Avos'

...𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧

PART TWO OF A DOUBLE UPDATE, READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER

𝐨𝐡, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐲/𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲/𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲/𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢'𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 

-𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐬

song recommendation above///trigger warnings for some weird shite in this chapter

"MIKHAILOV? AS IN THE DAUGHTER OF THE FORMER TSAR NICHOLAS?"

To say that Oksana feels overwhelmed is an understatement, but it's chaotic and exhilarating in the best way possible. Like the stout, stubbly man in front of her, everyone wants her attention.

"Have you been staying with the French? I hear they have some Georgians they've rescued?"

"Of course, not with the French. Tell me, your highness, how exactly did you survive that fire?"

She makes her way through all the questions. They're all very receptive to her, but the first line of diplomatic and calculating men are suspicious, mostly just experiencing some sort of flabbergasted shock. They ask these questions, ranging from curious to downright intrusive, but she doesn't let any of them bother her.

She smiles, she waves, she politely excuses herself, and she moves to the next one.

The line of men is preferable, however, to the women that surround her.

"Oh, dear! What a lovely gown? Is it Spanish?"

"Oksandas? Did I pronounce that correctly?"

"You must come over for tea this week. The girls at the Rotary Club would love to have you!"

The women fawn over her like she's some prized toy, a possession to show off in front of their friends to flaunt the kind of company they keep. The men she can deal with, she understands their motives, but the women are another thing entirely.

But again, she smiles, she waves, she politely excuses herself, and she moves to the next one. It's all her, every single eye watching and waiting, everyone expecting brilliance to come out of her mouth.

But she likes it. No, she loves it.

Being the center of attention comes naturally to her, and she finds it easy to shuck off the years of clinging to the shadows when the spotlight is on her. She's sure that this should make her vapid or vain, but she sees it as a treat. Why not reward herself for a night and bask in the glory of being who she rightfully is?

"You're so lovely, your highness. It's nice to see someone as humble as you. So wonderful with conversation as well."

Oksana blushes at the compliment. This must be the twelfth person she's spoken with, but he's by far her favorite. He's very sweet, around his late sixties, and she's come to find out that he isn't a major player in Tommy's business. He's local- originally from Birmingham- but still makes Tommy's suits whenever he needs something custom.