>>18767766Hanging on a rack in the corner is a black hat, with a golden star emblazoned on the front. The Queen picks it up, and tries it on -- it’s too small, of course. And she prefers her Crown. But Victoria notices a single word embroidered on the inside rim: ‘Rose’. A secret kept that even she would not dare to ask. Underneath, a very stylish red jacket. She recalls seeing someone wear one in her younger days; the fight promoter she was introduced to after her first championship win always wore one. She instinctively unfurls the coat and sees it clear as day across the shoulders, “MTR DOJO”. Perhaps not Claire’s herself, but it was... well, what a strange place for something like this to turn up once more. Victoria considers taking it, but it is far too small for her physique, and she lost, metaphorically and literally, her own a long time ago. It simply wouldn’t be right.
Turning back around, as if someone had called her name, the nightstand next to the bed draws her attention. Though an unseen force pushes her toward it, she sees that under the thick layer of dust is a photo frame, turned face down. She lifts it up, and her breath is caught in her throat. It is a picture she knows surprisingly well; Jeanne and a baby Claire Night. She remembers the night it was taken. She remembers the meal shared, and the laughter between the three of them. Victoria rolls the picture frame over in her hand, but can’t find a latch or screw. She firms her jaw, and takes a deep breath... before smashing the frame on the bedside table.
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