Avos'

𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐨𝐰...

PAPA ALWAYS HAD A WAY WITH WORDS.

As the Tsar of Russia, Nicholas Mikhailov needed to be. He needed to watch himself- constantly- needed to always be a master of spinning tales and making even the worst news sound like a blessing. He was a ruler, a king, and this meant that the world always had its ears trained on him, waiting for just one show of weakness to strike.

He liked to speak, too. He liked captivating audiences, enthralling guests, and regaling his children with lessons he learned through his life as a royal.

Mama always listened, but she didn't need to, seeing as though she believed it was not her place to meddle with her husband's business. Pietro, the next in line due to something as trivial as being male, was too young to understand. Oksana's sisters, however much they wanted to follow along, all bored easily.

But not Oksana.

As a child, Oksana consumed every single word, always at the edge of her seat because she understood the wisdom that was being granted to her. The rest of her family- bless their hearts- loved the parties and the dinners and the charity events, but Oksana craved inner workings that happened behind closed doors.

Luckily, Papa saw this within her. He didn't cast her aside simply because of her gender but nurtured her curiosity and that part of her that was solely him.

We are ancient, royal, to be feared and adored, so we should hold ourselves as such.

He ranted at length about that. He was constantly reminding her of the prominence of their status. He never let her forget what it meant to be a Mikhailov- blood of the old country- and all the responsibilities that came with that.

So, she always dressed to perfection. She made sure her hair was impeccably styled, her dresses were wrinkle-free, and her posture was perfect.

Maybe we do not deserve the pedestal we have been put upon, but that is our burden to bear.

Humility. That was important too. While other aristocrats and socialites flaunted their status and treated those below them like grime, Oksana was taught to humble herself to those that had less. She visited orphanages with Mama, went to villages to serve dinners to widowed wives, and made sure to never let her power get the best of her.

Because power was something she had in spades, and no amount of sheer force or brutality was required for all to recognize it.

There are those that wish to see us fail. They wish to see our bloodline crumble and our history burn. Never let them see you falter.

The most important lesson.

She should smile at those of lesser fortune, she should appreciate the weight of her title, but she should never forget that amongst the sheep, she is a wolf.

But she's faltering right now.

With the extreme reluctance of the Shelby family, they have all decided that tonight- the night of the annual Shelby Limited Charity Gala- will be where they move their first pawn.

It's the night she will finally reveal herself to the world.

Despite the fact that she's known this day would eventually come, she can't help but feel the sticky heat of anxiety cover her skin. In the last week, Tommy's been setting the stage for this moment. He hasn't let anyone besides his family in on the secret, but he has dropped hints. He's visited a few contacts, spoken at length with diplomats, and sent correspondence to the Russians he's been associating with.