“Good night, Your Highness,” I said, looking him right in the eye and forcing a smile. I knew he would have my family killed if I did not play along with this madness. Or worse—could he turn them into blood drinkers? “I am glad we talked things out.”
“As am I, my love.” With one last kiss on my hand, he left me standing in the foyer with my parents.
“Oh, Katiya!” Maman gushed again. She embraced me and led me upstairs. “I am so happy! Now we can get back to the wedding plans!”
I turned and fled to my room. I could not face Papa yet. He would be disappointed in me, and he would no doubt call me into his office in the morning to make sure I knew what I was doing. I didn’t want to break his heart, but I couldn’t risk his life either. Or my brother’s.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
“Did Petya come home last night?” I asked at breakfast the next morning. He continued to keep his rooms at Betskoi House, but he often slept at the barracks with his friends.
“No, he must have stayed at Vorontsov Palace,” Papa said. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“I’m fine,” I said. Taking a deep breath, I picked up a warm piece of brown bread and coated it with strawberry jam. “Papa, I’m truly happy with my decision. I want you to be happy for me as well.” I gave him a smile, and I saw his face relax.
He said nothing but raised his cup of tea to me.
“We have so much work to do,” Maman said. “Instead of hiding in Biarritz, now we can go to Paris to look at wedding dresses. Do you remember the gown Grand Duchess Elizabeth wore? Very simple, but elegant. You would look better in something a little more daring. Your neck is one of your best features.”
I tried not to blush, thinking of Prince Danilo’s hands on my throat the night before. “I liked the grand duchess’s dress.”
Maman laughed and continued chattering. “What about the gown your aunt Zina chose? The Worth gown with all the little white feathers?”
I wondered what she would say if I admitted I detested feathers, but Papa already looked as if he were being tortured. I winked at him. “I am sure we will find something hideously expensive and horridly tasteless, which will have all of St. Petersburg talking for years.” I stood up and kissed both of them on their cheeks.
I was on my way back to my room when my brother returned home, looking very haggard. It had been a rough night for him. “Petya!” I ran and hugged him, relieved that he was unhurt. “What has happened?”
“I cannot discuss it, Katiya,” he said with a tired sigh. “The actions of the Order are secret.”
But he did discuss it with Papa. I wrapped myself in the sheult spell and stood outside my father’s office while he and Petya argued about the safety of the Order.
“Demidov was poisoned,” Papa said. “I read the report myself. By hemlock.”
“What sort of a creature uses hemlock?” Petya asked. He sounded incredulous. “Is the Order truly cursed, as the cadets say?”
“Of course not,” Papa said. “You’re being superstitious. But it’s the damnedest thing. The girls at Smolny who took ill were poisoned with hemlock as well.”
“Is Katiya safe there?”
“Yes, for now.” I heard Papa chuckle. “Kruglevski told me she had him check her blood to be certain.”
“She is too headstrong to stay out of trouble,” Petya said. “She should be here at home, where you can keep an eye on her.”
“I must say, I’m unhappy about her marrying the crown prince. I thought she wanted to focus on her education. But if it’s what she wants, I cannot forbid the marriage.”
I could hear my brother’s boots clomping on the floor as he paced back and forth. “There are rumors of the royal family having dark powers, Papa. I think you should look into their bloodline before agreeing to the engagement.”
“King Nikola has pledged his loyalty to the Bear. If his family uses their powers to support the tsar, how could Katiya be in danger?”
“Perhaps she will be safe,” Petya said, but he did not sound convinced. I leaned back against the wall. My brother cared more about me than I’d ever realized. I didn’t want him to get hurt—or worse—trying to protect me.
“The War Ministry has been receiving reports of an increase in animal attacks,” he went on. “People have been seeing wolves in the city at night.”
“The tsar has always tolerated the wolf-folk as long as they behave.” I heard Papa set his glass down. “But if they become a danger to the people of St. Petersburg, he will force them to leave.”
“But the teeth marks on Demidov’s neck were not animal but human bite marks,” Petya said. “The general fears it was another of the creatures that attacked him.”
I wanted to tell my father and my brother about the Montenegrins, but I couldn’t endanger them by revealing the secrets of Danilo and his family. I wondered if Grand Duke George knew of Prince Demidov’s blood test. I was eager to discuss it with him at the ball that evening.
