Tales Untold

Two People

Cinder sighed heavily as she sunk into her chair. It had been a long and exhausting day, and she felt as if she were drowning from all of her work. She had been Queen for only a couple of months and she already dreamed of going back to her mechanics booth. At least there she had been doing what she loved.

There were so many things that Cinder missed about Earth, about the Commonwealth. But mostly, Cinder just missed Kai. Being without him felt like being without oxygen, and though she was doing fine just on her own, Cinder longed to have Kai guiding her through all the royalty stuff.

"You need to eat before going to bed, Cinder." Iko said, heels clicking on the marble floors as she walked into Cinder's room.

Iko was practically Cinder's caretaker, and though Cinder loved her to death, it was sometimes a bit agitating. Yeah, eating was important, but all Cinder wanted to do was just sleep. She couldn't even remember the last time she had slept more than four hours at a time.

"I'm fine, Iko," Cinder stated, not even trying to hide her exhaustion. Iko moved in front of Cinder, her eyes a solid steel silver for serious. She meant business.

"Just give me ten minutes, Iko, the I promise I'll eat. I just need to... to rest." Cinder closed her eyes, and heard Iko huff as she walked away from Cinder.

Truth was, Cinder had no plans to get off that chair. She just couldn't. It seemed like an impossible feat, and it was only eight. Being Queen was slowly killing her, and she had only been doing it for a couple of months.

Suddenly, Cinder's port rang, startling her from her drowsiness. She moaned, but picked up her port and smiled as she clicked the accept button next to Kai's name.

The next second, Cinder was met by Kai's face, and felt an overwhelming sense of peace wash over her as she looked into his copper eyes. Kai laughed, and Cinder knew that if she could, she would be crying from joy. Everything had been so hard, but just seeing Kai made all of Cinder's doubts and fear wash away.

"Cinder!" Kai exclaimed, his eyes wide and excited. Cinder wished she had as much energy as he did. He was like a puppy on steroids.

"Kai," Cinder sighed, sitting up on her chair, and tightening her ponytail. Nothing, except Kai, could have gotten her to get up from that chair. Nothing, save it for that dorky smile and kind persona that Cinder still couldn't believe loved her.

"I'm sorry that I didn't call this morning!" Kai exclaimed, his voice apologetic. "You must have thought I had forgotten. I'm so sorry!" Kai put his palm to his face, and focused his puppy eyes on Cinder.

Cinder scrunched her face up in confusion. "Forgotten what, Kai" Cinder asked. "Is today a holiday? Oh my stars, what have I forgotten?" Cinder questioned frantically, her brain pulling up nothing but the date. December twenty-first.

"Are you joking with me right now?" Kai asked, raising a sassy eyebrow. Cinder shrugged her shoulder in indignation, and Kai's jaw dropped. "Cinder! It's your birthday!" Kai exclaimed, waving his arms around like a maniac.

That had not been what Cinder was expecting. She was still getting used to not being Lihn Cinder, but Selene Blackburn. And Selene Blackburn's birthday was December twenty-first. It was a struggle being two different people, but it was even harder when they had two different birthdays.

"I forgot," Cinder mumbled, biting her lip. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? I'm the one that should be sorry! I tried to come up and visit you, but Torin said I couldn't." Kai huffed, "I am apparently an important world leader. Would you believe that?"

Cinder laughed, and felt a renewal of energy wash over her. "Really? You don't seem the type," Cinder said sarcastically, drawing a laugh from Kai as well.

Kai's face suddenly went back to serious, and her looked Cinder dead in the eyes. "Did Iko forget your birthday too? That's rather odd, seeing how she's a computer." Kai rolled his eyes and rubbed a hand through his hair.

"How do you do it, Kai?" Cinder asked dully, downcasting her eyes.

"Do what?" Kai questioned, his gaze polite and kind.

Cinder leaned back and exhaled a long, sad breath. "All this royalty crap." Cinder waved her arm around. "How are you able to do this and still be you? And still be happy? I feel as though I'm a shell, and that being Queen had stripped me of everything that made me Lihn Cinder."

There was a pause, and Kai looked away. "I guess Lihn Cinder was never meant to be a Queen." Cinder stated glumly. "It was supposed to be Selene Blackburn. I was supposed to be Selene Blackburn, but I'm not! Or at least, I don't know how to be her. I don't know how to do this, Kai." Cinder whimpered.

"Maybe Lihn Cinder wasn't meant to be Queen. Maybe she was, but Cinder, you're not two people. This isn't your fault." Kai said earnestly. "I do believe that if you had been raised to be a Queen, that you would have been ready. But I also think that you would have been a monster." 

Cinder hiccupped at the last part. "A monster?" Cinder laughed, and Kai blushed.

"Why are we talking about political crap? We need to talk about your birthday!" Kai exclaimed, quickly changing the subject. Cinder laughed, but allowed the all-too-not-subtle change in topic.

The two talked for over an hour, sharing embarrassing stories, and sassy comments. It was odd that the two had only known each other for months, when really it could have been from birth considering the way they talked. They were best friends, two halves, two people in love, and it was near torture when Torin came in to interrupt the conversation. "Duty calls," Kai said, and Cinder felt her heart sink slightly as the two began to say their goodbyes.

"Hey, Cinder?" Kai asked, and Cinder tilted her head in acknowledgement of his question. "I know that Selene Blackburn was meant to be Queen of Luna, and all," Kai broke into a grin. "But I think that Lihn Cinder was meant to be an empress." Kai blushed, and then Cinder's screen went black, and Cinder knew that if she could, she would be blushing too.