Hey readers:

First time writing a Lunar Chronicle fanfic and still trying to get into it. Sorry if the characters don't sound like themselves. I'll try harder. If there are any things that you feel are mistakes tell me and I'll try to fix the problem.

Hope you like it and happy reading!

-Silverleaf

Me and Blackcrest? No way.

The winters were always the worst. There were never any visible signs of the bitterly cold season due to the lack of weather conditions on Luna. It was then that Cinder longed most for her former home in New Beijing. Luna cities were located beneath a series of interconnected paraterraformed domes. Regolith constructed most of the infrastructure, though there was an occasional titanium or silicon building scattered within the systematized mass of architecture that was Artemisia, the capital city of Luna.

Metal fingers tapping on her expensive second era hardwood desk Cinder spun to look out the window of her richly decorated office. Beyond the dome was the sky, black as tar, and the twinkling, silver stars that always shone without fail, twenty-four seven. Not that twenty-four seven meant that much these days. One Lunar day and night is the equivalent of twenty-eight Earthen days which meant one day lasted 672 hours. Thank the stars, the Lunars designed the domes to go dark in accordance to Earthen days.

One could see Earth from the moon. Earth, the Eastern Commonwealth, and... Kai. She tried not to think about him too much. In fact in the last six years she had avoided going down there back to Earth, even if it was as small a thing as to sign new treaties and attend soirées hosted by the Earthen Union leaders. The Earthens called her the Ghost Queen. They hardly ever seen her face. Which wasn't surprising considering how she lived like a hermit.

After the Lunar Revolution and the Treaty of the Phoenix, Cinder pretty much made herself scarce to the public. To many, the Queen of Luna was an enigma. A ghost. The Lunars didn't seem to care all that much about her 'eccentricities'. Not when she was Selene, the rightful heir, the poor fire ravaged cyborg daughter of late Queen Channary.

They pitied her for being... that thing. But she was the Queen, and nobody offended the Queen. Not if you wanted to live that is. Few tried to defy her control and when they did the insurgents were always more than a little surprised when the Queen personally greeted them and asked for their side of the story, why they act as they do. And no wonder. If she was any bit like Levana, Cinder would have killed them without trial for treason.

Cinder's breath fogged the glass as she pressed her forehead against the glass. She jumped cursing as Iko wheeled into the room in her Escort-droid body. "Stars, Iko! You startled me!" Iko rolled her sensors, fractured blue light scattering across the room.

"I announced myself just moments before a came in. Did you not hear?"

"I was thinking," Cinder said lamely. Iko huffed.

"Of course you were. Were you 'thinking' about Kai's gorgeous copper-brown eyes or reveling in the adorable sweetness of Thaumaturge Blackcrest's many acts of devotion toward you?" Cinder groaned. It was in moments like these that she was especially grateful that she could not blush.

"Reese is merely infatuated. He'll get over it soon enough."

Iko tapped a pronged hand on her gleaming chrome face. "Hmm. I wonder how long it has been. Oh dear! It's been six years since you wrenched your throne back from your psychotic aunt, and Reese has been deeply, irrevocably in love with you for at least half of those years. When are you going to tell him that you are never going to have the same thoughts of him that he has for you because he is competing with an emperor? And Kai doesn't even know he is fighting!"

Cinder rubbed her temples. "You know that I don't want to get married, Iko. And what Reese is asking for is a lifetime of affection. I can't do it, Iko. I can't!"

Iko looked at her almost pityingly. "You mean you don't want to get married while Kai's still on the bachelor's market." Cinder growled in frustration.

"That is not it at all."

"Then what is it? Your people want you married, Cinder. Married! They want the throne secure with an heir and a strong prince consort to help you run the affairs of the queendom." Cinder flung herself onto a disgustingly expensive armchair.

Her voice came out small as she said softly, "I don't need to be married, Iko. I have Jacin, Wolf and the rest of the Queen's Guard to keep me and Winter safe. I have you as my first assistant, Thorne as my flight commander, Cress as my programmer and communications specialist and Scarlet as a weapons guru. I don't need children. You know I made Winter my heir." Iko sighed.

"The council only agreed to that because they thought you would eventually settle down. If you have children, Winter's claim on the throne will become non-existent. Why do you think the whole of Luna is matching you up with random celebrities? Your step-cousin is not of royal blood. Even though she might be your heir for now, if you die, the council will never agree to it. Not when you have so many distant relatives clambering for your approval."

"What are the gossip columns and news reports saying now?" ?" Iko blinked her expression almost sly as she peered up at Cinder.

"Well," she said thoughtfully. The press caught you and Thaumaturge Blackcrest 'in a very intimate embrace' just outside of the city walls after dusk on Monday. You know, after your birthday bash? Well, Artemisia News have footage of him supporting you back into palace with your guards nowhere to be found." Cinder protested.

"It wasn't like that at all. Reese-"

"Anyway, "Iko said cutting her off. "The cover story is that you got smashed at your jubilee, tried to kiss Reese Blackcrest and both found a corner to make-out then he-"

"Okay, stop," Cinder said cringing."I don't want to hear it. That is not what happened. At all. First of all, it was Reese that got wasted. Not me. Second of all, he said he wanted to rest because he knew he drank a bit too much so I supported him up to the palace where I gave him to the guards on duty. Third of all, I was supporting a heavily intoxicated man more than half my size. Just because he stumbled in his drunken state and fell on me it doesn't mean we were doing anything."

"Have you seen the pictures?" Iko demanded. "It looks like the both of you were doing something dirty, very dirty. And I don't mean rolling in the mud kind of dirty."

"Yeah, that was clear from the first 'dirty' you said thank you very much." Iko shook her head.

"You are in so much trouble. I mean, you have a portscreen in your head. How is it that you are the last person in Luna to hear about this?" Cinder moaned.

"What am I going to do?"

"Cress and Wolf are already doing damage control. Honestly, Cinder, you are the queen. I thought you would have some tact."

"For the last time, Reece and I did nothing. Nothing at all!" Iko gave her an android version of an impish grin.

"Is he a good kisser at least?"

Cinder growled and enunciated each word punctuated with a punch to the velvet armchair. "Me. And. Reese. Did. Nothing. Nothing at ALL!" Metal pistons hissed as the door to her office opened to reveal Thorne standing there with a smirk.

"So you just managed to fall on his lips, did you?"

Cinder threw her hands up in the air. "I give up. Yes, Reese and I were drunk, he stumbled pulled me down and we did all sorts of dirty things. Happy?"

Thorne's eyes went wide and he whistled through his teeth. "Man, I never thought you had it in you. You always act like the Ice Queen that I never thought you- ... Really?" Cinder gave him a disgusted look.

"Of course not. He fell and pulled me along with him." Scarlet and Cress entered.

"Let us hope that the rest of the world believes it," Scarlet said grimly.

Cress sighed. "Our job just got all that harder. Artemisia News released the photos to the Earthen Union." Cinder leapt from the chair.

"They did what?!"

Well, hope you enjoyed this.

Reviews, pretty please with a cherry on top!

-Silverleaf