Moonflower- A Lunar Chronicles Fanfiction

Chapter 4

"Are they ready?" asked Cinder. It was getting late, and she had been ready for almost an hour.

"There's a few people still trickling in. You should probably start waking her up," Kai told her.

Cinder made a face. "Does she have to be awake for the ceremony? She can be presented to the country while still asleep. It's not like she has to give a speech or anything,"

Kai smiled. "No, but I think the audience will melt if they see her little smile, and even if she won't remember it when she's older, I think she deserves to be awake for her own presentation,"

"Alright," Cinder sighed. It had been a long night. Getting the three week old to sleep through the night was practically impossible.

Kai put his arms around Cinder's shoulders and massaged them. "You are amazing. You know that right?" He said. "I have no idea how you handle everything. I just go sit in meetings with the world council all day. You meet with cyborg and lunar committees, host visitors, coordinate events, and find time to care of our daughter."

"Don't downplay your work Kai. I have no idea how you're so patient with those world leaders. They would drive me crazy," Cinder responded.

"I guess I just wanted to say how proud of you I was, and how much I love you," Kai said before kissing her forehead.

"Are you just trying to butter me up so I'll take your turn at changing her diaper?" Cinder said grinning. "Because that is not going to happen."

Kai sighed playfully, "It was worth a shot." Then the emperor and empress of the Commonwealth went to retrieve the new princess.

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"... And it's truly a momentous occasion," Kai was saying. Crowds of people stood at the base of the balcony admiring the once teen heartthrob, the gracious former lunar queen, and the new princess of the Eastern Commonwealth. The baby murmured in Cinder's arms and waved her arms to the delight of the crowd while Kai continued.

"Sure, one could say that it is an amazing day in that we are coronating a new princess. We could also say it is joyous because for the first time a half-lunar half-earthen child will take a throne on Earth. We could even say it is a beautiful day because we get to see the shining face of our lovely empress," he said grinning at Cinder. She hoped he could see that her smile was in fact a grimace.

"And while those are all wonderful things and definitely deserve to be celebrated, I am most happy to simply show off my lovely daughter to the world because even if I wasn't an emperor, she would still be princess to me,"

The crowd sighed while Cinder desperately wished she could roll her eyes at his cheesy lines. Though she would never admit it to him, she still loved those sayings because he said them.

"Still," Kai continued. "I suppose there must be some ceremony, especially in government," he said with a slight nod to Torin standing beside Cinder. He nodded gratefully in return and Kai smiled.

"So now I must ask my wife Empress Selene and our daughter to come forward to this podium. And Torin if you would," he said gesturing toward the covered pedestal in the corner. Cinder came forward and nodded at the crowd with a smile. Though she had pictured moments like this in when she was younger as being frightening or stressful, it seemed being empress was not as bad as she pictured it might be.

Torin returned from the pedestal with a tiny tiara in hand. It was truly precious, and the crowd sighed again at the sight of it. It was meant for the princess of course, and Cinder prayed she wouldn't bat it off before they got at least one picture. Stars, she was turning into a hovering mother.

"My first act this morning is to sign this new act into law which allows for the firstborn child of the emperor and empress to be crowned the monarch no matter their gender," he quickly scribbled out a signature on the paper before an official swept it away. "In doing this I have also declared my daughter to be my official heir, and all of you here today are witnesses,"

The crowd clapped in response, and there were even some whistles and cheers. It still surprised Cinder that despite all the changes she and Kai had brought to the Commonwealth they still were supportive of them. Sure, they had some opposition from people believing that Cinder wasn't fit for an Earthen crown or that Kai was too young, but their supporters seemed to be much more numerous. The thoughts made Cinder's heart swell. Perhaps they were making a difference for people.

"Now, but the power vested in me by the Eastern Commonwealth I crown you, my daughter," Kai said taking the tiara from Torin to place it on the little girl's hairless head. "Crown Princess Cynthia Peony of the Eastern Commonwealth,"

The crowd cheered even louder then, and as Kai and Cinder posed grinning for the media with the little princess they started chanting, "Long live Emperor Kai, Long live Empress Selene, Long live Princess Cynthia,"

Cinder waved for a few minutes more, trying to make eye contact with as many people as she could. Then she gave her thanks to the audience before taking Cynthia and Kai with her off the balcony.

When they were out of the public eye Kai kissed her and then the baby's forehead. "Now that that's over we can just be a normal family," he said grinning.

"Because every normal family lives in a palace and meets with the leaders of all the world and gets trained to become an empress," Cinder teased back.

"Okay," said Kai, a little exasperated, "So we can't be a totally normal family compared to the rest of the world, but we can love each other and be there for each other just as much as any other family, and that's what really makes a family a family. And stars Cinder, we may not be a normal family, but we are going to be a good one, maybe even the best one. Never have I loved anything so much as you and Cynthia, and I want the world for you both,"

"I love your too Kai, and I know Cynthia would say the same thing if she could talk," Just then the baby began to cry and Cinder sighed.

"I don't think that's a profession of love fore her father," said Kai, a joking sparkle in his eye.

"No, it means she's hungry, so I guess I ought to get her some. I'll see you at dinner," Cinder said giving his a kiss on the cheek before starting down the hallway. The click of Kai's shoes began in the other direction, and Cinder had gotten a good couple of feet down the hall before she remembered.

"Oh and Kai?" She called behind her.

"Yes?" He said, obviously trying to sound innocent.

"Do not got looking into how much it would cost to buy the world, because that is not a gift neither I nor Cynthia is willing to accept,"

She could practically feel Kai's grin at her back before she turned the corner.