Hey guys! I appreciate the reviews I got for 'Scars of a Suffering Nature': Wolf and Scarlet. (If you haven't checked that out already, please do!) Feel free to criticise, it lets me know what you think of it and how to improve!

Shout outs to:

Aurum19 : I love Wolf and Scarlet as well! I just think they're so cute together!

Guest2: I hope you enjoy this!

Love It: Thanks for the feedback! I admit, Wolf's response to Scarlet was a bit uncharacteristic, but I thought they both needed to let off a bit of steam!

Since I enjoyed this so much I decided to do another Lunar Chronicles ship! I give you… Kaider!

A King's Reign of Love

KPOV

Cyborgs. Thoughtless robot servants, roaming the streets of this world, taking over. Androids. Not that much different, really. That was the view of the kingdom of New Beijing. They repelled anything different, thought the creatures were all the same and should be treated with caution. I didn't think as harshly as all that, but the thought of something that wasn't quite human sent a shiver down my spine. Cyborgs… dangerous, unpredictable beings in the shape of a human.

That is until I fell in love with one.

She was a star that burned as bright as any human, her metal heart filled with so much feeling that it might as well have been real. She was fearless, her bravery soaring high, so beautiful that it penetrated the sun. Her wit, giving me a smile even in the grimmest of situations. And her rashness, the way she ran into problems shouting 'Damn the consequences!'

The lengths she was willing to go for the ones she cared about. Cinder…

All of this, every single detail, had drowned me out as I'd watched her fall down that staircase, wearing a dishevelled dress and her hair falling in front of her face. Her metal foot laying feet away, the wires snaking out of it. Cyborg, I'd thought and a sliver of fear had embedded itself in my heart.

Then she'd looked up and saw me, a worried smile on her pretty face and for the first time ever, I felt what it was like to love. Cinder…

"Your Majesty?" A shy voice interrupted my thoughts and I opened my eyes to a petite blond girl who was regarding with meek respect. I tried to think of her name… What was it people on this ship called her? Criscilla… Cressie… Cress… I think that was right…

"Yes?" I struggled to keep my tone regal, imperial. Royal. Even on this spaceship of misfits, I was still a king. Yeah, a king who abandoned his country to go play boyfriend, a voice niggled in the back of my mind. Jeez...

"Will you be joining us for supper?"

"Um… I guess so."

"Good." Cress looked pleased, straightening out the hem of her dress as she gave me a quick bow before leaving the room. Supper… Everyone on the ship would be there: Cress, Thorne – the fugitive and pilot, Wolf- the Lunar hybrid Queen Levana had been working on and…

Cinder.

Even saying her name sent a sigh through me, radiating the happiness and love I had for her. I could sit there for hours just thinking of her face…

Some king you are! Daydreaming about a girl while your entire kingdom is a slave to Lunars! Ugh, when did this get so complicated…?

I got up and walked to the room where they all had supper. A table with crates set around it for chairs, serving those protein packs they had on board. Not as good as real food, but something nonetheless. I observed the table's occupants: Wolf sat alone, scraping at the table, an intense sadness etched on his face. Cinder had told me something about Scarlet Benoit having been kidnapped by Lunars. He obviously held her dear to him. Cress and Thorne were sat across from him, talking animatedly about something or other. And then…

She sat at the head of the table, inspecting her cyborg hand. With a click, a tranquilizer dart came from one of her fingers, and Cinder fiddled with it frowning. She didn't try to hide it from the others, not the way she'd hidden this part of herself from New Beijing. She felt comfortable here. She belonged.

Nervously, I sat at the other end of the table. Wolf barely looked up, now hacking at the protein pack with his canine teeth; Cress and Thorne's conversation stopped long enough for her to give me a small smile. No one really acknowledged me. Apart from her.

Cinder looked up from across the table and held my gaze, a grin emerging as she studied me. I grinned back and as about to say something before Wolf beat me to it.

"I need to go let off some steam." He announced, and everyone apart from me, solemnly nodded. He got up and stalked out of the room and I heard a loud slam echo throughout the ship.

"Scarlet," Cinder suddenly whispered, looking at her hands, "It's killing him, knowing she's in the hands of Lunars. He's trying to deal with it though. In his own way."

She looked up and smiled at me again, this one tense.

"Oh, ok." I said, then felt like kicking myself. Oh ok? That was the best I could do?

Her face was full of gratitude though, and if she could have, I swore she would've blushed.

"Do you mind having a word K… I mean, Your Majesty?" Cinder asked flustered, while Cress and Thorne were trying not to laugh out loud.

"No, not at all."

We left the room as discreetly as possible, Cress and Thorne's snickers following us.

"Your Highness? I…" Cinder stood there, the tranquilzer dart back in her finger.

"Kai… call me Kai." The words were out before I could stop them. Cinder bit her lip, wringing her hands together.

"Kai… look I'm sorry for kind of kidnapping you and all… but right now, this thing between you and me… I… I don't want it distracting me."

Her words hit me like a slap, "But…"

"Don't do this Kai!" she raised her voice dangerously, looking so fearless, untouchable. But then a hint of sadness ad regret brought out the human part of her, "I can't have this now! Everyone's relying on me to the perfect Princess Selene and…"

"You're perfect just the way you are. To me anyway."

She looked up and caught my eye, still biting her lip. Probably even harder than before.

Without thinking, I reached out and freed her lip from her teeth, "Don't do that. You'll hurt yourself." She flinched as I touched her, waiting tensely as I stroked her cheekbone lightly.

"Kai…" she began, catching my hand and holding it, keeping it from touching her again, "Not now…"

"Then when?" I wrenched my hand out of her grip.

"I don't know… Just please…"

"You kidnapped me Cinder! I shouldn't be waiting around for you!"

"Kai…"

I stormed out of the room, leaving Cinder alone. I heard her call to me to come back but I didn't turn around. Because I knew if I did, I wouldn't have the strength to walk out again.

Cyborgs. Thoughtless robot servants, roaming the streets of this world, taking over.

I wasn't sure about the world but there was definitely one taking over my heart.