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karyna soletskaya. princess of ukraine, ex-queen consort of colombia.

[soletskaya]

KAYRNA SOLESKAYA attends the IRISH YULE BALL in LOUIS VUITTON.

[soletskaya]

a summary of karyna’s decisions tonight:

[soletskaya]

yvrivic​:

“Remember that favour I asked for some years ago?” He let her think for a while before giving her a very long and meaningful look — if that did not help her connect the dots, nothing would. “How trustworthy would you rate the guy?” ( @soletskaya​ )

“of course i do,” karyna couldn’t forget something like that, not really. she pauses, returning the look and eyeing roman, waiting for him to crack, “he’d rather die that spill a secret, he said. i took his words very... literally.” 

[soletskaya]

pctro​:

SOLESTSIBS​

     - ‘ YOU’RE BOTH so funny. ’ and yet he managed to say such a sentence with the straightest of faces, too focused on his own cigarette to fake amusement. ‘ keep your list, maybe one day it will be useful. in the mean time, yes, when is the wedding ? hasn’t this engagement lasted long enough ? ’ / @pctro​​

“Don’t worry you’ll get the hang of it some day. You still have at least 20 good years in you.” He shook his head and leaned back on the chair. He was tired enough of avoiding this conversation with his partner. Having his siblings on his case as well was just misery. “I think it might be quite difficult for us to get on the heirs part. I can assure you we’ve been trying I’m not sure how he’s not pregnant yet really.” @soletskaya​

“i’ll start looking into adoption, then. that will be the next logical step for you, petro. we can’t leave ukraine to marya,” she meant that in the best way. she didn’t want her daughter responsible for their home country at all. “first weddings, hopefully for the both of you. inna at least reads my ideas before turning them down, that’s why she’s my favorite. the least you can do is listen to my ranting before you shoot me down.”              //                 @lecnid​

[soletskaya]

pctro​:

lecnid​:

     - ‘ IF THIS is another one of those meals where you try to convince me i need to marry, i’d say don’t even start. ’ / @pctro​ & @soletskaya​

“Is that what we’re doing here? I didn’t read the memo” He comments sparing Karyna a look while sitting down. “Always down for it thought. Since K got out of the line of succession I’m the one on the shopping block until you sort your life out” he commented while he lit his cigarette putting the lighter next to Karyna after he was done. @soletskaya​

“i’ll put my files away. i did bring a few names, but we can save them for after we schedule petro’s wedding, i think,” karyna snips, turning her attention to her younger brother, “now. come on, i’m tired of waiting. give me a season, at least. you’ll need some heirs, if your brother is going to die alone.”             //                      @lecnid​ 

[soletskaya]

vrnvuld​:

“ that’s very kind of you, karyna. ” she was possibly the first person to actually pay him a compliment in months ! “ i don’t mind grey hair: i think it will suit me. it’s balding i’m concerned about. it will be more difficult to battle. ” he ran his hand through his hair as if to check that each hair was still there. “ oh ? ” he lifted a brow and looked genuinely surprised. “ you mean to tell me you have not given botox a try yet ? it helped me to get rid of the worst lines. ” he wondered how much younger he would have looked if his child did not exist. it was possible tobias would be the death of him. “ it’s one thing they aren’t too bad at. i think margaux ate most of the boxes though. ” unless giselle had stepped in and threw them away. “ real true love… ” his eyes studied karyna. was the inconvenience really what bothered her the most ? it couldn’t have been knowing that she just wasn’t cut for real true love, right ? “ you’ll find a new title soon enough… and it’s not titles that give you real power. if you play your cards right, it’s possible you’ll find yourself in a better position than before. ”

she snorted at that, “sure, i’tll make you look distinguished, probably. it only makes me look like a sad, old, divorced hag.” it wasn’t exactly true, but it was what karyna chose to believe. her hairdresser was probably glad to hear it, too - she kept the women in business, didn’t she? “oh, no - you’ll have to give me a referral, arnauld! you can’t keep these secrets to yourself!” she nods along, a smile on her face, margaux having a ton of chocolate and terrorizing the d’roleans’ was kind of a funny thought. “i’m glad someone enjoyed it. really, i was worried you’d think i was being horrible,” even if the gesture was a little... awful, morally. she didn’t want to upset him, especially not in the face of newfound defeat. “sure, i’ll find one. probably before my brother ever marries, i’m starting to think i should raise marya to be prepared for the ukrainian throne,” her siblings were a headache, most of the time - leon the most. at least petro was engaged, and inna reasonable to suggestion, “ah, well, i’m sure i’ll find something new. it’s not quite appropriate to be on the hunt, yet, though. i’ll give it a few months before i start really looking.” 

