The Raven-Haired Mistress

Stop the World

Monroe woke up in Adler's bed. She stretched and yawned. He was lying next to her in a deep slumber. She sat up and slinked her way to washroom. A bowl of water was left by the servants early that morning.
Monroe washed her face quickly and dabbed it clean with a towel. She went back into Adler's chambers and sat on the couch near the fireplace. She put her feet up and looked out the windows to her left.
Adler stirred in bed. He reached his arm over to a still warm, but empty area. He sat up and looked for Monroe.
"Morning." He smiled when he spotted her.
Monroe turned her body around to see him. "Morning." She smiled back.
"Did you sleep alright?" He asked as he groggily climbed out of bed.
"Yes. Your bed is very comfortable." Monroe replied.
"You know, that was the first night I slept in the same bed as a woman without having previously had sex with her." He stretched his shoulders back. "It was nice."
Monroe giggled. "Well, we can do more of that in the future if you wish."
"I hope we'll do a lot more." Adler wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed the top of her head.
He let her go and went into the wash to clean his face as Monroe had previously done. When he emerged, there was a knock at the door. His servant came in and inquired about breakfast. Adler told them what they wanted and asked the servant to have it brought to them in the room.
Monroe brushed her hair and grabbed her dress to her changed.
"Hold on." Adler pushed the dress back down onto the dresser top where it was laying before. "No need for that. We can just stay in here forever and never leave." He embraced her.
Monroe chuckled. "If only. You forget that you Father makes that important announcement to the council today. You must be there and keep the damage under control." Monroe said.
Adler stepped back and grabbed her hands. "Or I could stay here with you and worry about that all tomorrow."
Monroe sighed. "If only."
Adler released her hands and allowed her to dress.
"What are you going to do today?" He asked. "While I am fighting to get a divorce, what will you be doing?"
"Don't make it sound like I'm not helping." Monroe put her hands on her hips. "Regina and I are going to have some more lessons. She also wants to start on the painting you commissioned from her. 'I must begin as soon as possible, so I can have it done before I'm gone,' she said." Monroe quoted Regina.
"If I had my way, that day would be tomorrow, but I will wait if it means I get a gorgeous portrait of you." Adler walked closer to Monroe and kissed her cheek.
He pulled her in close and held her tightly. Monroe loved that moment. Again, she just wished, as Adler did, that they could stay there forever. If only.
__________________________

"The outfit is important. It must reflect your inner self. You can't wear anything. Pick what makes you feel like the most you." Regina said to Monroe.
Monroe looked through the dresses in her wardrobe. Her eyes gravitated to the purple dress, but then moved on to the red one next to it.
She pulled it out. "This one." She smiled.
"How about hairstyle?" Tullia asked.
"Oh, leave it down, definitely." Monroe answered.
"Jewelry?" Tullia asked next.
"Again, should reflect you." Regina said.
"So, nothing too flashy and outrageous, but still bold." Monroe looked through her box of necklaces. "This one." She pulled out a wide black beaded necklace. "And this one, it's from Adler." She pulled out the small silver chained necklace with ruby charm.
"Great." Regina nodded. "All that's left is the perfect pose, but leave that to me." She walked closer to the door to the hall. "Get changed and meet me in my chambers." Regina left Monroe's room.
Monroe took off her blue dress and put on the red one. It was a gorgeous dress. It was sleeveless and skin tight until flaring out at the waist into a large lacy skirt. Monroe put on the necklaces and a fixed her hair in the mirror.
"Lip color?" Tullia asked.
"Yes." Monroe smiled. "A dark red, I think."
Monroe left her room and crossed the hall to Regina's chambers.
Regina was sat behind her easel mixing paint colors.
She looked up when Monroe entered and set down her paints. "Great, now for the pose." Regina looked around the room. "Over there, I think."
"In the dark corner?" Monroe raised an eyebrow.
"Trust the artist's view." Regina lead her to the corner. "Sit with your back again the wall." She instructed.
Monroe did as she was told and sat with her face resting.
"Good, but it needs more. Your hands need to be doing something." Regina looked around her room.
She spotted a vase with roses on a table. She grabbed one red rose and handed it Monroe.
"Hold it close to your chest." She said. "Relax your hands, but not your arms." Regina added. "Perfect. Stay like that." Regina backed up to her easel and grabbed her paints. "I had mixed a color for your hair and skin while I was waiting. This may take some time." She said.
"I don't mind." Monroe replied. "I might not be able to sit in the same position for too long without getting uncomfortable, but I will forget about my aching back side if I have something distracting me." Monroe explained.
"Lucky for you, I've planned for my ladies to read you my mother's big book of manners." Regina said. "I knew it sounds boring, but it is more entertaining and intriguing then one might think at first."
"Alright."
Regina started on the portrait while her ladies read to Monroe. After an hour, the ladies took a break and went off to check on lunch.
Regina was finishing the background.
"I love painting." She said.
"What do you love about it?" Monroe asked.
"I love being able to capture a moment. If I can capture a moment in time well enough, then I can capture an emotion too. It's my way to stop the world and remember." She explained.
Monroe thought about what emotion she wanted to remember. She reflected it in her eyes and her very soul. Happiness.