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And hungry They awoke so very, very hungry

She cae Darnel, though Levana was not as impressed with the old enius for so many years When she met him for the first time, she could think only of how this man had fathered a shell, and it took all her willpower to listen to his unenthusiastic explanations of the surgical procedures without

Meanwhile, the first carriers of the disease were sent to Earth Levana had heard, years before during her parents’ reign, that some of the citizens from the outer sectors would find ways to steal away in diplo to Earth, or pay what they could afford to persuade a supply pilot to whisk the their life of labor behind It was a selfishness that Levana couldn’t fathom--to think that any of her people would consider only themselves and abandon the country that needed theitives, perhaps not understanding that their society would crumble fast if they could not hold on to their limited labor supply

But now Levana had a use for these runaways As the strain of the disease was slipped into the outer sectors, each Lunar gradually became an unknown carrier, and their own immunity would mean they had no idea that they carried within their bodies a lethal disease

It wasn’t long before the first case of the disease was reported on Earth, in a tiny oasis town off the Sahara

It spread quickly froh the Earthen Union like a wildfire Though the Earthens hastened to set up quarantines for the sick, it was impossible to keep it contained when the secret carriers, the hapless Lunars, stayed so well disguised in their midst

They called the disease letu death and annihilation, a fitting naht the disease survived

Levana and her court called it a success

She didn’t kno long it would take to weaken the Earthens Years, perhaps even decades, before the disease became the pande the time when she would swoop in and offer the of how the leaders of Earth would prostrate themselves before her In their desperation, they would offer her anything Any resource Any land Any alliance

She would try to be patient, knowing that the day would cos of her advisers and their reports that claimed all of the new labor initiatives she’d put into place were unsustainable She would not back do

Everything was going according to plan All that was required was patience

Nearly fifteen months had passed since Selene’s death when Levana was told that Dr Sage Darnel, head of the bioengineering teah a body was never found Many believed that he had never recovered frohter

Yet another talented scientist, gone But when Levana was informed that this would not halt the production of soldiers and that all surgeries would continue as scheduled, she forgot about the old man and his pathetic life entirely

The years passed Her legacy grew The ruan to fade Finally, finally, Levana had everything she wanted

Al she wanted

Levana stood on the palace laatching as Evret chased Winter and Jacin around the lakeshore She had finally relented to Evret’s friendship with Garrison and his family, and now they were a permanent fixture in her life, despite how much she wished Evret would befriend some of the court families The boy must have been eleven now, a couple years older than Winter, slender as a twig and still as pale as the white sand he trampled on He and the princess, to Levana’s dismay, seemed to have formed an inseparable attach up to be as beautiful as a love-sung lullaby Her skin, a few shades lighter than Evret’s, was velvet soft Her hair had grown into thick curls, tight as springs and glossy as high-polished ebony wood She had her ray and e to circulate Whereas before,a princess as nothing h still only a child, her beauty was becorow up to be a stunning wo notice

Levana knew that this would benefit her so chip should the need for an alliance arise And yet, the first tiht someday be even hts had surged with hatred

Levana had worked so hard to perfect her glamour To be the most beautiful queen to ever sit on Luna’s throne--more beautiful than her ly princess, the deforht that Winter could so easily achieve what she had worked so hard for churned in Levana’s stomach

It did not help that Evret spoiled her ether for more than a moment before the dandy child was hoisted up on his shoulders or swung around like a spinning toy Though Evret refused to ever dance with Levana at the royal balls, she had caught hi Winter altz steps he knew His pockets seemed to always be full of those sour apple candies the princess was so fond of