Episode 14: Emerald Empress
The boutique was quiet.
Too quiet.
And since Kai Ren Cruz St. Claire was in it?
The Heavens paused…
Shocked.
Nari looked at her brother.
Kai had not moved.
He had not said a word.
He didn’t even blink.
She looked at Na’Alarae.
Then she looked back at Kai.
A slow grin spread across her lips.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” she thought to herself.
“Gotcha, Little Brother…”
For years she had watched him do it.
The smile.
The confidence.
The effortless charm that made complete strangers feel like they had known him forever.
Kai St. Claire could walk into any room and within ten minutes know everyone’s name, their favorite drink, their grandmother’s secret recipe, and somehow get invited to Thanksgiving dinner.
It was ridiculous.
Annoying.
And unfortunately…
Effective.
Of course, Nari had always been immune.
Someone had to be.
She was his big sister.
The one person who could look at Kai Ren Cruz St. Claire in full performance mode and simply say:
“Kai. Stop.”
And he would.
Eventually.
Usually after one more sentence.
Or five.
But he stopped.
That was her job.
Her privilege.
Her curse.
She was the Kai whisperer.
Until now.
Nari looked at the woman standing beside her.
Na’Alarae was calmly rearranging the dress, completely unaware.
Absolutely oblivious.
And to Nari?
Positively…..delicious.
This woman had accomplished in less than five minutes what Nari had spent a lifetime perfecting.
She silenced Kai.
By accident.
Nari slowly smiled.
“Interesting…”
This was new.
This was unexpected.
And this was absolutely going into the sibling ammunition vault.
Forever.
“Kai?”
Nothing.
Her smile widened.
“Kai Ren?”
Still nothing.
Oh.
This was better than she thought.
“Kai Ren Cruz St. Claire.”
He blinked.
Once.
Then twice.
His eyes finally focused.
“Yes?”
Nari gasped dramatically.
“Oh good.”
Kai frowned.
“What?”
She patted his arm.
“Basic functions restored.”
Na’Alarae looked between them, confused.
“Was something wrong?”
Nari bit back a laugh.
Oh, this woman truly had no idea.
“No,” Nari said, smiling.
“Nothing at all.”
Nari, ever the big sister, covered for her brother.
“I’m needing a semi-formal dress for an important dinner.”
She turned back toward the mannequin.
“I really like ‘Pour The Wine.’ I usually look good in this color.”
Kai blinked.
Once.
Then twice more.
The fog cleared.
Finally.
He slowly walked over to his sister and looked at the dress.
Nari watched.
Amused.
There he was.
The wheels were turning again.
Analyzing.
Calculating.
The Kai St. Claire fashion engine was coming back online.
Then…
He rebooted.
“No.”
Nari raised an eyebrow.
“What? No?”
Kai shook his head.
“It’s too predictable.”
She frowned.
“Too predictable?”
“Yes. It’s your color. Your safe color. The color everyone expects you to choose.”
He stepped back and looked at her.
“No.”
A slow smile spread across his face.
“We need…”
He paused.
“Elegant Sparkle.”
Na’Alarae stopped.
Slowly, she turned back toward him.
And stared.
Not at his face.
Not at his smile.
Not at the charm he was usually prepared to use.
At his words.
“Elegant Sparkle.”
Kai looked at her.
“Yes.”
Her eyes lit up.
“Ohhh…”
She repeated it softly.
“Elegant Sparkle.”
Then suddenly she moved.
“I love that.”
She hurried toward the counter.
“Mind if I steal it?”
Before he could even answer, she grabbed a pen and started writing it down.
“I can already see it. That is absolutely a collection name.”
She missed it.
The way Kai’s spine straightened.
The faint color that appeared across his face.
The brief moment where Kai Ren Cruz St. Claire had absolutely no idea what to do with himself.
But Nari didn’t.
Oh no.
Nari saw everything.
And the smile that spread across her face?
Dangerous.
“Yes, yes!”
Na’Alarae stared down at the words she had just written.
“I can see it.”
Her eyes unfocused slightly, already somewhere else.
“Dresses with strategically placed crystals. Nothing overwhelming. Just enough to subtly catch the light with movement…”
She tilted her head.
