DramaKween
New Member
“You don’t look happy, dear sister. You look rather upset, actually. What is going on in that pretty little head of yours?”
Adeline Volkov had been so deep in thought, she almost hadn’t realized that her brother had been speaking to her as they walked through the back halls of the Arena together. “Hm? Oh…No...I’m okay. I’m fine. I’m good.” Adeline took a slow breath through her nose and kind of smiled sheepishly. Her brother was one year older than her and had known her through her entire life. And….he usually knew when she was lying. “Marcellus….I don’t want to be here. I really, really don’t. I want to go home….I want to be at home…”
Marcel Volkov sighed as he looked over his sister. She was beautiful and petite, soft and sweet, just and kind. She was everything that her two brothers were not. While his patience was wearing thin, he knew that yelling, shouting, or lashing out was not the way to handle Adeline. Instead, he took a breath to center himself and knelt down on the ground in front of her so that she could look down at his face. Everyone around them stopped. The Guards of the Order of Glitter, the Outsider servants, and their escorts to The Box. This was important, and everything else would have to wait.
“Adeline, you are my favorite sister, you know that?”
Adeline had started to giggle, just a little. She liked that joke “I’m your only sister…”
“I know. Which makes you my favorite.” He reached for both of her hands and looked straight down into her beautiful, captivating eyes. “And….I need you, Addy. I need you to help me to keep this project going, just like what we talked about. The Arena has been a major success. And...I know what you say, and I know what you think. You think it’s just a bunch of men and women who are fighting for blood and money and death and freedom and I won’t lie to you, little sister, that is a big part of it.”
After a solid squeeze of her hands he spoke again. “There are important parts of this though, Addy. There are good things too. The Glitters have something to distract them from the threats of the rebels, the Outsiders have a chance to become celebrities, athletes, they make money, Addy. These men and women come and fight and they risk a lot but they go home with money for their children and wives, and they train for a long time for this. They’re performers and peace keepers and Adeline...In this Arena….There are Outsiders and Glitters. Together. Enjoying and bonding and being together.”
He offered a smile reserved for only his little sister. “I promised you I’d spare you the gory details, Addy...But this project has been such a big success that I need help. I need the support of the Princess of the realm. I need you to be here and show people that this is good thing, for everyone. And after, tonight at dinner, we can talk more. You can help promote the events, you can appear in some of the ads...Addy you know what your image means to your people….To all of our people. You know that even though I’ll never be King and you’ll never be Queen...You know how important we are to millions and millions of Dad’s subjects….”
He took a breath and stood, knowing that he’d said all of the right things to his little sister. “Speaking of Dad...You know he liked when you wear white. You look like you're dressed for a funeral. All black?”
Adeline had stepped back and looked down at herself. She wore a very pretty pair of black pants that flared out in a layer of sheer fabric over silky pant legs and a very modest (and kind of loose) top that showed only a small bit of her back as far as ‘skin’ was concerned. “What? It’s….cute?”
“No, sweet sister. You look like a mourning nun. It’s not cute. Hold on…” Marcel had signaled to one of the Outsider servants. “Get back to the Palace and bring my sister something more...suitable. White. A dress maybe? A skirt? Go on...We are wasting precious time…”
The servant was gone in a blink and had returned in front of his Royals in about 15 seconds holding two different outfits. One was a conservative, modest dress with very little to show, and the other was a short skirt with a similar tight top. Marcel was in the middle of pulling the little silver tie out of Adeline’s long hair. “You know father doesn’t like when your hair is back like that” He’d pulled the locks forward and ran his fingers through them to make her hair fall voluptuously around her shoulders. He had barely had time to do that before the Outsider was back with the clothing. He shook his head unhappily at the modest dress, but the Outsider servant knew that Adeline would favor it more.
“The Skirt. I’ll see you in The Box, Adeline….Go get changed ….We can talk more there, dear sister…”
Marcellus and three guards and two servants headed off, leaving Adeline with a wardrobe change to do. For some reason what she wore and how she looked was just sooooo important. Adeline looked at the Outsider that stood in front of her with the dresses. “Thank you for trying, Peter. I appreciate it….” It seemed like Peter, who could travel across the city and back in 13 seconds, knew her better than her own brother. Peter had offered her an empathetic, sad smile as he held the short white skirt out towards her. “I guess Marcel wants all of Azalea to see what my behind looks like, huh?” Of course the skirt wouldn’t quite be that short, but it was short enough and Adeline was rather small. She just preferred to be….covered. "Well, not my behind. The 'people's' behind...." Peter offered a quiet chuckle, which was safe to do, as long as Marcellus wasn't near.
