p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Clarisse Renaldi did definitely not want to wake up that morning. She had to try the dresses for the photoshoots, which meant having to endure the presence -and comments- of that hell of a woman. She found herself groaning while turning on the bed at the mere thought, but got up, nonetheless. She was used to sacrifice, and that day she would have to sacrifice her sanity. But she could take her time…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Emily kept writing the instructions that Miranda was dictating her at a crazy pace. That was better than watching her fuming and mumbling unintelligible things under her breath, though. At least that way Miranda was occupied doing something and not heating the fire that would breathe later over her. Finally, half an hour after the agreed time, queen Clarisse made her appearance, entering the room with her head high and a big smile plastered across her face. 'Today's going to be hell' thought Emily./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Nigel hurried to explain the queen the ideas they had for the dresses and started to show her some of them, shooting Miranda a pleading look that clearly said, 'please don't insult the queen'./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"After the fifth dress, Clarisse started to feel bored. She just put the dresses on, changing behind a folding screen, and then they would start making comments about what was right or, more usual than not, wrong about it. What complements could make the outfit pass, or the setting where the pictures should be taken. But they wouldn't talk to her. She was just standing there, moving the way they indicated, enduring their talk and their fidgeting and then changing into yet another dress./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"When they had finished noting the changes that needed to be done to the dress that she was currently wearing, she moved behind the folding screen, while Emily and Nigel went to ask Charlotte some questions about the palace. Miranda, however, stayed right where she was and, tilting slightly her head, handed Clarisse another dress, hanging it before the folding screen. It was a stunning red dress, beautiful, but it left little to the imagination with both front and back low cleavages, and a slit that went high up the left thigh. Clarisse took the dress, ready to change into it, when she saw it. She took a calming breath so as not to kill Miranda right then and there and stormed out of the folding screen holding the dress high, not caring that she was only in her underwear./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Are you serious? This is utterly distasteful for a queen." Clarisse glared at the offending clothing, just to avoid glaring at the one person that was actually offending her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You're a queen, not a nun." Answered Miranda quietly. Her tone was not chosen out of fear nor respect, that much was clear./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""A em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"widow/em queen, may I remind you." Highlighted Clarisse, choosing to ignore her comment, but meeting her look. If she answered to that she would not be able to hold her tongue./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Yes, and the one that's dead is him, not you." Stated Miranda with her right eyebrow slightly raised. None of them heard the gasp of Charlotte at the back of the room. Only Emily and Nigel did, but they were too caught up in the scene before them to pay attention./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"The danger of the Ice Queen wasn't that of freezing her enemies to death with her infamous glare, even if that glare was actually deadly. No. The temper of Her Majesty was like walking on thin ice. One could think it was safe, venturing farther and farther apart from the secure shore, confident that duty and scrutiny would hold the ice together even if one saw the cracks on it, never allowing the queen to falter for one moment in being the proper lady that she was supposed to be. But one step too far and the ice would break. Just for a few seconds, but enough to engulf the fearless wandering person into the dark and freezing waters below, and then recompose itself as if nothing had happened, leaving a perfectly flat surface above the drowning victim. Miranda soon realized that she had ventured too far into the ice when the two cold blue eyes of the Ice Queen closed its distance with her own, levelling with her, and felt the index finger of the woman opposite her pressing against her sternum, forcing her to take a few steps backwards, her back against the wall. Only then did the queen speak, or more accurately, hiss, in her direction: "Do not speak to me like that ever again." She didn't threaten her. She didn't need to. Her only words were already a threat, an order./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"At the other side of the room, Emily, Nigel and Charlotte couldn't help but whispered, all at the same time "Oh. My. God." Nigel, not being able to look away from the scene taking place a few feet away from them, kept talking: "I think I have a hard-on."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I thought you were gay." Emily whispered back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""People are bisexual, Karen" Nigel mocked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Isn't your name Emily?" Mumbled a confused Charlotte./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Enough with the banter over there" said Miranda crossing her arms before her "we have work to do". The queen had already backed a couple of steps away, giving her some space, and retired her pressing finger from her chest, but she could still feel the warmth that lingered afterwards. Yet, she refused to break the battle of eye contact that seemed to have started. "Emily, fetch me the dresses from that unpronounceable genovian designer. Or is genovian lace still too distasteful for Her Majesty?" Miranda allowed herself a smirk./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Her Majesty/em has a meeting with the Prime Minister, so if you'll excuse me, we will continue this afternoon." Said Clarisse, dedicating a final glare to the shameless chief editor. She put the outfit she had arrived on as quickly as possible and called out after Charlotte: "Let's go."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Miranda watched the queen disappear after the door. She still had that smirk of satisfaction in her face when she spoke, just after hearing the click of the door as Charlotte closed it. "So that's the Ice Queen. That I can work on."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Oh, you're wicked." Laughed Nigel, astounded. "You actually wanted her to snap."