Katyusha
"Now go... And meet them, Katyusha," Mother said sternly as she lightly pushed me forward. I stumbled a little and then muttered obscenities. I have to meet them now, the strange ghouls.
The little one waves to me. His littleness annoys me. Is it him in which I will be forced to engage? Some family member of his stands next to him, taller.
As a walk forward I notice the smaller one is about my height. While it's refreshing to have someone I don't have to look up to while speaking, I was hoping for an at least more masculine specimen to be forced to be married to. He resembled a woman more than the woman who stood next to him.
I finally approached them, and I tried to avoid eye contact at first.
"Hello, Princess!" I could sense the little one grinning even though I could not even see him.
"Da, you can call me Katya," I said rather quietly to my own annoyance. I am the princess, mustn't I keep my head up?
My eyes shoot up to their faces one by one, my head still pointing downwards. They the little one had messy silver hair and a hat and the woman was a lot more clean, with long straight silver hair.
"I am Hollow, and this my sister Zhombya." Hollow said, gesturing to himself and then to the woman next to him. His sister could've been confused with his mother with the height difference.
I looked at him silently and awkwardly for a moment until he broke it by asking for a place for us to sit. It seemed he could manage the silent treatment quite expertly.
I walked them to a table outside on the balcony, I needed the wind to remind me I was still alive.
"Yes, Katya," Hollow suddenly said. "What a beautiful name." He smiled at me. I wondered if this was an attempt at flattering me in some way or if he was just genuinely fascinated with my name. "And your skin... It's something I rarely ever see." His ghoul eyes drilled into me and I almost started to feel uncomfortable until I looked at him again. He looked more like a fascinated child then any kind of predator. "Can I... feel your hand?" He asked and he opened his hand on the table.
I had cloth covering every inch of me except my face, with even my neck being covered. I took time to take off one of my gloves until I realized I was following his orders without any pushback.
"Hmm, what use does my hand have to you?" I wanted to challenge him in some way, I am the princess after all.
"I guess it was a strange request," Hollow said and his smile quickly faded leaving a dead look. I almost felt bad. "You know, I think your family is very interesting," He said as he looked back into the glass doors behind us. "And this place, it's so..." He looked out into the vast land of roads, houses and cathedrals in the distance and the night sky that was lit up with stars. I turned my attention to it to and I could almost feel his amazement.
"My family is-" I started to speak then silenced myself.
"Your family? What about them?" Hollow said and he turned his attention back to me. His interested voice warmed my heart.
"They're strange," For the first time I grinned and looked at Hollow. "If it wasn't for my sister that disappeared, maybe..." I made myself frown again.
"Your sister, yes," Hollow said.
"Do you... Know her?" I asked.
"No, but I have heard the story," Hollow said. "and her many identities."
"Identities?" I asked in surprise.
"There is a rumor, but we shouldn't speak of your sister now," Hollow said.
"No, you must tell me."
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
"She's been gone my whole life, tell me."
"Well, the story is... Long"