The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 52

In the werewolf tradition, he wore a tuxedo, though with a blue shirt rather than white.

His eyes were deep red as they focused on me.

“Ambassador Zale, may I present Piper,” Mark said.

Well, it was now or never. Trust Mark, and presumably Nicholas, or take the chance myself.

Reaching up, I placed a hand on either side my neck. “My life, my friendship.”

Zale’s eyes went impossibly wide.

My heart pounded hard. Had I upset him? Was this a trap? How would I explain this to the Queen?

But then Zale smiled, showing a set of sharp teeth. “Nice to meet you, Piper. I had yet to meet a candidate tonight who know the proper Merfolk greeting.”

“I’ll make my exit now,” Mark said, backing away. “If you will excuse me.”

In Mark’s absence, Zale stepped closer. He must have been an older Merfolk. I could see now the gray at his temples, and the lines beside his striking eyes.

“Tell me,” Zale said. “How did you come to know our greeting?”

For one wild moment, I tried to think of a lie, but in the end, what could I saw but the truth?

I

“I’m sorry, sir, I wished I could tell you I learned it long ago, but the truth is… I only learned it just now when Mark told me.”

His eyes went wide again.

I shouldn’t have said that.

But then he threw his head back and laughed so hard his gills fluttered,

“Oh, Piper. How delightful you are. Do you have any idea how truth is valued in my culture? I am so used

to your kind attempting to deceive me. To have you here, so honest and open, is a great comfort to me as a stranger in a faraway land.”

I’m sorry the others tried to lie to you,” I said.

I couldn’t agree that I was an overly honest person entirely. If I was, I would have told Nicholas from the start about Elva and what truly happened to my powers.

The girls around me were freshening up their Merfolk language. Some were fluent. Others, less so. Though most seemed to have a baseline knowledge.

My grasp of the Merfolk language was rusty, at least. I vaguely recalled some lessons during my days at

the Academy, but that felt like so long ago now. Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

T’hadn’t had any need for Merfolk language or traditions in my day to day since leaving the Academy. I

didn’t really retain any of that knowledge.

I thought I might be able to recall some customs, though the bits of information I was hearing now and

then around me confused with my memories and left me unsure.

Also, I couldn’t trust what the girls around me were even saying.

Linda, especially, seemed to be purposefully polluting the water of fact and fiction. My knowledge was

shaky, but even I knew the Merfolk greeted each other with a deep bow, and not a fist bump like she was

suggesting to the more gullible girls.

I tried not to panic. I had been in worse situations. Heck, even lunch hour in the restaurant had often

been overwhelming, with everyone shouting orders and demanding attention.

If I could manage hungry, irritable customers as a waitress, I could handle almost anything.

I had to be careful. I had to try hard.

I really didn’t want to have to stand in the rain for a full day.

The girls and I were directed into a line to wait our turn to meet the ambassador. As the line grew

shorter and shorter, my anxiety spiked.

The girls leaving the ambassador had mixed reactions. Some seemed pleased. Olivia and Linda seemed

particularly confident. But most looked upset.

By the time it was my tum, I was a nervous ball of energy who felt a bit like I was walking into a lion’s

den.

Yet, instead of a servant to escort me to the ambassador, as had guided everyone else, Mark, Nicholas’s

Beta, was the one who offered me his arm.

Allow me to escort you to Ambassador Zale,” Mark said.

It was a gift, being given his name. Whether Nathan had said it when he announced the challenge. I

“Thank you,” I said, accepting Mark’s arm.

I noticed right away that he was guiding me the long way around.

“You!

know, the first time Prince Nicholas met a Merfolk he made a common mistake. Most people in the

kingdom believe that Merfolk bow at the waist as a form of greeting.”

“That’s what they taught us in the Academy,” I said. I’d been mostly sure of it.

“Perhaps among some Merfolk, that remains a tradition,” Mark conceded. “However, the royal family and their ambassadors have a much different formal greeting.”

I glanced at him. Surely he wasn’t just going to tell me what it was.

“They place a hand over their gills on either side of their neck. ‘My life, my friendship,‘ they say. It’s a symbolic show of trust and a gesture of sincerity.”

