The months passed by. As autumn turned into winter, the air gradually got colder, Luna's climate controlled by miles of underground machinery. Sometimes, there was even artificial rain or snow pumped through miniature tubes that lined the side of the domes.
When Levana awoke one morning in January, all of Artemisia was covered with a blanket of white. The air was crisp and cool, her breath coming out in puffy clouds as she stood out on her balcony, barefoot in the soft powder. She had always liked the snow, taking every opportunity as a child to build goofy-looking snowmen.
"Snow day, snow day! How I love snow days!" Akiho chirped as she spun around the room, wrapped in a polka-dotted scarf. "Hey, Levana, you might want to put on slippers or something. You'll get frostbite!"
Levana wriggled her already-numb toes. The white skin had turned pink, and was covered in snowflakes. She shivered, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm fine."
Akiho came over and plopped down a pair of pink, fluffy slippers. "Quit moping. Here, put these on." Her prong twirled around the scarf as Levana silently slipped on the soft shoes, mumbling under her breath. Akiho rolled outside, running tracks through the fresh snow.
"Could you stop being so loud?" Levana grumbled, blowing a few snowflakes off her winter-kissed nose.
"Aw, cheer up! It's snowing! Don't you want to have a snowball fight? We could ask Sybil to join, and the little wolves, too! I'm sure that they'd like to get outside."
"No way. If I go out, than he'll be there. I'm perfectly fine in my room, thank you very much."
Akiho nudged her gently. "If Sybil's with us, I'm sure that he'll keep his distance. I know for a fact that she and the captain don't get along very well. Never have."
"I don't care. Snowball fights are for kids, anyway." Levana went back inside, sulking. The puffed sleeves of her dress covered her hands, slightly wet from the snow. Her fingers made of muscle and skin were as bony as ever, her now-noticeable baby bump being the only weight that she had gained over the past four months. She had no appetite. No cravings either, much to her surprise. She had braced herself for the sudden, uncontrollable urge to stuff her face with chocolate.
Akiho flicked the scarf away from her blinking sensor. "Suit yourself, Miss Moodypants. You can stay here and pout, but I'm going to have fun."
Levana slumped down on one of the lush violet sofas that surrounded a glass coffee table. A sigh of relief escaped her. Her back was aching up a storm.
"Did you hear me?"
The princess rolled her eyes. "Yes, Akiho. Do whatever you want. I don't care." She set her cheek on her knuckles, her elbow propped up on the armrest. Instead of feeling the usual soft skin, she felt the bone of her sallow face. She had shed all the remaining baby fat on her cheeks, making her look years older. Her eyes had lost the wide-eyed wonder that she had once sustained, despite being nearly in her twenties.
It was funny. On the inside, she felt like a whimpering little girl. On the outside, she was a grown woman, her whole body weary from the constant pain and abuse.
How could she bear a child when she was still one herself?
"Don't do that."
Levana snapped out of her thoughts as Akiho came up beside her. "What?"
"Don't just sit there and stare off into space like that. It scares me." Akiho clasped her prongs together. "It's like you're thinking of jumping off the roof again."
"I'm seriously considering it."
"NO!" Akiho shrieked, making a mad dash towards Levana. She flung her metal arms around the girl's legs, holding on tight.
"Ow! Akiho, let go of me!" Levana winced, trying to shake off the android.
Akiho's grip only tightened. "No! I won't let you!" she whimpered. "I don't want you to go. I don't want you to die."
"Relax! I'm only joking." Levana shook her legs again. "Just please, let go. You're hurting me."
Akiho finally complied. She backed away meekly, clutching her scarf in both prongs. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "But that joke wasn't funny at all."
"Whatever." Levana curled up onto the couch's velvet cushions, until her knees drew up to her chin. "Could you just go away? Aren't you going to play in the snow?"
Akiho rocked back and forth. "I'm not going without you."
"Then you're gonna have to spend the whole day inside. I'm not going out," Levana huffed.
"Why not?" Akiho whined.
"It's cold. I don't want to be cold," the princess sighed. "And I'm really sore. My back hurts, my breasts hurt, my entire being hurts." She buried her head in her hands. "I just can't, Akiho. It's too much."
Akiho backed down. "Okay..." she mumbled, hanging her head. "I'm sorry for bothering you."
Levana said nothing.
"Is there anything that I can get you? Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Anything to eat?"
A moment of silence. "Hot chocolate, please," Levana said, barely above a whisper.
"Coming right up!" Akiho sped over to the door. "I'll be back in a sec."
Levana just sat there, listening to Akiho's lively humming down the corridor. Her gaze set on the glass clock that hung on the wall. She stared at the metal hands intently. Her eyes followed every movement of the one that ticked per second.
Tick, tick, tick.
"Here you go!"
Levana jumped slightly as Akiho gently set down a cup of steaming liquid on the coffee table in front of her. The sweet smell of chocolate wafted up in small swirls. Levana could see little rings of cream at the top.
"Well?" Akiho cocked her head. "Aren't you going to drink it?"
