nobility is not what she knows ; royalty is not what she remembers . loneliness is what strengthened her spine , hardship forged her more than any crown or jewels . pearly teeth gnaw on bottom lip , gaze incapable of meeting his own , words scraping ’gainst her ears as though knives . the wiser course presents itself before them ; they say their piece and he walks away ( she lets him ) as she returns to the glittering life she was meant to lead .
‘ did you take it ? ’ the words , the very thought of them , make her skin crawl , clog her throat with dirt . spine rigid and still , a steely mask attempting to keep her true emotions beaten down . ‘ the reward money , did you collect it ? ’
L I E. It would be so easy ( utterly believable ). A Russian scoundrel auditions girls for the part of a lifetime, only to find out that indeed she was I T ?? What a change of luck, what poor man wouldn’t take the money so well deserved. He could see it now, the memory of ten million rubles permanently etched in his memory. It was more than he’d EVER see again. In the end however, t’was more a change of heart ; for how could he bare to hurt HER more than he already had ?? Seeing her gain everything she ever wanted, well it was more than enough.
Feet pause, digits drumming against thighs. If he says yes, he’s guaranteed NEVER to see her again … && yet —— “No.” Voice croaks, turning to face her halfway, eyes ‘pon the Seine River below. “I don’t need it.” Thumb graces over lips, a shrug. “I guess I have a HEART after all.”