"Your Highness?"

Channary didn't even seem to hear whoever was calling her. Hunched over her desk with her chin resting on clenched fists, she just stared ahead, her eyes blank.

"Your Highness!" the voice said again, a bit louder this time.

The still-silently grieving Channary perked up and swiveled her head towards the unknown voice, ready to unleash all hell upon them.

Her gaze softened, however, when she took in the sight of the person standing before her. "Ah, Sybil. It's just you."

The thaumaturge cleared her throat. "I am dearly sorry for barging in on you like this, Princess, but I have retrieved some information that I feel should be given to you as soon as possible."

Channary quirked an eyebrow. "Is that so? What kind of information?"

"We have some information regarding Mr. Chandler Harvey."

"Chandler Harvey? Enlighten me." Channary gestured to the chair at the opposite side of her desk. "Please, take a seat."

Sybil sat down hesitantly, brushing back her unruly dark hair with her fingers. "Mr. Chandler Harvey is the shell inmate who assassinated Their Majesties," she lowered her head, "may they rest in peace."

The princess grit her teeth. "And what information do you have that is deemed urgent enough to share with me, Sybil?"

"Chandler Harvey has been executed a mere two hours ago—"

Channary interrupted her by letting out a loud sigh. "And how is this important?"

Sybil paused a bit, barely biting back an indignant huff. She knew that Channary was a bit snappy at the time, but the princess was really wearing down her patience. She kept her annoyance hidden, however. Like always. She didn't really feel like losing any limbs that day.

"With a little research, we have managed to dig up some information concerning his past," Sybil pulled some files up on the desk's netscreen, "and his family."

"Why show me this?" Channary said, resting her cheek against her knuckles, obviously bored.

"If you'll look here," Sybil angled the netscreen towards Channary, "you'll see that although he was divorced, he still has his ex-wife's name as his 'spouse'."

Channary raised her eyebrows.

"It has also been discovered," Sybil continued, "that for a three-month period, during which he was on the run from the law—convicted of theft and murder—his ex-wife had knowingly sheltered him in their household, in the outskirts of Artemisia."

That caught Channary's attention.

"Oh? And what is his ex-wife's name?" she inquired, her voice low and dangerous.

"Her name is Malissa Harvey. She still kept her husband's name after their split."

Channary's eyes widened. "Malissa? The one who works in the palace? The head maid?"

Sybil gulped. "Yes."

"Hmmm..." Channary's lips curled into a smirk. "Isn't that just convenient..."

Sybil cocked her head. "Milady?"

"Have Malissa Harvey summoned to the throne room in twenty minutes, and be sure that the guillotine is in place by the time I arrive."

Sybil's blood iced over, a pang of fear brewing in her gut. "Will that be all, Your Highness?"

Channary flashed her a sweet smile. "Yes, Sybil. Thank you."

Sybil rose to her feet and bowed, grabbing the netscreen and leaving the study without another sound. Channary clasped her hands together, heart racing with excitement.

The fun was about to begin.

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Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Bored...oh, I am so booored!" Akiho sang softly, lying on her back on top of Levana's desk, tapping her prongs repeatedly against her hard metal body.

Sighing, she righted herself and pressed a button built into the desk, making the giant netscreen that hovered by the wall come to life, the multicoloured home menu dancing across Akiho's vision. She turned around and stared out the window, the sky still dark, although the clock read fifteen past eleven.

The screen behind her pinged, followed by a sweetly feminine voice: "Incoming direct communication for Princess Levana of Luna from Emperor Saito of the Eastern Commonwealth."

Akiho glanced over at Levana, who was still fast asleep. She would have rolled her eyes if she had any. The princess was always one to sleep like the dead. Instead of waking her, Akiho just squealed gleefully and turned over to the netscreen, blank but for a spinning globe, signalling an available comm.

"Screen, accept comm."

The screen brightened, and Akiho nearly swooned at the emperor's image that popped up on it.

"Hi!" she chirped.

The emperor shook his head, looking a bit perplexed. "Um...hello?

"Wow...Emperor Saito...you're even more handsome in real life..." Akiho sighed, setting her head on a fist.

Saito raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Akiho, and I'm Levana's certified android assistant/best friend."

The emperor blinked, clearly confused, but he went along with it, chuckling . "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Akiho."

Akiho sighed. "It's a great pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty. So, what are calling for?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could speak with Levana, if you don't mind."

"Levana? Oh, she's still sleeping."

His eyebrows shot up. "Still sleeping at eleven fifteen?"

"I know, right? But I don't think you'd want to see her anyway. She looks horrible in the morning."

