City of Deception (The White City Series Book 1)

by Alexa Mackintosh

  This palace is only a fraction of the size of the White City Palace, but it still contains twenty-five rooms and is three stories tall.

  The evening passes uneventfully. Dinner is a small af- fair and reminds me of the family meals I used to enjoy at home. To my surprise, the three brothers get along all evening. Kir hints that the truce was drawn because of my

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  presence. They don’t want me to see their arguments any more than I already have.

  Around eleven, I retire to bed. The three princes re- main to talk into the night when I leave them. I change and crawl in bed, excited that tomorrow I will spend the day on the beach. Georgianna purchased a swimsuit for me, and I love the way it hugs my curves. I’ve never worn something so skimpy before.

  It takes me awhile to fall asleep in the unfamiliar room. I must drift off an hour or two later because the next thing I remember is the creaking of the door.

  After all the training I witnessed Angelica learn for her position as an assassin, I immediately snap to attention. I know I locked the door before going to bed. I sit up and reach for the book on my nightstand. It’s not the best weapon, but heavy enough one good hit will slow an in- truder.

  “It’s me,” a familiar voice says from the darkness on my left.

  I flip on the light and am blinded for a few seconds. When I look up, I see Ivan standing by the wall. He’s not wearing a shirt, and I realize with a start that it’s the first time I’ve ever seen him like that.

  I wonder how he got in and spot a small door cracked in the wall behind him. It must be a secret panel that leads to the room next door. Georgianna told me Ivan would be staying in that apartment.

  Alexa Mackintosh

  “What are you doing here?” I ask wiping the sleep from my eyes.

  “I wonder if I could stay with you tonight.”

  “What?” My brain is murky with sleep, and I think I misunderstand.

  “I wonder if I could sleep with you.”

  My mouth falls open as I struggle for an answer. Did he really ask me that?

  He raises his eyebrows as he takes in my expression. He looks genuinely embarrassed when he exclaims, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean…I meant could I lay beside you. I won’t touch you. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

  “Good. I thought I might hit you yet with this book.” He chuckles. “So, can I stay?”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” “Can we talk then?”

  I realize that Ivan is unlikely to leave no matter what excuse I tell him. “Fine, come sit on the edge of the bed.” I’m already awake, and Ivan seems in a good mood. I better enjoy his lightheartedness now because it will leave

  in an instant like a flame snuffed in the wind.

  The silence is suffocating at first. I finger the corners of the book in my lap to keep myself from fidgeting too much.

  He breaks the silence a few minutes later.

  “Sorry I woke you. I wanted to talk to you. I feel like I don’t know you and that is a terrifying thought consider- ing we’re to be married in a few months.”

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  “You felt the need to know more about me at two- thirty in the morning after having months to talk to me?” He shrugs. “Foolish I know. On the visit to your village,

  I realized how little I know about you. The villagers told me things you don’t share. They told me that before I chose you, you wanted to be a baker with your own shop in a city.”

  That had been my dream before all of this. It seems almost trivial now.

  “You say you know nothing about me, but I know even less about you. I know you are Emperor, you enjoy hunt- ing, and you have two brothers. I know little else.” I want to add that I also know he scowls a lot, but think that too rude.

  “Do you care to know more about me? I want to hear more about you, but that does not mean you want to hear about me.”

  I’m surprised by the bluntness of the statement. “I want to hear more. It’s no secret that we are not close, but I would like to know who you are.”

  Besides, he might let something slip that will prove useful for the rebellion.

  We carry on talking for almost two hours. I learn noth- ing that will help the rebellion, but I do learn some things about him. He seems more like a normal person now. I learn he loves music and plays many instruments. I tell him that one of my favorite pastimes is reading. I also tell him that I don’t enjoy the confines of the palace.

  Alexa Mackintosh

  We fall silent in the early hours of the morning. I start to yawn and notice that Ivan’s eyes are bloodshot. They are too red; either he hasn’t slept in days, or he had been crying before he entered the room. I wonder how I hadn’t noticed before.

  “Natalia, are you ready to go to bed?”

  I nod. “Remember I went to bed before you entered.” He glances down at his lap. “Again, sorry I woke you.

  Yesterday was the anniversary of my sister’s death. I needed to talk, but my brothers are tired of me remem- bering her death.”

  “Why would they be tired of it? Grieving is normal.” “They’ve heard about it every year since she died.

  They’re tired of it because they weren’t close to her.” “I’m sorry,” I say. I’m not sure how to comfort him. I

  can’t imagine what I would do if I lost my family.

  He hesitates before asking, “May I stay tonight? You didn’t decide when I asked.”

  Did he talk about his sister’s death to make me pity him and agree to this? At least it will help maintain the en- gagement ruse.

  I sigh. “Yes, you can stay, but if you touch me, this book will come down on your head.”

  “In a few months, you’ll have to be used to me staying.” That thought is terrifying, but I know orders will come before then. My fellow rebels won’t possibly make me

  marry him, will they?

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  I shake the thoughts away. I know some want me to marry him to control the throne, but the wedding is far away. Who knows what might happen before then?

