𝔟𝔢𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔣𝔞𝔩𝔩!

Where: Hospital | Louis’ Room

When: Post Plot Drop

It all felt too familiar- being rushed to the hospital after the accident, the iron smell of blood that permeated the air, hands grabbing at doctors for answers about Nina. There was no doubt in her mind that they had been targeted, who else would drive a car full speed into the intersection? Emilia’s skin was a watercolor of black and blue bruises, her broken wrist throbbing as she signed her release papers. It wasn’t enough to get her out of her head. Just like before, the Ivory Princess could feel the walls closing in on her. They hadn’t killed her this time but the others... her phone was nonstop buzzing, a sinking feeling rooting Emilia in place as she read each message. Ivory Films was raided. Blood & Bone was trashed. There was a developing story regarding a murder, the identity of the deceased still unknown... Louis Bergeron, room 303. Ears perked up at the PA, the girl turning on her heel to push past nurses.

If he’d been hurt, if anyone so much as touched a hair on his head... There would be hell to pay. She would not lose another person to this war. Emilia rounded the corner, onyx eyes scanning until they fell on the room number, the ajar doorway blocked by one of the hospital staff. “M’am we’re not letting in visitors-” Those were the wrong words to say to the King’s daughter. With fire boiling in her veins, Emilia couldn’t help but get in the woman’s face. “Get the fuck out of my way!”  Just past the woman was an image she dreaded: Louis in the bed, hooked up to various machines...

 Safiye let a soft laugh escape her, nodding a bit at the question. “Hey if it works out that way than possibly. Nothing wrong with reliving some old fantasies.” She shrugged slightly as her hands busied themselves with tucking away her headphones into her bag. Her mothers complaining could wait another day. Of course Safi was happy the woman was adjusting to a life without her husband but none the less she needed friends and not just her daughter to complain to all the time. 

   Rolling her eyes at Emilias following question, “Please, the only thing that’s important to me is food and for once I’m full.” Not a total lie, she wasn’t really full but there wasn’t any food in front of her to take up her time. Oddly enough Safiye was always too quick to offer her help. “That sounds exciting and definitely a four am choice – I’d love to help if you’d like. Even if it’s just carrying the bags it’s always better than struggling by yourself. You know?”

With a wink, the brunette replied. “Just got to get my head in the game.” The Disney HSM era was something both Emilia and Nina grew up in, the cheesiness pulling them in like any other tweens... Just the other day- during her haphazard remodeling- Emilia had found a box of photos of them in their wildcat halloween costumes. They were perfectly embarrassing snapshots of a time that was much more kind and simple, ones that Emilia promptly hid back in her drawers. 

“Well hey, I really appreciate it... there’s actually a little vintage store on the corner that I was headed to now? They promised to have some funky couches.” She grinned, fixing the strap of her bag before looking over at Safiye. It was nice to have a normal conversation, especially with all the madness that had been unfolding with the Syndicate. Emilia wasn’t entirely sure when something like this would happen again... and frankly, she was happy to have the other girl’s company. “So how’s the bakery? Still busy as ever?” 

WHERE. Le Rouge Bar

WHEN. Around Midnight

WITH. Open to All

LONG LIMBS CARRIED THE MALE TOWARD THE EXIT, shutting the door behind him with a subtle click. Reaching a halt at the balcony, Stefan fixed a cigarette between his teeth whilst producing a lighter from the confines of his pocket. Rolling his thumb against the spark wheel, his free hand lifted to cup around the end of the stick ; shielding the naked flame against the light breeze. Taking a long drag from the smoke, the dark-haired male reclined his head slightly to blow a cloud of vapour into the cool night air. The sudden sound of door hinges creaking roused the Capo’s attention, dark eyes drifting to settle upon the figure hovering in the doorway. “ Care to join me? ” He inquired, an indifferent tone settling into his voice as he flicked the end of his cigarette ; watching the flecks of ash drift toward the ground beneath his feet. “ I promise I won’t bite. ” A lazy smirk slid across his lips then, a glimmer of mirth shining in his inky gaze.

