A mix of relief and disappointment rolled through her and she tucked her hands under her arms to hide their shaking. “That wasn’t nice.”
“Only if you think I didn’t mean it.”
Her brow twitched.
“Here, I have something for you.”
“It had better not be an engagement ring.”
He paused, his lips puckering as if the thought hadn’t occurred to him and he was regretting it.
“Or gloves,” added Cinder. “That didn’t work out too well last time.”
Grinning, Kai took a step closer to her and dropped to one knee.
Her eyes widened.
“Cinder…”
Her heart thumped. “Wait.”
“I’ve been waiting a long time to give this to you.”
“Kai—”
With an expression as serious as politics, he pulled his hand from behind his back. In it was cupped a small metal foot, frayed wires sticking up from the cavity and the joints packed with grease.
Cinder released her breath, then started to laugh. “You—ugh.”
“Are you terribly disappointed, because I’m sure Luna has some great jewelry stores if you wanted me to—”
“Shut up,” she said, taking the foot. She turned it over in her palms, shaking her head. “I keep trying to get rid of this thing, but somehow it keeps finding its way back to me. What made you keep it?”
“It occurred to me that if I could find the cyborg that fit this foot, it must be a sign we were meant to be together.” He twisted his lips to one side. “But then I realized it would probably fit an eight-year-old.”
“Eleven, actually.”
“Close enough.” He hesitated. “Honestly, I guess it was the only thing I had to connect me to you when I thought I’d never see you again.”
She slid her gaze off the foot. “Why are you still kneeling?”
Kai reached for her prosthetic hand and brushed his lips against her newly polished knuckles. “You’ll have to get used to people kneeling to you. It kind of comes with the territory.”
“I’m going to make it a law that the correct way to address your sovereign is by giving a high five.”
Kai’s smile brightened. “That’s genius. Me too.”
Cinder pulled her hand away from him and sat down, letting her legs hang over the edge. Her thoughts grew serious again as she stared at the metal foot. “Actually, there’s something I wanted to get your opinion on.”
Kai settled beside her. His expression turned curious, and she looked away, bracing herself. “I think—” She stopped. Gulped. Started again. “I’ve decided to dissolve the Lunar monarchy.”
Pressing her lips together, she waited. The silence became solid in the space between them. But Kai didn’t ask “Why?” or “How?” or “Are you insane?”
Instead, he said, “When?”
“I don’t know. When things have calmed down. When I think they can handle it.” She took in a deep breath. “It will happen again. Some king or queen is going to brainwash the people, use their power to enslave them … There has to be some division of power, some checks and balances … so I’ve decided to change Luna into a republic, elected officials and all.” She bit her lip. She still felt silly talking politics like she had a clue, and it wasn’t until Kai nodded, thoughtful, that she realized how important his approval had been to her. She swallowed around the lump in her throat. “You think it’s a good idea?”
“I think it will be difficult. People don’t like change, and even the citizens who were oppressed under Levana immediately accepted you as their new queen. Plus, they have that whole superstition thing about the royal bloodline. But … I think you’re right. I think it’s what Luna needs.”
She felt as though an entire moon had been lifted off her shoulders.
“What will you do then? After you abdicate?”
“I don’t know. I hear Thorne is looking for a full-time mechanic.” She shrugged, but Kai went on looking pensive. “What?”
“I think you should come back to the Commonwealth. You could stay in the palace, as a Lunar ambassador. It would be a show of good faith. Proof that Earth and Luna can work together, coincide together.”
Cinder chewed on the inside of her cheek. “I thought the people of the Commonwealth hated me,” she said. “For the kidnapping. And all that other stuff that happened.”
“Please. You’re the lost princess that saved them from the reign of Empress Levana. I heard there’s a toy company that wants to make action figures of you. And they want to put up a statue where your booth used to be at the market.”
She grimaced.
Chuckling, Kai took her hand. “Whenever you come back, you will be welcomed with open arms. And after everything that’s happened, you’re probably going to have about two hundred thousand guys wanting to take you to the Annual Peace Ball next year. I expect the offers to start rolling in any day now.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“Just wait, you’ll see.” He tilted his head, clumps of hair falling into his eyes. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to get my name on the list before anyone else steals you away. If we start now, and plan frequent visits between Earth and Luna, I might even have time to teach you to dance.”
Cinder bit her lip to disguise a budding smile.
“Please say yes,” said Kai.
Fiddling with the dead wires of her old foot, she asked, “Do I have to wear a dress?”
“I don’t care if you wear military boots and cargo pants.”
“I just might.”
“Good.”
“Iko would kill me.” She pretended to be considering it as she cast her gaze toward the sky. “Can I bring my friends?”
“I will personally extend invitations to the entire Rampion crew. We’ll make a reunion out of it.”
“Even Iko?”
“I’ll find her a date.”
“Because there’s a rule against androids coming to the ball, you know.”
“I think I know someone who can change that rule.”
Grinning, she scooted a bit closer. The idea of going back to the ball and facing all those people who had stared at her with such horror and contempt filled her with copious amounts of everything from anxiety to dread to unspeakable joy.
“I would be honored,” she said.
His eyes warmed. “And those dance lessons?”
“Don’t press your luck.”
Kai tilted her chin toward him and kissed her. She didn’t know what number it was—she’d finally figured out how to turn off her brain’s auto-count function and she didn’t care how many times he kissed her. She did care that every kiss no longer felt like their last.
Except, when Kai pulled away, a hint of sadness had slipped into his expression. “Cinder, I believe you would make a great ruler. I believe this decision is proof of that.” He hesitated. “But I also know you never wanted to be queen. Not really.”
Cinder had never told him that, and she wondered if it had been obvious this whole time.
“But I have to ask if”—Kai hesitated—“if you think, someday, you might consider being an empress.”