Chapter Text
The next ten days were full of work. They filmed a video announcement. Put together all the proof.
And just in case, they packed go bags.
On the night of the ball, Cinder took out Iko’s personality chip. “So when I’m Queen, I can get you the prettiest body.” She said.
Kai’s invitation came in, along with one for Cress.
Finally, the night came. Cress did Cinder’s makeup. She didn’t want to glamour anything after the reveal.
Tonight, she confronts her aunt.
Tonight she steps out of the shadows.
Cress spends what feels like forever on her natural hair only for Cinder to glamour the simple brown updo over it.
She feels almost like Selene again and it scares her because Selene never did anything.
But maybe Selene will do something tonight. Maybe tonight, Selene won’t be a coward.
The black dress is glamoured to look white and the red shoes are made to look silver. A disguise.
Red lips turn pale pink and harsh lines go soft.
She can do this.
Walking down the road to the palace next to Cress feels like her dreams.
The one’s she's had where she is walking this same path, until Levana steps out of the shadows and stabs her in the heart. Smiling that too perfect smile that she saw all throughout her childhood.
Every shadow looks like a potential enemy. Selene is drawn back to her childhood, scared of the monster under her bed.
But there always was a monster. Always another threat behind closed doors. Constantly looking over her shoulder, paranoid that this time they would succeed.
It made her feel like Winter. Hallucinating murderous enemies.
But she could do this. She could defeat the monster. Vanquish the enemy.
She heard the party before she saw it. Heading down a long ornate hallway, the sounds of music carried down the room. Laughing and dancing. It felt like the parties at Luna. Except much less avantgarde.
Selene and Cress arrived at a long curved stairway leading down to the ballroom. She held Cress as they made their way down.
Heart beating out of her chest, she felt like she was going to break into a million little pieces.
Reaching the bottom, she saw Kai.
Smiling, he walked over. “Cinder! You can. Welcome.”
“Yeah, you clean up nice.” Why would she say that?
“Thanks. You do too.”
“I’m going to get some food.” Cress walked away but not before giving Selene a thumbs up.
You got this she mouthed
“So… Do you want to dance?”
“Sure, I can’t promise I won’t step on your foot though.” It was too easy to lie like that. She’d been taking dancing lessons for years. Princesses had to be graceful.
“That's fine.”
As he bowed and took her hand, he noticed her ring. The ring she put on as a whim. The ring he had sent to Princess Selene.
“Where did you get this ring?”
Caught off guard, Selene dropped the glamour. The nerves plus Kai was enough for her to lose focus.
“You’re Lunar! Are you Selene?”
Selene was a coward. So she ran yet again.
Straight into her aunt.
“Hello little niece. I was wondering if ’d see you again. Looks like you’ve gotten stronger. Tricking the Prince like that. You are so much like your mother”
Levana tried to creep into her mind again and the feeling of spiders crawling over her body invaded her senses. But a window of clarity pushed Levana out of her mind.
“No! You can’t keep doing that. Keep trying to kill me. It got old a long time ago. So, yeah. I faked my death and escaped to Earth. So what? You tried to kill me. You are so much bitchier than I am.”
Eyes turned to the Princess without her glamour.
Silver hair was unheard of until Selene. The long black gown came into view and the bright red heels poked out from under it.
“You aren’t the true Queen. I am. I swear to the moon, I will get my throne and I will throw you in jail. Now walk away from me.”
During that confrontation, Selene had been creeping into Levana’s mind like she did.
Levana, by some miracle, obeyed the command. But the control was straining.
So Selene grabbed Cress and they ran.
“Time for plan B I guess?”
“Yeah Cress, time for plan b.”
They were running so fast, Selene didn’t notice when she lost a shoe. She didn’t notice that her ring was gone. Hidden inside Kai’s closed palm.
The Prince watched them run away, wondering if it was all a lie. He thought it might be, but his feelings were true.
His fiance that he had a crush on, was alive.
Running into their apartment, they grabbed their bags. Double checking that they had everything.
It was nostalgic, remembering the first night they escaped. Princess Selene died that night, and she was brought back to life just now.
“Selene, I’m going to do something really stupid.”
“Cress,” she warned.
“I’ve found a pilot. There’s just one small thing.”
“What is it?”
“He’s in jail. But, if I get arrested I can find him. Then you break us both out and we’re good.”
“That is not a good plan. But it’s really our only one so fine. How are you going to get arrested?”
“Well, I gave the police an anonymous tip about myself so they should be here in like five minutes.”
“You beautiful dumb ass. Keep the tracking chip with you, okay? I’ll come get you soon.”
“Be my knight in shining armor Selene.”