  I lie down in the bed near the edge. Ivan pulls the blan- ket back, a wave of cool air blowing over my back. It is warm here in the day, but it is chilly at night.

  He lies down beside me. I turn off the light once he stops moving. Though he is as far over as possible, our bodies still touch. The heat of his body radiates through my legs and back.

  He falls asleep quickly, but I remain awake until the first rays of the sun shine through the window.

  { 36 }

  Chapter 36

  HEN I WAKE, THE FIRST THING I NOTICE IS THE

  ARM AROUND MY WAIST. I jump at first, for- getting Ivan stayed. He stirs but doesn’t wake.

  His soft breaths brush against my neck as his arm tightens around my waist. From the light coming through the win- dow, I guess it is almost noon.

  I nudge his arm off my waist and sit up. Turning, I look at his stretched-out form. I wish he were Dmitri instead. Rising from the bed, I choose a dress and head to the bathroom. When I come back out ten minutes later, Ivan sits up in bed. He gazes around the room, clearly disori- ented. When he sees me, a strange expression washes over

  his face.

  “Did you sleep well?” he asks regaining his senses. “I slept alright. You?”

  “Good enough.”

  Alexa Mackintosh

  The awkward silence returns and I say, “I’m going for a walk. Do you mind leaving so that I can go?” I have to walk out some of my uneasiness. It wasn’t easy sleeping with the enemy at my back.

  “You don’t trust your emperor in your room?” “I trust only myself.”

  “Smart woman, but I know you lie. You trust Dmitri.” “Get out, Emperor Ivan.” I’m not listening to another

  person scold me on this topic.

  I wait while he rolls out of bed and sluggishly makes his way to the door in the wall. Once he is through, I leave in search of Dmitri. Though I search e
verywhere I can think of I can’t find him. After a few minutes, I go on my walk by myself, a guard trailing several yards behind.

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  When I get back from my walk on the beach, I feel re- freshed.

  Dmitri finds me. He grabs my shoulders and looks me up and down. “What did Ivan do to you?”

  “What?”

  “What did Ivan do to you last night? He was strutting around saying he slept in your bed last night. Is it true?”

  I nod. “He did.”

  I expect that Dmitri asks because of jealousy, but there is only fear in his eyes. “Did he…Did he make advances last night?”

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  “No, he didn’t do anything! I threatened if he got too close I’d knock him out. Besides, I think he wanted to talk, not…you know.”

  His rigid shoulders relax. “You swear he didn’t do an- ything?”

  “I promise. Your brother is irritating, but he doesn’t seem the type to take advantage.”

  “It was the way he said it casually at breakfast. I thought for sure-”

  “I’m sorry I worried you. I didn’t want him in my bed- room, but I didn’t say no. I should have denied him.”

  “He’s the Emperor, and our parents agree to the match. You couldn’t say no, and there is little we can do if he ever does ask for more.” He changes the subject. “I thought we might go on our picnic today. Ivan’s decided to spend some time catching up on military movements with the new general.”

  “General Hardcastle? I thought he stayed in the White City.”

  He shrugs. “We need protection here too.”

  I’m not sure how I feel about my father being here. “Angelica returned today. She’s upstairs unpacking,”

  Dmitri says. “I thought you would want her back as soon as possible, especially with Zadie gone.”

  I’m not glad Angelica is back. She will be on edge be- cause of Petrov’s death, and she might do something fool- ish.

  Alexa Mackintosh

  “I’ll get someone to take us in a carriage after we pack lunch,” he says.

  “We’ll cook our food? I thought you can’t cook.”

  “I can’t, but your food is delicious, so you can run the servants out of the kitchen for half an hour. You should change into your swimsuit first. Should we plan to leave in an hour?”

  “I’ll be ready.”

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  We arrive at a green hill sloping towards the ocean. The wind whips my hair into my eyes and tries to blow away everything. The sun soaks into my skin and warms me, making me want to take a swim in the ocean.

  Dmitri spreads out a blanket and sits on it to keep it from blowing away. I set our picnic basket on the edge of the blanket and take a seat beside him, crossing my legs and leaning back on one arm. He dismisses the servants and guards, telling them to return in two hours. As soon as they are gone, he leans forward and kisses my cheek.

  I hate that we must act anytime we are with others.

  Placing a hand on my lower back, he reaches across me and picks up the basket. “So, what delicacy can we look forward to from your kitchen?”

  “I wouldn’t call it a delicacy. I made sandwiches and a simple pastry.”

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  He laughs. “You don’t get it, do you? I don’t care what you make. You could feed me anything, and I would eat it.”

  I wrinkle my nose. “You wouldn’t eat everything I’ve made before. Let me burn a dish or make a pastry with bitter berries.”

  He places a kiss on my bare shoulder. “I don’t worry about that because everything you make is good. Maybe one day you’ll be known as the ‘Empress of Pastries.’”

  The mention of my future and the choice to not kill Dmitri weigh down on me.

  “What’s the matter?” “Nothing,” I lie.

