“Your Highness?” interrupted a youngish woman with black hair that hung in a tight braid. Her gaze was fixed on Prince Kai, all sympathy. “I am so sorry.”
Cinder’s gaze shifted to Kai, who tipped his head at the woman. “Thank you, Fateen.” And kept walking.
Cinder frowned.
Not a dozen steps later, they were halted again by a man carrying a handful of clear vials in his fists. “My condolences, Your Highness.”
Cinder shivered as her feet came to a pause beneath her.
Kai stopped and peered back at her. “You haven’t seen the net this morning.”
A heartbeat later, Cinder was accessing her netlink, pages flashing across her eyesight. The EC news page, a half-dozen pictures of Emperor Rikan, two pictures of Kai—the prince regent.
She clapped a hand to her mouth.
Kai seemed surprised, but the look quickly faded. He ducked his head, his black bangs falling into his eyes. “Good guess.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
He tucked his hands into his pockets and gazed down the hallway. Only now did Cinder notice the faint rim of red around his eyes.
“I wish my father’s death were the worst of it.”
“Your Highness?” Her netlink was still scanning for information, but nothing seemed worse than Emperor Rikan having passed away last night. The only other noteworthy tidbit was that Prince Kai’s coronation had been scheduled for the same evening of the Peace Festival, to take place before the ball.
He met her gaze, surprised, as if he’d forgotten who he was speaking with. Then, “You can call me Kai.”
She blinked. “Excuse me?”
“No more ‘Your Highness.’ I get enough of that from…everyone else. You should just call me Kai.”
“No. That wouldn’t be—”
“Don’t make me turn it into a royal command.” He hinted at a smile.
Cinder scrunched her shoulders up by her ears, suddenly embarrassed. “All right. I suppose.”
“Thank you.” He cocked his head toward the hall. “We should go, then.”
She had nearly forgotten that they were in the research hall, surrounded by people, everyone politely ignoring them as if they were not even there. She started down the hallway, wondering if she’d spoken out of place, and awkward beside the prince who was suddenly just Kai. It didn’t feel right.
“What was wrong with the android?”
She scratched at an oil stain on her glove. “Oh, I’m sorry. She’s not done yet. I’m working on her, I swear.”
“No, I meant the med-droid. That you fixed for Dr. Erland?”
“Oh. Oh, right. Um. It was…it had…a…dead wire. Between its optosensor and…control panel.” Kai lifted an eyebrow and she wasn’t sure that she’d convinced him. She cleared her throat. “You, uh, said something was worse? Before?”
When Kai said nothing for an awkward moment, she shrugged. “Never mind. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No, it’s all right. You’ll find out soon enough.” He lowered his voice, inclining his head toward her as they walked. “The Lunar queen informed us this morning that she is coming to the Commonwealth on a diplomatic mission. Supposedly.”
Cinder nearly tripped, but Kai kept walking. She stumbled after him. “The Lunar queen is coming here? You can’t be serious.”
“I wish I weren’t. Every android in the palace has spent the morning taking down every reflective surface in the guest wing. It’s ridiculous—like we have nothing better to do.”
“Reflective surfaces? I always thought that was just superstition.”