Title: A Little Series Called The Lunar Chronicles
Author: Rose
Fandom: The Lunar Chronicles
Pairing: Predominantly Kai/Cinder
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Summary: The Lunar Chronicles get published in the world of the Lunar Chronicles. Also features a royal wedding.
Three years after the Lunar revolution, the galaxy was in an uproar. Emperor Kaito of the Eastern Commonwealth was engaged to the former Queen of Luna, Selene Blackburn and as the wedding loomed ever closer more and more questions surfaced. The Earthens were worried about the relationship between some of the most powerful people in the universe, worried that Selene had seduced Kaito, worried she had some blackmail or other means of manipulating him. And their fears were well founded. Almost three years prior, Queen Levana of Luna had been pursuing the Emperor with dubious intentions. And although she had failed in her attempts many were still worried that Selene might be continuing her Aunt's attempted power grab.
In the months leading up to the planned ceremony there had been countless protests in the doorsteps of New Beijing Palace. Angry citizens with signs that spoke out against everything from the marriage itself to allowing Lunars on the planet at all. Another sect of people had come out from the woodwork, those who were angry at the dismantling of the Cyborg Protection Act, who were disgusted by the idea of a cyborg sharing a bed with their Emperor. They picketed outside with signs painted with a single cyborg foot with wires sprouting out of the ankle - a supposed reminder of Blackburn's inhumanity.
The Lunars on the other hand had just started looking into their own history. During Selene's short reign, the devastation of the revolution was so fresh that many people ignored it entirely. Now that some time had started to pass between, and the democratic Lunar government had started looking into its past trying to find history with which to stir nationalistic pride, the people of Luna were asking questions. No one really knew how Selene had been kept alive during the fourteen years she was away nor how she had learned of her birth. In the log of Lunar history, mostly told through Earthen media as Lunar media from the time was sheer propaganda, Lihn Cinder suddenly popped onto the world's radar at the Annual Peace Ball. By which time she seemed to have already met the Emperor and possibly established who she was, but no one was for certain. And in light of the upcoming nuptials it only made people more skeptical about their relationship.
Which is how Emperor Kaito had ended up calling a press conference this gray Saturday morning. The Earth and several Lunar reports filled the Palace media room to its capacity and waited for the Emperor to arrive. After several minutes the side door opened and several people filed in, a couple guards, the head of Public Relations, Royal Advisor Konn Torin, Selene Blackburn and finally Emperor Kaito himself. The press were on their feet shouting questions at the royal couple, but both of them kept blank faces as Kaito stepped up to the podium.
"Thank you for coming today. I have asked you here to make a somewhat unexpected announcement." The crowd burst into questions.
"Is the wedding off?"
"Are you stepping down?"
"Is Selene pregnant?"
But Kai just raised a hand and the room fell silent.
"The former Lunar Queen, Selene Channary Jannali Blackburn, and I, in addition to several other people, have been working on a project for the last year. And now it is almost ready to release to the public." The Emperor paused and took a steady breath. "We understand that their are many questions surrounding the upcoming marriage and our relationship. We understand why the people of the Eastern Commonwealth are surreptitious. And so we have been working with a writer named Marissa Meyer in efforts to chronicle many of the events that will answer the questions the galaxy has been asking."
"However, we feel that if we are here for the release of these publications it might cause a stir. Wishing to avoid any problems we have made travel arrangements to be away during the time that these volumes are being released. Questions?"
"How many volumes are being released?" asked a reporter from the back.
"Five in total. Four follow the main narrative and the fifth is a supplemental volume."
"When will they be released?"
"They will not be released all at the same time. We believe that there needs to be some time in between each volume to fully absorb its story. As a result we have decided that the first one will be released a week from today, Saturday April 10, and the four following will be released the following Saturdays." Those who were quick at calculations were able to add up that the last book would be released on May 8th, a week before the scheduled date of the royal wedding.
"When are you leaving? And when will you come back?"
"I will be leaving the evening of April the seventh, after my birthday festivities. And we will be arriving back on Monday May 10 here at New Beijing Palace."
"We? Will this just be Miss Blackburn, or will there be others involved?"
"Several others will be joining us on our trip."
"Who?" For the first time the Emperor's poker face chipped and a small smile pulled at the side of his lips.
"Crescent Moon Darnel, Scarlet Benoit-Kesley, Jacin Clay, Selene's Counselor Iko, Ze'ev Kesley, Carswell Thorne and Winter Hayle-Blackburn." At Winter's name a chatter went up, even though she was no longer royal the media still had a slightly unhealthy obsession with her. Maybe it was her kind heart that caught their attention. Or maybe it was her flawless good looks. Either way, now that they knew Winter was involved the world was sure to pay attention. But Kaito interrupted the chattering, "During this time though, I warn you, we shall be unavailable for contact and refuse to comment on the Chronicles until we return back on the tenth."
"What will happen to the wedding?"
"Wedding will continue as planned on Saturday May 15, 129 TE. The wedding coordinator, Tashmi Priya, has our wishes recorded and will not need us for the final preparations. We have been have been working with her for the past eight months, and are confident that she can walk through the final stages of the event without us. That will be all for today." Emperor Kaito stepped down from the podium and left the room, followed by Selene and the advisor while the head of Public Relations stepped up to take several more questions.
This announcement, both unexpected and vague, did not gain much attention as it was overshadowed by the Emperor's upcoming birthday - a national holiday. However several main news feeds ran the press conference and speculated on the nature of the Chronicles. Everyone seemed to take a step back though and decided to reserve judgment for the release of the first volume in the Chronicles.
The Emperor's birthday came and there was a huge celebration, parties in the street and fireworks that lit up the night sky. But as the night went on and the party at the palace started to die down, the residents of New Beijing witnessed a 214 Rampion flying low over the city. It landed on a pad on the palace grounds and quickly scooped up both His Imperial Majesty and his wife to be, along with an escort droid with braids in varying shades of blue.
The ship vanished into the dark night sky, and later that night posters silently appeared all across the galaxy, lighting up huge netscreens on buildings and in town squares. The advertisements were simple. Silver words on a dark blue background.
An outlaw.
A princess.
A hacker.
A guard.
A farmer.
An android.
A soldier.
An emperor.
And a mechanic.