She Smiles by Ksenia Medrina

She talks a lot and smiles a lot,
and her eyes turn into crescents and her laugh rings in every corner of a small cafe.
The air around her is unmoving, as if it is only her breath and voice that keep everything alive and allow other creatures in the room to exist. The time is still, too. The screen above the entrance of the cafe changes the digits in the same pace as always, but no one seems to notice, struck by her presence.
She is truly stunning, as no creature ever known to this planet and this particular cafe can avert its eyes from elegant silhouette, none of them, from humanoids to blue-colored dragonfly looking creatures. There are plenty different species, but she is the only one to represent her kin here. It is a rare occasion for this planet to host someone of a new kind, as it has a huge and fame trading port and runs a policy, that allows even the outcasts of the Universe to reside here peacefully. But, still.

She is the last of the Kings and Queens of the past. The ones, that ruled at an old planet called Earth hundreds lives ago, continuing traditions that no one can make sense of nowadays. Some of these royals with the families have been residing at the outskirts of the Universe since the whole Expansion has started, forgetting who they are and tending to live simple lives. Some of them can still be noticed at the streets of their old kingdoms, being simple farmers or engineers, their palaces turned into markets and regal symbols melt into tools.
They are no other than the remnants of the once glorious past. But she is different.
Two small suns, that this planet revolves around since the very day of its creation, are setting low in the sky as the time goes by. Every surface in the cafe made from the shiny metal gradually turns pinkish and the owner of the cafe waits some moments longer to turn on the lights. When he does so, tiny bubbles light up, connected to one long wire, illuminating all of the room.
She smiles again, her lips stretching even wider. She wears no special clothes, no jewelry except two earrings in both of her ears, no crown and no face mask of some sort that can hide her identity. A weapon that is clutched to her cargo pants’ belt in as ordinary as one can purchase at night markets here. She can easily be taken for some low-paid engineer from the left side on the Universe, if not her eyes and posture and smile. It is always her smile.
It does not falter when a loud company enters the cafe, it does not lose its warmth when a person in front of her excuses themselves and disappears in the depths of the room. She folds her hands on the table, but a moment later starts playing with the bright coloured glass, where her drink once was. Her back is straight and her shoulders held confident, chin up and pride, royal blood spilling with every move of her eyelashes, but still, she is a bit nervous. Her earrings and her hair that scarcely reaches the neck dance in the air as she bobs her head to the beat of a familiar song, clearly enjoying the atmosphere around, but her eyes are flickering between her hands and windows of the cafe.
She is a bit nervous and therefore everyone around is, too. The pair at the table next to her is fallen into silence, which is only broken from time to time by sounds of a kiss to a soft wrist. The owner of the cafe is frowning and looking blankly at the twin-suns that slowly disappear behind buildings. However, this state of her is completely understandable. She is marrying her love tomorrow, on this planet, where not a single soul apart from her betrothal and her today's companion knows who she is, and it is both thrilling and terrifying. She has no guards with her, no acquaintances on this planet, although her connections to various significant figures in the Universe are strong and numerous. And still, that is not what makes her feel like this. 
The screen says that only ten minutes has passed, but it feels much longer. She presses a button on the table and it projects a menu. She goes through a page with cocktails and her slender fingers and narrow palm play in the air as if she is casting some magical spells. It is known, that all the magic has left the Universe long time ago, but if some creatures in the room still become enchanted by her, it remains unspoken. A small three-wheeled robot scoots to her in almost no time after she picks her drink and startles her to a small laugh. She takes the glass and gently pats the robot on its head, where two round blue and one rectangular red lights bulbs are placed in a resemblance of a face. Two adorable dimples appear on her cheeks.
Soon after the robot leaves her companion comes back to their table. There is a small box with an intricate ornament on its sides in their hands, a box where a ring can be held. It clearly carries some specific meaning to her, as she stares at the box and tears gather at the corners of her beautiful brown eyes. Then she stands, deeply bows to this box, and hundreds of her ancestors bow back to their last heir, unseen.
Then she flashes at her companion a smile, the one that lights up the whole cafe even more and eases everyone’s hearts, lightly squeezes their hand in a silent “thank you” and leaves.
She still smiles.