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Your secret santa was @bananakisses!

Even though TLC Secret Santa is over now, there are still a few things to check out:

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If your SS didn’t reveal, send in an ask here. A few people have come in with Secret Santas who forgot to reveal themselves. If you’re one of these people, send in an ask to this blog and we’ll reveal them for you! 

Haha thank you for checking in! Planning this was so much fun–it was so great seeing so much positivity around the fandom! I personally am already planning the next one, haha :) Your secret santa was @vainweather-bittenmoldwarp! (anyone else who didn’t get to find out who their secret santa was send in an ask to this blog! or just message one of us)

To: @florairmatylee

From: Your Secret Santa, @andthenshawarma!

This is my final work for the Lunar Chronicles Secret Santa for @amixofvowelsandnonsense. It is a really long Cresswell fic so get excited. THIS WILL GO UP ON MY FIC BLOG SEPARATELY @tlcsecretsanta. Also, I don’t know Thorne’s mum’s name, so I picked one myself.

TITLE: Christmas Dinner

SHIP: Cresswell

Cress meeting Thorne’s parents for her first Christmas // Featuring Cress cuddled under Thorne’s sweater (3357 words)

It started with the cockpit doorframe. Two days before Christmas, Thorne cornered her in the doorway and flicked his eyes upwards, making her look up and see an odd white and green plant. She turns back to him an raises an eyebrow in question.

“Mistletoe, darling” Cress shakes her head.

“Well, with everyone off doing their thing and not many decorations, I figure you might still like this tradition. The rule is that if you get caught under the mistletoe with someone you have to give them a kiss. Not fun to play with family, but I figured that since it’s just this holiday, you might like it” Cress giggles before giving Thorne a quick kiss on the cheek and skipping to her pilot chair.

“Well that’s just rude” Thorne mumbles before taking his seat. “Alright darling, where do you want to go today.

“I want to see snow” Thorne raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend. Cress hated the cold. As someone who slept next to her every night, he knew that she tended to need warmth. But, when it came to Cress, he wasn’t one to question her. In fact, Thorne had an idea. Setting the course of the Rampion to Alaska, he turned to Cress.

“You ever heard of a thing called the Northern lights?” She nods. “Good ‘cause that’s where we’re going” her face lights up and she bounces in her seat.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously”

———————————————————————

It happens again when they go to get ready for bed that night. Mistletoe in the doorframe. And again, Cress is under it. But this time, she’s alone and she’s there before Thorne. He walks past her with toothbrush and towel in hand and doesn’t realise the mistletoe’s there. Cress puts a hand on his arm to stop him in the doorway. Thorne looks at her in question so she points up.

He gives her a fierce lip lock that leaves her stunned under the mistletoe for almost 10 minutes. He came back from his shower and laughed at her still shell-shocked face.

“Am I really that good of a kisser sweetheart?” All Cress can do is nod. He kisses her forehead and holds her hand, moving her so she wasn’t stuck under the mistletoe all night.

———————————————————————

He was right. Cress most definitely did not like the cold. It was astounding how his girl could deal with desert heat but not Alaskan cold. After watching the northern lights, Cress had taken a long, hot shower and was now sitting on Thorne’s lap. She had managed to fit underneath the big sweater Thorne was wearing and had curled up underneath it, claiming that Thorne was pleasantly warm. Her damp hair brushed his collarbone and Thorne wasn’t sure whether she was asleep under the sweater or not.

Comm requested: Royal Kai-ness

Thorne laughed. Cress had managed to make the Rampion display their own contact names and Thorne had refused to make Kai’s contact anything else. He clicked the accept button and Kai and Cinder appeared on screen, smiling tiredly.

“Long day, you two?” Thorne asks. He doesn’t bother questioning Cinder’s presence. The queen had come down for Christmas for some parade or something in New Beijing. They both nod at his question.

“Cress there?” Cinder asks. Cress moves underneath his sweater and manages to poke her head through the top, surprising Cinder.

“Yeah, I’m here. What’s up?’

“Why are you in Thorne’s sweater?”

“Because he’s warm and I’m cold”

“Are you guys coming to New Beijing for the celebrations tomorrow?” Cress shrugs.

“Maybe. Do you know who else is coming?”

“Wolf and Scarlet are still honey-mooning, Winter and Jacin are not responding to comms so I assume that they won’t be coming. Obviously, Kai and I will be there, considering we’re organising it” Thorne ignored Cinder in lieu of checking the other invisi-screen that had just beeped.

Comm requested: Mom

“You’re gonna have to move, darling” he whispered in Cress’ ear. She shimmied back into the sweater and flicked it off her head, standing and letting Thorne move. Thorne sat in Cress’ seat and clicked the accept button on this screen. His mother’s smiling face appeared on the screen and he refrained from cringing.

“Carswell”

“Mom. What can I do for you?”

