Disclaimer: Still not mine - just on loan

Author's Note: So... Chapter eight... I reckon I'm just over half way through. Cannot believe I've only been working on this for a week and a half. I have NEVER written anything this fast before. Please leave a review to let me know your thoughts :)


Chapter Eight

Earth stretched out beneath them like a jewel in space. She could see the curve of the planet and the shining brilliance of the sun on the oceans. Snow-capped mountains glinted in the light. Lush green forests stretched endlessly over the continents. She could see the United Kingdom drifting beneath them. She could point quite easily to London. Home. She missed it terribly.

Rose was hiding in her room aboard the Rampion. It had been Scarlet's room back in the day, someone had told her. The view from the small port-hole like window was stunning. I her last three weeks on board, she had spent a lot of time here, trying to guess where on the planet bellow Mallorie could be hiding. Today, she had decided she must be in the Highlands of Scotland. Who wouldn't want to hide there? With its rugged hills and lochs and miles upon miles of open spaces, it's where Rose would have picked.

She had not set foot on Earth for ten days now and was ready to see the sky again. The Rampion was still keeping up with its deliveries of the letumosis vaccine. They had decided that to reduce their work would draw too much suspicion. Every time they landed somewhere, Rose would pace her room five times, repeating to herself, My name is Bryony. I answer to Bryony.

She had come to hate that name. The only time she felt at ease was when Gregg was near. Despite the changes to her outward appearance, he never looked at her any differently, apart from one small thing from time-to-time – there was a sadness in his expression. This usually came when he caught the smell of sweet baking, or when Iko playfully teased him about Rose, anytime there was something that reminded him of his sister.

There was a knock at the door. Cinder entered holding a mug of hot liquid.

"If there's one thing the UK and the Eastern Commonwealth have in common," she said closing the door behind her. "It's that we fully appreciate the importance of a cup of tea in a time of need."

Rose smiled and took the mug from Cinder. She breathed deeply of the tea's aroma rising with the steam.

"Thank you," she said. She turned her gaze back to the view of Earth.

Cinder shifted awkwardly for a moment before sitting herself down on the end of Rose's bed.

"You missing home?" she asked.

Rose nodded.

"I miss my grandmother."

Cinder smiled in sympathy.

"I also miss my studies. Is that too crazy?" Rose continued. "I'm supposed to be spending the next few months learning all about the Earthen Union states. All the leaders and diplomats and their customs and how not to offend everyone…"

"Crown Princess 101," Cinder commented.

Rose laughed. "Yeah, pretty much. I was dreading it."

"Well, yeah. It sounds boring."

"But right now it doesn't seem all that bad. Now I'm just worried that when – if – I get to the naming ceremony, I won't know what to do."

Cinder shifted on the bed and fixed Rose with a serious expression. "OK, firstly, it's when you get to the naming ceremony. Not if. We're not going to let anything happen to you."

Famous last words, thought Rose, but she kept it to herself.

"Secondly, you've been preparing for this all your life. You'll be fine."

Rose wasn't convinced.

"Do you know the names of the Union Leaders?" Cinder prompted.

Rose nodded. She was about to list them, but Cinder continued.

"Can you point to the capital cities of the Union countries on a map?"

Rose nodded again.

"What's the capital of Luna?"

"Artemisia."

"And who's head of state on Luna?"

"President Clay."

"Right, well you already know more than I did on my coronation day. You'll be fine."

Rose looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yes," came Cinder's reply. "There's no training manual for being queen. Most of the time you just have to make decisions and hope for the best… It's not so bad when you get into it, really."

"Then why did you abdicate?" The intensity in Rose's question made Cinder's expression falter for a moment.

"Because it was right for Luna," she said. "Becoming queen was hard. There's no denying that. But giving it up was harder."

Rose raised her eyebrows. This was not the response she had expected.

"Luna needed change," Cinder explained. "The monarchy system had left them too vulnerable to manipulation and dictatorship – it wasn't anything like the UK or the Eastern Commonwealth with their royal families. I knew the day I became queen that things had to change. You see, when you're in that sort of position, having authority like that, you can't help feeling responsible for everyone. Because you are. And it completely changes your perspective. You see the big picture in a way you couldn't possibly be prepared for."

Rose's gaze drifted back to the window, to the planet peacefully turning below them.

