Chapter Text
The Throne room was still a mess even after the cleaning crew had cleaned the blood and gore from Cinder’s battle with Levana. Cinder sat on her throne thinking about all she had to do, all the people that were counting on her, all of the people she was responsible for. It would have been more productive to actually do those things, help those people, and be responsible, but she really needed some alone time.
Cinder heard the door to the throne room creak open, on instinct she clicks open the gun on her pointer finger, despite the fact that she knows there are guards stationed outside of this room. As Kai walked in he took note of her open finger and decided not to comment on it as she closed it quickly.
“Hiding?” He asked as he stopped before the dais.
“Just for a minute, I needed a moment alone,” She stood to meet him below the dais, “to process…everything.”
He takes her metal hand and leads her to the balcony overlooking the river, “Are you doing alright?”
“All things considered, yes,” they stood on the edge of the balcony now looking down at the water, “I could be better.”
“Do you need anything?”
“No, I don’t think so,” she leaned her head on Kai’s shoulder, “Are you here to tell me you’re leaving?”
“In two days, I’ve already been here too long.”
Two days, she has two days to say everything she needs to say, every thing she couldn’t.
“That makes sense, I didn’t expect you to stay forever.”
“Do you have a plan? For your future? For Luna’s future,” She could hear the unspoken question in his voice.
“I’m going to be a good queen, I’m going to repair the damage done to Luna by Levana and everyone before her. I’m going to open up trade and create a healthy alliance with Earth.”
“What do you plan on doing with the monarchy?”
“I’m going to need a cabinet, with more than just Thaumaturges. Maybe a council of representatives from all of the sectors. I want to be a better queen than Luna has ever seen,” she looked up at him, “and the bar is quite low.”
“Have you considered the possibility of being more than just a queen?” He moved away from her just enough to see her face, “Have you considered the possibility of one day… being an empress.”
“One day…maybe,” she smiled up at him, if she could blush she would be beet red.
“I have something for you,” Kai steps back, reaching into the bag he has slung across one shoulder, and he drops to one knee, “Something I’ve been meaning to give you for a while now”
Fear, excitement, or something like that jolts up her spine as he pulls out…her foot?
Cinder started to laugh, “You, ehh.”
”Are you terribly disappointed? Because I’m sure Luna has some great jewelry stores if you wanted to to-”
“Shut up,” she turned it over in her palms shaking her head, “I keep trying to get rid of this thing, somehow it keeps finding its way back to me. What made you keep it?”
“It occurred to me that If I could find the cyborg that fits this foot, it must be a sign we were meant to be together,” He twisted his lips to one side, “But then I realized it would probably fit an 8 year old.”
“Eleven, actually.”
”Close enough,” He hesitated, “Honestly I guess it was the only thing that would connect me to you when I thought I’d never see you again.”
She slides her gaze off the foot, “Why are you still kneeling.”
Kai reached for her prosthetic hand and brushed his lips against her newly polished knuckles, “You’ll have to get used to people kneeling to you, it kind of comes with the territory.”
Hours later, in her office, She was scrolling through a document containing Lunar Law, making a list by priority of those that needed to be changed or removed when Liam Kinney knocked on the door.
“Linh Pearl is requesting an audience with Your Majesty.”
“Just Pearl?” Pearl usually followed the whims of her mother, it was odd that she alone would ask to speak to her.
“Yes, your Majesty.”
“Let her in.”
Cinder’s office was hastily thrown together after she had ascended to the throne. A small parlor with a sitting area that Cinder had added a large wooden desk to. Cinder rose from her desk and sat on one of the floral sofas.
Pearl walked into the room and cast Cinder a look of bewilderment. Cinder knew she looked nothing like what Pearl was used to. Her hair was curled, a pearl headband sitting atop her head, and she had on light makeup, at the bequest of Iko. She was wearing another dress borrowed from Winter, a silvery gown that hung elegantly from her shoulders and shimmered around her ankles. Pearl had seen her numerous times since Cinder ascended to the Throne, at the coronation and in a handful of meetings, but Cinder could tell she was not used to seeing her dressed so queenly.
“Your Majesty,” Pearl said, bowing deeply to her.
“Sit,” Cinder gestured to the sofa across from her, “Are you and Audrey leaving with the rest of the Common Wealth party in three days?”
“Yes… your Majesty,” Pearl looked at her hands, she was wearing a simple green dress, likely purchased at one of the shops in Artemisia.
