(Originally published in "The Many Adventures of the Avengers and Friends")
"No, no, you're missing the point. There is no throne. There is no version of this where you come out on top." - Tony Stark, "The Avengers"
Or is there?
Multiverses have the...
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Handmaidens were running in and out of Olivia's dressing room. Jane was the only one who had to stick around throughout all the shifts, the "perks" of being the Queen's favorite. The first rotation left (the ones who were present when the cherry girl was thrown out) and replaced by set of two girls in charge of delivering the gown Olivia would wear and dressing her into it.
Jane tightened the corset on the deep blue gown covered in silver stars and moons.
The next rotation was the makeup girl. Olivia never really liked makeup in general. It doesn't provide any benefits in battle, you see. Though, for formal events, she splurged a little. It was mostly defined by the eyeshadow, blue at the crease (the same shade as the gown) that faded to a brilliant gold color.
Jane passed the girl the makeup she used as needed so she could 'focus more on her craft,' as Olivia put it.
The makeup girl left, leaving Jane alone. It was almost a sadistic count down. Four girls, one gets banished. Three girls, then rotated out and replaced by another three. Three girls replaced by two.
And then there was one.
Jane.
She started working through Olivia's hair, curling and looping it around itself in a meticulous way. Jane had had a week to perfect this particular style.
"I don't want to look stupid, so you had better practice." Olivia had said.
"Yes, milady." Jane had replied, almost like a broken record. It was for Jane's own survival that she drilled it so far into her head. Don't speak unless spoken to. Only speak those two words unless you're asked of more. Only say what you must. Yes, no, thank you.
Jane twisted and bunched methodically for several minutes, barely even daring to breathe all that much.
"It feels like you've been practicing as I asked you to." Olivia spoke up.
"Yes, milady." Jane replied, pinning one curl down.
"Is your schedule cleared for tonight?"
"No, milady."
"Well, now it is. You may take tonight off and rest up. I'll have someone else attend to your duties tonight."
"Thank you, milady." Jane said as she pushed one last bobby pin into Olivia's hair.
"It looks perfect, Jane. Now, go find the new decorative pins for me; I want you to add those. They should be down where the seamstress is." Olivia said, gesturing Jane away.
"Yes, milady." Jane left the room swiftly to leave Olivia alone, staring in the mirror of the vanity. She noticed a spot of dirt on the mirror and reached up to wipe it away. When she pulled her hand back, a woman seemed to stand behind her. Alarmed, Olivia whirled around in her seat, though the woman wasn't there. She faced the mirror and the woman appeared again. Olivia didn't recognize her, though she wore Asgardian clothes. A military healer, to be precise.
