.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

I wanted to kill her so badly, it was killing me instead. But it would have to wait. It would have to wait until the next time she came. My thoughts ran around my room, a contrast to my ever still body. Thinking. Thinking, of ways I could make her suffer. Ways that she would despise, right to the end The end of her life that is. The thundering click of the lock from the door in front of me broke my silence.

.・。.・゜✭・.Cinder POV.・✫・゜・。

The light that shone through the big windows of the dressing room blinded me. Placing me in my own bright haze of thoughts.

"How would this one fare, Your Majesty?" the seamstress had still been rummaging through this huge closet the entire time I'd been daydreaming. Blinking my eyes, I took in the gown that was held before me. The silky white fabric had beautiful embroidered gold thread bleeding down to the waist where the silk flared outwards. The golden embroidery followed the edge of the over-skirt, and the trains' edge was like a garden of gold. A voluptuous fur off the shoulder coat was just the finishing touch. I was no Iko, but I knew this dress was fit for an Empress.

"This is the one!" I exclaimed happily, snatching the dress away from the smiling seamstress and running behind the curtain. Slipping the dress on and throwing my other day dress over the changeroom wall, I came back out to the seamstress and she laced up the back for me.

"It suits you very well, Your Majesty," her ancient smile made me smile more than I already was. I stepped onto the small rise in front of the curving mirror in the corner of the dress closet. A few steps this way and that, and I made a full turn on the pedestal, the tips of the dress flaring out like ocean waves. I was never one for fancy things like this, but this one time was an exception.

"If you would just stay still for a moment, Your Majesty, I need to do some alterations," needle and white thread in hand, the seamstress went about the dress inspecting every inch of it.

"Well, who looks like an Empress already," a sudden voice behind me made my head whirl around. Only to face Thorne, leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Thorne–" I closed my eyes and sighed, "–should you really be here?" one of my eyes flashed open and I scanned him. Judging from his attire, he just got here. And based on his size and weight, he just came from his ship. "Shouldn't you be with Cress? Or is she watching your ship get it's maintenance," I questioned and he put up a chessy smile.

"Yeah, she's down by the docks overseeing restock," pushing himself away from the door, he came to take a poke at the mirrors situated around me. Small pokes and prods from the Seamstress were still there, but they were less noticeable now, mostly because I was watching Thorne very carefully, just in case he pulled anything funny.

"Thorne, be careful," I almost shouted as he all too violently took a stab at one of the mirror panes. With a huff and a sigh, he backed away from the glass and proceed out the door, which I wasn't so against at the moment.

"Your Majesty, you can take the gown off now. I'll have it ready for the wedding," I smiled and nodded at her with a reserved smile. She loosened the laces on the back of the dress and I slipped behind the curtain again and shrugged the gown off. I'd probably have to put that gown I was wearing before back on. Ugh. Can't I just wear some trousers or something? Of course, I couldn't. I was going to be an Empress. Empresses don't even wear pants for Heaven's sake. "Your Majesty—" the seamstress's silhouette cane from behind the white curtain where I was. "—your fitting session is over, you can go if you wish," As a matter of fact, I did want to leave. And the moment I stepped out from the curtain, I sent the lady a curt nod and made several more steps out the door of this gigantic closet.

"So you're finally done?" Thorne was leaning on the wall beside the door– waiting for me, apparently. Didn't know he had patience.

"Yes, I'm done, Thorne, where's Cress?" I ask impatiently with a tap of my foo. He rolled his chocolate eyes.

"She's still down at the dock, you want to see her?" he asked pointing down the hall. I nodded vigorously, and he lead me down to the docks. Not that I didn't already know the way, but I was behind him as he raved on and on about the new things he's seen on his travels.

"Thorne, I don't know if you already know this–" he paused in his rant. "–but I really don't care," I finished and stalked ahead of him. Low mumbles followed my wake, but I kept walking.

