Finding Maggie

Chapter Six - A Strange Set of Circumstances

Chapter Six - A Strange Set of Circumstances

Maggie faltered slightly as the great, oak doors creaked open to reveal a rather large parlor.  The room itself was warm and inviting with plush sofas scattered about amongst tables low enough to set drinks upon. A smaller chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling adding it's soft glow to the cozy decor.

All but two of the people, already seated within, fell silent and Mikhail gently guided Maggie into the room. Two women stood slightly off to Maggie's left, each one completely oblivious to the couple's arrival due to their horrifically loud screaming match. "It's mine!" One of the women squealed as she attempted to snatch a small mirror that the other woman was holding tightly in her grasp. The woman screaming was dressed in a rich purple gown that draped delicately across the floor as she tried in vain to retrieve her belonging. Her hair made Maggie's mouth fall open again for the umpteenth time that day. Twisted and woven with intricate beading, her dark, reddish-black hair was bound up into two identical spirals that drew up and away from her head.

The second woman, still holding the mirror out of reach, sneered as she shouted back to the redhead. "You set it down, now it's mine! Stop scratching me, you bitch!" The woman with the mirror was a good three inches taller than the other and used her height as an advantage. Dressed in pure gold, the woman held the mirror high into the air, forcing the woman in purple to jump in an attempt to take it back. Red and brown hair began to fly as the women set upon each other, tumbling to the floor as they each lost their balance. The woman in gold lost the crown that had been perched atop her head and it went skittering across the floor. The woman in purple saw her chance, tore after the crown, and snatched it up from the floor before her foe could stop her. Quickly, the woman in purple placed the crown on top of her own head and smirked. The screaming began again as now each one had an item that the other wanted. Maggie felt Mikhail lift her jaw back up with his hand but couldn't stand to look away from the torrent of fabric and hair as the women resumed their assaults.

Mikhail had just about had enough and left Maggie's side to rip the two women apart from one another. Both women stopped their fighting the moment they saw Mikhail's long arms join their tryst on the floor. They both stood and each attempted to fix their hair and dresses before slowly curtsying to Mikhail. Once the women resumed their upright stances, he lit into them like a fire. "What is wrong with you two?" Mikhail roared, his deep, masculine voice booming around the room.

The lady dressed in purple squealed, rudely pointing a finger to the other woman. "She took my mirror!"

"She set it down. Finders keepers." The woman in gold retorted, sticking her tongue out at her companion.

"Enough. I'm tired of you two always fighting. Ava, give her back her mirror. Vana, give her back her tiara." The two women eyed each other viciously but traded without another fight. "Vana, go over there." Mikhail said, pointing over to one corner of the room. "Ava, you go over there." Mikhail swung his arm around to point to a different corner. "And stay there until you are told." Ava and Vana both frowned and pouted at Mikhail but obeyed him none the less. He sighed and made his way back to Maggie's side before any of his other companions could work their magic on her.

"You'll have to excuse them." Mikhail said as he forced Maggie to stop staring at Vana's horned hair. "They can't help themselves. Let me introduce you to the others and then we shall dine.

Mikhail walked Maggie slowly around the room, letting each of his companions get a good look at her before moving on to the next. He could tell by the way Maggie's spine had become rigid that she was not at all comfortable but she held her composure valiantly just the same. Mikhail let himself relax a little as Maggie finally finished shaking hands with everyone. Everyone except Corvino. "Where is the Chief Captain tonight?" Mikhail queried, turning his attention over to the three men who were sitting at the bar drinking and conversing quietly amongst themselves.