With Le Rouge’s affiliations leaning towards the Ivory, Emilia had come to see the place as a safe haven. Far away from the Vargas and Vittori, it was the kind of club that she could let loose with little reservations. There would always be some Capo or made man around, armed at that. It was another night off on her calendar which meant the Ivory Princess was cradling her third dark & stormy, letting the house music and lights pour over her. At least that was until she finally got cell service and saw three missed calls from her father... With quiet corners few and far between, it seemed like the balcony was the only place to get some privacy. Hey, sorry, didn’t have service, can I call in the morning? Fingers typed away the message, barely registering the other man before she heard him speak. Emilia’s eyes flickered upwards with a curious glance: this was not someone that she knew. And in a city like theirs, the wrong meeting with the wrong stranger could end up bloody... The brunette put the phone in her back pocket, one eyebrow arched upward. “Every time I hear that it’s usually a lie.” The warmth of her voice contrasted with the gentle Montreal chill. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to barge in if you’re looking for some peace from everything inside.”

Where: Sud’s | The Back Area When: 6pm, Tuesday

Emilia had never been one to be idle, liking her time just like she liked her coffee- no drop left wasted. All throughout her time in Montreal, she was comfortable with juggling seven tasks at once. There was school, her job with SPVM, helping Safiye at Sinful Sweets, her recent decision to remodel the Penthouse... and now Suds. Sure, working at a laundromat wasn’t glamorous, the sight of the Ivory princess hauling bags to the back seeming weird to anyone that didn’t know her. But hell, if it meant helping Jackie, Emilia didn’t really care what the task entailed. Besides, the business was one that fell under the Syndicate’s reach... and that made it all the more important. Fingers skipped the song playing from her laptop- the HP precariously placed on a machine- as she turned to Jackie. “All those people that do the fancy spin classes at Studio Epix should save their money and just come here... I swear I’m going to be buffer than the Rock.”  Emilia grinned as her eyes caught sight of an email notification: New Cases. 

VPN open, she scrolled until she found her name and a list of new files. Battery. Theft. Missing Person, possible abduction. Short and grim, it looked like SPVM was having a good day when no homicides were reported. “Sorry- do you mind if I just check these out for work? It’ll be quick.” With a click through the links, she started from the bottom... there were details about a potential time frame, something about the possible locations, and most notable, a photo. Emilia bit down on her lip... was this the Vargas’s doing? Maybe the Vittori or the Syndicates? It seemed rare that anyone else was abducting people. “Not even halfway through the week and this city is already going balls to the wall... looks like I get to work on a missing person’s case, something about potential blood testing from samples they found.” 

Catalina was lucky enough to be on the outskirts looking in. There was a foot in the chaos and one outside; always at the ready to dart should something significant happen. As for her counterpart, the girl who’d lost more than Cat could ever imagine, the same couldn’t be said. As if it wasn’t obvious with her last name. “Getting drunk is my favorite way of dealing with conflict and stress. Well, one of them at least.” Her brow wiggled indicating another activity she liked, though she doubted she’d have to say the three letter word aloud for Emilia to catch on. “One decision at a time, much like our drinks.” Waving the bartender over, she set up their next drink even before they got done with the ones in hand. 

“You haven’t but I’ll be looking forward to you telling me more,” she shot back with a wink. Given that Em had indicated her need to drink and simply forget, Cat chose to keep their evening light. No further question about feelings on the recent events. “I’ll hold your hair back and keep the ugly guys at bay when the beer goggles settle on your face.” Mouthing a thank you to the bartender, she picked up her drink and turned to the younger girl. “Good company, great drinks, and alternative activities?”

“Isn’t that the truth-” She grinned before scrunching up her nose. “Yeah, stress really has me making some... interesting choices in that department.” Emilia’s most recent night escapades were questionable at best, the roman holiday being pretty far off from Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck's silver screen. She forced the thoughts of a certain made man out of her head- he didn’t get to take up space there tonight. Instead, her attention fell on the glass in her hand, another sip of the drink getting her closer to her goal of forgetting. “Well, Cat, I appreciate you.” An easy laugh left her lips.

“I knew I could trust you... funny enough that’s usually my job with other people.” Up until the last year, Emilia was the responsible friend on a night out. So responsible that at some point she’d start responding to emails... that had all changed since Turkey and Colombia, the King heiress finding that getting obliterated had its perks. Fingers set down her empty cup in favor of the refill, another smile crossing her features as she nodded. “Here, here! Cheers.”  Aguardiente always reminded her of Turkish rakı with the anise flavour- delicious, but deadly. Enough of it could easily put even the toughest soul under the table. “Okay so what have you been up to? Seeing anyone special...?” 

