Prologue

"Your Majesties."

Cinder looked up from where she was studying Kai's worried expression following the netfeeds as Royal Advisor Torin appeared in the door. But Cinder didn't need the newsfeed or Torin to tell her what she already knew. Still, for once, she was glad that her cybernetic brain had been capped off from the net. She didn't want to be bombarded by the images of the crowds rioting in front of the palace, riled up by angry populists. The Eastern Commonwealth might be the most progressive of all the Earthen countries when it came to cyborg and Lunar citizen laws, but even they had their fair share of major backlash.

Since their wedding six years ago, Kai and Cinder had been the target of more smear campaigns and death threats than Cinder could count.

Turning to Torin, Cinder took in the loyal advisor's haggard features. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days - and maybe he hadn't. None of them really had. But Torin displayed the same steadfast expression as always, even despite the riots. Cinder took comfort in that.

The advisor spoke, only holding the attention of the Empress as he said the words everyone dreaded to hear.

"It's time."

Chapter 1

Except for the near-silent tapping of their steps, the escape tunnels beneath the New Beijing Palace were dead silent as the royal couple rushed through them, flanked by Torin and Huy Deshal. Though it had only been a few years since she had first used them, back when they hatched the plan to kidnap Kai and prevent his wedding with Levana, it felt like a lifetime ago. So much had changed since the Lunar revolution.

Cinder squeezed Kai's hand in what she hoped was reassuring squeeze and not a painful death grip as they walked through the escape tunnels. She still wasn't quite used to the way her new cyborg hand felt, almost weightless since the removal of her weapons and tools. Or maybe she just imagined it and she missed her tools, rather than the weight.

A small sigh escaped her lips, maybe not loud enough for Torin or Huy to hear, but Kai was close enough to have heard it. She couldn't help it though. Another part of her cyborgness that was gone. Now her metal limbs were only as functional as the ones made from flesh and bone. No screwdriver, no gun or knife in her hands, no hidden compartment in her calf, nothing. She had to remind herself that she had agreed to the procedure after the Earthen leaders of the American Republic, United Kingdom and African Union had refused any diplomatic talks as long as she had them. As long as the new Empress could potentially assassinate them with the snap of her cyborg fingers, as long as she could call them out on their lies with her lie detector, they would deny the Eastern Commonwealth a seat among the Earthen Union.

Now, all that remained where her metal limbs and cybernetic organs just like six years ago when she had been a simple mechanic under Adri's roof.

Just a cyborg.

She never dared to ask herself how she felt about it.

"It's not an escape, Cinder," Kai said, but it sounded like he tried to convince himself just as much as her. "No one will storm the palace. It's just standard safety protocol for times like these."

Cinder knew it was true but that didn't make it any nodded but said nothing.

It felt like an eternity of walking. Cinder tried to remember, rather than imagine, the blueprints of the palace and tunnel system she had accessed so many times, but she was lost. She regretted making fun of Thorne and his poor sense of direction. Turns out, without a direct netlink Cinder's wasn't much better.

Finally, she felt the air shift, signalling the end of the tunnel. Huy advanced alone, checking for threats.

"Can you tell us where we're going, Torin?" Cinder asked.

The advisor shook his head. "It was decided that we would forego the usual safety protocols."

So they wouldn't go to one of the islands surrounding the Province of Japan then. Cinder had learned early on in their marriage that the security protocol that had been installed after the Fourth World War stated, in no uncertain terms, that this was where the royal family should seek shelter in case of an emergency.

"Then where are we going?" Kai asked, equally surprised.

"I don't know." A flicker of a smile played on Torin's otherwise stern features. "The fewer people know the better. We leave it up to our wild card."

"Wild card?" Kai echoed, but Cinder already let go of his hand and was running towards the end of the tunnel that led to an underground hangar. She had already spotted the familiar, banged-up cargo ship and, in front of it, the familiar, impeccable figure of Carswell Thorne.

There was an itch where her tear ducts should have been, as Cinder was welcomed into the warm embrace of her friend. The scent of fresh aftershave and expensive soap, so absolutely Thorne's, enveloped her just as much as his arms did.

They hadn't seen each other in almost a year. A tumultuous year it had been, sure, but still it had been way too long without the presence of her dear friends. Cinder knew it had been mostly her fault. The week-long talks and debates and string of duties, the public speeches and finally, the procedure that had removed her tools and weapons, her internal netlink and lie detector. She hadn't told her friends about it. Only after she had made her way to the labs and official statements had been ushered, had her friends had been informed about the procedures. They had been quick to call her after that, had tried to visit her but, lost and vulnerable, Cinder had needed time to herself.

Eventually the frantic calls had ceased into more or less regular ones.

But now, almost a year since the last Peace Ball, she was finally reunited with one of her dearest friends.

"Careful, Empress, I know it's hard but you need to keep your hands to yourself. At least, in front of your husband," he whispered loud enough for Kai to overhear. "Ditch him and I'm all yours," he added with a wink.

Cinder huffed good-naturedly, too happy to let him goad her into a snarky comeback, as he gave her one last squeeze.

Thorne and Kai embraced and Cinder chuckled when she heard him say almost the exact same thing to Kai, "... ditch her and I'm all yours."

Thorne, the old flirt. Some things never changed.

That's when she suddenly realized that something was missing.

Or rather, someone.

"Isn't Cress here too?" No sight of the hacker and co-captain. She and Thorne had been inseparable after the revolution, travelling and working together for years, never apart from each other as far as Cinder could tell. At least, when the gang met up or the Rampion visited the Palace, Thorne and Cress were always together, full of stories of all the places they had visited and sights they had seen.

A shadow flickered over Thorne's face, but he kept his smile. "Let's get you settled in. After all, the both of you are the most precious cargo I've had in a year." He considered. "Well, most precious after half a dozen Russian jewelled eggs probably."

He gave Torin and Huy a nod, promising to take care of the royal couple but since Kai had already led her into the Rampion, she didn't hear the rest.

The relief she had felt when she saw Thorne was short-lived. Because now a different kind of worry took over.

Because if Cress wasn't on the Rampion and she wasn't with Thorne ... where was she?

A/N: This story has been in my mind for quite a while, however, in my head I planned several arcs with all the characters involved in some way ... but this time, I won't bite off more than I can chew. :P So, this is a condensed version of my initial idea. It's just really touching on some ideas but will be a self-contained story of twelve chapters. It's a bit different from my other stories because it's Cinder POV only, as well as exploring the TLC universe a few years after the events of "Winter". I really hope you liked this first chapter and will read the whole story. Reviews are appreciated and, as always, a big thank you to my beta, kiminicricket.