Adeline Volkov had been so deep in thought, she almost hadn’t realized that her brother had been speaking to her as they walked through the back halls of the Arena together. “Hm? Oh…No...I’m okay. I’m fine. I’m good.” Adeline took a slow breath through her nose and kind of smiled sheepishly. Her brother was one year older than her and had known her through her entire life. And….he usually knew when she was lying. “Marcellus….I don’t want to be here. I really, really don’t. I want to go home….I want to be at home…”
Marcel Volkov sighed as he looked over his sister. She was beautiful and petite, soft and sweet, just and kind. She was everything that her two brothers were not. While his patience was wearing thin, he knew that yelling, shouting, or lashing out was not the way to handle Adeline. Instead, he took a breath to center himself and knelt down on the ground in front of her so that she could look down at his face. Everyone around them stopped. The Guards of the Order of Glitter, the Outsider servants, and their escorts to The Box. This was important, and everything else would have to wait.
“Adeline, you are my favorite sister, you know that?”
Adeline had started to giggle, just a little. She liked that joke “I’m your only sister…”
“I know. Which makes you my favorite.” He reached for both of her hands and looked straight down into her beautiful, captivating eyes. “And….I need you, Addy. I need you to help me to keep this project going, just like what we talked about. The Arena has been a major success. And...I know what you say, and I know what you think. You think it’s just a bunch of men and women who are fighting for blood and money and death and freedom and I won’t lie to you, little sister, that is a big part of it.”
After a solid squeeze of her hands he spoke again. “There are important parts of this though, Addy. There are good things too. The Glitters have something to distract them from the threats of the rebels, the Outsiders have a chance to become celebrities, athletes, they make money, Addy. These men and women come and fight and they risk a lot but they go home with money for their children and wives, and they train for a long time for this. They’re performers and peace keepers and Adeline...In this Arena….There are Outsiders and Glitters. Together. Enjoying and bonding and being together.”
He offered a smile reserved for only his little sister. “I promised you I’d spare you the gory details, Addy...But this project has been such a big success that I need help. I need the support of the Princess of the realm. I need you to be here and show people that this is good thing, for everyone. And after, tonight at dinner, we can talk more. You can help promote the events, you can appear in some of the ads...Addy you know what your image means to your people….To all of our people. You know that even though I’ll never be King and you’ll never be Queen...You know how important we are to millions and millions of Dad’s subjects….”
He took a breath and stood, knowing that he’d said all of the right things to his little sister. “Speaking of Dad...You know he liked when you wear white. You look like you're dressed for a funeral. All black?”
Adeline had stepped back and looked down at herself. She wore a very pretty pair of black pants that flared out in a layer of sheer fabric over silky pant legs and a very modest (and kind of loose) top that showed only a small bit of her back as far as ‘skin’ was concerned. “What? It’s….cute?”
“No, sweet sister. You look like a mourning nun. It’s not cute. Hold on…” Marcel had signaled to one of the Outsider servants. “Get back to the Palace and bring my sister something more...suitable. White. A dress maybe? A skirt? Go on...We are wasting precious time…”
The servant was gone in a blink and had returned in front of his Royals in about 15 seconds holding two different outfits. One was a conservative, modest dress with very little to show, and the other was a short skirt with a similar tight top. Marcel was in the middle of pulling the little silver tie out of Adeline’s long hair. “You know father doesn’t like when your hair is back like that” He’d pulled the locks forward and ran his fingers through them to make her hair fall voluptuously around her shoulders. He had barely had time to do that before the Outsider was back with the clothing. He shook his head unhappily at the modest dress, but the Outsider servant knew that Adeline would favor it more.
“The Skirt. I’ll see you in The Box, Adeline….Go get changed ….We can talk more there, dear sister…”
Marcellus and three guards and two servants headed off, leaving Adeline with a wardrobe change to do. For some reason what she wore and how she looked was just sooooo important. Adeline looked at the Outsider that stood in front of her with the dresses. “Thank you for trying, Peter. I appreciate it….” It seemed like Peter, who could travel across the city and back in 13 seconds, knew her better than her own brother. Peter had offered her an empathetic, sad smile as he held the short white skirt out towards her. “I guess Marcel wants all of Azalea to see what my behind looks like, huh?” Of course the skirt wouldn’t quite be that short, but it was short enough and Adeline was rather small. She just preferred to be….covered. "Well, not my behind. The 'people's' behind...." Peter offered a quiet chuckle, which was safe to do, as long as Marcellus wasn't near.