There was a vague sense of familiarity that came once her eyes landed on the petite woman in front of her. Like a ghost of a memory or resemblance that tickled at the back of her mind, just begging for her attention. “Pleasure”, she spoke, taking her hand into a quick firm shake before drawing it back to her side. But the truth of the matter was, she just didn’t give two shits right now. Veronica had always been a task oriented person, in life and in business. Right now, this was a bit of both. Her task was to figure out the missing pieces of the puzzle and make right with what was taken from her. 

Hazel irises skimmed the page in modest interest, which was only robbed from the false condolences from the woman across from the table. Veronica didn’t hold back her chuckle. No one was sorry for his loss, not even her. “That would make you one of the only ones, if it were true”, she spoke, eyes sliding up to the forensic pathologist right before her. But as the explanation continued on, the Vittori Princess only grew quiet and still, save for the tapping of the toe of her blood red boots. 

“You know, if I was in the SPVM’s position, I probably would of come to the same conclusion. I mean, who cares if there is a titan killer among the crowds if all they do is take out those who are the scum between the devils testicles? Someone who does their job for them, makes life really easy”, she mused, that tickle of recollection finally donning on her as her eyes narrowed in on the young woman across from her. Even if she didn’t want it, there was a kind of kinship they shared. “Make that three Titans down, how many to go?”, she asked with a pointed arch of her brow. 

Veronica straightened up in her seat, the leather of her jacket offering the only sound in the room as it rustled against her frame. “I’ll accept the results. I’m more than only with SPVM believing a seizure was what took out that monster. Will make my job of getting to the bottom of this that much easier.” Veronica let her gaze focus on Emilia King, almost memorizing the details of the woman. It made her wonder how she came into the life she found herself, no doubt born into it the way Vincent and her were, but did she pick the same path. “I appreciate your assistance, Miss King. I hope future run ins are as pleasant as this”, it was her dream. Peace among what had become and all out war of people who were now ghosts. Maybe their generation would be the one to truly put an end to it. Who would know? 

When she pictured coming face to face with the Vittori princess, she’d always expect to see a monster. Someone who was just as capable as her father when it came to destruction and pain... The brunette in front of her was so far off from that image, it was jarring. Especially when she began to talk about Lorenzo with a disdain that mirrored Emilia’s. Perhaps they weren’t as different as she thought... “Sometimes, the lesser of two evils is the best we can do... granted that’s a personal opinion and not one the department holds.”  ” Their vicious cycle would never break, the ranks always prepared to thrust another crown upon a worthy head. This time, it was Zephyr taking her mother’s seat. In the Vittori, she was sure their underboss was more than happy to climb up to the golden throne. Kings were born from the ashes nearly every day. “Until someone decides to break the wheel.” 

Three titans. Vincent. Milena. Lorenzo. The little detail told Emilia all that she needed to know: Veronica knew who she was. Yet there was no knife at her neck, nothing besides a surprisingly civilized conversation. Hell, she even agreed with certain things that the Vittori heir said. She was right about SPVM ignoring foul play- it was easier to rule Enzo’s death a medical malady than to look into the underground’s web. Blind eyes kept the officers safe from retaliation, and who could be angry at a heroic vigilante? Emilia shifted in her seat, leaning her arms against the desk as her eyes looked over Veronica. “If that’s your decision, I’ll be sure to notify the chief of staff.” There it was again... monster. She didn’t know what Lorenzo had done to deserve his daughter’s hatred, but who was she to question it? Maybe Emilia was one of the lucky ones, with her parents doing all they could to keep her safe and protected.

Hearing her last name enter the conversation caused Emilia to fold her hands, biting her cheek in thought. “A part of me says they won’t be...” With the Vargas entering the scene, their game of war become far more complex. It was no longer a bipolar system, the struggle for resources growing even thinner with fresh competition. Maybe it was time to consider options? “ But given recent developments, the futures feels like a very unpredictable place.” The enemy of my enemy was my friend, right?

a cruel and shaking anger gripped her heart. It was difficult to not maintain composure, immediately seeking retaliation across the table. Picture what it would look like to hold glass against her throat. But no, that was fucking barbaric. Nikki held tact even if the Ivory Syndicate didn’t. Her heels ached in the designer suit she squeezed herself into. Her assistant was god knows where, perhaps making friends in this shithole of a city. It was about time. He held too much stability from his family. Didn’t he know what game he played? Didn’t Emilia King? Family might not mean much, but it didn’t erase history.    ❛     Claiming ignorance will get you nowhere in life.     ❜    Nikki tapped her cigarette against the railing as she peeked at the crowd below. The night air was crisp and saturated.

