Cinder's Story: a Lunar Chronicles Fanfic

Chapter Nine: He's Dead, Jim!

"No idea," replied the good Doctor, "and yet, it's thoroughly entertaining! Give it a try!"

Kai raised a dismissive hand, oddly serious compared to his usual self. "I'll take your word for it."

With a yank, twist, and click, Cinder's head was put on straight.

"You know what?" Said she. "I'm leaving."

...

"I hate you!" Said Cinder's stepmother when her stepdaughter stepped through the door.

"Feeling's mutual." Her stepdaughter replied. "Also, you mind if I fix up and steal an old car from a junkyard I found earlier today? I need it to escape the city."

"I hate you!" Her stepdaughter's stepmother conceded.

"Thanks."

...

Torin required only a few passcodes, a signature, a thumbprint, a retinal-scan, a footprint, an arm, a leg, and his only child to enter into Kai's bedroom, where he found the prince playing videogames.

"Your father is dead." Torin told the prince.

"Oh." Said the prince, too focused on his game to care. "That's too bad."

"There will be a press conference soon," Torin continued, "to mourn your father's death."

Kai barely registered the announcement. "Okay."

Torin failed to hide his disappointment. "Are you going to show any concern at all? If not for your dead father- your last living parent, I might add- then for your people who are now without their emperor?"

"What's there to be concerned about?"

Kai sighed deeply, the weight of the world hiding behind vacant eyes.

"There's not going to be any real time to mourn his passing- not before some idiot starts making political comm calls to milk the situation for all its worth. Every non-citizen is going to be reveling in the loss."

His game was interrupted by an incoming message from the Lunar queen.

"See?" Kai mentioned to a slack-jawed Torin. "Told you."

He answered the message on the last note.

On the other end of the screen stood a petite, beautiful woman, with shimmering hair and eyes, and soft features. She didn't do much to show off her hourglass figure, but it was there. The galaxy knew it.

"Hello, prince Kai."

Queen Levana's voice was like a shy kitten- gentle, yet with a feline quality that inferred a huntress waiting to pounce. There was a lulling, hypnotic sweetness to it that made Torin draw away a few paces, for fear of contracting diabetes. It was the same voice that had taken such a gripping control over her people, and soon enough it would control the Earth's people, too.

Prince Kai straightened. "Hello-"