“I want you to visit your father and I for Christmas. We heard about you and that Lunar girl, what’s her name? Crescent. We want you to bing her along” Thorne actually cringed at that. His judgemental and condescending mother, meeting his rather naive and shy girlfriend. That could only lead to trouble.

“Oh, mom, I don’t know. Cress and I aren’t sure whether we’re going to New Beijing for the parade yet”

“You’re not. We will expect to see you tomorrow, no exceptions. And we expect you to stay all day” and then his mother disconnected the comm.

“Sorry to disappoint you Cinder, but my mother has just insisted that Cress and I spend the day in LA tomorrow so we won’t be joining you” Thorne says, leaning against the back of the captains chair and absentmindedly twirling a strand of Cress’ hair between his fingers, letting himself meet Cinder’s eyes on the screen.

“Have fun with that Thorne. Bye Cress” Waving, the comm disconnects. Cress turns to him.

“What’s your mother like?”

“When I was a child, absent. When I was a teenager, disappointed. Now, I don’t know” He sighs and turns to walk away, most definitely not looking forward to seeing his parents again. He gets to the doorway before Cress’ hand on his bicep stops him.

“I think a little bit of mistletoe might help” Cress says softly, glancing above him. Mistletoe. Cress leaned up on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. She softly pressed her lips to his in a small kiss that instantly calmed him. She pulled away and let her forehead rest against his.

“It’ll be okay. Your parents can’t not love you. And if they don’t, then that’s their problem because that means they don’t see you for who you are” He gives his girlfriend a helpless stare.

Rolling her eyes, Cress started again. “Do you want to know who I know you are? You are a hero. You are beautiful, inside and out. You are handsome and strong and kind and selfless and heroic and brave and loveable and crazy and countless other things. You are a captain who rescued a damsel, even though you were thrown in the desert because of it. I shot your fingers off and you’re just crazy enough to still love me. I trust you and I love you and if that isn’t enough then I don’t know what is.” She presses another kiss onto his lips and then one on each cheek and another on his forehead.

“I’m not going to stop loving you if your parents are rude, and you shouldn’t stop loving yourself just because of them, okay” Thorne can’t help but nod and attempt to blink the tears out of his eyes. He didn’t realise Cress felt all that.

“I love you okay?” She whispers before hugging him close. He buries his head in her hair, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her tight, not wanting to let go of her small frame.

“I love you too Damsel” he mumbles into her hair.

“Are we rebelling and not going to your parents ‘cause I’d be more than willing to spend the day alone with you” She says, pulling just far enough away from him to look him in the eyes. He laughs at the thought of Cress rebelling.

“With a pep talk like that, I don’t think I want to rebel”

———————————————————————

Thorne’s landing, as usual, was appalling, as he manoeuvred the Rampion into his parents backyard. Cress held his hand when he bought the ship to a stop and opened the docking hatch.

“It’ll be fine, captain.”

“I love you damsel” she smiles softly before standing and pulling him out of his seat. They stood, chest to chest for a second. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“Thank you for coming with me for this” he says softly. She holds his hand for a little while longer before pulling him towards the door.

“Let’s go show them what a man you are” she says excitedly.

“Hold on a second damsel” he says, pulling her arm back and catching her when she stumbles into him. He presses his lips to her, holding her cheeks. Cress’ hands quickly find the hairs at the nape of his neck and pull him closer. Thorne pulls away and puts his arms around her.

“Sorry if I shocked you, but my parents aren’t exactly fans of PDA and I know you want to make a good impression. Also, I will mention you’re the first girl I’ve ever bought home to meet my parents”

“No pressure or anything”

“Let’s go damsel” he led her off the Rampion and came face to face with his parents. His father stood tall in a suit, brown hair perfectly styled and brown eyes slightly crinkled from the soft smile he cast towards his son. His mother was slightly shorter with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He watched as she gave Cress the once over, taking in her shoulder length blonde hair, rolled up cargo pants and white shirt, slightly hidden beneath Thorne’s old army jacket (which, he was proud to say, looked extremely good on her). Thorne’s mother, however, did not approve of the boyish clothing choices his girlfriend had made. His mother wore a simple green blouse with a white pencil skirt. Thorne cleared his throat gently.

“Hey mom, dad. This is my girlfriend, Cress Darnel. Damsel, this is my dad, Kingsley and my mom, Marie.” Thorne introduces and Cress leans forward to shake Kingsley’s hand. He grasps it gently and smiles at Cress.

“It’s nice to finally meet you Cress” he says warmly.

Cress moves to shake Marie’s hand, however Marie is a less warm. “It’s lovely to meet you, Crescent” she says coldly.

“It’s lovely to meet the people who helped make my boyfriend who he is” Cress says kindly, squeezing Thorne’s hand. He could tell that Cress was trying not to hide from his mother’s harsh stare.

