A/N: Y'all... I jumped straight from thinking about the Civil Rights Movement for school to writing this and my brain is going to have a meltdown. I did so much today just so that I could have more free time tomorrow. Sigh.

I do not own Lunar Chronicles.

A new personal guard had been assigned to Cinder.

He was really big and bulky. Iko had taken one peek at him and nearly yelped. She'd described him as a bodyguard, not a royal guard.

His name was Ze'ev Kesley. He was only seventeen, and while Cinder thought of most teenagers as cruel (save for Jacin, who'd recently turned thirteen), he was really quiet and soft-spoken, so Cinder didn't think he was all that bad. Her mother had described him as charming, with a heartbreak smile.

Cinder had never seen him smile.

Iko had developed her own theories about him: perhaps he was secretly mute (that definitely wasn't the case, she'd heard him talk before), maybe he didn't want to talk to little kids (this one seemed practical), or maybe he was a spy. Whatever it was, Iko had decided that he was going to be apart of Dream Team Selene (which, much to Cinder's dismay, had become their official squad name).

"He's almost eighteen," Winter said. "Adults take the fun out of everything."

"Also," Jacin added. "We have a problem and her name is Cress."

Cress looked up from the portscreen she was taking apart and waved at them, a piece of toast in her mouth.

"But-" Iko started.

Cinder shook her head. "We can't risk anyone finding out about Cress."

Iko, who now resembled a proper preteen after having been moved to another body, thought for a minute. "What if... he didn't have to find out about Cress?"

"Oh no," Cinder said. "I know where this going."

Kai, who was now twelve, walked into the room with a tray of desserts. "Hey, everyone!" He closed the door with his foot. It had been three years since they met Cress, and their secret hideout on Earth had stayed the same: the old abandoned room in the castle with the ridiculously large fireplace. "I brought something to snack on."

"Not now, Kai!" Winter said, taking the tray and flinging it across the room. "We're having a very important meeting!"

Kai watched sadly as his desserts fell to the floor.

"Kai," Cinder said. "Have you seen Sir Kesley anywhere?"

The young prince blinked. "Uh, yeah. He was gorging on some sandwiches that had been offered to him the last I saw. Why?"

"We're recruiting him!" Iko exclaimed.

Jacin scowled. "Which is an awful idea."

"Kai," Iko continued, ignoring Jacin's remark. "I need you to ask him how he feels about shells. You're a dumb Earthen, so if he hates them and stuff, he'll forgive you for not knowing any better."

Cinder groaned. "This is such a bad idea, Iko. What if he tells my mom? What then?"

Kai shrugged. "I'll do it. Winter already took my happiness away when she flung my desserts." He glared. "What have I got to lose?"

Z had mixed feelings about Earth.

On the one hand, there was good food. Amazing food, actually. There was this cool thing called a sandwich - he especially liked those. On the other hand, he kept seeing Earthens with their happy wives or husbands who were completely loyal to each other. It was so unlike what he was used to. Of course, his parents stayed faithful to one another, but how many people on Luna could say the same?

He wasn't sure if he admired or feared the people with so much love in their eyes.

He'd figured, a long time ago, that he was never going to be able to look at someone like that, and vice versa. It just wasn't plausible. That was before he became Princess Selene's personal guard, though, and before he came to Earth for the first time. Maybe, he thought, maybe, if I just stayed here, I could find someone who looks at me like that.

He quickly shook away the feeling. Not plausible.

"Hey," came a cracked voice from behind him. "I'm, uh, Prince Kai, or like, whatever. What's up, homie?"

Z furrowed his eyebrows and turned to face the young prince. "I'm sorry?"

Kai seemed startled at his deep voice. "Uh, um, sorry, I know you're probably super busy being... super busy, but I wanted to ask a question."

Z nodded for him to continue.

Kai tugged at his collar. "How do you feel about shells? I've seen a lot of hostility regarding them, and I just..." He cleared his throat. "I wanted to understand it a little better. I know one was responsible for the death of Queen Jannali and her husband, but..."

Z looked at him thoughtfully. Why hadn't he just asked Princess Selene? He was sure she'd be able to give a better answer, although she sure liked to throw her shoes when she was angry, and so he couldn't really blame Prince Kai for coming to him, instead.

"I suppose... saying all shells are the same is like saying all Eartherns or Lunars are the same," he said. "Not all Earthens like meat, not all Lunars are power-hungry, and not all shells want to murder the reigning monarchs." He shrugged. "I don't really have an opinion. People are people."

Kai stared at him for a few seconds before saying, "Would you ever help somebody hide a shell?"

Z let out a rumbly laugh, a genuine one, not the little polite laughs he gave the queen when she attempted to woo him. "I sincerely doubt that I know anyone who's hiding a shell, but depending on who it was and my loyalty to them, I might." Realizing he'd said too much that could get him in trouble, he shook his head. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."