[seydouxdaily]

Lea Seydoux by Gerhard Richter for Louis Vuitton, 2021

[soletskaya]

vrnvuld​:

“ while i look like this ? i think this wrinkle appeared this week. ” he pointed a random spot by his eye before grinning at karyna. “ it’s fine. first i thought it was a consolation prize  — but neither of us would praise someone for losing. ” he had never understood consolation prizes or participation trophies. they served no purpose. if you were the best, you were the best, if you were anything else, you were nothing. “ well ? how does it feel ? to have the ball and chain off your ankle ? remind me again, how did you use to refer to him ? ”

“while you look like what? you look as good as you always have. at least you’re not coloring grays out of your hair yet... or are you? i had to a few weeks ago - i swear, marya’s going to be the death of me. i’ll need botox pretty soon,” she sighs, dramatically, as if that wasn’t oversharing. but this was arnauld, she never felt as if she needed to hold her tongue around him when it came to petty things. “well, i do hope you at least liked the chocolate,” she’d thought the basket of belgian chocolate hilarious, when he was winning. she was just glad he didn’t take offense when he lost, even if she’d texted several apologies, “the ball and chain, ha! he’s more hopeless than that, he decided he wanted real, true love, whatever the hell that means. i wish i could say i’m relieved to be away from him, but... i miss the title already. queen karyna just had a good ring to it, don’t you think?” 

[soletskaya]

kcneilwe​:

an unexpected knock is just enough to make kenny look up from the screen of her laptop. she scrunches her face – she’s not expecting any visitors, but she guesses that when you are that close to so many cousins and friends, one of them disturbing her has been only a matter of time. she decides to keep her upcoming guest waiting just a moment longer, but when she hears karyna’s voice, the laptop gets thrown aside immediately. “that sounds like a you problem.” her words might be rude, but the tone and her wide grin prove otherwise. “i should’ve kept you knocking for a while longer, just for showing up only now.”

“ha! you, leaving me out in the cold?” she pauses, thinking about it for a second. kenny would, just to prove a point, “it’s more likely than you’d think.” she doesn’t hug kenny, like most would during a joyous reunion with their best friend. karyna isn’t the biggest fan of being touched, especially not when it’s sprung on her, like a surprise visit. she pauses for a few seconds, “how are things back home? much better than in ukraine, i’m guessing. we’ll have to get drunk so i can tell you all about petro, inna and leon’s latest mishaps.” 

[soletskaya]

@liscttc​

“how is business?” karyna begins. it had been forever since she’d sat down with lisette, and even though she knew the answer wouldn’t be ‘good’ she hoped that she’d be proven wrong. she liked to see royals who branched out to find a career, it was nice to know that they had options that weren’t marrying the first powerful man who set their eyes on them. even if it was her life’s path, that didn’t mean she wanted the exact same for everyone else, “i hope the hit wasn’t too substantial.” 

[soletskaya]

@fannicroy​

“fanni!” karyna exclaims, as she turns the corner and almost runs right into her cousin, “oh, i’ve been looking everywhere for you! how is everything?” karyna knew this was going to be at least a little bit awkward, with an elephant the size of arnauld d’orleans in the room alongside them, so she pushed past the topic, “i heard you were doing charity work, is there anything i could help out with?” 

[soletskaya]

pctro​:

“Fiancé. I’m not heartless I would have invited you to the weeding.” He threw in the joke at the end because the title still stung. Karyna probably knew it too, her mind games had always been the worst part about her. He liked Inna’s approach better. Her words weren’t soft but he didn’t have to ever doubt them. Marco had been asking for a date for too long and it was starting to be very obvious that Petro didn’t want to commit to one. “But he’s doing good. If I knew this would be a reunion I would have brought him along.”

“fiance, sure. i’d love to see that invitation. do you plan on ever getting married?” she couldn’t help but push - it was basically her job in the family, always pressuring her siblings to be better - to do better. “well, call him up, i’ll send my plane over to pick him up, we can start planning,” she comments, with a sly grin. she can tell petro’s uncomfortable with the idea, “we can’t have all of us unwed at once, again, we’re too old for it.” she graciously excuses herself from that, her divorce being the reason she was feeling a little bit more... pushy, about things. 

[ebnefsi-deactivated20220103]

Léa Seydoux photographed by Greg Williams on the set of No Time To Die

[soletskaya]

@vrnvuld​​

“it is good to see you, though,” karyna stated. she tried her best to act normally - she didn’t ever remember feeling awkward around him, before this. it had been a while since they’d spoken in person, though - she’d been in bogota getting divorced, he’d been engaged to her cousin. both of them had had a lot of fun in the last few months, it seemed, “even if i was a bit premature with the victory gift, during belgium. in my defense, i really thought you were going to win. forgive me? i did try to stop him at the last second, but his phone was on silent.” 

[soletskaya]

who else wants a starter?

[soletskaya]

@kcneilwe​

karyna knocks twice, quick and efficient, and hopes that she doesn’t interrupt kenny’s day too much. this was one of the big bright spots in joining the program with her brothers: constant access to her best friend. if kenny would come to the damn door. “kenny? i know you’re in there, i texted your assistant. this was supposed to be a surprise!” she says, her voice raised just enough for kenny to hear across the apartment. 

[soletskaya]

@pctro​

“inna sends her love,” karyna states, her voice flat and the practiced smile sitting on her face. it had been so long since she’d seen him in person, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d spoken him without the medium of facetime between the two, “how is your husband?”