  His expression changes. “Let’s go down to the ocean.

  We need to talk.”

  I raise my eyebrows. “Oh?”

  It takes a few minutes to reach the bottom of the hill. When we come to the edge of the water, he stops and turns towards me. I’m a little scared by his creased brow. He seemed happy moments ago.

  “You’re a rebel,” he says.

  My first instinct is to deny. “Of course not! How could I have gotten into the palace as Ivan’s fiancée?”

  “I know he told you that he was glad you helped Zadie escape, but he said it to win your trust. He suspects that you’re a rebel and wants to convince you he supports your rebel dealings. He’s using you to gain information about the revolution.”

  Alexa Mackintosh

  I’m not surprised by Ivan using me for information.

  But how does Dmitri know?

  “I guess you were a rebel before you came to the castle?

  I guess you were sent to spy on my family?” He is met again by my silence.

  He runs a hand through his hair making it stick up in little spikes. “Damn the Universe! I thought I could trust you, Talia. There're so many people on this planet that want to see my family hurt. I thought…I made the mistake of believing you were different.”

  I’m not sure what I can say to change his mind. He knows my secret, and I am left to his mercy. He can vali- date Ivan’s suspicions about me and see me tried for trea- son, or he can remain quiet. I’m worried about what he will do, but I’m also concerned with what he thinks.

  I take a deep breath and watch as he starts to pace in front of me. I want to trust him. I want to believe he loves me enough to remain silent.

  “I am a rebel,” I say.

  He looks slightly surprised by the confession. He stops pacing, but won’t turn to face me.

  “I can’t tell you why I came here. I wasn’t meant to be here, but things changed when Ivan chose me. I hated your family because I thought killing your family would diminish the guilt I felt over…over my father’s death and your family shot down dozens of others in a massacre. I will never approve of your actions. I’ve watched too many

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  people in my village suffer. You were also part of my mis- sion, and I was bound to continue that mission,” I say.

  He clenches his fists. “So, my family are the ones you will take your vengeance out on? If you were Empress, you would see how little power we have. We obey the people, not our whims.”

  “You have enough power to change things; you choose not to. I don’t blame your family for my father’s death be- cause I learned he died of a heart attack a few years after he left my mother and me. I do blame you for the poor conditions of the people and for the deaths of those that were in my village’s massacre.” I won’t tell him the truth about my father. Some things will stay secrets for now. “I expected my mission to be difficult, but I accepted what had to be done.”

  “So, you will still finish your mission?”

  I bite my lip. “I don’t know. I didn’t expect…this.” I wave my hand in a circle.

  “What exactly is ‘this?’” he asks mimicking my ges- ture. “You’ve said things I want to believe are true but wonder if they were an act.”

  “I meant what I said when we arrived here. I love you, and that complicates everything. I won’t lie; I am torn be- tween you or my mission. But, I made promises when I came here to make sure people’s lives change. Have me killed, but I won’t stop fighting so that I never have to worry about my family starving again.”

  Alexa Mackintosh

  His face is red from anger, but he doesn’t say anything. He walks to the edge of the water and keeps his back to me.

  Why did he ever have to find out?

  Tears start to blur the corners of my vision, but I wipe them away before he notices. I do love him and will do al- most anything not to lose him.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before,” I say. I’m not really that sorry. After all, I didn’t tell him because I feared he’d kill me.

  “You couldn’t tell me,” he says. “Honestly, I’m not sure what to do now. I hoped it w
asn’t true and that the spies were wrong. I thought they might have made a mistake or misheard something.”

  I stand looking down at my clasped hands for several moments. The tension remains, but I dare to say, “I would very much like if you didn’t hand me over as a traitor.”

  To my surprise, he says, “I don’t plan to.”

  “What?” I question. Shouldn’t he report me for his family’s safety? He’s a prince. Why does he want a rebel trying to overthrow his family to stay alive? He might love me, but he also loves his family and wants to keep them safe.

  “I agree that the Thirds need help. One day I think we will be together. You don’t love my brother, and he doesn’t love you.” He leans forward and says softly. “I know whose side you are on, but be careful trusting them. Rebels have their agendas too, and they aren’t as peaceful

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  as you want to believe. I don’t despise their cause. They want to make things better, but maybe they don’t realize the government is trying to do that.”

  “It doesn’t look like the governments helping. Your family acts like…” I bite my lip. I don’t want to hurt his feeling anymore.

  “We act like tyrants; I know. It takes strong leaders to better this planet, and I hope soon a good leader will be on the throne.”

  “What do you mean a good leader soon? Ivan’s em- peror.”

  “I have my ways of changing things too. Maybe the re- bels can help me, and I’ll help them.”

  I gasp in disbelief. “You support the rebels?”

  “No, but I don’t oppose them either. Rebels want change, and I think if they supported me, that could hap- pen.”

  “Support you? You mean dispose of Ivan and put you on the throne?” I ask. I would love to see Dmitri on the throne as he rightfully should have been before the acci- dent. It fills me with the hope that maybe the future might be brighter than the present.