❛     It’s not a fucking bedtime story, love. You’re not stupid enough to not realize the kind of people you’re involved with. My story is shit compared to the rest, but you don’t consider that. You sit on your tower, don’t you? Aching for the love of your mother.    ❜   Nikki smirked, pressing the smoke to her lips as orange embers illuminated her twisted expression.    ❛     Never play stupid with me.    ❜

“The same could be said about mislead assumptions.” The words left her lips, cold but careful as Emilia listened to her speak. Anika Park was a stranger, someone who escaped Emilia’s knowledge and that made her dangerous. Especially when the King’s had caused so much devastation in Nikki’s life... how ironic that their only living heir was engaged in a conversation with her, a mess of her Grandfather’s making. It wouldn’t take much to cut off her branch in the family tree... It was against the better judgment that a spark in her chest grew, the mention of her mother forcing Emilia’s fingers to tighten around her wine glass. Stay relaxed, stay calm. 

  “With all due respect, Ms. Park, you might know my family but you know absolutely nothing about me... for one, I’m not interested in playing games. Let alone stupid.” The sheltered Princess, the heart of the Syndicate... it’d been a golden rule to keep her in the dark, the law coming into being the very day Marco and Milena’s only child was born. Business and their daughter were never to intertwine and for once, just once, there would be a King without blood on her hands. The fantasy had died along with Milena, though, as their daughter finally opened pandora’s box. Onyx eyes looked at the woman across from her. “Like I said, all of this was beyond my knowledge until a year ago...” Emilia stopped, biting down on her lip. “What do you want me to do- apologize? As if that’s going to be enough?” 

The waiter head back to their table with both of their orders. Temporarily her mind shifted to the food placed in front of her. Her hands moved to pick up the burger doing her best to listen to the woman’s story about the mutual friend. Sometimes hunger overtook her in a less than elegant way. “That bastard.” She spoke covering her mouth cause it was full. Luckily judgment didn’t seem to exist between the two women.

Once the conversation turned, Brie made sure her attention was on the woman. Yes, she promised a nice lunch with no hard conversations, but she couldn’t help but to ask.  There was a comfort it brought her to know the woman had a desire to be apart of it all, instead of in some foreign country.  “Well, I’m going to do my best to ensure that doesn’t happen.” She smiled softly. Losing people was something she had grown accustom to, but Brie knew not everyone felt the same way. “It’s good to have you back.”

“It’s a love-hate thing.” Steaming food arrived almost on cue, the smell reminding her that Ray’s was one of a kind. They didn’t have fast food like this in Turkey- sure the McDonalds were alright, but homegrown heart attacks? Few and far in between... Emilia’s smile grew at the other woman’s reply, voice ringing out.  “Me too, I’ve got your back with anything and everything.” This was a loyalty that money couldn’t buy, created through mutual trust and respect. Just like she had with Nina and the other Ivory women, they’d always do what they could to support each other. “It’s surprisingly good to be back.” 

With the truth shedding a light on the King’s empire, Emilia found herself having a strange conversation with so many people she thought she knew. Though Brie had been a staple for years, there was one thing that evaded his knowledge about the woman.“Can I ask you something?” She started, dipping a fry into some ketchup before she hushed her voice. “How did you get in with... this whole thing?” 

Where: Louis’ Apartment When: 8pm, Vendredi 

Since their conversation at the Vargas party, one of the relationships she valued most was in a state of purgatory. In the year since her mother’s death, she managed to almost lose Louis from her life entirety. There was the silence, the secrets, the lies... it all weighed on her shoulders, driving a wedge between them both. At least it had until Emilia decided to take a step forward. In this world, where everything felt extremely futile, she would not let Louis drift any further from her. Not to mention there was so much she needed to tell him... It was exactly why she texted one of the nurses he worked with, finding out that he had Friday evening off which gave her just the opening she wanted. Emilia walked through the familiar halls of his apartment, take out from Jade Garden neatly wrapped in a plastic bag when she got to his door. It was strange being apprehensive to knock, especially when she’d spent countless nights there during her time in Montreal. Fingers curled into a fist, rapping against the wood with a knock. A beat passed when she heard the lock click open, Emilia lifting the bag as a peace offering.  “Hey- you didn’t eat dinner yet, right?” 

