The Commonwealth Ball - The Lunar Chronicles (Fanfic)

Chapter 18

Kai was peacefully seated on the chair of his room, some papers lying in his hands as Cinder entered. The emperor's eyes shifted at once as he registered someone entering the room. "Cinder! he slowly got up, his eyes gleamed on the sight. "What brings you here in my tiny room." his eyes scanned her face.

Cinder looked around her expression changing into a smirk. "This room that you call small is literally the largest room I've ever seen." she surveyed Kai's chambers.

"I know, I know." he smiled. "Lucky, amn't I?"

"Yes, very!" Cinder rolled her eyes and started again. "Anyways I'm leaving for Luna in a few hours." her voice broke "so I've come to bid you goodbye."

On hearing those words Kai's heart ached. His playful smile vanished and his face become dark showing no expression. But inside, Kai's could hear the pounding of his heart. His girlfriend leaving him again. The few days she had spent in the palace hardly felt like a couple of hours as time flew by. "Already?" he asked. The corners of his mouth forming a frown.

"Unfortunately." Cinder sighed reluctantly. "I don't want to leave, but with the weight of these responsibilities, I have no reasonable alternative."

Surprisingly Kai didn't argue. "I know, I get it." he moved closer to Cinder cupping her face. They both looked down unable to meet one another's desperate glare.

"Anyways." Kai attempted to lighten the mood. "When will I see you again?"

"In approximately one year." Cinder smiled.

"What? The time span to stay away from you is impossible." he groaned a shadow casting his face.

He stared at her for a second deep in though. "What's in one year anyways?"

Cinder squeled in a delight. "A marriage! The first Lunar-Earthern marriage!"

Kai closed his eyes for a second as Cinder stared at him confused. He rewinded her words before his hand covered his mouth and a box of emotions blasted, his expression full of hope, "We're getting married. Why didn't you tell me that you finally agreed to my so called proposal a few months bag." Cinder opened her mouth but Kai cut her off. "I can't believe this." he closed his eyes fancies seeping to his brain. "Finaly my dream is coming true." his face beamed with enthusiasm and delight.

"Kai-" Cinder tried to speak.

"None of that Cinder!" he again cut her off. "We have so much work to do. Stars, the preperations need to be done, Earthern leaders need to be informed. I know we have a year but we have to start now!" Kai paced his hand running through his hair desperately.

"Kai-"

"Not now Cinder."

"Kai!" she yelled grasping his hand forcing him to look into her eyes. "Please just listen to me!" her voice softened. "We aren't getting married. If you let me finish, you would know that I wasn't talking about us. Scarlet and Wolf are getting married so we'll be seeing each other then."

"Oh-" was all Kai had left to say as his heart sunk to his stomach. The last two minutes had been an explosion of emotions on hearing the wrong news. Of course, he was glad for Wolf and Scarlet but he had too much hope with the Queen. "So we aren't getting married?" Kai confirmed.

Cinder nodded. "No-" he groaned. "not yet-"

After minutes of awkward silence and nothing left for both the leaders to say, Kai finally said, "Cinder" he paused taking a deep breath. "Don't forget about me when you're on Luna and come back to me as soon as you can. Come back to me forever." his eyes on her

Cinder understood his deep words. She knew what he wanted, for Cinder to become Empress, to marry the Emperor. They had discussed this the other day and Kai had agreed for her to change the government on Luna. Kai helped her carefully plan everything out to make sure that Luna can carry on without her, without a monarch. Finally, Kai was asking her to stay with her forever. "I will!" she gleamed. "I will come to you forever." Kai chuckled and embraced her.

~~~

"What's wrong?" Iko asked subtly

The Queen had finally returned to Luna. Before going they left the entire Rampion crew had gathered to say their goodbyes. The ride to Luna seemed so short as Selene spent most of her time in her own thoughts as Iko discussed her own love life.

"Nothing." the smile still tugged on Cinder's face.

"There is something you're hiding." she rubbed her chin. "You just left all your friends to come back to the moon and you're smiling when you should be frowning. Something is most certainly wrong with you," she smirked. "Unless before leaving you and Kai-

"No of course not. Fine, I'll tell you" she admitted. "I was just thinking about the future."

"What about it?"

"Look how messed up all of our lives were before everything that happened with Levana this past year." she referred to the Rampion crew. "Everyone suffering just as much as the other." Cinder looked up. "This all is a new start for all of us, a new journey for our lives to witness and enjoy. The Ball was just a part of this new beginning." Iko nodded.

"I just can't wait to see how things will change for the betterment of the future." Cinder murmured, "For the future!"

Iko smiled grabbing her hand looking into her eyes repeating with comfort. "For the Future!"

And that's the end!

~book_x_nerd