~5 YEARS LATER~

The. Dress. Was. So. Stiff.

Selene's figure wasn't quite as curvy as the dress would have liked. So as a solution, corset after corset was squeezed onto her so she would fit, leaving her feeling unable to breathe. Her lungs felt as though they would burst if she took too deep a breath, and the corsets constricted her spine every time she exhaled. But it was all right. Selene didn't particularly need to breathe during the coronation ceremony.

She was finally thirteen and would soon be crowned the next queen of Luna. She wasn't so naïve to think that she was happy, or relieved. But she was taking the throne for herself and with it, immeasurable amounts of power. She'd done a lot of thinking on what her first actions as queen would be, and decided on Earth. Earth would be her first big conquest. The planet was supposedly very beautiful and lush. Selene could only imagine the glory involved in creating a new world on Earth, free of Earthens and their disease. The possibilities for the Lunars to spread and grow were too many to count. Countless advancements in the arts and sciences could be made with Earth's plentiful resources and location. The only question that remained was how to gain control over Earth in a way that would involve minimal conflict, time, and resources.

"Does it feel all right, Your Highness?" Selene's maid asked, adjusting the hem of Selene's sleek coronation gown, made in red, white, and black, the official colors of Luna. Selene glanced down and her and back at her dress, playing with the creases in the skirt.

"Are you eating well, Alice?" Selene asked, stepping down from her stool and taking a seat at her vanity, letting her hair out of the messy ponytail it had been in during the fitting.

"I beg your pardon, Highness?" Alice asked, blinking twice and moving towards Selene, starting the fairly simple hairstyle that Selene was to wear for the coronation. She was evidently surprised by Selene's question.

"I asked if you're eating well. You seem thinner than usual."

Alice bit her lip. "I feed my children with the money I earn, Highness."

Selene fell silent, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Alice was braiding an intricate crown around her head, braiding in small golden beads with the hair. Selene's bangs still hung on her forehead, and soon Alice would be curling the hair that wasn't being used for the crown. It suited her perfectly, the whole outfit. It didn't convey innocence, but not experience either. It somehow portrayed nothing but simplicity and commitment. The outfit didn't try to pass as something that it wasn't. Selene didn't want anything other than to be a queen that would lead the Lunars to glory.

Selene wasn't like her mother in that sense. She respected the position and, most importantly, took it seriously, not seeking a title like "most desirable." Anyone who didn't realize that and stood against her were simply fools. She'd rule with an iron fist, but earn the people's respect. After all, she was in it for the Lunars. She wanted to help all of them. Hell, even the shells. She had nothing against them. King Marrok and Queen Jannali were fools to be murdered by them. A gifted Lunar could murder them just as easily while they were sleeping, and they'd be just as willing to. Selene decided that she would never lose sight of what mattered while queen; the fact that she was in it for the glory of Luna and it's people.

"I'll see about getting you a raise, Alice."

Alice started, her hands falling away from Selene's hair momentarily in surprise. Selene stared straight ahead at her reflection, but out of the corner of her eye she could see Alice conceal a smile.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Soon she would be saying "Your Majesty." Alice, the first step to the servant's respect.