.・。.・゜✭・.Cinder pov.・✫・゜・。

"Cress!" Cinder was forced to yell over the loud thrumming of the machinery at the maintenance centre. Machines whirling to life here and there, craft parts scattered on work tables. But Cinder didn't ming. In fact, she loved the loud sounds of the machines in the maintenance centre. It reminded her of her old life. Before she was caught up in intergalactic-political problems. And then being a criminal, and then on the run. And it all just reminded her of home. Not where her and, Adri, and Peony, and Pearl had lived. But the people of the Rampion crew.

"Hey Cinder!" Cress waved Cinder over to her place under the belly of the Rampion. A twist and a crack here and there.

"Hey, Cress, what're you doing under there?" Cinder carefully studied Thorne as he said that. Scanning his face for anything unusual. Unfortunately, nothing. Metal against rubber, Cress slid out from under the ship's belly and grabbed another wrench.

"You blew another engine, Thorne, I'm fixing it," she huffed impatiently, and Cinder giggled lightly.

"Thorne, how many have you gone through already? Eight by now?" Cinder's laughter was drowned out by the ship in front of her, as it roared to life.

"Got it!" Cress triumphantly leapt up off the little rolling platform. Her giddy smile was almost contagious, as Thorne began smiling not seconds later.

"Thanks, Cress, for fixing that," Thorne's gorgeous smile garnered a blush on Cress's pale cheeks.

"Sure, no problem," placing her tools back into her toolbox, the ship quieted down. A hop and a skip later, she was on her feet dusting the soot off her overalls. Her gave scanned me, and she gave a bark of laughter.

"Haha. Oh, Cinder, you really don't seem like yourself without your old worn pants and ripped up tee-shirt!" she laughed some more while I grinned at her joking.

"Hey, I'm going to be Empress soon–" I pointed an accusing finger at her. "–shape up, Cress," her laughter ceased. But there etched on her face, was an eternal smile.

"Of course, Your Majesty, is what they're calling you now, is it?" more teasing. With a roll of my eyes, I gestured for her to come. We had planned to go out for lunch at some secluded cafe in town, but with all this talking, we'd never eat. And I was famished.

"Come on, Cress, let's go," the walk into town was filled with chatter. Thorne and Cress telling me about their 'adventures', people they met, and eventually, Scarlet and Wolf met up with us on the street. Compared to the light busting, and the normal air around the townspeople, the Rampion crew stuck out like a sore thumb. Scarlet and Wolf, having just come from the farm, were dressed as nicely as they could with Scarlets' fire red flannel and ripped jeans, with Wolf and his black leather jacket. And then there was Cress, who still had black soot on her nose from fixing the ship, to, Thorne, who walked as if he was a king. And then there was me. Smiles and waves of recognition were tossed o me, and I returned every single one of them. Probably wasn't the best choice because, from the very first wave, I waved and smiled to everyone else.

"Cinder, you can stop waving now," Cress whispered to me after we had sat down at a quaint cafe on the main street. I sighed in exhaustion.

"Sorry, there are still people…" I trail off pointing to the window of the cafe. Adults and children alike were peering through the glass, looking at me.

"And I thought this would be more private," Scarlet groaned in annoyance. An image flickered in my retina. It was a message from, Kai.

Hey, Cinder, I won't be able to make it to lunch. I have another meeting I can't miss. Sorry. My disappointment must have shown more than I thought it would because Cress turned to me with a worried smile.

"Something the matter, Cinder?" she squeezed my hand with reassurance.

"Kai can't make it, he's stuck in a meeting," I breathed out. We had been trying to plan a lunch for all of us for a while. But we someone was always busy. Whether it be Scarlet and Wolf at the farm, or Cress and Thorne out exploring, or Kai being stuck in a meeting or having too much work to handle. I, on the other hand, had nothing to do. I offered to help, Kai, with his work several times, but he declined, saying I 'shouldn't be burdened with the work of an Empress' yet. And then I couldn't really go with Cress and Thorne. They were all over the galaxy when I was supposed to be 'safe' in the castle. I just wanted to get out of the palace.

"It's alright, Cinder, we'll catch him eventually," Cress was so optimistic, it made me want to be too.

"And if we don't, We'll just go have a picnic in his office!" Scarlet roared not so quietly. I was giggling a bit now. I loved my friends so much.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

Chapter Published: February 2, 2018