Alexa Mackintosh
“If I will always be portrayed this beautifully in your work make as many paintings or drawings of me as you like. Oh, and continue as my wedding planner.”
He’d considered staying with a friend on the other side of the planet until the wedding. He might be my Perar, but that had been kept mostly quiet and his assistance in- frequent at the Empress’s request.
I hate the idea of a wedding, but if anyone is planning a wedding with me, Kir is the only one I want.
He smiles. “A fair trade, Lady Alkaev.”
At least it will be something to keep me busy in my multitude of free time.
{ 30 }
Chapter 30
he Next Day:
IVAN HAS RETURNED. He has been away overlook- ing a small riot near the desert. I see him at dinner, and as usual, he proposes that after dinner we sit in the parlor for an hour or two. I hate these moments, but tonight I have a question for him.
Once we are comfortable, I ask, “Could we take a trip to my village?”
“It will be part of the honeymoon trip,” he says.
“I would like to go this week. You don’t need to go.” “I will see. If no dignitaries are visiting this week, we
will be free to go.”
“I’m sure you have more important duties. Besides, my village does not have the accommodations for an Em- peror.”
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“They do for an Empress, though? I do remember the last time I was there.”
I shift in my seat. If he goes, the rebels in the village may kill him before the leaders give any orders. Since I came to the palace, the rebels have become more and more unsure of who they want on the throne. Ivan has not changed the things the rebels thought he would in his first few weeks on the throne, and some doubt he will ever change anything.
While most still want him on the throne, it would only take one rebel with a weapon to end everything.
“I thought you would be more comfortable here,” I say. “It would be good for me to visit the cities farther from
the capitol.” “Of course.”
I let out the breath I had been holding. One problem solved…and one created.
s
We leave two days later. The ride is longer than I re- member, but I recognize the way. A carriage is the easiest way to get home because there are no docks or trains near my village.
The nights are spent in a hotel room alone. Ivan wanted Georgianna to come as he said it was unacceptable for me to travel without a servant. However, I reminded him my village had little room to house visitors. It would be hard enough to house us and our guards.
City of Deception
Angelica came on the trip, but she left before us and will be in the village waiting. My plan is to leave her here. She is a threat because she is unpredictable.
We arrive at midday. The villagers surround the car- riage before we can open the door. Guards push the crowd back and form a barrier. I step out of the carriage and pass through the guards. They try to keep my back, but I re- fuse to be kept from the people that are my friends and family.
My family greets me with smiles and outstretched arms, though some of the other villagers clearly question the number of guards. A hush falls over the crowd as their smiles are replaced with hostility. I turn to see why and spot Ivan exiting the carriage.
I turn to my stepfather standing a few feet away. “Treat him well while he is here. Any attempt on his life is not wise. Tell anyone with ideas.”
Killing him now would start a bloodbath. If the timing is off, disaster will follow. I want Ivan dead, but am wise enough to know not yet. The revolution is not ready to put a stable government in the Mersiovskys place.
My mother overhears me and purses her lips. I’ve never told her I’m a rebel, but she has enough sense to know. “Your dress is gorgeous,” she says.
I glance down at the navy blouse and skirt. It is the simplest thing I own at the palace and yet it is ten times grander than any of the villagers’ clothes.
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People ask me the same questions over and over as we head for my parents’ home. Most of the questions are sim- ple, such as “Do you enjoy the palace?” and “When is the wedding?”, but some whisper “Is the revolution starting?” and “When will you kill the royals?”
I ignore some of their questions and keep looking back to make sure Ivan is close. It would take one well-placed dagger to kill him. Ivan doesn’t realize he is in the midst of rebels, but he is aware of the hostility.
We arrive at my family’s home. On the outside, it looks much the same, but as we enter, I spot all sorts of new things. There is new furniture, the walls are painted, and the kitchen is stocked with food. There’s also an extra bedroom off the kitchen.
“Where did this come from?” I ask.
Ivan, a step behind me, says, “Orion and I convinced my family to help your parents and sisters.”
“You convinced them?” I ask. It seems logical that the Mersiovskys would provide for my family without the need of anyone convincing them. After all, my parents are now parents of the future Empress.
“The Mersiovskys are not kind.”
I wonder why he would say bad things about the Mer- siovskys. They are his family after all. “I will keep that in mind in the future. If I ever need something, I will know not to come to you.” I catch his expression before turning away, and he honestly looks hurt. One act of kindness does not leave me indebted to him.
City of Deception
My mother gasps shocked by my bluntness.
Before she can respond, Ivan says, “The guards wonder where to put the luggage.”
“Talia will stay here,” my mother says. “The town su- pervisor has prepared a room for you in his house. His house is the largest in the village, so it is easy to find.”
“Why don’t you go get settled?” I instruct him.
He looks reluctant, but nods and heads for the door.
Two guards move away from me to follow him.