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I wanted to know if she had it. And oh, she has it." Answered Miranda absent-mindedly to her associate, her eyes narrowed. Nigel could almost see the wheels turning inside her head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""If she had what? A temper?" Asked Nigel./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Power." Said Miranda looking directly at Nigel. He could not identify what he saw in that look./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Well. You know, she's the queen of an entire country, I think that was a safe bet." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I wasn't looking for political power there. She's got power over herself. She knows it and she owns it. Now we only need to bring it out." The smile that formed on Miranda's face was the promise of trouble, and Nigel knew it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 14.2pt;" align="center"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"*** /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""That… woman!" Fumed Clarisse as she accelerated her pace. "How dare she talk to me like that? She's got no limits, no boundaries. She's so… I don't think I've ever been treated with as much disrespect as she just did. Where is Joseph? I'm sure he will volunteer to hang her by her toes in the courtyard." She suddenly stopped, looking at her surroundings questioningly. "And where the hell am I going?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""May I suggest your suite, Your Majesty? Because if you went out to the gardens she would know that you didn't have a meeting with the Prime Minister." Answered Charlotte./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"The smug smile that appeared slowly in her face suggested that she would em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"not/em go to her suite. "Yes, she would. After all, that room has a nice view of my beautiful rose garden. And I believe it's been a long time since I've paid a visit."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 14.2pt;" align="center"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"***/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"The moment the queen entered the room again that afternoon silence fell as if a spell had been casted. It was almost unnatural the way it resonated in their ears, the way they even held their breaths. But the queen smiled and the spell broke. And they could breathe again. At least for now. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"The tension while she tried the rest of the dresses, however, could be cut with a knife. When they finished, the photographer was ready with the first setting inside that same room. That was the moment when everything began to go south again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"When the flashes started, Miranda pursed her lips. And when the queen avoided showing just a bit of leg through the slit in the black dress that she was currently wearing Miranda rolled her eyes. And sighed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What?" Asked Clarisse, visibly annoyed by the woman's behaviour./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Nothing, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Your Majesty/em." Miranda stressed her title as if it was an insult./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Just get on with it. Say whatever disrespectful comment you are thinking so we can move on." Said Clarisse impatiently./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Okay. Would you stop being such a prude?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"That was not what Clarisse was expecting and she actually found the remark funny. However, she repressed the chuckle that was building in her throat and answered, instead./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I have given birth twice; I think I can safely say that I am not a prude." Clarisse couldn't help but smile at this./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""That just proves that you are not a virgin, but it says nothing about being a prude. No wonder they call you the Ice Queen." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Don't you dare." Her response had a low tone, almost like a growl./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I heard that king Rupert died in bed, he surely froze to death." Miranda was being vicious now; she was drinking in the power that the queen was showing and felt drunk with it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What did you just say?" The air seemed to have abandoned her lungs. It was a punch in the stomach. Not because she found truth in that affirmation, no. Miranda was far from the truth. But the fact that she had dared to use Rupert's death in this stupid war of hers was something that Clarisse had not anticipated. And it burned her with rage. How dared she? Who was her to speak like that about Rupert? She found herself closing the few steps that separated her from the silver haired woman and, just as Miranda was about to answer her question, she slapped her hard. Her eyes reflecting the pure disgust that woman produced in her. She dedicated her one last disdainful look before turning towards the folding screen to change. She was regretting the moment she accepted that agreement./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Did you take the right pictures?" Miranda asked the photographer, still looking at the space where Queen Clarisse had been./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Yes, raw power as you asked." He answered taking pride, although he said it in a low voice, fearful that the queen would come for him next./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Good. Now leave. All of you." Said Miranda quietly to all the crew./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Ma'am, I don't think…" Objected Charlotte. She didn't want to leave her queen alone with that devil of a woman. She had hurt her enough already./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You want me to apologize, don't you? Then leave. I will do it, but not in front of more people than necessary, and the only one that needs to be present is her. So leave." Insisted Miranda./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"They left. Nigel shared a quick look with her before closing the door behind him. He was worried, and not only because their agreement was quite probably going to be revoked. He was worried because she was acting more reckless than ever./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You and me are the only ones left now. They're gone." Miranda raised her voice for Clarisse to hear her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""It's you and I, learn to speak properly." Snapped the queen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"are/em a snob."