Cinder watched out the window as she got closer to the commonwealth. They had just entered Earth's atmosphere a few minutes prior, and quite frankly, she was tired of seeing stars. In her short trip, she had come to miss the trees and hills of her beautiful country. The great wall came into view which meant that they were getting closer to the palace. She had been visiting Luna on a diplomatic mission for two weeks, but the trip had been cut short when she discovered something surprising.

As they got closer, the palace came into view and she was even able to see people standing on the roof—presumably Kai and Torin along with a few guards. She was anxious to see Kai; to hug him, to kiss him, and to share her news with him. But with that thought came a wave of stress. Fidgeting with her wedding ring, her mind began to wander: How would he react? Would he be happy? Of course he would, this was Kai she was talking about. But what if—

She shook her head, clearing her mind of those thoughts.

"Are you okay?" Iko asked, placing a hand on Cinder's shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine," she paused. "Just a bit nervous about telling Kai."

"Cinder, you have nothing to worry about." Iko pulled her into a hug. "Are you ready? Because I'm sure Kai is going to die if he has to spend another minute separated from you."

Cinder nodded and stood up, looping her arm through Iko's. The ramp lowered and the second her eyes locked with Kai's, all doubts she had had earlier disappeared. She let go of Iko's arm and ran straight into Kai's.

"I missed you," he murmured as his arms slid around her waist.

"I missed you, too." Her arms wound around his neck, then she kissed him.

He kissed her back, arms tightening around her waist. He broke the kiss seconds later and rested his forehead against hers. "What did you need to tell me?"

The anxieties from earlier returned as she stared into his eyes. "I'd really rather not tell you out here." She glanced around. "Could we go to our room or maybe the office? Just somewhere private."

He kissed her on the cheek, slipping his hand into hers. "Lead the way, darling."

Cinder took a sip of her tea, trying to decide on the best way to break the news to Kai. She set her cup down on the coffee table and turned towards him. They were in the sitting area of his office, squished together on the couch despite the fact that it could seat about four people.

"Kai," she began, a hand going unconsciously to her stomach, "I'm pregnant."

His gaze traveled down to her stomach, then back to her eyes, a grin spreading across his face. She smiled as well, feeling relieved—to think she thought he would have reacted any other way.

"Really? Are you sure?" He reached for her hand, his eyes hopeful. She nodded. His grin widened as he pulled her into a hug. He began placing kisses all over her face, telling her how much he loved her in between them and they were both laughing.