“Well we can get to know each other over lunch. Come inside, it’s freezing out here” his mom paused “Carswell, what happened to your hand?” she asks in worry. He glances at the hand not holding Cress’, the one missing two fingers. Thorne laughed loudly at the question.

“Let’s just say, the revolution left many of us with scars, some more visible than others. I’m also he founding member of the Missing Finger’s club. The queen of Lunar is an honorary member” Cress shakes her head with a laugh at his antics. Of course he would bring up the club that wasn’t really a club.

“And you Cress? Are you part of this club? Did you suffer during the revolution?”

“Um… No ma’am, I’m not part of the captains club. I’m not missing any fingers, but I do have a scar from a knife on my stomach” Thorne’s face drops in horror at her statement. His mother turned on her heel and walked away, his father trailing after.

“You gonna mention where you got the scar, damsel?”

“Only if you mention how you lost your fingers, captain”

———————————————————————

“So, son, how did you lose your fingers? Did a lunar do it?” Thorne shrugged at his dad’s question while Cress tried to not look guilty.

“You could say that. It’s all good, I deserved it.” Cress grabbed his hand under the table.

“No you didn’t, don’t say that. You were being controlled by Levana.”

“I still almost stabbed Cinder”

“You were being controlled. You can’t help that” Cress defends fiercely.

“I still stabbed you” Thorne mumbled. Cress began to rub small circles into his hand, as though knowing where his thoughts had wondered.

“Do they find the Lunar who shot you?” Kingsley asks.

“She’s still alive, I know that. Surprisingly”

“Why surprisingly?”

“I stabbed her in the gut, under mind control. Which I’ve apologised for, because she was trying to save Cinder from me”

“Do you know where the Lunar is?” Marie asks curiously. Cress and Thorne share a look. Might as well tell them.

“She’s sitting right beside me, I live with her and am in love with her” Thorne says, staring his parents down, daring them to question his feelings. Instead, they just stare at Cress like she grew two heads.

“Well then… you’re a lot tougher than you look Cress. You need that with these Thorne men” and Marie smiles at her. She seems to almost sag in relief. Kingsley continued to stare, before leaning back and looking over the pair.

“Tell us about how you two came to be together” an order, not a request.

So they told Thorne’s parents about them. About Cress’ time on the satellite (including a very exaggerated description of Cress’ hair) and Thorne escape from New Beijing prison (Marie and Kingsley laughed at Thorne trying to flirt with Cinder), the botched rescue with Sybil, the crash that led them to the Sahara desert, Thorne being blind and having to follow Cress, the Lunar traders they met in the desert, Cress being taken and Thorne’s attempt to rescue her (which made Marie and Kingsley very proud of his heroics), about Dr. Erland and Farafrah and Cress’ hacking New Beijing palace to aid in the kidnapping of Kai and about the kiss on the rooftop. They talked about Thorne getting his sight back and their time on Lunar. About Cress and how she (oh so heroically according to Marie) stayed back to open the train when Thorne went and helped rally troops in outer sectors and how Cress was hidden by Jacin and helped princess Winter and Scarlet escape and how her and Jacin escaped and met back up with Thorne in the maglev tunnel (Cress giggled when she recounted Thorne’s punch and hug with Jacin). They talked about how they snuck into Artemisia palace in their fancy clothes, Thorne accidentally confessing his love to a glamoured Lunar (making Marie lean across the table and softly whack her son across the ears). Then they told (rather abashedly) about Thorne confessing his love to Cress and make out session. They talked about running from the guards and Thorne being shot so Cress could hide. About Cress hacking into every newsfeed and screen playing the coronation to display what Levana really looked like. About the fight in the throne room and Thorne being controlled to stab Cinder. About how Cress (“the genius she is” according to Thorne) shot Thorne to stop him and how Levana controlled him to stab the girl he loves. About Wolf knocking Thorne out and how Cress had to be kept in the suspension chamber and how Thorne apologised and asked her to stay with him on the Rampion while they delivered the letumosis cure. Everything up to where they were now, laid out for Thorne’s parents to hear and understand.

Thorne’s parents sat still for a while before Marie jumped up and circled the table, pulling Cress into a hug. They stood there for a while and Thorne was relieved. He actually really loved Cress and he wanted his parents to like her. But he didn’t know why he was so worried. Everyone liked Cress, because of who she was. And Thorne realised, while watching his girlfriend hug his mother, he decided something.

This is the girl I want to marry. One day, I’m going to marry her.

———————————————————————

“You know, my son really loves you. You’ve changed him for the better. I’m really proud of who his now” Marie had stolen Cress away for tea while the men spoke over bourbon or something along those lines.

“He was so worried. I had to talk him into actually coming today. He was scared of what you would think of him, of me, of us.”