“Elegant Sparkle.”
She smiled.
“That is perfect.”
Nari coughed.
Mostly to cover her laugh.
This woman was priceless.
Na’Alarae suddenly froze.
Then turned around.
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Oh my goodness. I’m sorry.”
She placed the pen down.
“I sometimes get carried away when a design hits.”
And there it was.
The opening.
Familiar ground.
Kai St. Claire had returned.
The smile appeared.
The posture relaxed.
The charm came online.
“Oh, think nothing of it.”
He waved his hand casually.
“I completely understand. I get the same way when I’m focused on something.”
His smile warmed.
“Like my sister here.”
He turned toward Nari.
“She doesn’t need a dress that enters the room before she does.”
Nari blinked.
The teasing smile softened slightly.
Kai looked back at Na’Alarae.
“She needs something that accents her.”
He shook his head.
“Not something that swamps her.”
And there it was.
The preen.
The confident smile.
The proud brother.
Kai St. Claire was back.
Nari almost laughed.
Almost.
Because she knew her brother.
He thought he had recovered.
He really did.
Na’Alarae looked at him.
Really looked at him.
And for the first time, there was a hint of surprise in her eyes.
“A man who can see fashion?”
She tilted her head slightly.
“Just who are you?”
Kai froze.
His eyes dilated.
Nari saw it.
Of course she did.
And then…
Na’Alarae turned away.
Again.
Completely unaware of the damage she had just caused.
Again.
She looked back at Nari, who was using every ounce of strength she possessed not to laugh.
“Something that brings out what is already there…”
Na’Alarae murmured the words more to herself than anyone else.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Studying.
Appraising.
Not judging.
Creating.
“A hidden jewel…”
She slowly walked around Nari.
Looking at her shape.
Her height.
Her presence.
Nari shifted.
Suddenly uncomfortable.
She knew that look.
She had seen that look before.
On Kai.
That intense focus.
That mind already creating something only they could see.
Oh no.
There were two of them.
Scary.
On both fronts.
A chill went down her spine.
“I’ve got it!”
Na’Alarae suddenly turned and disappeared into the back of the boutique.
Nari and Kai looked at each other.
Silence.
Then—
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“She is not like me.”
“Kai.”
“She isn’t.”
“Kai.”
“What?”
Nari smiled.
“She ran away mid-conversation because an idea attacked her.”
He opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Then frowned.
“That is completely different.”
“Of course it is.”
Before he could respond, Na’Alarae came back through the curtain.
Still talking.
As if she had never left the room.
“I’ve been wondering what to do with this one.”
She looked down at the dress in her hands.
“It was such an unusual design.”
She smiled.
“But…”
Her eyes lifted to Nari.
“I think you might be able to pull it off.”
She stepped forward.
And held up the dress.
Emerald green.
Rich.
Elegant.
Unexpected.
Nari and Kai stared at it.
Then at each other.
Then back at the dress.
The exact same expression appeared on both their faces.
Identical.
Perfectly mirrored.
Dubious.
Na’Alarae saw it immediately.
“I know, I know.”
She hurried forward, holding up a hand before either of them could say anything.
“It doesn’t look like much.”
She looked down at the dress.
“But that’s because you’re looking at it wrong.”
Kai raised an eyebrow.
Nari did the same.
At the same time.
Na’Alarae almost smiled.
Almost.
Definitely siblings, she thought.
“This dress…”
She turned it slightly.
“The Emerald Empress…”
She paused.
“This dress is not designed to make someone beautiful.”
Nari frowned.
“Isn’t that the purpose of a dress?”
“No.”
Na’Alarae answered without hesitation.
“A costume does that.”
She looked at Nari.
“A costume creates someone.”
Then she lifted the emerald fabric.
“A true design reveals someone.”
The boutique went quiet again.
A different kind of quiet this time.
Expectant.
“The Emerald Empress was made for someone to make it…”
Her eyes met Nari’s.
“Not for it to make them.”
Nari looked skeptical.
Kai looked contemplative.
Na’Alarae looked hopeful.
She rushed on.
“Let’s just try it on.”
She held up the dress.
“I promise, it will surprise you.”