Saito smiled. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. She always looks like she got struck by lightning, which, believe me, is not as attractive as it sounds."

He laughed at that. "You know, you're really funny."

Akiho's sensor glowed. "You think I'm funny?" she breathed, enchanted by the emperor's compliment. She was snapped out of it, however, by soft mumbling from behind her.

"Mmmm..." Levana yawned and stretched her arms up, the thin material of her nightgown stretching taut over her body. "Akiho, who are you talking to?"

"The emperor, of course! Can you believe it? He just told me that I'm funny!" Akiho squealed. Levana, still half asleep, turned to the netscreen.

She wiped her eyes. "S-Saito?"

He let out a laughing snort. "Nice hair."

She gasped and put a hand up to her temple, knowing exactly what he saw. Her auburn curls were tangled all over her head, half knotted in places. She squeaked, ducking out of the camera's view.

"Akiho, how could you accept that comm when I'm not even presentable?!" Levana shouted, flustered.

The android sighed. "Because I wanted to look at his pretty face."

Levana rushed to her closet and pulled out a royal blue sundress, trying her best to make it to her bathroom unnoticed. She knew that she looked like a royal disaster, and the last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself. Again.

On went her dress, as well as some shoes that were haphazardly thrown around the previous day, and she took on the grueling task of taming her monstrous bedhead. It probably took about ten minutes, but she finally managed to untangle her hair and pin it up in a lazy ponytail. She quickly splashed water on her face and brush her teeth. Patting her cheeks dry, Levana sighed and looked at herself in the single mirror she had, satisfied with her half made-up appearance.

It would have to do.

Her fingers itched to put on the familiar gloves, but she restrained herself. Although she felt naked without them, she was going to make an effort. Saito said that he didn't care if she was a cyborg.

So why hide it? They did agree on no lies or secrets, after all.

She walked out, trying to look cool and collected, although on the inside, she was squealing like a little girl. When she came up in front of the netscreen, she couldn't help but swoon a little.

The emperor was so handsome, it should've been illegal.

His face was aglow and his lips were curled in a smile, laughing at the apparently hilarious tale that Akiho was telling him.

The android giggled. "So yeah, and that's how we met. Cool, huh?"

"What a...fascinating story." Saito cleared his throat. "Levana built you with a programming error?"

Akiho huffed. "I do NOT have a programming error!"

"That's enough, Akiho." Levana walked over and gently nudged her friend aside, seating herself on the chair that faced the desk. Akiho rolled away, albeit grudgingly.

Levana flicked an auburn curl behind her ear and set her chin in her palms, a blush creeping across her cheeks. Saito smiled. The two stared at each other with goo-goo eyes for what seemed like forever.

Akiho came forward and waved her metal arm in Levana's face. "Hello..."

Levana sighed dreamily.

"Hello!" Akiho said, louder this time.

The princess tilted her head. "You were saying something, Akiho?"

"I don't think she was..." Saito trailed off. He was too busy gazing at Levana's cute, love struck expression.

Akiho snapped her prongs. "Oh! Come on, guys! You're both acting like world-class saps." Her sensor flashed. "You know there's a problem when even I am sickened by the cheese."

Levana rolled her eyes and tore her gaze from Saito. She looked out her open balcony doors at the big, blue orb that filled up a big chunk of the sky.

Earth.

It was high up in the sky, the closest that it ever got to Luna, about halfway through the moon cycle. She gazed at the continent that she knew to be the Eastern Commonwealth. She imagined being there herself, being with Saito in person.

"The Earth looks so beautiful from up here..." Levana trailed off, "I wonder what it would be like to live there..."

"You want to live on Earth?" Saito inquired, his curiosity peaked.

Levana sighed. "It's my dream."

Saito smiled tenderly. "I promise you that you'll be able to come to Earth."

She turned to face him. "Really?"

Saito held a hand up, his expression suddenly serious. "Levana, I swear, someday you'll come to live with me in the Eastern Commonwealth. That is a promise." He put a hand on the screen. Levana placed her hand over his, aching to hold his hand for real, aching to be beside him, and not two worlds apart.

Literally.

"I wish it could be that simple..." Levana said, her heart racing.

"It can be," Saito lowered his hand, "if you wish hard enough. I mean, if you tell yourself never, then never it shall be."

The princess looked down at her lap. "I just...don't understand."

Saito raised an eyebrow. "What is there not to understand?"

"I mean, why me? Why did you choose me? Why did you just come up to me all of a sudden? Why were you so bold?" The questions poured out of Levana's mouth, confusion and insecurity making her tremble slightly. "Wouldn't you prefer a nice earthen girl, who doesn't have the power to control you at her whim?"