“Carswell is my only child, I’ve always wanted him to be happy. I hadn’t approved of his methods and I was disappointed when he was arrested, but after that he all but disappeared. Then one day he appeared on the news with you and the headline was he had a lunar girlfriend. I was worried but not surprised at his choice of woman. And then, I saw you two together today and I was okay, because you made him happy. When he looks at you, it’s impossible to deny how much he loves and adores you. You make him happy Cress and you’re also the first girl he’s ever bought home. I’m glad he met such a bright, strong and brave woman like you.” Cress’ cheeks flush at this.

“Thank you Marie. He makes me happy too”

————————————————————————

“Bye Carswell. It was lovely meeting you Cress. You’ll visit soon, okay?” Marie says, giving her son and his girlfriend a hug and a kiss on both cheeks before they could get back on the Rampion.

“Sure, we’ll try to come back soon, Marie” Cress says kindly.

“We really should be going mum. We’ll be back soon” Kingsley nods and Thorne and Cress wave goodbye and walk back into the Rampion..

As soon as the hatch closes, Thorne sweeps Cress up in a hug, spinning her around and lifting her up over his head. She giggles and places her hands around his neck so they don’t tip over as he slows his rotation down and lets her drop a little so they’re face to face. She loosely wraps her legs around his waist to stop herself from slipping as he peppers kisses around her face, his smile growing as she giggles at his antics. He stops and lets his forehead rest against hers, looking into her cerulean blue eyes.

“I love you so much, Cress Darnel. I’m glad that you talked me into today. I’m so glad you were there.” She laughs softly, eyes crinkling and white teeth shining through pink lips. Moving slowly, he captures her lips and pulls her ever so closer to him. Cress doesn’t hesitate to kiss back, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck and pressing closer to him. He pulled away when he remembered something.

“I almost forgot. I got you something for Christmas” Thorne says, waiting for Cress to move off him. She dropped her legs and unwrapped her arms, holding his hand as he drags her into the cockpit and sits her down in the captains chair, kissing her again.

“You get us off the ground and I’ll get your present” Cress nods, turning the seat around and reaching for the controls as he walks away, coming back a moment later with a box.

“Here you go damsel. Happy first Christmas” Thorne places the box in her lap and a kiss on her cheek. Cress lifted the lid to reveal a rolled up piece of paper and two small square boxes. she reaches for the first small box and opens it gently, revealing a set of sparkling silver bangles that Thorne had found while they were in Africa. Cress squeals in delight and pulls the bangles from the box and puts them on her wrist, jiggling them around. She opens the second box and squeals louder. Thorne had bought her a beautiful silver necklace that had caught her eyes when they were exploring Paris. She reached for the rolled up paper and unravelled it, showing a world map.

“The one in our room is a little tatty, so I figured we could pick places with this one” He says softly as Cress looks at the map intently, smile growing inch by inch.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you” Cress says, jumping up and wrapping her arms around Thorne’s neck, kissing his cheeks. He hugged her back tightly around the waist, gently picking her off the ground, burying his face in her collar.

“Merry Christmas darling” He murmurs into her neck.

I’ve had terrible wifi for the past few days, but I’m entirely back now, and I just want to say thank you to everyone who participated in TLC Secret Santa! I know there were some problems along the way, and I’m incredibly grateful for everyone’s patience and positivity. Thank you all so much for participating in this event!

Hey guys! So for the past two weeks, I have been participating as a tlc secret santa. I have written so many fics during those two weeks and now, I have a final Christmas gift for @drew-tanaka-is-my-wife and for @tlcsecretsanta who have been amazing!

Hope you all like it (and sorry if it’s quite long lol) 😀

Cinder was nervous- heck, had she ever been this nervous? Even though it had lessened yesterday when Kai snuck into her room at night, her anxiety had started up again in the morning.

She was worried about her vows. She already knew Kai’s vows would be perfect and despite getting used to speeches being written for her (with some participation on her part), she wanted to do this herself. She felt so much for Kai and didn’t know how to put it into words. She would think about them when the time comes, she thought.

As the maids curled her fringe and brushed on make up, Cinder rubbed her sweaty hand against her thigh. She took several deep breaths, calming her erratic heart rate. She blinked away the warning on her interface.

She thought about what Kai must be doing at this moment. She smiled as she thought of his carefree smile, his gorgeous, mesmerising brown eyes, his-

‘Now that’s the kind of smile I want to see from my dear empress to be!’

Cinder glanced in the mirror, smiling as she caught sight of Iko. 

Cinder gasped. 

Iko wore a beautiful, blue fitted dress that reached her ankles. Her braided hair was opened out and voluminsed, almost looking like a blue cloud around her head. Cinder attempted to turn her head around but remembering the maids around her, she stayed in place. 

‘Wow, Iko. You look amazing!‘ 

Iko grinned from ear to ear. She twirled, showing Cinder every part of her dress.  ‘Thank you!‘ 

Iko whistled as she stopped behind Cinder. 

‘You are looking fab-u-lous! I’ve always said you would look amazing if you dressed up!’ Iko complimented. 