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I thought you said Charlotte that you were going to apologize and that doesn't seem like an apology." Said Clarisse as she finished taking the complicated dress off./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I lied." Smirked Miranda./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""And why on earth would you do that?" She was so annoyed that she came out behind the folding screen in her underwear, yet again that day, and confronted Miranda./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You know, this is the second time that you've invaded my personal space wearing nothing but your underwear today. Are you trying to seduce me?" Asked Miranda seriously./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You're infuriating and you haven't answered my question." Said Clarisse without moving./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Neither have you." Answered Miranda, eyeing her suggestively from head to toe and back up again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What is your game?" Clarisse asked with true interest. She was done and she would not play anymore. She just wanted to know./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You're boring when you try to be nice with everyone. And I don't want nice nor boring."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Well, that's unfortunate, because that's who I am." Said Clarisse as she turned again towards the folding screen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""No." Stated Miranda firmly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Excuse me?" Clarisse turned right on the spot./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""That's not who you are, because I've seen how you really feel about me and it's not nice. You despise me. And yet when you came here this afternoon you put a smile on your face and tried to be nice. Because that's who you're supposed to be. But there's a difference between the two."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""So what do you want?" Clarisse didn't even try to deny it. She knew it was pointless./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I want the truth, that's why I'm here. I want raw power, passion, rage, whatever you have to offer. But it's got to be true." Miranda looked right into Clarisse's eyes as she spoke softly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I'm afraid that's not possible." Clarisse said matter-of-factly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Why?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Because you're not true yourself and I will not be the only one left bare there. I'm done playing your games. You either take this or you take nothing. It's your choice, but you've got to stop being so bloody annoying." It was a warning, a serious one, but at least that meant that the agreement was still on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""But, didn't you want me to be true myself? Well, I em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"am/em annoying. That is who I am. Ask everyone." Miranda raised her arms as if to gesture towards a bunch of invisible people around her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Yes, because everybody knows that what you show to the world is what you are. Come on, Miranda, I'm not that naïve. Besides, I don't care. Honestly, I don't care who you are because it doesn't matter if you are true or fake or whatever, I still have to be who I have to be." Clarisse paused for a moment, contemplating her words. There was resignation in her voice, even though she didn't know if Miranda was able to hear it. She had let Clarisse the woman breathe for a moment. "And now go." She said with resolution./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""This is my office." Stated Miranda./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""And this is my palace and em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I/em am the queen. Go." Her tone, just slightly raised, left no room for discussion. The Ice Queen had returned, replacing Clarisse, and she was in charge now./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Miranda left./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Emily kept writing the instructions that Miranda was dictating her at a crazy pace. That was better than watching her fuming and mumbling unintelligible things under her breath, though. At least that way Miranda was occupied doing something and not heating the fire that would breathe later over her. Finally, half an hour after the agreed time, queen Clarisse made her appearance, entering the room with her head high and a big smile plastered across her face. 'Today's going to be hell' thought Emily./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Nigel hurried to explain the queen the ideas they had for the dresses and started to show her some of them, shooting Miranda a pleading look that clearly said, 'please don't insult the queen'./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"After the fifth dress, Clarisse started to feel bored. She just put the dresses on, changing behind a folding screen, and then they would start making comments about what was right or, more usual than not, wrong about it. What complements could make the outfit pass, or the setting where the pictures should be taken. But they wouldn't talk to her. She was just standing there, moving the way they indicated, enduring their talk and their fidgeting and then changing into yet another dress./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"When they had finished noting the changes that needed to be done to the dress that she was currently wearing, she moved behind the folding screen, while Emily and Nigel went to ask Charlotte some questions about the palace. Miranda, however, stayed right where she was and, tilting slightly her head, handed Clarisse another dress, hanging it before the folding screen. It was a stunning red dress, beautiful, but it left little to the imagination with both front and back low cleavages, and a slit that went high up the left thigh. Clarisse took the dress, ready to change into it, when she saw it. She took a calming breath so as not to kill Miranda right then and there and stormed out of the folding screen holding the dress high, not caring that she was only in her underwear./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Are you serious? This is utterly distasteful for a queen." Clarisse glared at the offending clothing, just to avoid glaring at the one person that was actually offending her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You're a queen, not a nun." Answered Miranda quietly. Her tone was not chosen out of fear nor respect, that much was clear./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""A em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"widow/em queen, may I remind you." Highlighted Clarisse, choosing to ignore her comment, but meeting her look. If she answered to that she would not be able to hold her tongue./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Yes, and the one that's dead is him, not you." Stated Miranda with her right eyebrow slightly raised. None of them heard the gasp of Charlotte at the back of the room. Only Emily and Nigel did, but they were too caught up in the scene before them to pay attention./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"The danger of the Ice Queen wasn't that of freezing her enemies to death with her infamous glare, even if that glare was