While being dragged towards the bar by a harsh and biting grip, it took a moment for the lag of the moment to catch up with Luca’s booze-fogged brain. Had that been… did he see Emilia’s head upon a stranger’s shoulder? Was that her laughter that he’d heard lift on the air? His head tossed over his shoulder, carving an icy glance toward the faceless figure already being swallowed up by the crowd. Who the hell was that? Before Luca had the chance to snip at the subject, Emilia had suddenly spun on her heels and was mauling into him, as usual. She was plastered. But worse, Luca was well on his way to matching her drunkenness, and anger, himself. “Don’t start.” He breathed in response to her long-winded pull of collegiate reasons for silence. Whether or not it was intentional, her pulling rank was a solid strike to his pride. He was just another grunt with an honorary GED and no printed scraps of paper to lengthen his name, unlike her.

Luca recoiled, letting out an incredulous huff at the girl’s brazen lack of self-awareness. “Are- are you kidding? After you stormed off into the night at that fucking skeezy Vargas function? Do you have any idea what that looked like?” Luca hissed with an emphasis on the ‘s’, mirroring her stare as slated blue flicking to the woman’s lips, then forcibly pushing his other memories from that night out of mind. “As far as I knew, you could’ve been fucking… mulched, fertilizing their goddamn fields.” The morbid image had been eating at him since the second text went unanswered, and Luca absolutely wouldn’t have put it past the Emerald Empire. Having the vineyard as a convenient dumping-ground in their front yard would make a hell of a lot more sense than a real business producing that swill they’d sampled. 

It’s true his jaw was causing a very real tension headache from being clenched for hours on end, emphasized now by Emilia’s fiery presence, and the only thing Luca could think to relieve it with was something even stronger to burn it all out. “Perfetto. Great. Can I buy you a drink, your highness?” Luca snapped, simmering with rage and not at all taking what she said personally. He didn’t wait for her reply before shoving back towards the bar, ordering another round for himself.

“Don’t start?” The moment Luca started speaking, venomous tone on par with her own, a familiar feeling started to spread in her chest. Just as it had at the Vargas party. Confusion. Anger. And perhaps the worst of all, fatal attraction. The drunken haze only emphasized each note, the mention of her sudden departure bringing up the vineyard’s events. “Birisi bana bu boku tokatlamama gücü veriyor.”  The irritated Turkish was muttered under her breath, Emilia trying not to slam her glass on the nearby table before she pointed an accusatory finger in his direction.“I don’t understand you, one second you’re at my throat for breathing and the next you're concerned about me being... mulched? It’s all-” A frustrated sound left her lips, arms thrown to the side as she tried to find the right word. “Whiplash.”  There wasn’t anything subtle about the heated conversation as raised voices drew curious eyes, especially a group near the back of the bar. Still, Emilia paid them no mind. Her focus was fully absorbed by the man in front of her. “Your highness, wow real origina-” The words were lost, onyx hues watching warily as he pushed past the crowd. 

Emilia could’ve let it all go. Her friends were somewhere in the thick of the crowd, their night going just as they planned: drink, talk about school, leave around 3am. It was a perfectly safe and predictable choice, pastel in all its simple blandness. Yet after getting a brief taste of fire, Emilia found herself beside him once more- a moth to open flame. The Santorini Mansion was fresh in her mind as the brunette waved to the bartender, two fingers up while mouthing the words ‘whiskey shot’ before her eyes fell on him. “Fine.” She picked up one of the newly filled glasses and set it down in front of him-  alcohol being the twenty-first century’s best olive branch.  “I should’ve responded.” That was the most she was willing to concede, a real apology still blocked by stubbornness and the liquor in her veins. “I’d appreciate it if next time you don’t show up guns blazing when my classmates are around-  they’re actually normal people, unlike you and I.” The Princess of a crime syndicate fighting with a bloodied made man... that wasn’t a way to win over McGill’s students. “I already had to switch lab partners cause Scotty scared the shit out of my old one by accident.” 

