Sisterly Interactions

Posted on Wed Mar 16th, 2022 @ 10:08pm by Princess Royal Giana Orsini & Princess Elana Orsini
Edited on on Thu Jul 13th, 2023 @ 6:53pm

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Imperial Tower
Timeline: Date 2371-05-05 at 1600
1380 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Royal Apartments, Imperial Tower, New York City, Northern Dominion, Terra
No matter how many centuries past, New York was still a bustling center of global commerce and imperial power. Skyscrapers extended high into the sky, and the tallest of them all was the direct property of the Imperial Court. Imperial Tower held local offices for several organs of the vast organization known as the Imperial Court which included the properties, holdings, and supporting programs of the family which towered, like the building, over the whole Empire. On the top floors, however, were royal apartments set aside for the Emperor's two daughters. The two of them were adults, and so they had been given living-spaces further away from the center of activity and power at the Grand Imperial Palace in Rome.

Gently, an elegant shuttle landed on one of the platforms which jutted out of the bottom floor of the apartments, three thousand feet off the ground. The door opened and a short ramp extended. Within seconds, high-heeled shoes of exquisite make rattled along the ramp as Princess Giana made her way back to her home followed by two attentive young nobles, the sons of important men, who carried heavy bags.

Elana had been reading while sitting in her private living area when she spotted the shuttle arriving. Calmly she placed the PADD down, locking it with her finger print and stood. Giana had made the rounds again. Elana looked down at her KSEL original dress and smiled as it was still perfect despite sitting down for a few hours. She slid her feet into her favorite sandals and headed for the entryway. She always knew to be visible when Giana returned or else she would come into Elana's rooms and that would drive her crazy. Pausing in the apartment entryway, she watched in silence.

"Where should we put these, your highness?" one of the men asked, his eyes clued to Giana with a supplication most women could only imagine.

"Take them to my closet and have the girls sort them." Giana said, running a hand through her perfectly styled blonde-dyed hair. She didn't look at the two of them and didn't register whatever they said next before the slinked away for the elevator. Her eyes landed on her sister for an instant before she walked toward and past her sister, her hips swinging elegantly as she went. "I'm surprised your face isn't burred in that PADD of yours."

She then rounded the corner and proceeded a short way down another grand hallway and entered an ornate sitting room with a full-wall window view of the city below. She lowered herself down on one of the plush couches and pulled her legs up in front of her looking every amount the rank she was, posed like a ridiculous statue.

Elana rolled her eyes. But she followed her sister to the room. "I see you bought out the stores again." She commented to her older sister. "Did you leave any for others?" her tone was mildly sarcastic.

"I left them the ugly stuff." Giana said with a brand of superior smile that didn't need an accompanying laugh to be a scoff. "Plus, the boys had a good time carrying it all. And we'll sell it for twice what I bought for it on the market after I wear it."

Elana merely shrugged at that. "Have you checked your messages while shopping dear Sister? Father is calling a family dinner"

Giana clearly hadn't, and she showed her displeasure with the idea by taking air in through her nose and releasing it sharply. She looked out of the window languidly at the shuttles streaming by outside their no-fly zone.

"What's the point of living on the other side of the planet if we have to see each other so often, do you imagine?" she asked, blinking steadily. Already her mind was working on what she would wear, however.

"You know father likes to keep us close Sister. Maybe its to show off a new award our baby brother has been given." Elana added.

"No one has ever been given more for doing less." Giana said, rolling her eyes. "and the worst part about it is the little snot is so grateful, I can barely maintain my disgust."

"Put a barf bag in your handbag. Mother will expect us there and Father will expect us to fawn." Elana pretended to yawn. "I am sure you will do just fine."

"Well, how long do I have to mope until then?" Giana asked, looking at the clock on the wall with a dry expression.

"We are expected at 18h00, we should leave at 17h30."Elana replied. "I have my dress ready."

"Well, I'm sure my girls have some ideas.." Giana said, thinking of the two young women who took care of her clothing. She looked at her sister then, a frown on her face. "Mother is going to start again on me finding a match and getting married. Ever since she finally got Giuseppe to settle down with that, Brazilian girl...what's her name again?"

"Jessica" Came Elana's reply. "Married three years, such a common name really."

"For the common people, yes." Giana said with a slight chuckle, dismissing the thought immediately. "Anyway, she's been sending me messages every few days for the last three months encouraging me to 'mingle' with some eligible bachelors and to try and snag one. It's not fair really. She should be torturing you."

"Who says she isn't. I just smile and nod and never show up" Elana said with a yawn. Then she paused. "oh it better not be a pregnancy announcement"

"From mother? Eww. She's like...five hundred years old!" Giana responded with a look of disgust on her face. "Paolo was a miracle, and that was 14 years ago."

Elana rolled her eyes "Giuseppe and Jessica" She drawled.

"Oh." Giana said, rolling her eyes. "One little rat is enough. I don't want it getting too crowded around here."

"And yet the Imperial family must be seen to be strong and having more sons will add to our brother's legacy. More so, if one of his spawn knocks Paolo off his perch."

"Did you know that our great grandfather, Emperor Giuseppe was the first Orsini to hold the title and was only the third Terran Emperor in history to die a natural death? We may have forgotten for the last 80 or so peaceful years of...embarrassing Imperial obscurity, but our titles used to be a death sentence." Giana remarked, and then grinned. "Who am I kidding. Of course you knew that; you're an incredible dork."

Elana chose to ignore that. "The stronger the line, the more people he can bring to his side. When he becomes Emperor Sister, how far do you think our stocks will fall?"

"And who says he will be Emperor? Because he has 'crown' in front of his title? If you haven't noticed, Father is completely unimpressed. I might have a better chance at it than him in the long run." Giana said, giggling for a few seconds and then stopping suddenly, her smile fading from her face. "Don't you dare tell anyone about that joke."

"And who would believe me Sister?" Elana asked. "And if Paolo inherits over our older brother? You know what he will do."

"You're wrong about him, Elana. Paolo's a puppy. A brilliant little puppy." Giana said, shaking her head. "Perhaps he'll listen to his big sisters. And kill Giuseppe, of course. Some things can't be avoided."

Elana merely shrugged "One should never put the cart before the horse" She examined her nails. "I think i will head to the Hawaii House after our family dinner. I need to work on my tan."

"A rekindled concern for how you look?" Giana asked, standing up. "That's a relief. I'm going to go change now so that we can get on with this whole abysmal affair."

Elana gave half a shrug and headed for the door. Her sister could believe what she wanted to believe. Elana had a plan all her own. "See you at the Shuttle Sister dear"

"Mmmm..." was all Giana said as she glided out of the room, her mind now totally focused on the question of the dress.