A/N: Changing it up with a bit of femslash here, Constance/Milady to be precise. Modern AU and wow I love writing Milady as sweetly and wonderfully evil it's so much fun. This was originally a drabble on tumblr, but I fleshed it out a bit.
"You know, when I asked you to help me with my outfit, this isn't exactly what I had in mind" Constance protested nervously. In the tight, blood red dress and thick eyeliner, she didn't feel like herself. There was no way that someone that confident could be her. She looked like someone who could make men and women alike fall at their feet and worship her - Constance wasn't that person. She was just a simple country singer and there was no way she could go on stage looking like this. Just how was she supposed to walk in those heels? They looked sharp enough to cut a man's throat! "I thought it would be less... ah, revealing?"
Anne simply smirked.
"Don't you like it?" She asked, her soft, velvety voice sounding genuinely wounded, but when Constance turned to apologize for sounding ungrateful, she just laughed - though she had to admit, the expression her protege wore then was adorable. "You look amazing" she assured her. "You're going to absolutely kill them out there." Her grin was wide and feral, and Constance rolled her eyes.
"Don't say that as if actual bloodshed would please you, dear. I know your dream job is to be the Black Widow, but please, behave. A pile of bodies wouldn't exactly be a good impression for a first live concert, would it?"
"Oh, I suppose not." Milady conceded, sounding thoroughly put-out now that the prospect of murder most foul was off the table. "But I hope you know, you're going to be amazing. Walk like a queen - shoulders back, head high, think MURDER, and just strut, got it? You are divine, and they are mere mortals who should be groveling at your feet just to hear your voice even for a moment, understand me?"
Constance laughed, happily distracted from her previous nerves. Anne never could get enough of that sound. "Loud and clear. Do I get a kiss for luck?" She asked as someone called her to come to the stage.
"Always, my love" Milady pressed a soft kiss to her lips, careful not to smudge her make up, and snuck a sprig of forget-me-nots into her hair. It pleased her to gift Constance with the flowers that she had come to see as her calling-card, so that whenever she took to the stage, a part of her was standing up there with her. "Now, go get 'em, tiger" She ushered Constance out the door. Nothing was going to ruin this debut, nothing. And if anything tried... well. They'd learn the hard way that it did not do to cross Milady de Winter. She might have long ago given up that name, along with the job that it was attached to -but that did not mean she'd let her skills rust. She only hoped Constance never found out - it wouldn't do to have to go through what she did with Olivier all over again. No. That mess was better avoided. And Constance might have brothers, but they were not the sort to go delving into someone's sordid past, like poor, unfortunate little Thomas had. As long as she did right by Constance, they would leave her be, and since that was exactly what she intended to do, no one would need to die.
Still, she felt the urge to get out one of her knives and polish it. Just in case.
My dear reviewers, as always, I love you, and I'll say it again, with added admiration and respect. xxx