With Alex Turner’s voice crooning throughout the Dandy Pig, it seemed like just another night... at least Emilia thought so until she caught the reflection of a couple men staring. Just as they had during the little scene earlier. There was about five or six, beverages untouched, beady eyes almost burning into her back. That wasn’t right. Emilia raised her eyebrow, dropping her voice as she turned to Luca. “Uh... are those your friends over there or...?” 

The weight of the empire resting on his shoulders was something that he’d been prepared for, for years now - Marco and Milena had never shied away from making sure Zephyr knew what was to come. All of which he’d understood explicitly, his previous and remaining standing with the IRA one that had introduced him to the rule of hierarchy well before the Ivory had. Yet, it wasn’t something that he would inherit alone, regardless of whether Emilia held a designated position among them or not - the Ivory kingdom that would rise from the ashes of the Queen’s execution would be something that he couldn’t build without the daughter left behind. He knew that just as well as anyone, and truly - he’d held no intention on keeping it from her. The initial push back from Marco had been understandable, Zephyr had told Em things that she would have been better off not knowing, yet his argument remained that the girl he’d watched grow up - would never settle for no answers. The easiest way to make her understand anything they did, was to simply tell her, save her finding out the gritty truth of the King name from someone willing to tarnish it. 

The standing fact that Emilia - with Scotty in tow, the false death of his best friend, a detail that nobody knew he was aware of for very specific reasons - had skipped town after he’d offered her the answers she’d asked for burnt disappointment and anger through him. A careless decision that could have ended in disaster even with his eyes fixed permanently on them while gone, left him with a distrust that he hadn’t yet known what to do with it. “You’re right, it was fuckin’ stupid.” Not something that he’d voiced as much even on their return. “Everythin’ that your mother and the rest of us wanted to protect you from was undone with your own recklessness, and you’re fuckin’ lucky that I found you before anyone else could.” An admittance, that he’d known where she was for far longer than most. “Nobody blames you for being torn up about losing Lena,” his rough timbre grave, “But I told you everythin’ because that’s what you asked me to do, Em. You don’t get handed the answers to everythin’ like that and get a free pass for not likin’ what you hear.” Zephyr hadn’t expected her to take the reality of her world easily, but after everything, he might have expected a little warning - something that didn’t leave Zephyr with his eyes drifting from the warzone of Montreal, to find a runaway King. An act that could have been fatal for them once again.  Nothing she brought to light wasn’t something he’d already considered. Telling Emilia the truth had opened the belly of their world to her and he couldn’t rightly expect her to remain neutral unless that was something she desired. The problem was, everyone knew who she was - every facet of the war that raged knew the King name, so many waiting to see how, and when the child of the Ivory commanders might take up the blade herself. “What you know and what you do makes you suspicious. Usin’ that could destroy everythin’ you’ve ever wanted in your life.” Never quite the advocate for a normal life, he knew ensuring Emilia knew she had a choice was something Marco wanted. Especially if it had the potential to backfire on them entirely. “If this is what you want, you can’t change your mind, ever. Once you’re in, that’s it until you’re six feet under.” Harsh, perhaps, but nobody that allowed Ivory to become steel in their bones was misdirected in understanding what their end might be. “You can handle it now.” The Ivory figure head repeated, drawing a thumb across his chin, “You got’ anywhere to be anytime soon?”

In truth, she’d shamelessly turned her back on the life she’d been given... and that kind of guilt was only brought forward with everything Zephyr said. All the trust, all the painstaking work to keep her safe- it only took one fell swoop for Emilia to break apart the system that fundamentally kept her together. She couldn’t stop herself from biting her cheek, nails continuing to press into her skin with every word he said. While Emilia believed- albeit naively- that she’d disappeared from the Syndicate’s radar, his confession caught her by surprise. They’d known... of course, they’d known. It was the very reason why she hadn’t ever seen a gun pointed in her face in Antalya. Even as a traitor, the Ivory still protected her. She didn’t deserve that kind of loyalty. Letting out a small breath, Emilia’s eyes dropped to the desk as she tried to find something to say. “I...” Onyx hues flickered to Zephyr. “I know I should’ve handled it better- I don’t have any excuses...” Whatever her mind could even dare to come up with would fall short, Emilia knew that. “I’m sorry.” The memories of Milena King’s body in the morgue had haunted any restful sleep she’d tried to have, death’s invasive fingers tangled in her hair. And as the weeks turned into months, all she knew how to do was sink into herself- flight over fight, porcelain skin over ivory. It’d taken losing nearly everything for Emilia to realize the gravity of her situation, with weakness finally abandoned as she stepped on the plane to Montreal. 