“What do you want, Pearl?”
“I wanted to apologize, for how I treated you,” she lifted her head slightly to look at Cinder, “I was cruel, and so was mom. I don’t think there is anything I can do to fix it, or make it up to you, but… I just wanted you to know that before I left. Peony was a better person than I was, she loved you like a sister, like I should have.”
Pearl let out a long breath like she had been holding it the whole time she was in the room.
“Why now? Why did it take you this long, why did it take me to become a queen for you to realize that I was a human?” Cinder didn’t raise her voice but she was angry and hurt, “Why did it take a whole country accepting me before you could?”
“I couldn’t see you as a person until everyone else did,” Pearl was crying, “And for that I am horrible, and I am so, so sorry.”
Cinder wanted to believe Pearl was lying, she wanted to believe that Pearl was just here for her own gain. But Cinder could feel the remorse and guilt and shame in the bioelectricity heavy around Pearl. And Cinder didn’t want to forgive her, she had made her life miserable on earth, every day a nightmare, but she felt for Pearl. Pearl had lost her dad when he had brought Cinder to their home, and all she had left was her mother who hated Cinder so much. What Pearl did was wrong, but at least Cinder could understand why she did it.
“Pearl, I don’t know what to say to you. I don’t know if I can forgive you, you tormented me for years,” Cinder could feel the pressure building in her head like her body wanted to cry but couldn’t.
“I don’t expect you to, but I just wanted you to know, before I left,” Pearl began to rise from her seat to leave when the door to the office opened abruptly.
”I’m sorry Ma’am, but you cannot go in there without the Queen’s permission,” Kinney said to whoever was with him.
Cinder rose and walked to the door where Adri could be seen, with Kinney holding her wrist, restraining her from entering the room.
“Sir Kinney, you can let her in,” Cinder said.
“I am sorry your Majesty, I did not mean to offend you,” Cinder could feel the disgust radiating from Adri, “Pearl let’s go.''
“Mom, I have not finished speaking with the Queen,” Pearl’s words brought another spark of hatred from Adri.
“I think you have said more than enough Pearl, let’s go,” Adri said.
“Mom, I get that you have no desire to fix things with Ci- Queen Selene, but I do.”
“Do not be silly, we have done nothing wrong, let’s go.”
Cinder’s previous resolve to stay out of the fray dissolved.
“What do you mean by that Linh Adri,” Cinder mustered up her most regal posture, “That you have done nothing wrong.
“I mean exactly as I say,” said Adri, crossing her arms and casting a hatful look at Cinder.
“Nothing, not the years of neglect, not the cruelty I endured in your house. You sent me to die!” Cinder knew she should probably stop, she should probably lower her voice, but she didn’t.
“I did what I thought was best for my real family.”
“I could have been a part of that family, you could have just accepted me. All I wanted was a family who loved me. I never did anything to you!”
“Cinder, I don’t know what you expect from me,” Adri’s voice took on an air of superiority, “Did you expect me to love a cyborg? You're not even fully human! Adri laughs, “Turns out you're not even earthen.”
“It’s Queen Selene, and that’s just the thing, isn’t it? I’m not earthen, because I’m the Queen of Luna. The country you stand in right now, in my palace,” Cinder hissed, “Have you forgotten who you are talking to Adri?”
Cinder could feel the fear start to radiate from Adri, as she slowly realized that Cinder could do whatever she wanted to her, that Cinder was in the position of power now. And that fear scared Cinder too, that she would indirectly threaten someone like that. That she had that kind of power in the first place.
“I am sorry your Majesty, I must have lost myself for a moment,” Adri said as she took a step back.
“Stars, I should have found a ship to take you back to the CommonWealth weeks ago,” Cinder pressed a soft hand to her temple, “Just go to your room Audrey, and don’t talk to me until you are leaving Luna.”
Adri bowed with a quick “Yes your Majesty” before hastily leaving the room.
“I am so sorry,” Pearl sobbed.
“Just go,” Cinder told her, and turned back to her desk, “I forgive you just go.”
***
Cinder was in the throne room again, on the balcony looking down over Artemisia. It was the most peaceful place in the palace lately, nobody wanted to come in here and be reminded of Levana’s executions.
But Cinder had one last victim to toss over the balcony.
She spun the cumbersome hateful foot in her fingers. Ever since she can remember it had been a burden, a reminder that she was worthless, she was unimportant, she was nothing but a cyborg. She held the foot over the water and let go.