“I want the rest of the guards to leave and post them- selves outside,” I say. At first, they don’t agree, but once the crowd dies down, they do as I ask.
As soon as they leave, I turn to my stepfather and mother. “My time here is limited and even more precious is the time I will have away from Ivan. I have things I need to discuss with the supervisor and Angelica, but it will wait until tomorrow. I need to know what the rebels really think outside the palace and this far out from the White City.”
My mother sighs. “It’s too dangerous for you to still be part of that cause-”
I glare at her. “It is my decision.”
My stepfather whispers something in my mother’s ear before she can reply. To my surprise, she does not argue with me. My mother picks up a piece of my luggage and carries it to my old bedroom. The guards must have set my luggage inside during the commotion of the crowd.
Alexa Mackintosh
I don’t want to be alone with my mother after our en- counter on the night of the ball, but I grab a suitcase and follow her. My old room has changed since I left. My bed is twice as large and covered in silk, and the walls are bright yellow. There’s also a new wardrobe and dresser. Wordlessly, my mother helps me unpack. The silence is broken a few minutes later when my sisters run into the room.
Liliya runs to me and wraps her arms around my waist.
Her small arms don’t reach all the way around.
Catryn holds up a doll. “Look what Emperor Ivan gave me!”
I hesitate, finding her exclamation hard to believe. “Ivan gave you gifts?” I hadn’t seen any gifts in our lug- gage beside the two I bought for my sisters, tobacco for my stepfather, and a new dress for Mama.
She nods, and Liliya adds, “He gave me a necklace.” Liliya steps back to show me the jewelry hanging around her neck. The necklace is metal, meaning he must have paid a fortune for it. Metal is far more expenses than any other substance on the plan
et.
“Why did he give you gifts?”
The question is more for me than anyone, but Liliya replies:
“Because you’re going to be his wife.”
Her answer seems so simple, but I’ve learned any com- passion the Mersiovskys show is for their benefit.
City of Deception
My mother ushers me into the kitchen. “Sit and tell us all about the White City while I make something for you to eat.”
I recount story after story, and my family hangs on every word fascinated. Even my stepfather listens in- trigued.
“What happened to the First you had a crush on?” Mama asks after I recite a story about Zadie and Dmitri. My stepfather’s brows crease. Mama must not have told him of our conversation the night of the engagement.
“I see him sometimes,” I say.
“I hope you hold no feelings for him now that you are engaged?” Mama asks.
I remain silent as I try to think of an answer. I should bite my tongue, but I don’t. “If I still hold feelings for him, it is none of your business. It is between Ivan and me.”
“You cannot and will not speak to your mother that way,” my stepfather says. His voice is calm, but his tight lips tell me I have stepped too far.
“You live under our roof. You owe us respect,” Mama says.
Perhaps I am sassy, but they must remember: they made me this way. I have power over them now, for I am their Empress, not just a daughter. They wanted a pow- erful daughter. Now they have it. I can speak as freely as I wish, though I won’t. They are still my parents, even if I do let my words sting them a little.
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“I do not live under your roof any longer, and your power over me doesn’t extend to the White City. I listen to the Emperor alone as soon I’ll be his equal,” I say.
Silence falls over us as we nurse our anger, but they don’t reprimand me again.
Liliya breaks the silence by asking, “Did you bring us gifts?”
I smile as I grab her and tickle her until she squeals. When I let her go, I say, “In the red suitcase in the bottom. There are four packages, but bring them all out here be- fore opening them.”
s
We spend two peaceful and uneventful days in the vil- lage before chaos finds us. I speak with the supervisor and Angelica a few times, careful Ivan doesn’t grow suspi- cious. I return home from a morning walk with Angelica to find Ivan sitting on the floor with his knees pulled up towards his chest, his back against the foot of my bed. His hair is a disheveled mess, and his eyes are bloodshot.
“What’s the matter?” I ask.
He doesn’t answer and instead looks at his hands. “What do you do if you have no choice but to fight against everything you know? What do you do if you failed to pro- tect the people you love?”
“What?” I ask, sinking down beside him.
“I haven’t been able to keep those I love safe. What do I do?”
City of Deception
“You try harder to protect those left. You’re Emperor and have plenty of resources to keep people safe.”
He chuckles bitterly. “That is the irony. It looks as though I have everything, and yet I have nothing.”
What happened to bring this on? I’ve never seen him weak.
After a minute of silence, he says “The Empress dis- covered Petrov and Zadie’s relationship.”
My stomach twists. “What did she do?”
He covers my hand with his when he says “We need to go back to be by Zadie. Petrov will not live through the week.”
“They will kill him?”
“I was told before I left that Petrov was a rebel.” How did he find out?
My eyes widen in false surprise. “That’s impossible! A rebel couldn’t live in the palace.”
“I would try to save him for Zadie, but not even I can save him from the verdict of treason and sedition.”
I try to absorb the information before asking, “How is Zadie?”
