Unexpected

Chapter Fourteen

A/N: Ayyyyy....sorry for the late update. Anyways, here it is!

CINDER

Cinder flopped back onto the queen-sized bed, releasing a sigh as her gaze flicked to the door. Kai had left since ten minutes ago, and she was already missing him. Cinder ran a hand through her brown curls, staring up at the ceiling with a depressed expression.

It had been amazing to see him again.

He looked the same, with the perfectly tousled hair and the brown eyes glowing in warmth as always. Emperor Kaito of Eastern Commonwealth. Cinder reached up to touch her lips, her fingers trembling as she remembered the soft touch of his lips on hers, the sparks that had exploded between them.

And a dreamy smile curved on her lips.

Cinder wandered into the huge bathroom, glimpsing the tray with dozens of oil-scented soaps, of compressed shampoo, of different scents and flowers strewn around the marble stature. She held up a gleaming bottle filled with a milky white liquid. Lotion. They had this in Luna as well, but there it looked darker, thicker, filled with minerals.

Cinder stifled a yawn as she strolled over to her mega-huge makeshift wardrobe and started rifling through dresses and gowns and normal t-shirts that had been hung on the racks. Kai was right. They did transport her stuff fast.

"Nah, not this," Cinder held up a violet strapless dress that she found too fluffy for her liking. "Nope, this either." Cinder touched the smooth fabric of a black and white modern dress, thinking, Iko wouldn't like this. She tossed it back towards the growing mound of clothes behind her. Cinder sighed, moving a bunch of other gowns aside. A flash of navy blue caught her eye and she gently took the hanger out, marveling at the dress.

"Definitely this," Cinder nodded, mentally painting a picture of herself wearing this dress to the dinner tonight. The ping of a notification came up on her retinal scan, and she paused.

Newsfeed...Cinder scrolled down.

An email from Iko and Kinney. Cinder raised her eyebrows as she read the feed, then smiled broadly at the end. The Headings read 'IS THE LOST PRINCESS THE RIGHT QUEEN FOR LUNA AFTER ALL?' in broad letters scrawling across the screen. Cinder smiled giddily as she saw the comments of multiple Lunar citizens posting their thoughts online.

One read: She's done a lot for us by just getting rid of Levana. A lot of other posts also spoke of the same matter, but one caught her eye.

It read: I've met this Queen Cinder on the night she and her friend came to save our Princess Winter from that disease. She seems like a good person, and I think Luna will be much better off under her rule, regardless of her inexperience-I think she will make a wonderful queen.

Cinder sank down, perching on the chair's armrest, grinning. How sweet of Iko to send this to her. Her mood sharply rose and she whistled as she admired the dress she'd picked out.

A navy blue spaghetti strap dress with a silky black sash hanging loosely from the waist. The sequins were lined with threaded silver, sparkling in the light. It would complement her tan skin and her brown eyes and hair, not to mention the glint of the cyborg hand.

A perfect dress for a perfect night.

TWO HOURS LATER, 5:23 PM IN THE E.C:

Cinder glanced at herself in the mirror. Then raised her arm to sniff her skin again, inhaling the sweet scent of rosemary and lavender gently crushed while sprinkling fine bath salt into the mixture, topped off with a tinge of coconut oil and a spoonful of honey.