When The Gold Is Gone ✔ ~ trixya

Chapter 2: Heavy Crown

Katya watched the scene of Beatrice arriving from her bedroom window. She was certain that a storm would soon occur due to her absence from the welcoming ceremony, but she had no interest in greeting the very reason that she had been forced to take on her brother's name in the first place. Trixie may have once been a friend, but Beatrice now just seemed like a painful reminder of the life Katya had been forced to live. 

As if on cue the doors to her bedroom flew open, revealing her clearly very agitated mother. Katya rolled her eyes at the dramatic entrance, knowing the scolding that would be come in a second by heart even before it had been said.

"Where were you? How could you not greet your fiance? Do you truly wish to embarrass us like this on the very first day of her visit?" The Queen scolded. 

"Well, seeing as she is not truly my fiance, I did not think it necessary to greet her."

"You know what I mean, she is your responsibility now, Alexej." Her mother said.

"I don't want her. I kept this masquerade going for your sake, but I am sick and tired of this game. And my name is Katya!" The young girl yelled.

"Quiet child, someone might hear you. You know very well that you are not to use that name any longer." 

Katya felt tears threatening to escape her eyes, but she held them back, wanting to rather respond in anger than in sorrow. She hated it all, hated that she was no longer her own person. She had agreed to her father's request out of duty and guilt, but no matter how much the death of her brother plagued her, she could not accept that she should loose her entire identity.

"It is my name, mama. It is who I am, no matter how much you would wish it differently. I can keep the mask on for all visitors if you so insist, but I refuse to accept the use of it in my own bedroom." Katya argued.

"Very well, Katya. Just make sure that Alexej is ready to attend dinner in an hour, and ready to charm Princess Beatrice and greet his betrothed just as an honorable man does."

"Fine, I shall have him ready." The girl said with spite in her voice, not looking at her mother at all as the older woman left the room.

As soon as the door closed she let her tears fall, finally letting all her feelings out. With shaking hands she took her pillow and banged it against the wall repeatedly, so harshly that small white feathers started to fly about. She took gentle steps onto her balcony, held onto the railing as she looked down, and once again she found herself wishing that she had been the one to slip.
Not that it truly mattered, she was dead either way.

"You have to get ready, Your Highness." Her maid said after many minutes had passed.

"Thank you, Judy. What am I wearing today?" 

"A simple suit. I thought it would be the most comfortable. I also think using the beard for the whole summer would be wise, otherwise the Princess may grow suspicious. You are becoming a very fine looking woman, you know? It's a shame we must hide it." Judy informed as she held up the suit that Katya was expected to wear. 

Judy was the one in charge of making Katya appear to be a man. She was quite gifted with makeup and hair, and had done a fine job at making the illusion work so far. Even though Katya would have preferred there to be no illusion at all, she could appreciate the hard work which went into the masquerade. Judy had also been a great friend to her, and she had become one of the few allies Katya felt she had.

"Thank you, Judy. But yes, I think that is a wise choice." Katya replied, taking the suit in hand.

She quickly got dressed, making sure that her female physique was well covered under the layers of clothing. Then she sat down on the chair by her vanity, giving herself over to Judy who combed and lightly curled her medium length blonde hair and glued a matching beard onto her chin. After a while she very much resembled what she imagined her brother would have looked like now, of course they had shared some features, their green-blue eyes being the most obvious. Katya had also been granted her mother's high cheekbones, but she unfortunately rarely got a chance to properly show them off. The face she met in the mirror dressed like this however greatly resembled her father.

"Are you ready?" Judy asked.

"No, but I have to be. Time to meet Beatrice, I guess." 

"Well, you got along well as children from what I have heard. Shouldn't it be fun to see your friend again?" 

"I'm sure it would have been very nice had things still been the same as they were back then, but a great deal has changed since then. I am an entirely new person now, you know?" Katya said, a bit more harshly than she intended. "My apologies, I'm just a bit on edge from this all suddenly becoming so real. It was easier to pretend and deal with it all when I knew I would not need to see her, but now she's here, and that means there's truly no way out of this whole ordeal."

"I know, Your Highness. I am sorry all this is happening to you." Judy said as she finished up the makeup job, putting her brushes down on the table.

"Thank you, I am glad I at least have you here." Katya said honestly, holding the girl's hand for a moment before she stood up. 

With a last look in the mirror she took a deep breath and exited the room, braising herself for what was to come. Soon she'd be forced to sit in a room and pretend to be someone she could never truly be, but for a few seconds more as she walked through the castle hallways she could just be Katya. 

For a few seconds Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova existed again.

But then the doors to the dining room were opened for her, and her smile faded as she felt herself slip away once more.

"His Royal Highness, Prince Alexej has arrived." Their butler said as she entered.

And so the masquerade began.