The first thing she notices are the peonies, peonies everywhere. They're in all different shades, and they fill up the room with joy. She remembers how Kai's first promise to her was to dance with her little sister, and she knows Peony is watching this ceremony from somewhere, squealing in delight at their union.

She stares forward, the rest of the room blurring out of focus when her eyes land on her groom. And stars, he's still just as handsome as he's always been. His lips curve up until the smile she fell in love with is so bright it makes the moon's reflection look weak in comparison.

She grips Thorne's arm tighter, suddenly unsure of her footing, but he's steady as always, never wavering. The way he nudges her with his elbow even now makes her want to laugh, and it dissolves some of her nervousness. All she can do is smile back at Kai, who's looking less steady himself the longer he watches her make her way towards him.

When they're almost there, she imagines what his bioelectricity would feel like in this very moment. Though her step-father's chip has long been re-installed and she chooses to use it indefinitely, his energy has never left her. Today, she knows it matches her own, and in her mind they hum in unison to the waves that are reserved only for each other. It's beautiful and it's real and it's something no glamour can create. Because she's learned that true love is something so much stronger than any illusion or coercion could ever be brought forth by manipulation.

They stop in front of him and he sucks in a breath. Thorne turns, eyes twinkling, and gives her a kiss on the cheek. She squeezes his hand, a silent thank you not just for walking her down the aisle, but for everything he's been to her since she met him. Then he shakes Kai's hand, both of them now grinning furiously, and Thorne whispers something in his ear before stepping to his left.

Ears red, but the smile still there, it is Kai who now loops his arm around Cinder and guides her the final steps until they're facing Torin. He's smiling too, for once, and it's such an odd look on him that Cinder wants to roll her eyes or laugh or make a funny comment. But then Kai turns her so she's facing only him, and his eyes are so earnest and full of love when he whispers, "I'm so lucky to be marrying you today."

He doesn't let go of her hands as Torin conducts the ceremony. She wants to reach out and touch his face, to push a lock of his unruly hair back so it doesn't nearly obscure any part of his deep, brown eyes, but she doesn't want to break the connection between them either. They only draw away momentarily when Torins asks them to exchange rings. He tells them how they will forever part of their own bodies, these rings, just the way the two of them will forever belong to each other.

She knows now that home is not a place, but a person, and being home means being with Kai.

She's not an orphan not a burden not a cyborg not a Lunar not a rebel not a queen.

She is wanted. She is deeply, deeply loved.

Their kiss is met with cheers from their friends, and both of them still blush at their continued discomfort at kissing in public, but despite it all she pulls him closer, not wanting it to ever end. He has to untangle himself from her, and now his ears are red for another reason. They grin conspiratorially, but then he rubs her nose with his and finally tilts his head towards the crowd. They have guests to greet first.

And then their friends are surrounding them.

Scarlet, Cress, and Winter are beaming at her, their hands holding bouquets of flowers. They're wearing their own cargo pants as a tribute, and a white beater shirt to boot. Scarlet makes the outfit look really fierce, Cress is nearly drowning in hers, and Winter looks so beautiful she might as well be wearing a dress fit for the Artemisian Court. All of their hair is swept back in a messy ponytail, and each of them has a small grease stain on their cheeks—in the shape of a heart.

"My idea," says Kai, looking far too proud of himself when she gives him a knowing look. She still can't believe he thought she was attractive in her work clothes, but Kai really does love when she dresses down, and he's got such a sentimental side she can't blame him for coming up with this surprise too.

Next comes Jacin, who by now is almost like her older brother. Not in the same way as Thorne, because Jacin treats her more like an official older brother, and he gives her a peck on the cheek before bending his head in a small bow in front of her now-husband. Kai rolls his eyes and pulls Jacin in for a hug, all while Cinder's trying hard to contain her laugh.

Last is Wolf, who envelops both of them at the same time in a near bone-crushing embrace. Many of the scars that mar his face have faded by now, but then again so have all of theirs. Kai's scar—the one that caresses the bottom of his left ear down to his lip—is a part of him now, and he wears it proudly despite his advisor's insistence that he should get some skin grafts. Cinder thinks it makes him look even more handsome, because it reminds her of when he too was willing to risk his life for the one he loved.

Thorne turns up the music, the servers bring out food and drink, and soon everyone is dancing. Cinder gets passed along to any and every one, because she's the bride, and she supposes that this one time she'll let herself be the center of attention. Kai is always close by, and no matter who she dances with the next song is always reserved for him. She's learned how to dance more formally thanks to his instruction, and he's learned how to let loose a bit—thanks to Thorne, not her.

Most of all, she loves the way he smiles. Not in his signature way, but because he's really, truly, happy. He has no burdens right now, no weight of a country on his shoulder, no citizens to worry about. He's not an Emperor here, he's just Kai. He laughs with her friends, who are long-since his too, and she glows even more each time he does because this is all she's ever wanted. Today, she's just Cinder too.

They sneak into the engine room for old time's sake, laughing at how young they were four years ago when it all started. They wonder if Iko will catch them like she used to, so they don't stay there long, and when they exit they're greeted with hoots and hollers, of course. To her great surprise, Kai just shrugs and dips her, for once delighted by the attention.

Soon it's over, and she can't believe how fast it flew by, but for them, the adventure is only beginning; the night is still young. Her husband grasps her hand and leads her to the podship dock, where someone has strewn more flowers on the ground. She has no idea where they're going, because Kai wanted this to be his biggest surprise yet, but she knows that wherever they go it'll be perfect, because it's just the two of them.

Someone has spray-painted their getaway podship with the words JUST MARRIED. Her stomach does a little flip of excitement, and she steps in, dress and all, ready to take them wherever Kai wants to go. The two of them wave back one more time at their friends before they take off into the crisp black of space, alight with stars on their special day.

She winks at Kai, knowing that the podship will be untraceable and cannot receive any kind of net communication for at least a week.

Cress has made sure of it.