Band of Misfits

Papparazzo

"Please, Cinder? Pretty please?"

"No," said Cinder firmly, buttoning the green cloak at her throat.

Iko pouted. "Pleeeeeaaase?"

Flipping the hood over her head, the queen of Luna turned to stalk down the corridor. "I said no, Iko. End of discussion."

Iko watched her walk away, lips pursed. Just for a moment. Then she caught up to Cinder and fell in step. "Just five minutes, I promise. Nothing too personal. You won't even know I'm there!"

"Iko!" Cinder whirled around so fast that her hood slipped off, and slashed an arm through the air. "Under no circumstances will I ever allow you to film me and Kai on a date, and that is final!"

"But it would do so much for the world if they could see that" – she couldn't temper a knowing grin "– an alliance is in the making."

Cinder opened her mouth, probably to tell Iko where to stuff it, but Iko didn't let her. "You're an actual royal couple, Cinder, and it's not even staged! Do you know how often these things happen?" (Quick net search.) "About once every four hundred years! And remember how at the last Commonwealth ball, you were the only ones dancing for a whole three songs! Such a romantic waltz. I swear, Cinder, the number of looks you exchange with him on a daily basis –" Iko's voice rose through two octaves until she was more squealing than talking.

Jaw set in annoyance, Cinder swept on, the cloak billowing out behind her. She could really look intimidating if she wanted to – and, more than occasionally, even when she didn't mean to.

They rounded a corner. Iko clasped her hands under her chin and sighed happily. "If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to get one of those looks on tape. It's just too beautiful not to preserve for all time."

"Please." Cinder spoke through clenched teeth. "Please, for all the stars, don't push your swoony psychodrama on me right now. If you care about me at all, let me go to Kai alone. The last thing I want is for the world and media to watch us 24/7, and – Iko?"

Iko had stopped walking in the middle of the hallway. She was looking at Cinder in a stunned sort of way.

"... Iko?"

"You just quoted Jacin." The words were spoken with the utmost horror.

Cinder's eyes widened. "I did not."

"You did! I was right here. You said 'swoony psychodrama'. Oh, my stars, what is the world coming to?"

"That ... was a fluke," she said slowly, frowning, like she didn't want to believe it either.

"You two are much more alike than you realize," Iko said darkly. Then she sniffed. "If it makes you happy, I'll drop it. Filming you and Kai. But it would really have upped my ratings, just saying ..."

Cinder shook her head and stopped. They had arrived at the entrance to one of the secret passageways that (it turned out) wove through New Beijing Palace. This one in particular would lead outside, to the city.

"What would make me really happy is getting to Kai without being recognized by the guards. And without Kinney realizing I'm gone." A rare twinkle came into Cinder's eyes. "So could you, I don't know, maybe ... distract him until I get back?"

Slowly, like the door of opportunity swinging open, Iko's lips curved into a wicked grin. "It would be my pleasure."

Cinder winked and disappeared into the passageway.