Cinder grinned, her cheeks heating up. 

‘Well, it’s hard to think about dressing up when everyone takes one glance at this,’ Cinder raised her cyborg hand, ‘and runs away, disgusted.‘ 

Iko gawked at her. 

‘Seriously? Times have changed now, Cinder. Do you know how many fans you have?’

Instantly, Cinder’s interface was bombarded by millions of feeds- fanart of Kai and Cinder, articles on what dress they thought Cinder might look good in, praise on the funding she had done for cyborg children, polls on whether Cinder would be anything like Levana (she highly doubted that) and even comments on her work of encouraging lunar and earthen marriages which some people were still skeptical about. 

Cinder blinked away the results.

'Too much to count, it seems.’

Iko dismissed the maids, saying she would take it from here. She tightened Cinder’s bun at the back, a huge smile on her face. She reached over Cinder’s shoulder for the flower embedded comb that was attached to her veil. She ran the comb into the front of her bun and smoothed down her veil from behind. 

Iko leaned her face against Cinder’s. 

'Who would have thought that a cyborg and an android would be so welcomed by the people of New Beijing?’ Iko said, her voice dripping with awe. 

Cinder sighed.

'Do you think Peony would hate me?’ Cinder asked. 

Iko side glanced at her. 

'Why would you think that?’

'Well, you remember how much Peony loved Kai. She had posters of him everywhere in her room. And here I am, marrying the man of her dreams.’

Iko laughed, shaking her head. She crouched beside Cinder, holding her hands in hers. 

'Do you know what I think? I think Peony is watching up there, swooning at the both of you. Peony loved you dearly, you know. If she was here now, she’d probably scold at you for being so depressing on your wedding day.' 

They both laughed. 

Cinder stared at Iko with a warm smile. 

'I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have you, Iko.' 

Iko sniffed. 

'Are you trying to make me cry, Cinder? Because even though I can’t cry, it sure leaves an awful feeling in my stomach. Luckily you can’t cry or else you would have ruined your make up.’

Iko straightened up. 

Come on, up you get. Let me see how you look.' 

Iko stepped back. Cinder rose from her chair and paused behind it, giving Iko a full view of her dress. 

White lace covered her from her neck to her breasts before camouflaging into her silk dress. Intertwined in the lace, was a silhouette shape of two planets, joining together at the middle- representing Earth and Luna.

The elegant, white dress clung perfectly to her slim waist, flowing outwards from her hips in a dome shape.

Cinder twirled, revealing her lace- covered shoulders and partially bare back. Cinder spun back around, liking the way her dress swished at her ankles. 

Iko clasped her hands together, excitement rolling off her in huge waves.

On cue, the door creaked open to reveal Winter, Scarlet and Cress. Cinder stared with awe at their dresses. 

Their red Chinese styled dresses were carved perfectly to their figures. Beautiful pink blossoms were pinned into the side of their hair.

Cress’s eyes widened.

'You look beautiful, Cinder!’ She exclaimed.

Cinder smiled, her blush deepening. 

'Kai is a lucky man,’ Scarlet teased, caressing her baby bump. 

Winter approached Cinder. She held her face in her hands and kissed her forehead tenderly. 

'My dear cousin, you are quite a sight. Fit for an Empress,’ Winter complimented, winking. 

Cinder thanked them and complimented them back.

Cinder stared at each of them, overwhelmed at the attention. She glanced down at her hands. She had once felt ugly, unworthy of attention. And here she was now, being spoiled of it. 

'Ok, girls, how about a group pic before we go!’ Iko cheered.

As the group gathered together and Iko held out her portscreen, Cinder smiled widely. 

Thank God she couldn’t cry. If she could, she would probably fill the whole room with them.  ——

The night sky brightened and sparkled with booming, multicoloured fireworks. The streets filled with the cheers of people as they watched the parade go by- dragons dancing along, music guiding their every move. Even some lunar acrobats danced by, using their glamour to change into different animals for the children.

Some children created lanterns with their parents, drawing moons intertwined with earths to symbolise four years of peace between the two planets since Levana’s reign. 

Kai laughed along as he watched the parade from the broadcast screens displayed inside and outside the ballroom. This was not only a day of his happiness but a day of happiness for his people. Finally, after two years of preparation, Kai and Cinder were getting married. 

Those two years had been busy - with Cinder moving into the palace and getting adjusted to it, Kai and Cinder being broadcast at different places where they tried to unite lunars and earthens (including attending wedding of lunars and earthens) and stopping the degradation of cyborgs.

Kai smiled as he saw little children with cyborg limbs, hopping up and down on the spot with delight, mixed in between other excited children.

They had done good so far, Kai thought. He was proud of how much of an inspirational figure Cinder had become. 

He stood at the altar, watching as guests filed into the ball. He was surprised to see some of the commonwealth minsters here too- some of them still couldn’t get past the idea of Cinder being a lunar. 

