The Luna Choosing Game

But I was my father’s first born son. I had responsibilities to the throne and to the kingdom over myself.

The expectations on me made it impossible to lash out in the rebellious way Julian, as the second son,

was allowed to.

So I gritted my teeth, and I agreed.

When I arrived at the meeting place, on the patio just outside the dining room, Lilliana was already

there, waiting for me. She walked right up to me, no preamble or greeting, and kissed me full on the

mouth.

It was an awkward kiss. Her lips were too firm, not malleable at all. Her body was stiff against mine. Her hands sat on my shoulders with no grip. No pulling, or clawing. No passion at all.

This kiss was miles away from the spark I had shared with Piper, when I had pulled her to me in that hallway and we ravaged each other’s mouths. Piper had clung to me like she wanted me inside of her. I

had totally lost control of myself to the flames, ready to burn with her in that moment.

Whatever she wanted. Whatever she needed. I would be the one to deliver it and have her screaming

my name. Not Julian’s. Mine.

This kiss with Lilliana in comparison was entirely sterile.

I placed my hands on Lilliana’s hips simply because it would be strange to have them dangling at my sides. Maybe this was what she was thinking of too: what we might look like for the cameras.

She didn’t try to deepen the kiss. Nor did she try to pull away.

So I did the same. We stood there, two statues, pressed together at the lips. And we’d stay that way until the cameras happened upon us.

I counted the seconds until this nightmare would end. It felt like centuries. Eons.

Then finally, I heard the bustle of the camera crew.

“Look! There they are!”

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The crew rushed out onto the patio with us. Lilliana and I broke apart. Lilliana appeared appropriately embarrassed, covering her mouth with her hand and lowering her eyes demurely. But there was no blush in her cheeks. No tremor in her shoulders.

Lilliana was a world–class taker.

I was certain I looked unhappy, because that was how I felt. I wanted for the world to be anywhere but

where I was, with the producer jamming a microphone toward my face.

“A secret lover’s rendezvous!” the producer said with glee. “Does this mean Lilliana is your choice,

Prince Nicholas? Do the other girls even stand a chance?”

When I didn’t answer with more than a sigh, Lilliana stepped in front of me, placing herself at the

microphone.

“He’s so sweet, the things he says to me in private,” Lilliana said. “And the way he kisses…” She pretended to be embarrassed again, lowering her head. “He’s a very good kisser.”

I was going to be sick after this. There was no other way around it.

The producer tried to go around Lilliana to ask me more questions, but Lilliana was an effective blocker,

always inserting herself along his path.

Inside my jacket pocket, my phone began to vibrate. I removed it and saw a message from Mark that

began with 911. An emergency.

Heart tightening, immediately opened it. Had something happened to Piper or Elva?

The message read, Piper’s twin spotted on the grounds. Come to Piper’s room.

I moved at once. To hell with this publicity stunt. Piper could be in actual danger.

I sidestepped Lilliana and the entire camera crew and rushed back inside,

“Prince Nicholas!” Lilliana called after me. I ignored her, not caring how it would look for the watching

cameras. Let them think I was rejecting her. What did any of this ruse matter?

I had to get to Piper and Elva. I had to see with my own two eyes that they were okay.

Then and only then could I deal with the fallout.