It was still early morning in her Penthouse.
Adelheid walked up and got herself a coffee, watching the Morning Sun rise over her brand's newest creations. Fashion week had become her whole life, her own purpose. Not just a princess but a woman on her own two feet. But next year's collection didn’t quite cut it yet. It lacked sparkle, elegance. In other words: totally boring.
She groaned and stretched, grabbing her Phone scrolling through her contacts. Annoy her Brother? No. Little chat with Stasya? She’d be sleeping still right now with that adorable baby boy of hers. Her finger stopped on Makar.
‘Didn’t quite work out, huh princess?’ she thought to herself as she lingered on the entry.
She had buried herself in work, he himself in his military career. Then the Mess with Klara happened and they basically stopped talking. Headstrong, but not stubborn. Foreign enough to not be boring. The wrong hair colour never stopped bothering her, but it was a minor detail. Fuck was she getting old to be hung on on a guy she didn’t get. Well, she was getting old, and the biological clock was ticking.
Tick Tock Tick Tock, Cuckoo.
Tick Tock Tick Tock Cuckoo.
Was she just imagining things? No, that was her darn phone ringing. And it was Makar calling. Fuck, compose yourself.
“Adelheid von Uburzis, who's calling?”
Bloody hell she knew exactly before picking up:
“Oh Makar! Lovely hearing from you!”
She made her way over to the Balcony, taking a seat to look at the early morning city:
“Going great so far, already busy with next year's collection.”
‘And grasping at straws with it right now’ she thought to herself.
“No, no. I’m too old for your Balls. As your brother once said, I'd seem like a needy old hag. But you’ll get a lovely newly minted sixteen year old next time. Sebastian is a bit shy but plays Violin. The girls are going to be drawn to him like moths. Orion?”
She paused for a moment when the Emperor started to be the topic:
“He didn’t take Klara’s and Anna’s violent demise very well. First his Mom, then Viktorya and Arthur. Rhiannon and Augustin getting hospitalised, the twins getting kidnapped. The world hadn’t been kind to him and he still struggles with the fear of causing other people harm. Clings to my brother like a scared puppy still at times.”
She sighed and turned her gaze over to the palace, at this time still shrouded in Mist clinging to the Mountain face:
“The Painting for the Wedding? Oh you mean ‘Having her Cake and Eating it’? Missing?”
She paused, worry creeping into her face as she jumped up and walked to her Workspace, flicking the Monitor on:
“Trust me, they’d buy his used toilet paper. Some People here worship the twerp as if we believed him a god like your people do for the Queen.”
She flicked through a couple Websites and tilted her head:
“Which piece exactly is missing? I’ll tell my Brother. But best to keep Orion in the dark for now. He hadn’t been able to stomach the idea of making an official visit to Natalya yet. With his own brideshow about to get started soon, we… shit.”
She stopped dead as she scrolled through some Website:
“I think I got something. I’ll send you the link. Is that the one with Stasya on it?” she tilted her head: “Yeah looks a lot like it, and i definitely know that frame. I’ll get Albrecht in on this as well. He is the head of our Intelligence Service after all.”
She paused and after sending the Email, she finally was ready to hang up:
“And Makar? Don’t be a stranger and call me some time? There’s always a ticket for the fashion show in February waiting for you if you’d like to.”
Adelheid glanced at the Website, tilting her head. It would be hard to track it down again. It was a temporary private exhibition of Stasya related Items and gave her a very weird vibe. But nothing stated as to who had lent the exhibition a piece that should have still been in the Vaults in Lodja.