I had never heard this before. For a moment, I wondered if perhaps Mark was trying to lead me astray, just as Linda had fooled those more gullible girls.

But Mark had always seemed an honest type of person. Surely he wouldn’t be so cruel as to want to see

me humiliated, or worse.

“Nicholas bowed,” Mark continued. “Fortunately, the Merfolk and the Werewolves have a history of

goodwill between our kingdoms. They don’t always correct the incorrect greeting out of politeness but in

this case, the royals showed Nicholas the correct way.”

“A hand on either side of the neck,” I said.

“And the phrase,” Mark added.

“My life, my friendship.”

“Correct. Ah, here we are.” Mark led me now to a waiting gentleman. Compared to everyone else in the

room, he was practically otherworldly. He had a head of wild dark hair, and blue–green scales down the

bridge of his nose.

Gills fluttered at his neck, though his chest moved with breath. I remembered reading that Merfolk could

breathe both above and under the water.

In the werewolf tradition, he wore a tuxedo, though with a blue shirt rather than white.

His eyes were deep red as they focused on me.

“Ambassador Zale, may I present Piper,” Mark said.

Well, it was now or never. Trust Mark, and presumably Nicholas, or take the chance myself.

Reaching up, I placed a hand on either side my neck “My life, my friendship.”

Zale’s eyes went impossibly wide.

I

My heart pounded hard. Had I upset him? Was this a trap? How would I explain this to the Queen?

But then Zale smiled, showing a set of sharp teeth. “Nice to meet you, Piper. I had yet to meet a candidate tonight who knew the proper Merfolk greeting.

“I’ll make my exit now,” Mark said, backing away. “If you will excuse me.”

In Mark’s absence, Zale stepped closer. He must have been an older Merfolk. I could see now the gray at

his temples, and the lines beside his striking eyes.

“Tell me,” Zale said. “How did you come to know our greeting?”

For one wild moment, I tried to think of a lie, but in the end, what could I saw but the truth?

“I’m sorry, sir. I wished I could tell you I learned it long ago, but the truth is… I only learned it just now

when Mark told me.”

His eyes went wide again.

I shouldn’t have said that.

But then he threw his head back and laughed so hard his gills fluttered.

“Oh, Piper. How delightful you are. Do you have any idea how truth is valued in my culture? I am so used

to your kind attempting to deceive me. To have you here, so honest and open, is a great comfort to me as

a stranger in a faraway land.”

I’m sorry the others tried to lie to you,” I said.

I couldn’t agree that I was an overly honest person entirely. If I was, I would have told Nicholas from the dari obout Elva and what truly happened to my powers

If Merfolk hated lies, I wondered how they felt about secrets.

“Ah, I remember now. You are the one with the child,” Zale said.

“My daughter.” I motioned to where she stood with the nanny at the edge of the crowd. She yawned into

her hand. “Elva.”

He tilted his head a little. “You must be proud.”

Nam” Another truth, from deep in my soul. Even as nervous as I was, I couldn’t stop myself from

smiling.

‘Zale’s own smile softened.

“Piper, dancing is a bit of a novelty for me. In our merforms, we have no need for steps and counting

while enjoying our music. But if you would indulge me, I would like to honor this day with a dance.”

Zale nodded to the King, who nodded back.

“I have the royal family’s permission to dance once with one girl of my preference.”

I glanced behind me. “You haven’t met everyone.”

“I don’t need to meet anyone else. The girl who has earned my favor this evening is you.”

When he offered his hand, I accepted it

Together we walked to the center of the dance floor. The others had stepped back to give us room.

Zale had maybe less dancing experience than me, but somehow we both managed. Our steps may have

been wrong, but we made them wrong together.

“Perhaps you don’t know,” Zale said, when we were out of earshot of the others. “Perhaps I shouldn’t tell

you.”

I waited for him to decide. I wouldn’t press,

The greeting that you gave to me is secret among my kind. As a gesture of goodwill toward your royal family and the alliance we share, I myself taught the greeting to the three princes this afternoon.”

Wait. But Mark had taught me that greeting, when he saw Nicholas…

When Nicholas.

Zale smiled at my obvious confusion.

One of those princes thinks you are very special indeed. Piper.