I smiled, wondering what the chances were of the grand duke asking me to dance that night. Then my stomach lurched as I remembered. I was engaged to Prince Danilo again. I could not dance with anyone but him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
The palace of the grand duke and grand duchess Serge was beautiful. A brilliant brick-red on the outside, it had been bought by the grand duke as a wedding present for his bride. On Prince Danilo’s arm, I followed my parents and my brother up the elegant grand staircase to the ballroom. My father and brother treated the crown prince cordially enough, though I could feel they were still wary of him. My father was willing to place his trust in the tsar’s judgment. I wondered if the empress could see the Montenegrins for what they truly were with her faerie sight. Did she approve of the tsar’s friendship with King Nikola?
The crown prince’s sisters were not in attendance, as they were journeying back to Cetinje in the morning to be with their sister the princess Zorka and her new baby.
Although it was nowhere near as large as the one at the Winter Palace, or even the one at Anichkov, the ballroom was very beautiful. The pale blue walls were decorated with plaster angels and scrollwork, and huge arched mirrors along the walls created the illusion of an even larger space. The room sparkled with the light from several chandeliers.
I stood at the entrance, waiting with dread as the dance master announced us. “His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Danilo Petrovic-Njegos of Montenegro, with his fiancée, Duchess Katerina Alexandrovna von Oldenburg.” I saw the grand duchess Elizabeth standing with her sister, Princess Alix, who smiled shyly at me. My father spoke with Alix’s father, Grand Duke Ludvig of Hesse, and Alix’s brother Prince Ernest.
The crown prince left me with a kiss on the hand, saying, “I will return shortly, my love. I must go and speak with the grand dukes Serge and Pavel.”
“You look beautiful, dear,” Grand Duchess Elizabeth said to me. “The faint blush of love blooms on your face.”
This only caused me to blush more. It was not love that bloomed on my face, but shame. And misery. I wanted more than anything to run away to another country where the Vladiki would never find me.
The orchestra struck up the imperial theme as the empress arrived with her children. I was surprised to see the tsar arriving as well. Everyone knew he detested balls, but this one was being given by his favorite brother and sister-in-law. He must have felt honor-bound to make an appearance. We bowed low as the members of the imperial family swept into the room. The tsar wore his dress regimentals, with the empress, on his arm, wearing an ice-blue gown. The tsarevitch followed him, looking just as handsome, and then the grand duke George escorted his sister, the grand duchess Xenia, who wore a gown of white heavily embroidered in silver. The youngest Romanov children were still too young to attend even family balls. The tsar and the empress led the first dance as the tsarevitch and his siblings made their way to where we were standing.
“Aunt Elizabeth,” the tsarevitch said, smiling. “It would give m
e great pleasure if you would honor me with the first dance.”
The grand duchess curtsied, her hand placed over her heart dramatically. “I’d love to, Your Imperial Highness, but I have promised that dance to my husband.”
The tsarevitch’s eyes twinkled. “Then I must humbly ask Princess Alix for the pleasure.”
The princess blushed, embarrassed by his gallantry. “Of course, Your Imperial Highness.” She took his hand as he led her onto the floor.
The grand duchess Xenia smiled at me and whispered something to her brother the grand duke George. “Ooh, there is Sandro!” she said excitedly, and ran off after her Romanov cousin.
The grand duke George bowed politely to me. “Your Highness, would you honor me with the first dance?”
He must have had some information to tell me. Something about Count Chermenensky or about the princess Cantacuzene. I couldn’t turn the tsar’s son down, and yet I could not dance with anyone other than my fiancé—who showed up precisely at the wrong moment.
“Are you ready to dance, my love?” the crown prince said, placing his arm around my waist possessively.
Anger flashed in the grand duke’s eyes. And something else I could not place. He bowed curtly, to both me and the crown prince, before turning around and walking away. My heart ripped. I realized I actually wanted to dance with the grand duke. Not with Danilo.
Prince Danilo swept me onto the dance floor for the last strains of the mazurka. I let him twirl me around and around, not paying attention to anything but the music. As I was dancing in his arms, I realized that I had fallen in love with someone else. Someone who most likely hated me more than anyone else in the world did. I felt miserable.
“Are you happy, my love?” the crown prince asked, looking down at me. The mazurka ended, and we clapped politely before the orchestra started up a polonaise.
“Of course,” I said, not even attempting to smile. How had I ended up in this nightmare? There was no way I could speak privately with the grand duke anymore if I was engaged to the crown prince. I could not believe how utterly miserable that made me feel.
As we danced around the room to the polonaise, I saw the grand duke dancing with Princess Erzsebet. I felt a stabbing pain in my chest. Jealousy? What a strange feeling. I did not want the grand duke holding any girl in his arms but me.
I wished Dariya were there. I needed to explain to her that the engagement was back on until I could find a way to protect my family from the Montenegrins. And from Princess Cantacuzene. My aunt had chosen to spend the evening at Miechen’s Dark Court dinner party instead, taking my uncle and my cousin with her. I hoped Dariya would learn more news of Cantacuzene at the Vladimirichi Palace.