Before Nari could answer, Na’Alarae grabbed her hand and started pulling her toward the dressing room.
“I don’t know…”
Nari resisted.
Na’Alarae smiled.
“What harm will it do? Just try it on. If you hate it, we move on.”
Nari looked back at Kai.
He simply motioned toward the dressing room.
“Go. Try it on.”
Nari’s eyes narrowed.
Slowly, she lifted two fingers.
Pointed them at her eyes.
Then pointed them at him.
Kai grinned.
Message received.
I am watching you.
He simply smiled wider.
Which did absolutely nothing to reassure her.
With one final suspicious look, she allowed Na’Alarae to pull her into the dressing room.
The moment the curtain closed, Kai turned back toward the boutique.
His eyes moved.
Analyzing.
Planning.
Creating.
If Nari thought she was leaving with only one dress…
She really should have known her brother better.
This is Kai.
Within minutes, he was moving through racks.
Dresses.
Pant suits.
Blouses.
Accessories.
Piece by piece, building the wardrobe his sister would never build for herself.
Inside the dressing room, Na’Alarae carefully helped Nari into the dress.
Then stepped back.
Silence.
Nari frowned.
“What?”
Na’Alarae didn’t answer immediately.
She just smiled.
“I knew it.”
“What?”
“I knew it was waiting for the right person.”
Nari looked down.
“It looks okay?”
Na’Alarae shook her head.
“No.”
Nari froze.
“No?”
“No.”
She smiled.
“It looks like it finally found its owner.”
Nari didn’t know what to say.
“But wait.”
Na’Alarae suddenly moved.
“Something is missing.”
Before Nari could protest, she gently guided her into the chair.
“What are you doing?”
“Finishing it.”
A few pins.
A few twists.
Slowly, Nari’s hair was lifted into an elegant updo.
Soft.
Regal.
Effortless.
Na’Alarae stepped back.
Then smiled.
“Yes.”
She ran out, grabbed a strand of pearls and some earrings then returned to the dressing room and placed them on her.
Na’Alarae stepped out.
Searched for Kai.
Then dramatically stepped aside.
“Presenting…”
She reached for the curtain.
“Nari St. Claire…”
Her smile widened.
“…in The Emerald Empress.”
The curtain opened.
Kai barely glanced up.
“Give me one second. I think I found—”
He stopped.
Completely.
The dress in his hand lowered.
Slowly.
He stared.
One second passed.
Then two.
Then three.
Nari frowned.
“Kai?”
Nothing.
Again.
Kai.exe….
System loading.
Nari shifted uncomfortably.
“Kai Ren?”
Still nothing.
And that worried her.
Because Kai always had something to say.
Always.
A suggestion.
An adjustment.
An opinion.
Usually three opinions.
“Kai, you’re starting to scare me.”
But Kai couldn’t answer.
Because standing in front of him was not a new version of his sister.
It was the version he had always seen.
The deep emerald fabric wrapped around her like it had been waiting for her.
The off-the-shoulder neckline framed her gracefully, revealing strength instead of vulnerability.
The sculpted bodice crossed elegantly, following her natural curves before flowing into a fitted silhouette that celebrated her shape without overwhelming it.
Every line of the dress moved with her.
Not against her.
The front was refined.
Confident.
Elegant.
But the back…
The back was where the Empress appeared.
A dramatic sweep of emerald fabric cascaded behind her, creating a flowing train that followed each step like a royal cloak.
The pearls at her throat caught the light softly.
Not competing.
Just finishing the picture.
Her hair, pinned into a loose updo with gentle curls framing her face, revealed the woman underneath.
Not decorated.
Revealed.
Kai swallowed.
Because Na’Alarae had done what he had been trying to do for years.
She hadn’t changed Nari.
She hadn’t covered his sister in something expensive and called it beauty.
She had simply removed every place Nari tried to hide.
This.
This was his sister.
The woman who raised him.
Protected him.
Challenged him.
The woman who could silence him with one look and comfort him with one hug.
The woman who spent her entire life making sure everyone else knew their worth…
while never recognizing her own.
This was how he had always seen her.
Strong.
Regal.
Beautiful.
Nari.