He glanced around at the beautiful decorations. Red, paper lanterns hung in rows across the ceiling, their light giving the ballroom a romantic feel. Sweet, honey- like aromas diffused in the air, mixing with the delicious aromas of food. They filled his nose with delight. 

Waiters rushed around the ball, giving the guest refreshments whilst the wedding preparations were still in progression.

He noticed Wolf, Thorne, Jacin at the table with the refreshments, dressed in black suits. A red blossom sat in their suit pockets. They were also joined by kinney- the guard he had met on Luna. Wolf ate away at his food whilst Thorne talked and laughed. Kinney laughed along whilst Jacin cracked a small smile at what Thorne had said- a first. 

Kai stared up at the top of the stairs, his mind reverting back to when Cinder had stumbled into the ball, her dress wet and dirty, but her eyes bright. He smiled. Cinder had quite a knack for entrances. 

He shifted on his feet, awaiting her presence.

'Eager to get married, are we?' 

Kai turned to his side to find Torin strolling to him, also wearing a black suit. A grin pulled on the corner of his mouth.

Kai rubbed the nape of his neck. 

'Yeah, I guess I am. I have been waiting two years for this. Can you blame me for wanting to make her my empress already?’ Kai replied. 

Torin approached Kai and held him by his shoulders. 

'You have grown to become a great man, Kaito. Just like your father,’ Torin said.

Kai felt a lump in his throat. 

He wished his father was here, to witness who he had become. His father’s absence dampened his excitement. 

As if reading his mind, Torin said,  'It was not easy for you to pick up where your father had left off. The letumosis disease had taken him from us far too quickly. But you kept faith even when everyone else doubted you. If it wasn’t for you and your friends, we would all have been ruled over by Levana. Take pride in what you have done. Your father would have been very proud of you. As am I to you.' 

Torin pulled him into a tight hug. Kai held back his tears and patted Torin’s back. 

'Thank you, Torin.' 

They pulled apart. 

Torin smiled. 

'Now I’d best get preparing. I do have a wedding to officiate after all.’ Torin walked towards the altar. 

Kai had asked Torin if he would be willing to officiate their wedding. He had known him ever since he was a child and couldn’t think of any other way to thank him and honor him by giving him this privilege. Torin was touched and agreed. 

At that moment, Wolf, Scarlet and Jacin joined him. Wolf patted him on the back. Kai noticed Thorne’s absence. The two guys had reassured him that he would be back in time.

Kai rubbed his hands with glee as he glanced around. He stared back at the top of the stairs and waited for Cinder to appear. 

——

Getting through the street was hectic but exhilarating. As they all hurried along, Iko handing Cinder her bouquet and commanding the servants to hold the helm of Cinder’s dress, all Cinder could think of was Kai, waiting at the altar. And how she was going to get down those stairs without falling. 

Iko had bought these matching white high heels for her wedding dress- she got the cyborg shoe made for her especially. It took a bit of time for Cinder to get used to them but she could handle them now. She hoped they would be secure enough.

Cinder ran through the plan in her head. 

As the parade would finish, she would walk down the street, greeting the people before she ascended into the ball room. It was Iko’s idea- she was her wedding planner after all. Iko wanted it to feel almost like a journey, how Cinder once used to be a mechanic in a poor street and was now about to be an Empress. 

Empress. The word still felt foreign to her. Cinder had grown used to 'Queen’ but 'Empress’ was taking it a step further. More responsibilities to uphold. The thought of her being empress scared her, but she knew that with Kai by her side, she would get through it. 

'Hello ladies,’ a familar, smug voice sounded before them.

Cinder shook out of her reverie.

Thorne leaned against a market stall, a playful grin on his face. 

His eyes lingered at them all and rested on Cress. He grinned widely, making Cress blush. 

'You all look very stunning, even you Cinder, if i have to admit.' 

Cinder laughed, resisting the urge to nudge his arm. 

'Thank you. Shouldn’t you be with Kai?’ Cinder asked, her heart beat peaking slightly.

Thorne waved his hand dismissively. 

'Yes, I know. But I wanted to ask you something first.' 

Cinder raised an eyebrow.

Thorne straightened up, his face growing serious. 

'I know you felt awkward about going down the aisle on your own. So I was wondering… if you would like me to walk down the aisle with you?’ Thorne asked. 

Cinder’s heart warmed. She cleared the emotion from her throat.

'Thorne… That is…’

'Sweet, I know.’ Thorne smirked. He held her hands.

'Although I may not show it, your friendship does mean a lot to me. If it wasn’t for you, I would have escaped that prison cell later than I would have wanted. And I wouldn’t have met Cress.’ He glanced at her and winked. 

'So I want to make it up to you. What do ya say?' 

Cinder pulled a one sided grin. 

'As long as you don’t step on my dress or flirt with the guests, then why not?’

Thorne smiled widely. 