"You mean like seeing Earth from up here?"

"Exactly," Cinder agreed. "But even knowing all of that and knowing it was the right thing, walking away from it all was still, by far, the hardest thing I have ever done."

"Do you ever regret it?"

"What?" Cinder asked. "Being queen or giving it up?"

Rose shrugged. "Both."

"No," Cinder smiled. "Not for a second."

Rose thought about what she had said as she sipped her tea. The warm liquid soothed as she swallowed it and she could feel herself beginning to relax a little.

"Come on," Cinder said hopping off the bed. "Dinner's nearly ready. We should get there before Gregg and Thorne devour the lot."

Rose laughed as she followed. As she reached the door, she took one last look at the Earth as it disappeared from sight with the turn of the Rampion. Her heart was saddened slightly as it left the window, but she knew it was not permanent. She would see her home again soon.


Hanna had not yet cried today. She wondered if she was finally out of tears. Her body shook with fear as she curled up on the bed and prayed that the door would not open. She had been locked up for weeks now. She assumed it was weeks. It felt like weeks. There were no windows in her room and every time someone came to take her somewhere, they placed a bag over her head so she could not see. She had been moved three times since her captivity began. No doubt the Thaumaturge was not staying in one place for too long to avoid discovery. Every time the bag was placed over her head, she willed her friends to be one step closer to her this time.

She stared out at the rest of her room. Over the other side was a gurney – the one Mistress Mallorie strapped her to each morning. She shuddered looking at it. The memory of pain throbbed in her bones and muscles.

With a shaking hand, Hanna reached up and felt along the side of her face. She reached her right temple and felt the bump of metal still there. The small, metal device the side of her thumbnail and pressed to the side of her head was the Mistress' invention. It sent bolts of pain screaming through her head and could conjure the most vivid, terrifying, nightmarish hallucinations that Hanna could ever imagine. There were times that the only way she could tell the difference between these nightmares and reality was the pain in her head.

Hanna winced and retreated as far as she could from the door as the bolts clunked open.

Mistress Mallorie entered, followed by her usual lackey, Crowe, a former palace guard permanently under her control.

"Good morning, my dear," said Mallorie as Crowe set about arranging the equipment he had brought in with him.

The sight of it made Hanna whimper. Once Crowe had finished with the equipment, he crossed the room and dragged Hanna from the bed. She kicked and scratched and punched against him, but he was too strong for her. He easily deposited her on the gurney and strapped her in.

"Now, now," Mallorie said at her resistance. "We must play fairly today. After all, that horrible little device is coming off today."

Hanna looked up at Mallorie, hope filled her eyes as Crowe pulled the small metal device off her temple. Relief flooded her face.

Mallorie laughed. No, she cackled, setting Hanna on edge again.

"Foolish child," said Mallorie. "I have a new one for you to try."

Hanna thrashed about on the gurney, turning her head away from Crowe as he approached with the new device. He roughly took hold of her chin and yanked her head back towards him. The pain in her neck was nothing compared to what she was about to experience. She knew that for a fact.

A sting of pain, like a needle going through her skull, accompanied the new device as it was pressed to her temple. Hanna shut her eyes to dispel the pain.

As Crowe busied himself with wires and machines to monitor her vital signs, Hanna held Mallorie's gaze. She hoped her expression was defiant, but was pretty sure she could not fully hide her own fear.

"Now then," said Mallorie. "Let's see that this does." Mallorie held her hand over a single red button.

"No, please," Hanna begged. It had been days since she had given Mallorie the satisfaction of pleading out loud, but at this point, she really didn't know how much more her mind and body would withstand.

Mallorie paused for the briefest of moments before a sadistic smile crept over her face. Her hand descended on to the button.

The pain was immediate. Every muscle in her body spasmed, her back arched off the gurney as white hot pain shot down her spine and spread into her limbs. Her whole body shook and writhed. Hanna's screams filled the room and the corridor beyond.

Mallorie simply stood and observed like a curious scientist.

"Hmm…" she said. "Interesting."


"Bryony!" Cress called over to her. "Could you help me with this?"

The Rampion had landed in Brazil and the vaccine was in high demand here. Rose hurried over to Cress and lifted the top tray from the stack of six she was guarding.

