1923, Vienna
They had boarded the Night Train in Vienna and were now on their way to Istanbul. To the unsuspecting passengers they were just two young travelling companions, daughter of diplomats maybe on their way to some grand occasion at the end of Europe. But they were quite a bit more. Aniela, a polish girl in her early twenties and Daiya a Japanese girl the same age were Europe's most successful diamond thieves. Among their luggage was the most recent chapter in their book of crime, the "Blue Tear" diamond, liberated from the safe of a filthy rich Russian diplomat, among with some of his finer jewels he kept for his mistress.
"Oh Daiya," Aniela smiled while wearing one of her newly acquired necklaces, "it is an honour watching you work, how your fingertips gently forced that safe into submission, I never tire of it." "Domo" Daiya nodded, "I'm just grateful, I never have to see your work, that Russian looked a brute." "Oh nothing I couldn't handle my dear, a little bit of powder from my ring, an inviting toast and they are out before they know it. The note I left will make him think he spent the best night of his life in a hotel room in Vienna. He'll never know that we replaced his diamond with a copy, I must say it is my best work so far. They laughed and Aniela refilled their glasses with Champagne.
They drank, they laughed, they tried on more jewels while their carriage slowly travelled through the winter landscape. The had set off long ago yet both of them were still too giddy to go to sleep. Usually after a successful reacquire mission they went out to celebrate yet this time their schedule made it necessary to run from the hotel to the train station and jump onto the Orient Express. So now they only had themselves to keep them company. They had undressed, Daiya wore a stunning kimono that seemed custom made to perfectly fit her small but delicate curves. Daniele herself had just took the top layer off her dress and was sitting in her bunk wearing a seductive corset and divine lace panties.
"You look so beautiful in that," Daiya observed, "no wonder no man can resist you." Aniela blushed, her eyes glancing at her friend, moving down her body to the floor, "yes, if only it was men I was interested in...".
Daiya looked at Aniela curiously, then turned around, filled more Champagne in Aniela's glass and handed it to her. Their finger touching for the briefest moments as the glass changed hands. A moment too brief to notice yet long enough to send a shiver down Aniela's spine.
Daiya had felt the spark as well. The compartment suddenly felt very small, she quickly turned around to hide her own blushing, stepped to the window and looked outside at the passing landscape. The moon shone down on the maiden snow, it was a beautiful image, yet she could not linger on it, there was something more beautiful waiting for her.