'I promise I will be on my best behaviour. Unless I’m near Cress, then I don’t know about that,’ Thorne teased.

'Thorne!’ Cress lightly punched his shoulder before planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

Cress, Iko and winter positioned themselves in front of Cinder.  

Thorne stood beside Cinder, curling her arm around his. He pushed his chest out with pride. 

'Shall we?’

With a nod, they all strolled through the crowded street. Extravagant music sounded, announcing Cinder’s arrival. The people separated, leaving a pathway decorated with crimson petals. 

Cinder held back her gasp, keeping her eyes focused on the several faces that greeted her. 

The people bowed and cheered as she walked past. She smiled as the children held up their lanterns with radiant smiles. Their parents lit them up and let them float into the sky. A whole array of purple, yellow and blue lanterns swayed in the air, illuminating the night sky. 

Cinder spared a glance at the lanterns, a wide smile spreading across her face. Cress, Iko and Winter giggled with delight. Cinder thanked the children for the display. 

Gripping onto the side of her dress, Thorne escorted her up the stairs. With every step, Cinder remembered when she had first rushed up these very same stairs to warn Kai about Levana. How long ago that was now.  

Cinder felt a sense of tranquility flood through her as she reached the top of the stairs. 

This was it. 

——

This was it, Kai thought. From inside the ball, the muffled music in the distance informed him that Cinder was here. 

Kai noticed Thorne was still not here. Jacin and Wolf had then told him about Thorne’s plan to walk Cinder down the aisle. 

Kai was touched at Thorne’s offer. He noted to himself to thank Thorne when he saw him. 

Kai could hear the cheers and hoots of the people and saw several lanterns floating into the air. 

A sudden pang of nervousness hit him in his stomach. He ran a tentative hand through his hair and adjusted his red and yellow militia uniform. 

Cress, Iko and Winter glided down the steps, grinning widely. 

The crowd inside the ball gasped.

Kai followed their gazes and saw why. 

At the top of the stairs, stood Cinder, her arm interlocked with Thorne’s. 

His heart oozed with warmth. He let his jaw drop. 

Behind her veil, Cinder glanced at him, a beautiful smile across her face. 

Kai grinned widely, unable to cover his dumbstruck trance. 

Cinder watched the steps as she descended them gracefully. Thorne stared at Kai, giving him a 'isn’t she beautiful?’ look.

Kai nodded. 

Reaching the last step, Cinder strode to him, her eyes staring into his and only his. 

Kai felt his heart would explode at any moment. 

He glanced back at Torin who gave him an approved nod. 

Thorne left Cinder beside Kai and took up his place with Wolf and Jacin. Cress, Iko, Scarlet and Winter stood beside Cinder. 

'Hi,’ Kai greeted Cinder. 

'Hey,’ Cinder whispered. 

With her cyborg hand, she held onto his hand. 

'You look beautiful.' 

'You don’t look so bad yourself,’ Cinder replied, winking at him. 

Kai let out a small laugh. 

He nodded at Torin to begin.

—–

Torin ran them through the customs- tying ribbons onto each other’s wrists and slipping rings onto each other’s fingers as they repeated words after Torin. 

Then came the vows. 

Cinder focused on Kai’s handsome smile, blinking away the warning of her blood pressure increasing. 

Kai cleared his throat and then recited:

'Cinder. Ever since we met, you always intrigued me. That day when I met you in your workshop, it was your eyes that surprised me. You had such sadness in them. I didn’t understand it at the time as all I saw was a independent, beautiful and talented woman working away in her workshop. 

'It was then that I realised I wanted to know more about you and why you were sad. And then eventually, all I wanted was to remove that sadness from you. When I found out about you being a cyborg and a lunar, I realised what you must have gone through. But despite that, it never changed how I felt about you. You were still that carefree mechanic who saw me as myself and not as a prince.' 

Kai rubbed her knuckles with his thumbs. His voice grew more soft.

'Fighting against Levana with you was the best time I’ve ever had. Yes, there was the stress of defeating Levana and all, but I couldn’t have asked for a better partner than you. I love you to the moon and back and no matter what people say about cyborgs and lunars, I will never judge you nor think you any less of a person than me. 

'I love you for who you are. And it would give me nothing but joy if you became my empress. I will love you, Cinder, till the day I die.' 

Kai kissed her knuckles. 

Goosebumps rushed through Cinder’s whole body. 

Cinder smiled, her eyes starting to ache with the urge to cry. She was right. His vows were perfect. 

Sighs of swoon echoed in the ballroom. 

Now it was Cinder’s turn. She took a deep breath before speaking:

'Kai, my beloved emperor. If I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have believed that dreams could come true. When you entered my workshop, all I could think about was telling my sister that you were there. And that you were as handsome as she had said.

'But when we kept bumping into each other, all I could think about was meeting you again and talking to you. You made me relax and forget that I was someone no one cared for.’