“All those things I used to want stopped being realistic when I found out.” Dreams were just that: dreams. A safe home was within reach, but Emilia could never shake off the suspicion and paranoia due to her affiliations. As long as she breathed air, someone would always paint a target on her back. Normalcy faded away with knowledge. "You know how this world works better than I do... where could I be the most helpful? ”  The moment she was in, she would lose the safety blanket of innocence her parents wrapped her around her the day she was born. There would be no more denying the truth, no veil that covered the ugly things, nothing but culpability... yet it seemed like there was no other option. At least not anymore. After she’d spent months grappling with what she heard, every time Emilia imagined her future, the Syndicate was there. She’d remained the sole daughter- the sole heir- to the criminal empire, and that wasn’t an identity she could ever shed. What else was there to do but embrace it? “I understand, this is final, but so is my decision- I’m in, Zeph.”  For months now, she’d been trying to find the way to say those words... and with a breathe, fate would soon be sealed.  “No- I don’t have anything until night class, why?”

               [ @emiliaking​ ] 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙽𝙴𝚂𝚂𝙴𝙳:  𝙴𝙼𝙸𝙻𝙸𝙰 𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙶.                   𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐀 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑  |  𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃

there was no pride or strife in her bones as she left the small viewing. She felt vulnerable, seeing a portrait of her younger self painted across the screen. Her life was but a melodramatic biopic left to be eaten by critics and worms alike. She wasn’t sure if the film satisfied her. No, it felt cruel to align herself with filmmakers and painters when the movie was barely the truth. They skidded out major parts of Anthony King that she insisted to add. They wanted to make money off of it and King’s presence would get it shut down surely. No journalist spoke out against the tyrant. No produced film could rake in money for their investors without backlash from the Ivory Syndicate itself.

Her dark eyes trailed through the intimate viewing session. There were lines of celebrities and business associates at the film premiere. They all came in support of making art itself or for Nikki. Her glass rested against the small table where the King girl stood. She dipped into her purse, dragging out a metal cigarette box.     ❛     I didn’t expect your kind to be here.    ❜   Nikki told her, flicking an orange ember over the cigarette poised between her painted lips.      ❛     Especially not when Anthony King was the one to order the hit. They’ll only let you tell little truths in film. Remember that. After all, money has to come in somehow.    ❜

When the invitation had arrived at the Ivory Tower, Emilia hadn’t read into it beyond what it was. It wasn’t the first time she was attending an opening on behalf of her family, nor would it be the last with the King’s renown. With work letting her out early, she’d quickly changed into something more appropriate and got a cab to the theater. There, the world melted away and turned into a tragedy that played out on screen. A woman who didn’t deserve the cruelty she’d been given, loss, grief... it oddly hit too close to home for the King’s daughter. And that seemed to be the resounding opinion, the first time viewers ending the film with a hearty ovation.

Emilia looked down at her watch, the second hand ticking away into the night as she took a sip of her wine. She’d taken a few pictures, smiled and shook hands like was expected of her before retreating to a quiet corner to wait out the flood of people. Somewhere in the crowd was her ivory associate, the man tasked with keeping the crown jewel safe and breathing for the evening. She was just about to give him a call when Nikki appeared at her table. “I just wanted to say-” The words barely left her lips when she heard the other woman. Almost immediately, the smile on her face dissipated...  I didn’t expect your kind to be here. Ivory. Vittori. It was impossible to escape affiliations, wasn’t it? “The invitation came last week.” What came next made her heart sink into her stomach...

The Anthony King that Emilia knew was a sweet old man. He’d dress up as Santa for Christmas, he’d take her to the park for playdates, he never failed to have some kind of candy in his pocket... but that wasn’t the true Anthony King. She hadn’t uncovered his transgressions yet, too focused on her father and mother to move further into her family tree. However here they were, staring her in the face. Surprise knocked the wind out of her lungs, onyx eyes searching Nikki’s expression for any kind of lie only to find none. “My grandfather?” What was there that she could say: I’m sorry for ruining your life? “He wouldn’t-” She stopped, biting her tongue that was so willing to defend her family. “I didn’t know... any of it... they never told me.”