Heavy is the head that wears the crown

Stella shifted her weight in he seat, she looked like she felt awkward in her chair. Though the seating wasn’t really the main problem she was having. No amount of throw pillows could truly make any bit of difference to the story she was about to tell. Stella took one last sigh, then resigned her self to just start opening up about what has been wrong.

“The truth it’s all been to... much.” Stella said, looking at the clouds to avoid seeing anyone’s faces.

“What has been Lady Stella?” Grace gently asked, now speaking not just as a servant, but as her friend, and companion

“The training, the classes, the meetings, the pressure from mother it all just leaves my head spinning some times.” Stella said as she swallows.

“Your work it’s been getting to you.” Grace said, audible sympathy in her voice.

“Yes, I am stretched thin, and now mother wants me to run parts of the company for real, the responsibility it’s...”

“Overwhelming.” James said finishing Stella’s thought for her.

Stella winced, like hearing James say the word out loud physical hurt her. She for a while now had been pushed to
be the flawless daughter of Rose Lelivain. The stone fast heir to the QUEEN’S fortune, and head of the company. She wasn’t supposed to get overwhelmed. Of course she did, she knew she was only human. As did her father, her siblings, and Grace. They all treated her like a person. others didn’t her, like her mother, and some others in the family. To them she was just a tool, a **** who they could shove all of their exceptions on regardless of how Stella felt.

That’s why she physically recoiled when James mentioned she was overwhelmed. Because to a lot of people she didn’t get overwhelmed. She was expected not to.
It was hard to some times admit that reality was the opposite. She did get tired, she did get overwhelmed, she did get sad some times, but she had a hard time admitting it, mostly to her self. Maybe if she had, she wouldn’t have snapped at Ashlyn like she did.

“I know others in the family have hard jobs, some even harder, and I know I actually am lucky to have such a great opportunity for a career just given to me, but sometimes I wish things could go back to how their were before.”

“What’s uhhh were things like before i-if you don’t mind telling me?” Johnny asked a bit timidly.

He nervously straightened out his dress as he felt he was possible intruding on something that should kept with in Stella’s own family. This was further reinforced by Grace, who then gave Johnny an disapproving look for asking that question. Still Johnny even if it wasn’t exactly his place Johnny wanted to know what was going on with Stella so that he could help her. She had done so much for him in the day he meet her. God had it really only been a day, Johnny felt like he had known Stella for years now. That she was a old friend that he could rely on and trust. Even though he knew almost virtually nothing about her. He still felt a connection with her a bond of friendship, and something more maybe....

“It’s all right Grace.” Stella said motioning for Grace to calm down as she noticed it looked like she was going to scold Johnny.

“Lady Stella I don’t think it’s wise to speak of such things in front of the boy.” Grace said, speaking about Johnny like he wasn’t even there, though he could clearly hear her as she was right next to him

Seemed he was demoted back to being just “the boy”again when it came to family issues. Well at least she had the decency to not refer to him as “Stella’s stray” though.

“It’s fine Grace I trust him.” Stella said reassuring Grace that speaking about this to Johnny would be fine.

“Trust isn’t my concern, I’m concerned he wouldn’t understand the gravity of what you would be telling him.” Grace said, as she crossed her arms.

Her eyes then trailed over to Johnny, and she gave him a look of don’t take it personally. It wasn’t that she believed that Johnny would actively try to do something malicious, but that he couldn’t fully comprehend how sensitive some of the things Stella would be telling him might be.

“Either way it’s my decision to make Grace.” Stella said this time being a lot firmer in her tone of voice.

“Very well Lady Stella...” Grace sighed as she relented, seeing that pressing the argument wouldn’t get anywhere.

Stella then looked to Johnny, straightening her collar she took a deep breath as the story was a bit of a long one to explain.

“I’m not the first born daughter of Lelivain I know it’s kinda obvious but, that title goes to my older sister Ashlyn.” Stella said.

“Yet, despite that I am the one who is set up to take over the company not her.” Stella continued.

As she spoke there was a sad yet hardened look on her face, like she wished things weren’t this way, but she had accepted it was long ago. Or at least she had thought she had accepted it...

“Ashlyn being the first born, was originally set up to inherited the role of leading the company, yet as she grew older her relationship with mother got more rocky...”Stella paused.