Saito's face fell, saddened. "You can't control me over the net, and yet I still feel the same way as I did two days ago," he said. "I don't regret meeting you at all."

Levana's heart pounded, a soft, strange heat running through her body—one that she had felt every time she saw a picture of the emperor on the net. One that she had felt even before she understood what it was.

Saito ran a hand through his hair. "Honestly, I don't know," he sighed. "I can't explain it. When you walked out that first time, there was just something different about you. You were so beautiful, in such a different way from the others. From Channary."

The princess bit her bottom lip.

"You make me feel weird, in a way that no one else has ever made me feel before. I just felt the strong desire to talk to you, to get to know you. And as I got to know you, I was starting to recognize that feeling."

"And what feeling is that?" Levana said, picking at the lint between her metal joints.

Sajot took a deep breath. "Look, I know this might seem rushed, and weird, and totally crazy, but..."

A long pause.

"I'm quite sure that I'm falling in love with you. If I haven't already."

Levana's breath caught in her throat and her pulse roared like an ocean in her ears. He...loved her? He was being serious? "Really?"

Saito bit his lip. "Yes. I'm sorry if I'm rushing things..."

"No, no! It's not like that at all!" Levana held her hands out. "I just...I'm surprised," she sighed. "No one has ever said that to me before. You're the first person who has ever chosen me over Channary, who has ever shown any interest in me. You are the only person who has ever told me," she twirled an auburn curl around her finger, "that you love me."

Saito looked honestly surprised. "I can't see why. You're amazing."

Levana lowered her head. "No, I'm not."

"Of course you are! You're funny and, I must admit, very interesting. You're honest." Saito smiled. "And I really admire that. You're unlike anyone that I've ever met before."

She blushed even more, her heart gushing at the affectionate words.

"And although I may be an idiot for saying this—I love you."

"I—" she started, her cheeks flushed even more. "I love you too."

The warm, comforting silence returned.

"Saito?"

Levana and Saito both froze at the voice, that through the silence like an axe through a tree.

Saito cursed. "It's my brother. I'm sorry, Levana, I have to let you go, but I promise that I'll call you again soon."

Levana just stared at him, still caught in a stupor. "Of course. Thank you for calling."

Saito smiled, clearly in a hurry to disconnect. "Well, goodbye," he said, the clicking of keys and footsteps audible in the background.

"Bye..." Levana replied, just as the feed cut off and the screen returned to the home menu. She took a deep, shaking breath, her knees weak.

The feelings that overtook her mind made her giggle and smile like a fool. She sat there, breathless and stunned, still lost amidst the whirlwind of new sensations.

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"When somebody loves you..."

Levana skipped down the halls, her feet clicking with every bouncy step. "Everything looks beautiful..." she hummed, her bright and melodious voice echoing through the empty halls, bringing life to the grim atmosphere.

Suddenly, she froze. Levana turned her head, staring straight at the intricate doors that lead to the throne room. She frowned. How did she get there?

But the thing that intrigued her the most was the voices that she heard coming from it. How strange, she thought. There wasn't supposed to be any trials or meetings, in respect for the passing of the late king and queen. Curious, Levana pressed an ear to the door, pursing her lips.

A lilting voice cut through the muffled chatter. "You have knowingly sheltered a shell, and a fugitive at that. This treachery will not be overlooked, and as you know, the punishment for all these types of crimes is—"

Levana paled at the sound. Her blood running cold as ice in her fear, she pushed the door open.

"—death," the lilting voice finished with a sneer. Blinking, Levana let out a horrified gasp at the sight before her.

Malissa was on her knees, her thin neck placed between a hatchet and a wooden block. She held the rope of the hatchet in one hand, the other squeezed into a fist, and she was quite visibly trembling. Her once-honeyed skin looked sickly pale and her raven hair was lopsidedly loose from her otherwise perfect bun.

Channary stood not too far away, on the raised platform that held the pristine marble throne, her pink lips curled in a devious smirk. Malissa strained her neck to face the soon-to-be queen. She narrowed her emerald eyes, and if looks could kill, Channary would most likely be dead. "I will never apologize," she spat.

Channary's wicked smile shone brighter. "How charmingly naïve!" She let out a spill of laughter. "You must be mistaken, for I do not want any apologies. Only your death." Tossing her hair off her shoulder, she laughed again. "Have fun with your dear husband, Mrs. Harvey!"

"DAMN YOU TO HELL!" Malissa roared, frothy spittle spewing from her chapped lips.

The crown princess merely laughed once more before snapping her fingers.

Levana barely had the time to scream 'no' before the hatchet dropped on the maid's neck.