La Couer de la Flamme

"You know that you would look better if you drop that grumpy expression off your face.", my makeup artist told me for the hundredth time this afternoon.

Absolutely wrong thing to say to me today!

"Just do your damned job!", I snapped. Everyone looked up startled. Lola frowned as she came to stand by my side.

"Someone's bitter tonight.", she said softly.

The anger simmered in my veins. I was frustrated.

"You try sitting in this chair all morning being primped and prodded and waxed to every bit of your life. I have had designers, and makeup artists and photographers breathing down my neck all through the week. I had two photoshoots with Vogue, one to record the choosing of my dress and another for an interview of my Met appearance. It's been non-stop hassle.", I said exhausted from the burden of the week.

"It's good PR, Sana. This will only help shut up speculation in the press.", she reminded me.

" I was supposed to make one damn appearance. Now, I have got more media following than a bloody celebrity. You know I am not used to being everyone's Barbie doll. I hate not being able to have a say in all this.", I muttered. "I fucking hate it. "

Great! Now I was losing my composure in front of staff. The entire week had been a test of my limits with the hovering of an entire team of people. Moreover, Emir had very skillfully escaped the media frenzy by flying back to Istanbul for some allegedly 'urgent business'. Without him around, the responsibilities of managing the office fell on me and I had had some highly unsavory confrontations with Clementine, the other partner who was currently in New York here with me getting ready to attend the Met. It was a constant tug of war.

I would skin Emir alive the moment he came back for leaving me in this viper pit with no one to help.

Lola sighed squeezing my shoulders.

She too was going through hell, helping out as my assistant. Managing all the boutiques was way above her qualifications and pay grade but I would have no one else with me.

"When is he coming back?", I asked.

"His flight's supposed to landing in about ten minutes.", she said checking her watch. The hair stylist curled my hair. It had been dyed to a golden blond colour to match the celestial Venus of Botticelli's. My head ached from all the pulling and scratching and heat.

This evening couldn't be just starting! Time was crawling like a snail.

"Oh! God! How much more?", I asked impatiently.

"We just need to touch up your face and your body and then set it all together with a fixer. It will take twenty minutes maximum.", the makeup artist promised nervously.

" In twenty minutes, I want this ordeal to be over. I don't care how I look after this, I am not going to be a minute more in this chair!", I exclaimed.

Taking my phone to see if there were any messages, I saw Georgiana wishing me luck for the night. There was also Bree and Lara's message and a few from my former employees. Then of course, there were various magazines asking for interviews. Nothing from Ethan.

What mattered most to me was not here.

The stylist managed to finish the work in nineteen minutes. I apologized to her for being an absolute ass throughout the whole affair. It was hardly her fault that my life had become so topsy turvy.

It took three assistants to put me into the dress. The entire thing was enormous with a 20 feet crystal blue train. It fit exquisitely now that it had been altered to stick to my body like second skin. The beautiful pearls hung in necklaces all over the bodice and the sleeves. Though the corset was absolutely sheer, two steps away from see through, it was supportive. The hair stylist, had beaded more pearls through my hair in a waterfall cascade of vibrant red. My hair was untamed, blow dried and wild. The makeup had changed me from ordinary mortal to the sultry, dewy goddess of love. The slit revealed a sinous leg thankfully toned from running.

The effect was magnificent.

"You look stunning, girl! I have never seen someone look so beautiful in that dress! Jesús I want to borrow your legs. I am so jealous", Lola teased as she and I stood alone in the room after the assistants had left. I did look stunning.

"They will be waiting for you down stairs for a final photoshoot.", Lola reminded me.

"Emir asked me to wait. He wanted us to make an entrance together as a part of our plan. I will be there after he comes up.", I told her.

She nodded, gave me a quick kiss on the lips and left. It made me smile. Her flirt mode was on today. Sneaky girl!

I put in some jazz music and relaxed.

My shoulders drooped. The gown was quite heavy and the corset, a bit stiff for my liking. It wasn't very comfortable. Then again haute cotoure wasn't meant to be comfortable. Thank god it was so revealing. At least it was airy.