“By the time Ashlyn was 18 she became almost fully defiant of mother, Ashlyn would argue against her, question her decisions, rebel against her...” Stella trailed off.

Johnny could see Stella was visible tense as she spoke about this. She had stiffened up, and was clenching her jaw, the memories being so uncomfortable to think about that they made her dig her nails into her dress pants.

“I-it was terrible back then t-they used to scream and, argue with each other for hours, call each other nasty things, even daddy couldn’t do anything to calm them down when it would happen.” James interjected, looking just as tense as Stella as he remembered those days.

Johnny recognized that look the on the faces of James and Stella right now. It was an expression that he himself was familiar with. It was that face he would make when he would think back to times of trauma. To incidents that, had marked him with emotional scar. Johnny could see now why Grace didn’t want to disclose something like this to him. Based on how Stella and, James were acting right now this was a time of great turmoil for the family, and a nightmare for both Stella and James to go though.

“Eventually mother had enough, and one she pretty much had Ashlyn removed from the family...” Stella paused a second this part was the worst for her to talk about.

“She took all of her possessions, and threw Ashlyn out a with only the clothes on her back, Ashlyn had nothing and nowhere to go.” Stella’s breathe started to quicken as she relieved this terrible time in her mind.

“M-mother even had her chased away from
our home, w-we didn’t even know what happened to her or where she went after that.” James started to cry, hiding his face with his hands as emotions overwhelmed him.

“To make matters worse Mother forbade anyone from the family tree from even associating with Ashlyn in anyway, so even if she went to anyone else in the family for help they just had her run off or out right ignored her.” Stella said.

She kept up a stolid expression. Yet Johnny could tell she was being absolutely tormented by the thought of her big sister being turned away by her own relatives, and treated like some sort of pest. Even if her mother would have brought down consequences on anyone who would have helped Ashlyn, she still couldn’t believe they could be so uncaring to their own family.

“After that I was brought into the role of successor, and mother pretended that Ashlyn never even existed she even got rid of all the pictures of her in our house.” Stella’s voice had a subtle flicker of fury as she spoke about this event.

Johnny could tell that she absolutely hated her mother for this the most. The exile of her sister was bad enough, but tryin to erase her like she never existed. Johnny could tell Stella had never forgiven her mother for it.

“W-what about your father what did he do about all this?” Johnny asked wondering if the seemingly nice man he meet before would really agree with something like that.

“Father was positively distraught over the whole thing, he even threatened to leave mother over it, yet she said if he did he would never see me or James again and... well he dropped the matter after that.” Stella said feeling sympathy for the situation her father had been put in.

He had already lost one child, and he was afraid of losing the ones he had left. Really Johnny couldn’t blame the man for backing down, Stella’s mother seemed like a real monster.

“Daddy really did try his best for us he was always so supportive through that time...” James sniffled, as he wiped tears form his eyes.

There was then a pause of silence, as Stella, and James again reconciled with this dark part of their lives. Though they had mostly hardened themselves to the memories, emotions still stirred with in them when they thought back to this time. Stella then cleared her throat, and began to continue the story.

“We didn’t see or hear anything of Ashlyn for about two years, then one out of the blue she’s shows back up at our house in a limousine.” Stella said, her expression turning a bit brighter as she started to relay this part of the story.

“She in the two years she was away she was able to take her self from nothing, and build her own company in the umm adult industry.” Stella said, her eyes shining a welling sense of pride, and respect for her sister as she spoke of her triumphant return from banishment.

“Mother was so surprised to see her come back like she did!” James giggled remembering the utter baffled expression on her mother’s face.

“Yeah mother really couldn’t pretended she didn’t exist after Ashlyn showed her all she accomplished.” Stella said, with a grin.

The two siblings were suddenly all smiles now. A sharp contrast to the gloomily tone they were in just a second ago. With the mood lightened Johnny couldn’t help but find himself smiling as well. Something about the utter joy which the two siblings radiated, upon talking about their lost sister came home... it was like a story out of one of the fantasy Johnny had read. Where the hero finally returns home after a long and, grueling quest to be reunited with her beloved family.

“After that, Ashlyn offered mom a 40% stake in her company.” Stella explained.

“Why would she do that?” Johnny said a bit confused as to why Ashlyn would give her mother anything.

“She did that so that she mother would let her back into the family, so she could see us and, Daddy again!” James clasped his hands together with a cheery smile as he spoke.

