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Winter winked at her "Well done, Cinder-friend You didn’t trip The hard part is over"
Kai gave a sh the entire universe atching "She’s right, that really is the hard part"
"Thank the stars," Cinder whispered back "Now let’s get this over with"
Taking in a long, shaky breath, she turned to face her kingdom
The blood had been scrubbed from the throne room floor, but the room was still a disaster Toppled chairs and broken rails, cracked tiles and wall panels where bullets had hit them Even the throne itself had a fracture in the stone from when Cinder had tried to shoot Levana It s
The horrors of the rebellion were starting to fade Not, perhaps, for those who had lost friends and family, and Cinder knew there was still so much to be done in order for Luna to pick up the pieces of Levana’s rule But they were eager to start picking up those pieces right away
She’d begun co councils made up of both members from the Artemisian court and no the gap between the classes and figuring out how best to reallocate funds and labor Already the "faainst her, but that was all right It would take ti on her throne in the silent, che the city of Arte above the horizon
The doors opened Kai poked his head in and Cinder tensed, feeling guilty to be caught on the throne--even if it was her throne--all alone in the darkness
"There you are," he said
"Sorry," she said "I’ Would you believe that when you’re royalty, it is really difficult to find a , Kai shut the door behind hiht I suggest getting yourself a hooded sweatshirt? It uise" He paused when he spotted Earth over the balcony, all beautiful and enormous in the dark sky "That’s quite a view"
Cinder nodded "Not to justify what Levana did, but I can kind of understand why she wanted it so aze back to him and she knehat he’d co, aren’t you?"
He turned away froetically "I’ve been gone for too long already"
She tried to sone Thorne, Cress, Wolf, and Scarlet had already left, and Winter and Jacin would be leaving on their first ambassadorial trip in the next few days, and then she would be alone
Well, she and Iko would be alone
She’d been expecting it She had known he couldn’t stay forever He had his own country to rule
"Right," she said, feigning confidence "I understand You’ve been a huge help, you and Konn-dàren Is … is he leaving too?"
Kai grio home Of course you do"
"You should co fast "Soon It would be symbolic, I think, of the new alliance…" He trailed off and scratched behind his neck, one hand still hidden "Or I could h if that would help"
Cinder forced a s toa queen doesn’t leave a whole lot of ti lonely"
"We’ll see about that" Suddenly, it felt aard to be sitting on her throne while Kai stood below her She stood and crossed her are Anxiety was already growing inside her Two days Two one