Rosetta

3

Cinder was trying to get her clothes out for the conference when Kai burst into the room.
"Kai! Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine. Scarlet just commed me- Wolf broke his ankle," he said panting. He bent down and put his hands on his knees.
"Woah, I do not know why I ran."

"Is he ok?" she said, pulling up her comms in her retina display.

"Yeah," He was still panting.

"Sit down, you didn't need to run." She went to the jug of water on the desk and poured a glass full in for him. She handed it to him and he sat down on the edge of the bed. She joined him.
"I'll comm them, see how-"

"NO!" He interrupted. Clearing his throat, he said, "Wow,what did you do to this water?"

Cinder stared at him confused.
"Nothing...It's normal water..."

"Well I guess that everything tastes better from your hand."

"Oh so that's what you were getting at," she leaned onto his shoulder.

He picked up her metal hand and looked at it. He started twisting the ring before saying, "I cannot believe you are wearing this."
She sat up and looked at him.
"I cannot believe that you asked me of all people."

"Well, it was saddening because I'm actually a widower. So it was really hard."

"You know what, I think you've mentioned it before. I mean, how could I forget that brief time YOU WERE MY UNCLE."

He chuckled and kissed her cheek.
"Well, I have to get ready for the press conference. How long are you gonna be?" he asked.
Cinder took his hand and stood up, leading him to her wardrobe.

"Pick. I'm terrible at dressing properly."
He skimmed his fingers over the clothes until he pulled out a silver gown.

"This," he said, laying it out on the bed. Cinder stared at the dress and gasped.

"What? Don't you like it?" Kai said, shocked at the sound.

"That's- that's what I wore to-"

"The Annual Peace Ball, when you tried to warn me. It's one of my favourites."

"Why?" She said, confused. For Cinder, the gown reminded her of going to the ball soaking wet, almost getting struck by Adri, Kai's reaction when he saw her glamour.

"It's the night you tried to warn me. And the night you thought I would hate you for being a cyborg. You kept trying to tell me but I was an idiot thinking I thought that you were talking about-"

"Peony. That's probably the only reason I still have it. She loved the dress, and hoped that one of us would wear it to the ball."

Kai looked dumbstruck. "I'm sorry, Cinder. You don't have to wear it. It's just that you wore it the day..."

Cinder raised an eyebrow. "The day what?"

"The day I knew that you were the most amazing woman I know, cyborg and lunar."

She looked at him with wide eyes. She went over to him and kissed his forehead.

"Of course I'll wear it."

                                      *
Kai had taken Cinder's hand and ran. He ran through the corridors of the palace, through almost every servant's quarters she knew without using her computer. She was finding it very hard not to trip over her gown. She followed him, confused, until he lend them into their bedroom. He placed her on the bed and went to the desk. He poured in water for both of them and sat next to her.