“Mom obviously took that deal as not only did she get part of Ashlyn’s company but it would help her save face.”

“After all if one of her children who she threw out rose to be such a success with out any support from her at all, others in the family might see it as a humiliation, and weakness.” Stella crossed her arms with a bit of frown as she spoke of her mother’s reasoning for letting her sister come back.

“I mean think about it she’s exiles her rebellious daughter only for said daughter to become hugely successful in spite of that her punishment she would seem incompetent, and some in the family might even try to ally with Ashlyn.”

“Yet with Ashlyn to coming back into the family the story could be spun that everything Ashlyn did was actually done to get mother’s approval rather then in spite of her, that and it also made it seem like she still had here own family in rank and file.”

Johnny was getting even more scared of the QUEEN family head the more her heard about her. She seemed positively ruthless, running her family more like a corporation then anything else.

“So that’s what my mother claimed, she was the gracious one, who let her daughter back into the fold after she had done so much to win her affection, truly she was just saving a lost lamb.” Stella said sarcastically, as she recited the “official” story.

“I see...” Johnny could have never imagined Stella’s family going through something so terrible, and all due to her own mother.

However after telling that story, a few things came into perspective for Johnny. Like how Ashlyn was so gracious in what she paid him for the little photo shoot they did. Honestly she could have offered him chump change in exchange for photos yet she didn’t. Ashlyn offered up a price that was more then fair, and while Johnny thought it was partly because Ashlyn was just a good person. He also believed it was in part because she knew what it was like to have to survive on the streets herself. She could empathize with his plight on a personal level, and treated him with a kind hand because of it. Even through the whole shoot Ashlyn had been nothing but gentle towards him.

“There is only one sort of snag in the story...” Stella sighed.

“Mother still left the role of successor to me instead of giving it back to Ashlyn.”

“She also keeps Ashlyn out of most of the family business, which is why she wasn’t called to the meeting before when she was keeping an eye out for you.” James said referring back to how you, and Ashlyn got some alone time in the first place.

“So you see that’s what I meant when I said, I wish things could go back to the way things were.” Stella explained

“I still wish that Ashlyn is the one who is going to take over the company instead of me.” Stella cringed, as she admitted what she thought was a purely selfish desire.

Off loading her own burdens on to her older sister when she had already been though so much. Then Grace who had been quiet this whole time to let the siblings tell their story finally spoke up.

“I hope you now can see how complex, and deep the past of the Lelivain family runs now Johnny.” Grace said, looking for inkling of what was going through the boy’s head as he processed the whole story.

Johnny didn’t say anything though he just nodded his head. Not really sure what he should say after hearing such a tale.

“Lady Stella, while I know your mother this, role you’ve been given, and the family can be tiresome to an **** degree one thing that you should know is that you don’t have to shoulder the burden alone.” Grace reassured her Lady with a kind look in her eyes.

“T-That’s right me and daddy as well we are always her for you.” James said with determined expression on her face, like she would fight army’s if it meant helping his sister even just a little bit.

“Your sister Ashlyn too she cares for you as well don’t forget that.” Grace reminded, Stella also hinting that she should apologize to her at some point.

“M-me to!” Johnny awkwardly blurted out.

He had just meet this girl yet hearing about her family’s past. Along with how she had treated, and took care of him. He couldn’t help but feel a want to pledge his support to her.

“Yeah I know, I should have always known that.” Stella said, Johnny not being able to tell if she was speaking only to Grace, and James or if she was speaking to him as well.

Though the thought of her addressing him to, made Johnny blush a little bit. Like Stella was referring to some unspoken bond that had formed between then. Johnny quickly shook the thought form his mind. Ahh don’t have such fairy tale thoughts, he scolded himself.

“Well then, I guess I really have been a fool.” Stella said, giving a small smile as she stood up from her chair.

She then turned to Johnny kneeled down, and took his hand in her’s.

“I know it would be unfair to ask after what happened but would you be okay with staying till the end of the party, I would be fine with sending you back to the hotel room yet, I fear I would worry still if you weren’t by my side.” Stella gave Johnny look of understanding, as she wouldn’t mind what he said either way.

Johnny blushed, while he was flattered to hear that, he was also quite exhausted from the party already, with what had happened. He wasn’t sure he could last being here the whole rest of the day, especially if there was a risk something similar might happen again.