Lunar Academy

Cinder

"Wow," Peony breathed. Her small, slightly tanned hands were pressed against the taxi window. The glass was fogged around her mouth and nose. Strands of her fine black hair were slipping loose from her high bun. "Cinder, look! There it is."

Cinder grunted, looking up from her phone to see what her sister was talking about. Peony was staring out at the Lunar Academy, a prestigious boarding school for students aged sixteen and older. They were either smart enough to be granted a scholarship, or wealthy enough to pay the hefty tuition fee.

The many buildings certainly looked worthy of the school's impressive reputation. It reminded Cinder of a castle from the time of fairy tales and knights rescuing beautiful princesses. Built entirely of gray stone, the academy had many turrets, columns, and arched windows paned with colored glass. The picture was only ruined by the enormous chain-link fence surrounding the entire campus. nearly ten feet tall, a highly guarded front gate was the only way in or out.

"They sure take their security seriously," Cinder noticed. "They should consider adding a moat and drawbridge." Peony giggled, then grew serious again. She turned around and grabbed her sister's arm.

"Cinder," she groaned, drawing out the last syllable. "How could you forget? The royal family arrived at the school this morning!"

"So?" Cinder shrugged off Peony's hand and peered around her head to look at the academy. 

"So?" Peony shrieked, causing the taxi driver to swerve and look back at the two girls. "Oh, sorry," Peony said sheepishly. She returned her attention to Cinder, decreasing her volume to a conversational level. "Prince Kai is in there! We might even be able to see him!" With that, the young girl pressed her face against the glass again in search of her beloved prince.

Cinder laughed silently to herself. Peony had an obsession with young celebrity Kaito Chen, considered the "prince" of fame. An obsession that she happened to share with half the girls on the planet. Cinder would never admit to taking part in any crushing on the handsome teen, despite Peony's attempts to convince her otherwise.

"Are you forgetting, or just ignoring the fact that Kai happens to be engaged? Engaged to a princess, Peony."

Peony pouted at her sister. "Princess Selene died years ago! Plus, it was an arranged marriage. Kai should be allowed to pick his own bride, don't you think?"

Cinder smiled. "You mean, he should be allowed to pick you?"

Her sister blushed. "Don't try and pretend you don't dream about marrying the Prince, too."

"I don't. I'm not some crazy fangirl like you."

"But you do like him," Peony smirked. "At least a little."

Now it was Cinder's turn to blush. She turned her face, but couldn't hide it from her sister. "Of course not."

"Mhm." Peony grinned, and winked her caramel-brown eyes. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"What secret? Peony, I don't-"

Cinder was cut off as the car came to a sudden stop, throwing both girls forward against their seat belts.

"What was that?" she inquired.

"Sorry, Miss Linh." the driver replied. "It seems the road has already been blocked off."

"Blocked off? What do you-" Cinder stopped again. "Oh, right, the festival. Can you get us home another way?"

"Of course, Miss." The taxi started down a connecting road.

Peony gasped, her spine uncurling as she straightened suddenly. "The Peace Festival! But I thought that wasn't until tomorrow?"

"They're starting to set up the booths," the driver said. "That way everything will be ready at dawn when the parades start."

Cinder let out a groan. "Stars, my booth! I still need to register and set it all up, and then I still need to-why are you laughing?"

Peony was giggling quietly. "Sorry, it's just that you're the only one who ever says 'oh my stars.' I don't think anyone else in the world says that."

Cinder folded her arms, smiling at her younger sister. Peony was the only one in Cinder's adoptive family that treated her like a normal human. Her mother, Adri, and her other sister, Pearl, both despised Cinder. They both considered her to be below them, not worthy of kindness, money, or even much freedom. Ever since Adri's husband, Garan Linh had died, the two of them had taken it upon themselves to make Cinder's life as terrible as possible. Adri was even forcing her to run a mechanics booth in the Peace Festival, for money that she wouldn't even get to keep. Adri had done this every year since she had discovered Cinder's uncanny knack for fixing machines.

"We have to get home. Adri is going to kill me if you're late for your dress fitting again."

Peony stopped smiling. "It's not fair. Why should you get in trouble, when it's not even your fault."

"Peony..." Cinder started. The girl ignored her.

"For that matter, why should she force you to do anything?" She looked her older sister directly in the eyes. "You can't keep letting her boss you around."

"I don't have a choice!" Cinder snapped, harsher than she had intended. Peony flinched, and Cinder softened her voice. "Until I turn eighteen, Adri has complete say over everything I do. But believe me," she continued, when Peony opened her mouth to protest. "When that day comes, I will not hesitate to give that woman a piece of my mind, and then I'll leave. For good."