"Later," Levana said. "It's too hot right now. A burnt tongue isn't very fun."
Akiho shrugged. "Suit yourself." She rolled away, humming merrily.
Hours passed. Levana had never even touched the cup of hot chocolate.
The snow melted, and the flowers came to bloom again, all of Luna seeming reborn. Springtime.
April, to be precise.
Artemisia was bursting with life, the city a living organism. Children ran about the streets, free from school for spring break. The buildings were once again decorated in anticipation of their Independence Day, when their first king, Cyprus Blackburn was crowned and Luna officially became it's own country. It was the moon's biggest celebration.
Levana was seven months pregnant by that point, her tiny figure constantly in pain from the strain of her large belly. She stayed in her room most of the time; she couldn't stand leaving, having to endure Evret following her around everywhere and Channary's constant abuse. There were some unavoidable things, though—meals as often as she dared, and the monthly ultrasounds and exams. She loathed the doctors and the nurses, who would look at her with pity and sadness. Their sympathy meant nothing to her. It felt unwelcome and invasive.
Every night, Levana would cry herself to sleep, wishing the pain and humiliation away. Every day, she would spend half of her time just sitting on her couch, staring at the wall. Morning sickness came in hard blows, sometimes forcing her to stay in bed for days on end.
For once, though, she wasn't hunched over the toilet or huddling in a ball, cursing the world to nothing. Laying on her back upon her lush chaise, she turned another page of the thick novel she was immersed in, telling the epic tale of a young boy on a pirate ship. Akiho stood by, quietly listening to music that played through her integrated net system.
"Levana?"
The princess looked up to see Sybil looming over her, holding two big parcels in her arms. "Ever heard of knocking?" she asked, her voice snide.
"I tried. You wouldn't answer."
Levana sat up and shrugged. "I was into my book," she said, running a finger over an open page. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to wish you a happy birthday," Sybil chirped, seating herself beside Levana.
The princess blinked. "Thank you. I didn't think that anyone remembered."
"I did!" Akiho shouted. "I sang to you and everything!"
"That's because it's programmed into your calendar."
Akiho huffed. "Which counts as my memory. So there. I remembered." She crossed her arms over her metal chest.
Sybil held out the two wrapped boxes in her arms. "For you," she said.
Levana looked at them warily.
"Go on, take them," Sybil insisted. "I promise, I didn't wrap bombs or exploding pies or anything."
Levana picked up the top one, a thick brick wrapped in royal blue. It took her a while to finally get to the gift itself.
"Oh, Sybil...it's wonderful," Levana breathed, holding up a heavy sketchbook. It had a pink cover laced with frothy ribbon, her name embroidered on the front. It must've been at least five hundred pages long. "Just what I needed, too. I ran out of space in my old one yesterday."
Sybil smiled. "I knew you'd like it."
The sketchbook came with several erasers and a whole bag of pencils. Levana pulled one out, holding it to her face. She sniffed. "I love the smell of pencils," she sighed. "It reminds me of trees."
Sybil held out the other box. "Come on, open the other one!"
Levana complied and picked up the second gift, wrapped in light pink paper and donned with purple ribbons. Sybil had obviously taken great care putting the whole thing together. She tore off the paper, revealing a stark white box. Lifting the lid, she peered inside.
The piece of cardboard fell out of her hand and onto the floor with a clatter. Trembling, Levana pulled out a pair of soft violet booties, small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. Small enough to fit a baby.
The meagre amount of joy that she once had faded away to nothing.
"I thought that you might like something to get you started," Sybil said, gesturing to the box. "There's also a few dresses and pairs of socks in there."
Levana gripped the fabric of one of said dresses, the soft lace flimsy between her fingers. Her breath hitched. "How thoughtful," she mumbled.
"Well, you'll need clothes to dress her in once she's born," Sybil said sheepishly, picking at her fingernails.
"I guess..." Levana put the booties back in the box, her back hunching as much as it could over her belly. "Wait." She froze, and her brow furrowed. "How do you know it's a girl?"
Sybil laughed nervously. "Well...I kind of asked the doctor after your last ultrasound. I wanted to get things for the baby, so I had to know the gender."
"I thought those appointments were confidential," Levana hissed, her cheeks flushed with anger and frustration.
"I said that Her Majesty was concerned about it." Sybil lowered her head in contrition. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that it mattered so much to you. I've invaded your privacy."
"It doesn't matter." Levana sniffed. She closed the box and put it aside. "I've already been violated in every way possible. Don't apologize."
Sybil held her tongue, hunched over in shame. She stayed silent. What more could she have said?
Levana turned away.
"Oh, no, Levana...please don't turn your back on me. I know that you're upset. I really am sorry, for breaking your trust and reminding you of the baby."
"Trust?" Levana snorted. "You honestly think that you've ever had my trust? There's no person on this goddamn planet whom I can even tell a secret, yet alone put my trust in," she sneered.
"Levana..."
"Sybil, just stop. You're not doing any—aahh!" Levana gasped, suddenly convulsing. "Oh, Stars..."