The prince nodded. "Uh, yeah, hypothetically speaking." He then frowned. "You're a royal guard, right? Is it - pardon me if I'm being rude - but is it hard for you to use your gift?"

Z shook his head. "I'm not nearly as good as, say, Princess Winter, but I'm not necessarily the worst either. Her Majesty does normally pick the weak-minded guys, but I think someone must've put in a good word for me." Garrison Clay and his family, no doubt.

"Right... well, thank you for your time, Sir Kesley." Kai smiled at him before running off, likely to go play with the princess.

Z sighed as he saw a happy couple pass him and he closed his eyes. If soulmates were real, his was probably somewhere far away where he'd never be able to meet her. Like France.

Somewhere, several countries away, a fiery redhead gazed at the stars and imagined that her soulmate was thinking of her, too.

They'd been playing an intense game of Duck, Duck, Goose when Kai burst through the door, out of breath.

"SirKesleyisreallyniceandIthinkhewouldloveeveryoneincludingCressifyoujustgavehimachance."

Cinder tilted her head. "Come again?"

Kai keeled over, breathing heavily. After a minute of nothing but his pants, he lifted his head and repeated, "Sir Kesley is really nice and I think he would love everyone, including Cress, if you just gave him a chance."

"It's out of the question," Jacin said. "I'm the oldest, so I make the rules."

"I'm a princess," Winter retorted. "I can veto your rules."

"I'm future emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth!" Kai added. "And in you're in my palace, so I can veto all your rules."

The three of them started arguing among each other, with Cress staying silent and Iko having random input every once in a while. After ten minutes of them squawking about who was right and who was wrong, Cinder pulled out a chair from the dusty table in the corner of the room and stood on it.

"ENOUGH!" she yelled, her hands clenched into fists. Winter, Iko, Jacin, and Kai fell silent. "We aren't solving anything doing this. We are going to take a vote, like civilized people. When I say it's your turn, you can state your opinion with supporting evidence. I'll go first.

"I say we tell Sir Kesley about Cress. He's my personal guard, he's bound to find out eventually. It's better if we tell him now than if he walks in on us and notices that he can't detect Cress's bioelectricity. Jacin?"

"It's a stupid idea," he said. "He'll tell Queen Channary and she'd have not only all of us tried for treason and executed, but she'd kill my family, too." He shook his head. "I'm not risking that."

Iko scoffed. "You knew the risks when you took her in in the first place."

Cinder held up a hand. "Wait your turn, Iko. Kai?"

"We should tell him. He'd understand."

"Great. Iko?"

Said girl flipped her braids over one shoulder. "Obviously, I'm the one who came up with this idea!"

Cinder nodded. "Right. Winter?"

Winter, hesitantly, shook her head. "You know, I'm not so sure. I don't think I really have an opinion anymore."

Cinder sighed, stepping down from the chair. "That means we're tied two to two." She looked over to Cress, who hadn't said a word since this began to happen and instead had been twirling her long hair around her wrist. "It's all up to you, tie breaker."

Cress frowned. Sighed. Frowned again. Furrowed her eyebrows. Tugged at her hair some more.

"I think..."

They all leaned forward.

"I think..."

They leaned in closer.

"I think you all have a lot of explaining to do."

The five of them jumped. That deep voice definitely did not belong to Cress.

Cinder whirled around, followed by the rest of Dream Team Selene. There Sir Kesley was standing, his arms crossed over his chest. She guessed that he was trying to look like a disappointed father, but really, he just kind of looked like a sad little wolf.

Hey, she thought, that wasn't such a bad nickname.

He shook his head, his wild unruly hair flying. Now he just looked more like a wolf. "I mean, come on, you guys," he said. "I thought Prince Kai was just being cute... but hiding a real shell? I'm surprised you got away with it for so long."

Cinder thought that if Iko could cry, she'd burst into tears for how embarrassed she looked. In fact, she'd be lying if she said all five of them didn't look ashamed.

"You're not going to turn us in, are you?" Winter's now-quiet voice asked.

Wolf's - that's what she called him in her head now - eyebrows shot up. "No, of course not," he said, followed by a bow. "As Princess Selene's personal guard, it is my first and foremost duty to make sure she is safe, emotionally and physically. Your secret is safe with me, although I do suggest you be quieter when you discuss the fate of your friend."

Cinder flushed, remembering the way she'd yelled at them earlier.

"Thank you, Wolf," she said.

He stood up straight again, and raised a dark eyebrow. "What was that?"

"Oh, erm... you just kind of look like a wolf, so, uh... Wolf," she stammered, Iko stifling a giggle beside her.

Wolf looked thoughtful. "You know, I think it could grow on me."

A/N: It's done! Our sweet little cinnamon roll is as understanding as always, and oh my gosh, I have literally zero patience. Wolflet is my honest OTP and I want to introduce Scarlet so bad but she's too young for him ATM so we (1) have to build up plot and (2) skip around a few years haha. Lots of Levana/Channary tension next chapter, I promise!

-Cherry