"Where am I taking this?" she asked, blowing a lock of black hair out of her eyes. Cress pointed to where Cinder and Iko stood at the head of a long line of people. They had masks over their faces – as Cress and Rose had – and hypodermic needles in their hands. Cinder was filling her needle from the last vial of vaccine on the tray beside her.

Rose (disguised as Bryony, she still had to keep reminding herself of that) dutifully carried the tray over and took away the empty one.

It wasn't until sometime later that she was able to stop for a rest. By now, the sun was high overhead and the landscape was sticky and humid in its light. Rose peeled the thin cotton over-shirt off her shoulders and tossed it to one side, leaving only her vest underneath. That too was drenched in sweat.

A bowl of lukewarm – no longer cold – water was set beside her and she thankfully dipped her hands into it and splashed her face. She wanted to pour the whole thing over her head, but was not sure the holo-glam chip would survive. Holo-glam was the name that Thorne had given to the projection device. A holographic-glamour, he had reasoned. It seemed to suit it, so the name had stuck.

"Nice tattoo."

The sound of Gregg's voice behind her startled her.

"How come I haven't seen it before?"

Rose blushed and rubbed the back of her right shoulder.

"Oh, that," she said self-consciously. "Well, I usually have it covered with clothes or make-up," she explained. "My grandmother doesn't think it should be on display."

"What is it?" Gregg asked.

"It's a dragon," she answered. "A welsh dragon."

Gregg looked confused.

"It's a mythical creature," she explained, realising that life as a shall on Luna had denied him much access to old legends. "They were fierce and breathed fire and it usually took and army to defeat one… or a brave and handsome prince."

Gregg rolled his eyes. "Of course. So why the tattoo?"

"It's for my father," she answered plainly. "In the second-era, the Crown Prince of the UK was known as the Prince of Wales. This was on their flag. I got this after he died, to remember him."

Gregg smiled.

Rose turned away from him. She still wasn't entirely comfortable with her new face.

"How are you holding up?" Gregg asked as if reading her mind.

Rose shrugged. She glanced around to see where the others were. They had been so kind to her that she didn't want them to hear how unhappy she was.

"Honestly," she said, confident they were alone. "I just want this to be over with."

Gregg's smile slipped. "You and me both," he said.

Thoughts of Hanna came rushing into Rose's mind. She mentally kicked herself.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "That was so selfish. I'm sure we'll find Han –"

Gregg waved his hand to stop her.

"It's alright," he said. "You've got enough to worry about as it is."

His understanding only made Rose feel worse.

"When was the last time you…" He pointed at her collarbone, in the vague area that the holo-glam chip was attached. Rose self-consciously felt for it.

"I haven't been me since we left London," she said. "I mean, I'm still me, I just don't look… you know what I mean."

Gregg nodded. He looked over her shoulder at the line of trees behind her. He looked quickly around to see no-one watching them.

"Come with me," he said taking her hand.

Rose followed willingly as they headed for the tree line. They went far enough in to be completely hidden, but not so far as to lose sight of the Rampion.

Gregg stood Rose in front of him and took Cinder's port-screen out of his back pocket.

"How did you get that?" Rose asked, wide eyed.

Gregg smiled cheekily. "I swiped it while she was re-stocking. Look." He pulled up a programme on the screen and selected a command labelled "Deactivate."

There was a slight shimmer in front of Rose's vision. At the corner of her eye, she noticed fair hair, not black. She grabbed hold of a bunch of it and pulled it in front of her eyes to see properly. It was definitely her own.

"I thought that might bring a smile to your face. A proper smile," Gregg said. "But I want to you know, I don't see the difference. It doesn't matter to me whether you look like Bryony or whether you look like Rose. I know you're the same inside."

Rose couldn't stop herself. She threw her arms around his neck and leaned it, kissing him on the lips. After the initial surprise had worn off, Gregg kissed her back, his hands slipping to her waist as he pulled her closer to himself. Their lips were hungry for each other as the tension and worry of the last few weeks washed away from them.

They broke apart, but only kept a breath of distance between them. Gregg looked down and quickly hit the "Activate" button on the port-screen, not wanting to risk anyone seeing through her disguise.

"Thank you, Gregg," said Rose, the smile still on her changed face. "My hero."

"And you're my princess," Gregg replied. "My Bryony-Rose."

He kissed her again, sealing her name between them. Bryony-Rose. It was his alone to call her.