“I received a letter from her an hour ago. From what I can guess, she is not holding up well.”
“Is there really nothing you can do? Couldn’t he be im- prisoned for some time instead?”
When he meets my gaze, I am surprised to see the pain in his eyes. “He would be imprisoned for life and tortured
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daily. There is nothing I can do. If there was, I would al- ready be back in the capital. This is a fight we have al- ready lost, Natalia.”
The young man sitting on my floor is anything but the Emperor I knew in the White City.
“I need to leave within the hour. Zadie’s parents are arriving this evening, and they will be furious. After all, it is my family who was watching over Zadie and yet she did this under our watch. The marriage and scandal will ruin her parents’ chance of marrying her off to a wealthy First. You can come with me, or you can finish your stay here.” “I’ll come. I think Zadie needs her friends.” Tears flood my eyes as I think about the pain Zadie must be feeling. From Ivan’s expression, I guess he has already had the same thoughts. He never seemed close to Zadie, but they
did grow up together.
I wonder why he isn’t more worried about Petrov being a rebel. It seems like he would be worried about security, but he seems more concerned with Zadie instead.
Perhaps he has a little heart after all.
s
We travel for thirty-six hours straight. By the time we arrive back at the palace, it is evening. Reporters stand outside the gates as we drive up the road to the doors.
I hear Ivan mutter a curse under his breath. Petrov and Zadie’s story must have already leaked to the public.
City of Deception
Ivan heads off to find Zadie’s parents. Angelica and I go upstairs. I drop Angelica off at my room before going to check on Zadie.
When I knock on her door, there is no answer. I knock a second time a minute later, but still nothing. At first, I think she must be somewhere else, but then I hear a faint “Come in.”
I walk in to find Zadie in bed. She is curled in a tight ball, and her hair is a knotted mess. An untouched tray of food rests on her dresser. I wonder when she last bathed or ate.
She lifts her head to see who entered. When she sees it’s me, she sits up on one elbow. I’m sure she has already dealt with her fair share of visitors and her parents’ wrath. “I’m sorry,” I say. Her eyes are glazed over like she
knows I’m here, but she’s not completely present.
“Will Ivan do anything? Petrov will be executed to- morrow if he doesn’t.” Her voice is hoarse.
“There’s nothing he can do.”
“He could recognize the rebels as right, but I know he doesn’t have that sort of power. The rest of the Mer- siovskys would never allow it. He would try if he knew he could succeed.”
I sit down on the edge of the bed.
She sits up and rests her head against my shoulder. Her eyes fill with tears. “I never wanted this to happen. I dreamed I could escape the life of a first, but I was a fool.”
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Suddenly, she pulls away and clasps a hand over her mouth. Jumping off the bed, she rushes to the bathroom. Seconds later I hear her throw up.
Walking to the bathroom door, I find her bent over the toilet hugging the sides. I grab a towel from the cabinet and set it beside her as I pull back her hair. Another wave of vomiting hits her before she moves back and presses the towel to her mouth.
I fetch something to drink off her leftover tray. She takes it into her shaking hands.
I look down at her nightdress, wondering how to help her pull herself together. This is a time to grieve, but she also needs to be strong if she is to deal with her family. She rises and wordlessly walks out of the bathroom. She crawls into bed again and lays flat on her back, an arm draped over her stomach.
For the first time, I notice how thin her nightdress is. I’ve never paid close attention, but I swear she’s gained weight
since the ball, her stomach a little rounder than it had been.
Understanding enters my muddled brain. She detects my unasked questions and answers, “I’m pregnant.”
{ 31 }
Chapter 31
OW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN?” I ASK.
“A few days. I’m not far along, so I thought I had some kind of cold.” She looks
down at her stomach. “Turns out I have a little human, not a cold.”
She begins crying again. “Petrov doesn’t know yet.” “What do you mean he doesn’t know?”
“I haven’t seen him since I found out. He’s been work- ing, and you were gone, so he was temporarily assigned elsewhere making it impossible for him to come see me. Then, when he did come, he was arrested here in my room minutes later.”
She sobs and her body begins to shake. “My parents want to take me back home as soon as possible so that they can hide my pregnancy. My parents love me, but I don’t know how far they will go in the name of protecting me. I have no doubts that I won’t be allowed to keep the baby
Alexa Mackintosh
even if I carry it. They’ll ship it off to an orphanage as quickly as possible.”
“I doubt they will send it off. Your baby will be special because it is their grandchild, perhaps not fully Royal, but part of their blood all the same.”
“With Petrov’s inevitable death my parents will want all traces of him gone from my life, and there’s absolutely nothing I can do to resist their wishes.”
Ideas start to form as I ask, “When will your parents take you home?”
“Tomorrow after the execution. I’m sorry I’ll be leav- ing so soon as I had hoped to be here for your wedding.”
City of Deception (The White City Series Book 1) Page 21