actually deadly. No. The temper of Her Majesty was like walking on thin ice. One could think it was safe, venturing farther and farther apart from the secure shore, confident that duty and scrutiny would hold the ice together even if one saw the cracks on it, never allowing the queen to falter for one moment in being the proper lady that she was supposed to be. But one step too far and the ice would break. Just for a few seconds, but enough to engulf the fearless wandering person into the dark and freezing waters below, and then recompose itself as if nothing had happened, leaving a perfectly flat surface above the drowning victim. Miranda soon realized that she had ventured too far into the ice when the two cold blue eyes of the Ice Queen closed its distance with her own, levelling with her, and felt the index finger of the woman opposite her pressing against her sternum, forcing her to take a few steps backwards, her back against the wall. Only then did the queen speak, or more accurately, hiss, in her direction: "Do not speak to me like that ever again." She didn't threaten her. She didn't need to. Her only words were already a threat, an order./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"At the other side of the room, Emily, Nigel and Charlotte couldn't help but whispered, all at the same time "Oh. My. God." Nigel, not being able to look away from the scene taking place a few feet away from them, kept talking: "I think I have a hard-on."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I thought you were gay." Emily whispered back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""People are bisexual, Karen" Nigel mocked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Isn't your name Emily?" Mumbled a confused Charlotte./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Enough with the banter over there" said Miranda crossing her arms before her "we have work to do". The queen had already backed a couple of steps away, giving her some space, and retired her pressing finger from her chest, but she could still feel the warmth that lingered afterwards. Yet, she refused to break the battle of eye contact that seemed to have started. "Emily, fetch me the dresses from that unpronounceable genovian designer. Or is genovian lace still too distasteful for Her Majesty?" Miranda allowed herself a smirk./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Her Majesty/em has a meeting with the Prime Minister, so if you'll excuse me, we will continue this afternoon." Said Clarisse, dedicating a final glare to the shameless chief editor. She put the outfit she had arrived on as quickly as possible and called out after Charlotte: "Let's go."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Miranda watched the queen disappear after the door. She still had that smirk of satisfaction in her face when she spoke, just after hearing the click of the door as Charlotte closed it. "So that's the Ice Queen. That I can work on."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Oh, you're wicked." Laughed Nigel, astounded. "You actually wanted her to snap."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I wanted to know if she had it. And oh, she has it." Answered Miranda absent-mindedly to her associate, her eyes narrowed. Nigel could almost see the wheels turning inside her head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""If she had what? A temper?" Asked Nigel./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Power." Said Miranda looking directly at Nigel. He could not identify what he saw in that look./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Well. You know, she's the queen of an entire country, I think that was a safe bet." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I wasn't looking for political power there. She's got power over herself. She knows it and she owns it. Now we only need to bring it out." The smile that formed on Miranda's face was the promise of trouble, and Nigel knew it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 14.2pt;" align="center"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"*** /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""That… woman!" Fumed Clarisse as she accelerated her pace. "How dare she talk to me like that? She's got no limits, no boundaries. She's so… I don't think I've ever been treated with as much disrespect as she just did. Where is Joseph? I'm sure he will volunteer to hang her by her toes in the courtyard." She suddenly stopped, looking at her surroundings questioningly. "And where the hell am I going?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""May I suggest your suite, Your Majesty? Because if you went out to the gardens she would know that you didn't have a meeting with the Prime Minister." Answered Charlotte./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"The smug smile that appeared slowly in her face suggested that she would em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"not/em go to her suite. "Yes, she would. After all, that room has a nice view of my beautiful rose garden. And I believe it's been a long time since I've paid a visit."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 14.2pt;" align="center"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"***/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"The moment the queen entered the room again that afternoon silence fell as if a spell had been casted. It was almost unnatural the way it resonated in their ears, the way they even held their breaths. But the queen smiled and the spell broke. And they could breathe again. At least for now. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"The tension while she tried the rest of the dresses, however, could be cut with a knife. When they finished, the photographer was ready with the first setting inside that same room. That was the moment when everything began to go south again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"When the flashes started, Miranda pursed her lips. And when the queen avoided showing just a bit of leg through the slit in the black dress that she was currently wearing Miranda rolled her eyes. And sighed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What?" Asked Clarisse, visibly annoyed by the woman's behaviour./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Nothing, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Your Majesty/em." Miranda stressed her title as if it was an insult./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Just get on with it. Say whatever disrespectful comment you are thinking so we can move on." Said Clarisse impatiently./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Okay. Would you stop being such a prude?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"That was not what Clarisse was expecting and she actually found the remark funny. However, she repressed the chuckle that was building in her throat and answered, instead./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I have given birth twice; I think I can safely say that I am not a prude." Clarisse couldn't help but smile at this./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""That just proves that you are not a virgin, but it says nothing about being a prude. No wonder they call you the Ice Queen." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Don't you dare." Her response had a low tone, almost like a growl./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I heard that king Rupert died in bed, he surely froze to death." Miranda was being vicious now; she was drinking in the power that the queen was showing and felt drunk with it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What did you just say?" The air seemed to have abandoned her lungs. It was a punch in the stomach. Not because she found truth in that affirmation, no. Miranda was far from the truth. But the fact that she had dared to use Rupert's death in this stupid war of hers was something that Clarisse had not anticipated. And it burned her with rage. How dared she? Who was her to speak like that about Rupert? She found herself closing the few steps that separated her from the silver haired woman and, just as Miranda was about to answer her question, she slapped her hard. Her eyes reflecting the pure disgust that woman produced in her. She dedicated her one last disdainful look before turning towards the folding screen to change. She was regretting the moment she accepted that agreement./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Did you take the right pictures?" Miranda asked the photographer, still looking at the space where Queen Clarisse had been./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Yes, raw power as you asked." He answered taking pride, although he said it in a low voice, fearful that the queen would come for him next./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Good. Now leave. All of you." Said Miranda quietly to all the crew./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Ma'am, I don't think…" Objected Charlotte. She didn't want to leave her queen alone with that devil of a woman. She had hurt her enough already./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You want me to apologize, don't you? Then leave. I will do it, but not in front of more people than necessary, and the only one that needs to be present is her. So leave." Insisted Miranda./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"They left. Nigel shared a quick look with her before closing the door behind him. He was worried, and not only because their agreement was quite probably going to be revoked. He was worried because she was acting more reckless than ever./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You and me are the only ones left now. They're gone." Miranda raised her voice for Clarisse to hear her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""It's you and I, learn to speak properly." Snapped the queen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"are/em a snob."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I thought you said Charlotte that you were going to apologize and that doesn't seem like an apology." Said Clarisse as she finished taking the complicated dress off./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I lied." Smirked Miranda./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""And why on earth would you do that?" She was so annoyed that she came out behind the folding screen in her underwear, yet again that day, and confronted Miranda./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You know, this is the second time that you've invaded my personal space wearing nothing but your underwear today. Are you trying to seduce me?" Asked Miranda seriously./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You're infuriating and you haven't answered my question." Said Clarisse without moving./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Neither have you." Answered Miranda, eyeing her suggestively from head to toe and back up again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What is your game?" Clarisse asked with true interest. She was done and she would not play anymore. She just wanted to know./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You're boring when you try to be nice with everyone. And I don't want nice nor boring."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Well, that's unfortunate, because that's who I am." Said Clarisse as she turned again towards the folding screen./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""No." Stated Miranda firmly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Excuse me?" Clarisse turned right on the spot./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""That's not who you are, because I've seen how you really feel about me and it's not nice. You despise me. And yet when you came here this afternoon you put a smile on your face and tried to be nice. Because that's who you're supposed to be. But there's a difference between the two."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""So what do you want?" Clarisse didn't even try to deny it. She knew it was pointless./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I want the truth, that's why I'm here. I want raw power, passion, rage, whatever you have to offer. But it's got to be true." Miranda looked right into Clarisse's eyes as she spoke softly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I'm afraid that's not possible." Clarisse said matter-of-factly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Why?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Because you're not true yourself and I will not be the only one left bare there. I'm done playing your games. You either take this or you take nothing. It's your choice, but you've got to stop being so bloody annoying." It was a warning, a serious one, but at least that meant that the agreement was still on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""But, didn't you want me to be true myself? Well, I em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"am/em annoying. That is who I am. Ask everyone." Miranda raised her arms as if to gesture towards a bunch of invisible people around her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Yes, because everybody knows that what you show to the world is what you are. Come on, Miranda, I'm not that naïve. Besides, I don't care. Honestly, I don't care who you are because it doesn't matter if you are true or fake or whatever, I still have to be who I have to be." Clarisse paused for a moment, contemplating her words. There was resignation in her voice, even though she didn't know if Miranda was able to hear it. She had let Clarisse the woman breathe for a moment. "And now go." She said with resolution./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""This is my office." Stated Miranda./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""And this is my palace and em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I/em am the queen. Go." Her tone, just slightly raised, left no room for discussion. The Ice Queen had returned, replacing Clarisse, and she was in charge now./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Miranda left./span/p