Cinder glanced up briefly at her surroundings.

'When you discovered I was a cyborg and lunar, in this very same place, I knew for sure that you wouldn’t want anything to do with me. I was a person of two species that people despised. But here you are, before me, loving me all the same. 

'You made me feel special when I thought I was nothing. You were willing to fight other people’s judgments to be with me. And there are no words that can describe how much love and respect I have for you.

'If i had to go through everything I did again, knowing that you would be my happily ever after, then I would. I love you with all my heart and I will stand by your side, no matter what. I promise I will never let that handsome smile of yours fade,’ Cinder finished, bringing his hands to her lips.  

Cinder could hear Iko sniff behind her. That was a good sigh. She smiled with relief. She relished the warmth that emitted from Kai’s smile. 

A moment of silence fell over them, the words absorbing into the crowd. 

And then Torin continued on. 

Two people approached them, holding cushions where two crowns rested.  

Kai folded her veil behind her head. 

As Torin announced them Emperor and Empress, Kai and Cinder leaned in to kiss. 

Cinder felt her insides melt as she felt his soft lips on hers. 

Applause and cheers echoed in the ball, reverberating through their bodies. They both pulled apart, the warmth dissipating between them.

They both faced the guests, their hands joined firmly. 

The crowns were planted onto their heads. 

Cinder’s heart pumped loudly. Full of life. 

It took her only a moment to register it- she was now an Empress of the Eastern commonwealth.

—–

The ball was lively with music, dancing and laughter. It was funny to see how some of the guests really acted when they weren’t being broadcast to the people of New Beijing. Some of the guests ate away at the food served, like beasts. So much for etiquette. 

Cinder stifled a giggle. She glanced to her side where Thorne danced with Cress, who swayed on his toes and Jacin twirled Winter in circles. 

Scarlet and Wolf sat at a table, feeding each other some cake whilst Iko stood at another table where she gave a scolding look at Kinney. Kinney stopped munching his cake, a questioning look on his face. 

Cinder swayed on the dancefloor with Kai, her arms around his neck. She turned back to him. He pressed his forehead to hers, brushing his lips against hers. 

'So, Empress, what did you think of my vows?’ Kai asked, raising a curious eyebrow. 

Cinder smirked. 

'Very cheesy, but every bit sweet.’ Cinder gave him a kiss. 

Kai pulled a one sided grin. 

'I could say the same for you. I told you, you would be good at writing your own speeches. You need to believe in yourself.’

'Well, at least I got you to believe in me.' 

Out of nowhere, Thorne interrupted their dance. 

'May I have a dance with the 'empress’?’ Thorne asked with a smug smile. 

'I think you should stick to calling me Cinder. You make 'Empress’ sound creepy when you say it,’ Cinder teased. 

Thorne stuck his tongue out. 

Kai patted him on the shoulder.

'Thank you for walking Cinder down the aisle. I appreciate it,’ Kai said. 

Thorne nodded. 

'No problem. I always wondered how it must feel to have all that attention on you. It’s pretty exhilarating,’ Thorne said mischievously. 

Cinder nudged his arm. 

'Can’t even compliment you without you adding to it,’ Cinder remarked. 

Kai glanced up at the top of the stairs, a wide smile on his face.

He interlocked his hand with hers.

'Looks like that dance will have to wait, Thorne,’ Kai said.

As Thorne protested, Kai guided Cinder up the steps. Cinder asked Kai where he was taking her but he just told her to follow him.

They reached the top and walked along the platform. Kai guided her to two chairs in the corner, bathed in the moonlight. 

Cinder followed the light back up to its source, gawking at the sight of the bright moon in the distance.

'It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I thought it’d be a nice view to watch from here,’ Kai said, seating himself in his chair. Cinder straightened her dress from behind and sat back in the chair.

She couldn’t stop the sigh of relief escaping her lips. She realised then she had been in these shoes the whole day.

They both gazed up at the moon. 

'Do you miss being up there?’ Kai asked after a moment of silence.

Cinder shook her head. 

'It was never really my home, even though I was born up there. I guess it felt good in a way, being Queen of Luna. I could at least make some changes to Artemisia after how Levana ruled it. But not everything could be changed. Not everyone either. That’s why I decided to have a prime minister up there. Besides.’

Cinder glanced at Kai,

'This has always been my home. With you.' 

Kai reached for her hand and held it firmly. 

He caressed their hands with his free hand. He stroked them with thought.

'I know it will be difficult now that you are Empress. The responsibities and the demand of people and so on. And I know we still need to get rid of the stigma of lun-' 

Cinder leaned towards him. She stared into his eyes. 

'I know. And I am prepared for it. Nothing can be perfect. Although some things may be set in stone, it doesn’t mean we can’t etch new things on it. We will change things as best as we can. For the better,’ Cinder reassured, a confident smile on her face.

Kai nodded, matching her smile. 

'Spoken like a true empress.'