"What? What is it?" Sybil asked concerned. She held her arms out, ready to help at any moment.
"It's nothing," Levana said, her breathing laboured. "Selene just kicked me really hard."
Sybil's fingers curled slowly. "Selene?"
"That's what I'm naming her." Levana threw her head back. "Too weird?"
"No," Akiho cut in. "It's really pretty. She'll be a little moon goddess."
Levana and Sybil both looked at her.
"What?" Akiho's sensor blinked. "I was tired of listening."
Levana smiled slightly. "I was wondering where you went. It's odd, since you are Akiho the chatterbox."
"The one and only."
Sybil chuckled. Levana rolled her eyes.
"So..." Sybil trailed off, twiddling her thumbs. "Do you want to maybe...do something?"
Levana blinked. "Like what?"
"Could you show me how you draw?" Sybil asked, leaning over with a glint of curiosity in her eye.
Levana hunched her shoulders. "Sure, if you want," she said softly. Reaching down, she grabbed the sketchbook from where it was resting upon the box that it came in, as well as one of the many pencils that came with it. It was already sharpened. She opened the book to the first page.
"What should I draw?" she asked.
"Ohhh, me!" Akiho shouted, waving her spindly arms in the air. "Draw me in a propeller hat. With flashy, oversized glasses."
Levana snorted. "Maybe something a little more...subdued?"
"How about the the Earth?" Sybil interjected.
"The Earth?"
"Yeah. I know how much you want to go there. Draw it how you see it from our sky."
Levana looked at her, seemingly in a daze. "Okay," she mumbled. As light as a feather, she traced the outline of a sphere on the page, taking great effort not to make it some oddly shaped oval. She traced the continents next, shading in the oceans and the land, somehow making the mountains, deserts and snowcaps stand out. Sybil sat by, mesmerized as Levana drew the whole thing from memory. She took an eraser and lightly made clouds, swirling with the wind. Stars came next, twinkling in the dark space that Levana shaded. A small stretch of twinkles and fog stretched out behind Earth—the Milky Way. Finally, she drew a small crescent, hiding behind the majestic planet. As Levana drew craters and shaded in lava lakes, Sybil came to realize that it was the moon.
"Luna could never compare to Earth's beauty," Levana whispered, snapping Sybil out of her thoughts. "It can only hide. The people of Luna, wether they like it or not, are completely dependant on the people of Earth."
Sybil frowned. "Not anymore. Before Cyprus Blackburn came to power, yes, but now, we are an independent nation."
Levana scoffed. "We aren't a nation. In order to be a nation, you have to be united." She carefully signed her initials down on the bottom-right corner of the page. "If you haven't noticed, Sybil, everyone here is constantly fighting. There is never any union or peace," she spat. "At least the Earthen try. If it weren't for my family's constant brainwashing of the people, we would probably have had at least twice as many wars as them. We would've driven our kingdom to the ground a long time ago."
Sybil opened her mouth, about to protest—but she suddenly stopped, as she realized the truth of Levana's words. She wanted to deny them. She wanted to say that she was proud of her country, proud to be Lunar.
All she said was, "you're right."
Levana set her pencil and eraser aside. "I am, aren't I?"
Sybil said nothing.
"Here." Levana handed her the sketchbook. Sybil took it, gazing at the finished drawing. "Do you like it?" the princess asked.
"Yeah," Sybil said, in awe. "It's amazing. I love the stars...so pretty..."
Levana smiled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Sybil handed back the sketchbook. "Your art is wonderful."
"Would you like to see my other books?"
Sybil grinned. "I'd love to."
Levana pointed to her desk, one hand rubbing her belly absentmindedly. "Second drawer from the top. There are three in there, I think."
Sybil got up and went to find them. It was quite a task, considering the sheer amount of junk that made up Levana's desk drawers. Finally, after digging through countless candy wrappers and discarded homework assignments, she found the three sketchbooks at the bottom. She quickly went and sat back down.
Levana had dug back into her novel, oblivious to her surroundings. Sybil smiled. She was cute like that.
Finally taking her eyes off the princess, she opened the first sketchbook and was immediately blown away by the beauty of the drawings, of all the intricate details. There were some portraits, some sketches of the palace, and some drawings of space.
And there was one that nearly made her heart stop—but not in a good way.
It was incredibly dark. Levana had drawn herself naked, all scratched up and bloody, with her scars prominent and full of stitches. She was hanging from one of the many marble pillars that could be found in the palace, surrounded by rose thorns and flying crows. Rabid wolves bit at her feet, and the look on her face was one of pure terror, her eyes open wide—Sybil could even see the lines in her irises. Her mouth was a gaping maw, all teeth and bloody tongue. She seemed in such agony. The kind that no human being ever deserved to suffer, no matter how evil or cruel. Not even Channary deserved such a fate.
Sybil quickly shut the book, not able to bear another second with that face on her mind. She looked over to Levana, who was still off in her own world. She seemed so relaxed, so carefree. What else was she hiding behind her smile?
She gulped. How terrifying it must be, to see the world through Levana's eyes.