and followed Nicholas to a corner of the room where we could speak privately, while still keeping an eye on everyone else.

“You can tell me the truth now, Piper,” he said. He dropped his gaze to me. The green flickered dangerously in the golden depths. “Why are you doing this?”

I licked my lips to give myself a moment’s time. If he wouldn’t accept a blatant lie, then maybe I could skirt the truth enough that it might not be noticeable.

Either way, I simply could not let him know the truth. If Nicholas knew I was pretending to love Julian just to save him, he would never agree to let it happen. He would be more likely to throw me over his shoulder and haul me out of this room by force than let me kiss Julian without wanting to.

“It’s for the good of the kingdom,” I said. Not an untruth.

Nicholas narrowed his eyes.

That wasn’t going to be enough. “It’s not… terrible. I don’t mind it.”

Kissing Julian was awkward. He wasn’t the person I wanted to be kissing. But he wasn’t unattractive,

and he kissed in a tender way that spoke of experience and respect.

He wasn’t the worst person to kiss, if I had to kiss someone.

He was not nearly as good a kisser as Nicholas. Not as hot or passionate or loving or generous. 3 But Nicholas wasn’t an option. 2

Still, what I said seemed to have been the wrong thing. Nicholas went very still. A fire raged in his eyes, but it was strictly confined there. His face betrayed no emotion.

A cold winter win brewed in my heart, swallowing around me.

I had said the wrong thing.

“Nicholas, I didn’t mean…”

He held up his hand. “You don’t have to explain it to me, Piper.” He turned away from me. “Nick…” I started after him.

“Do whatever you want,” he said, sharp and cruel. I froze to the spot, chilled.

Nicholas stormed from the room then, not looking back. The producers watched him leave. Julian did too, before looking at me.

Julian came to my side. “You alright?”

I shook my head. I didn’t cry, but the tears welled in the corners of my eyes.

It took everything I had not to chase after him.

I hurt him, and I hated it.