Beatrice and Yekaterina did not head back, instead they stayed at the camp of the thieves, who they had now learned were actually nomads struggling to survive. The pair had been offered food and wine and were enjoying their evening together by the fire as the cloak of night fell upon them.
"You are reading my thoughts." Trixie laughed as their childish game of rock, paper, scissors once again resulted in a tie.
"And they're as fuzzy as my own, Countess." The other girl laughed with her.
"Then Russia concedes?" Teased the brown eyed girl.
"Never!" Katya said in a exaggerated voice, somewhat sounding like an impersonation of her father. She waved for the other girl to lean in closer, trying not to consider how easily it would be to close the gap between them, before she spoke once more. "My next choice... will be paper."
Beatrice looked deeply into the girl's eyes, calling the princess's bluff as she herself played rock whilst Katya layed down scissors.
"It is your turn, and it better be good." Trixie said. They had both promised that the looser of each round should reveal a secret to the other, and Beatrice was curious as to what the princess's next one would be as the previous ones had been rather weak.
"I truly have no desire to be Empress." Katya said after a moment of hesitation.
"Oh, but think of all the wonderful things you could do... for your country, for the world."
"Yes, but to be so defined by your position. To never be seen as who you are, but what you are. You have no idea of insufferable that is." The Grand Duchess said in frustration.
"You might be surprised..." Beatrice replied, trying not to roll her eyes at how self-involved the princess could be at times, so highly unaware of the harsh realities everyone else in the Empire had to live with. The fact that Yekaterina could not see the judgement others faced daily and that she herself was part of perpetuating, was something Trixie somehow thought explained a lot about why the woman seemed so frightened of her royal position.
"Really?"
"A nomad for example, is rarely painted as anything else, a servant just the same. They're defined by their status in society just as your title defines you, yet it is not who they are. You have been born to privilege, and with that comes specific obligations." Beatrice explained.
Once again Katya found herself entranced by the girl's words and fascinated by how much easier the sentences that she had heard said before seemed to be to accept when said by the brown eyed beauty. Somehow, every word made more sense when spoken by her, the weight of their meaning heavier.
"I am sorry. My mouth has run away with me again." Trixie said, redness finding her cheeks as she laughed nervously at her own boldness.
"No, my lady. It is your mouth that has me hypnotized." Katya replied honestly, letting her eyes unveil every emotion and leaning forward to taste the rosy lips that she had thought of so often since the day the pair met.
She sighed as the gap between them vanished, placing a hand on the other woman's cheek to pull her in closer, deepening the kiss in a manner that most would find indecent as the sweet taste of the girl's mouth rapidly became addicting.
"Oh promise of heaven and angels above, how thou does pale in comparison to this Goddess sent to earth. How childish chasing after you seems when this siren who fills my very being with burning questions and unmatched desire is near." Katya thought.
The kisses were still somewhat tentative, but soon Beatrice grew confident and leaned into them more, passion fueling both of the women as they pulled eachother closer. After a while however the leader of the nomads noticed them and began to cheer and clap childishly, causing the pair to break apart and laugh a little at their previously improper display.
The night came to it's end with Trixie and Katya riding back to the manor on a borrowed horse. Beatrice could not help her heart from fluttering as her arms were wrapped around the waist of the other woman for safety, hating how cold she felt when the time came for her to dismount and she had to let go.
"Right here please, I do not wish to wake anyone up." She spoke. Katya dismounted first, lifting the other woman down from the animal elegantly. Trixie felt as if she were a doll, a sweet doll that the woman she had grown to love could so easily lift.
"You saved my life, you know... back there in the woods." Yekaterina told her, the Grand Duchess's hands not leaving the slim waist of the other woman.
"A girl does what she can, Your Highness." Trixie giggled happily as she looked up towards the Imperial beauty. Surely there could be no woman in history as bewitching as the Grand Duchess Yekaterina Petrovna was, it truly was no wonder that both the men and the women of the Empire were so enchanted by her.
"Katya." The blue eyed woman corrected.
"Katya." Beatrice breathed out before her lips were captured in another sweet kiss.
Trixie found herself longing for the kiss to never end, but she knew that reality was calling her back to it, and so she reluctantly pulled away and turned to leave.
"Valeriya?" She heard from behind her. Beatrice knew it was foolish, but her heart ached every time that false name was said, still she turned to face the princess with a soft smile.
"Do you know the castle ruins by the forest edge?" Katya asked.
"Yes."
"I often go there to be alone. Would you meet me there tomorrow?" The Grand Duchess said, letting her heart guide her actions rather than her fear.
"I shall try." Beatrice replied in honesty.
She could not promise anything as she was sure the Baroness's wrath would be upon her in the morning for her returning so far past nightfall.
Still she would try her very best for she could think of nothing she wanted more than to spend more time with the charming princess.
"Then I shall wait all day."
YOU ARE READING
Ever After ✔~ trixya
Fanfiction"Her name was Beatrice Mattel. And this, was her glass slipper. Perhaps you will allow me to set the record straight?" The Grand Duchess says as she picks a beautiful shoe out of the silver box. "Then it's true? The story?" The writer enquires. "Yes...