My head fell back against the wall and I put my feet up on another chair and breathed slowly.

A slight shuffling at the door made me look up.

Emir stood in the doorway, his hand clenched on the handle of the golden knob. He was bespoke in a pale blue flowing kaftan, a traditional Turkish dress with a double breasted embroidered jacket. A blue silk dupatta was draped on his neck carelessly. He had leather Ferragamo loafers on his feet and a Gazi turban on his head. He looked like a bedouin in a desert. He was grinning like the devil probably because he had seen me drooling.

My hands clenched.

Apparently Emir had not seen me fully because when he came forward towards me, his lips parted in surprise.

"Inshaallah!", he said his breathing slightly unsteady.

Now it was my turn to grin.

"You're late.", I said as he recovered from his shock.

"You're a goddess.", he countered. A huff escaped me.

"Flattery is not going to save you from the severe stepping down you are going to get from me.", I warned turning my back to him so that he wouldn't see my cheeks burning. A blush had warmed my neck.

"It isn't flattery if it is the truth.", he said from somewhere behind.

"Well, I am going to need a better explanation for your absence than bloody praises. You don't know what this week has been like for me-", I started to say but stopped when he shushed me up. Pressing his finger to my lips, he turned me towards the enormous mirror.

He took something out of a pristine velvet blue box and put it around my neck. I gasped when I saw the necklace.

The chain was studded with diamonds, sparkling brilliantly in the light. In the centre of it was an enormous blue diamond in the centre. But, that wasn't the oddest thing about it. The blue diamond was glowing. The centre of it was glowing like an inferno in an ocean of saturated, cold blue. There was fire at the heart of it.

My disbelieving hand shot to the necklace, touching it to make sure it was real. My lips parted in awe.

"Emir...", I whispered breathlessly.

"Le couer de la flamme", Emir whispered back to me in my ear. " The heart of flame."

"I know what it means", I said still unable to get over my shock.

"It's second only to the Hope Diamond. Jean was given this piece by an ardent admirer of his work. The lady was a descendant of the French Royal blood line. Like the thousands of jewels lost during the revolution, this one got lost too. It is not listed anywhere. The people forgot all about the diamond that was once worn by Anne of France. There were rumors in the black market about the presence of a rare jewel. This noble lady had it taken off the market. But, unfortunately the necklace couldn't be retrieved, only the diamond which was in terrible condition. She consulted Jean on the matter and he brought in the best diamond cutters of Surat to fashion it . Originally, it was to be fashioned into a tiara but, the colour was so unique that neither white, gold nor silver nor anything would let the diamond shine on its own. So, Jean designed a timeless and classic necklace to make 'Le Couer de la Flamme' shine on its own. The diamond had to be cut some 35.59 carats to be made properly. Unfortunately, the lady was unable to wear it. She contracted blood cancer which was untreatable at the time and died within a year leaving Jean with her necklace because she had no descendants. But, it's people's version. Jean was devastated with her death. He was in love with her. They could never be married for he had no prestigious pedigree. He was a fashion designer, new money and that wouldn't sit well with the nobility. The necklace disappeared.", Emir finished.

"How did you find it?", I asked constantly touching my neck in awe.

"Three years ago, we were cleaning out my grandfather's private vault when I first saw this necklace. Jean probably gave it to my great, grand-father. I never even knew of it's existence. Probably no one in my family did. It's a shared history of it's owners but legally it belongs to us."

"Is this why you went to Istanbul?", I asked slowly.

My heart was racing.

"Yes. That dress required a special jewel."

"But, why is it glowing from the inside?", I asked curiously.

" It's not glowing. There is an impurity in the centre if it that gives it the unique colour in the middle of the dark blue. It's fire in the middle of the ocean. It's you.", he said and moved away.

It's you.

He said it's you.

"I....I don't know what to say."

"Then say nothing. You are the heart of the flame. You deserve to wear it.", he said closing the jewellery box.

"I will be waiting for you down stairs.", he said and excited the room.

'The Heart of the Flame'

I liked it.

The problem was I liked it too much.

Why?

Why did I like it so much?

It was a question I didn't answer.

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