When it was time for dinner, Prince Danilo led me to our table. We sat with my parents and brother, along with Princess Alix’s father and brother. The food was delicious: roast duck and salmon aspic, followed by leg of lamb and a wonderful salad of beets and beans. My brother and Prince Ernest got along well, trading jokes and stories of an officer’s life. Prince Ludvig asked Papa about his correspondence with Dr. Pasteur and wanted to know if Papa had ever met Dr. Koch, the German bacteriologist.
“No, but I have read his work,” Papa said. “Brilliant job he did with the tubercle bacillus.”
“Indeed. Now if he could only discover a way to cure it!” Prince Ludvig replied.
Maman kept up a lively conversation with Danilo, asking him about the wedding traditions of his country. I wanted to choke on my salad. Still, I was glad she was talking. I did not feel chatty that evening at all.
Danilo had noticed, for he bent low and whispered in my ear, “What is wrong, my love? You seem a million miles away tonight.”
“Just tired.” I tried to perk up when the impeccably dressed servants whisked away our dinner plates and returned with orange and strawberry sorbets. I sighed, knowing the night would soon be over and I could go home.
I glanced at the table where the imperial family sat. Grand Duke George was staring at me, a frown etched between his eyebrows. He was not enjoying the evening either. Rescue me, I thought with another sigh. Why can’t you be my knight in shining armor?
His blue eyes narrowed, and he whispered something to his sister. The grand duchess giggled and nodded.
The empress and the tsar rose from their table shortly afterward with their host and hostess. This signaled that it was time to return to the ballroom and the dancing.
I took Danilo’s arm, and then the grand duchess Xenia was beside me, pulling on my other arm. “Duchess Katerina, would you please join Princess Alix and me in the drawing room for a game of cards? We don’t wish to participate in the contredanse, and we desperately need one more player.” She smiled at the crown prince and batted her eyelashes. “Your Highness will not mind if I steal her away from you? Princess Alix has left poor Nicky as well, but we are determined to sit out the next dance and rest our stomachs. You may have Katerina back for the quadrille.”
Prince Danilo could not resist the grand duchess’s smile. “I cannot refuse you, Your Imperial Highness,” he said with a pompous bow. He kissed my hand, saying, “Enjoy your game, my love.”
The grand duchess grinned and linked her arm with mine, leading me toward the golden drawing room. It was a dazzling room, with its golden walls and gold-leafed furniture.
“I did not know that Princess Alix enjoyed cards,” I said.
“She detests them,” the grand duchess whispered gleefully. “You will see!”
In the drawing room, it was not Princess Alix waiting, but the grand duke George. Grand Duchess Xenia gave me a push into the room. “I am going to show the princess and Aunt Elizabeth how to play tarock in the sitting room next door. We do not need a fourth person just yet,” she said, winking at her brother.
The grand duke and I were left alone. “Why do you need to be rescued?” he asked me finally.
I had forgotten he could read my thoughts. I blushed. I had never felt so vulnerable before. “Please forgive me. If I had remembered …”
The grand duke took my hands in his, gently. It sent delicious shivers up my arms. “Katerina, I cannot read all of your thoughts. Especially when your mind is racing a million miles a minute, like it is now.” He stared into my eyes, looking unsure about something. “But I heard your message across the dining room loud and clear. Tell me what has happened. I thought you’d broken your engagement with the crown prince.”
“I thought I had too. I mean, we …” How much could I tell the grand duke? Not that the crown prince had threatened my brother. It had occurred to me that the grand duke was a member of the Order as well. Which meant his life was also in danger. “We had a long discussion, and …”
“What about your dreams of medical school? Will your crown prince allow this?” The grand duke looked skeptical. “The Montenegrins are dangerous, Katerina, even if King Nikola is a friend of my father’s. You should think long and hard before allying your family with theirs.”
I tried to cloud my mind, which was not too hard to do, actually, as confused as I was feeling at the moment. I shook my head. “I will be happy with the crown prince.” It killed me to say it, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“Do you need to be rescued or not?” he asked.
I wanted to run away with him right then and there. I wanted him to protect me from the Vladiki. But I knew he could not. And I could not see him get hurt. If the grand duke died, it would kill me. “No,” I said finally.
“Katerina,” the grand duke whispered, still holding my hands. “Who are you trying to protect?”
Who was I protecting? Who was I hurting? “Everyone,” I whispered back.
The grand duke’s eyes grew cold, and he let go. “Fine, Duchess. Keep your dark secrets, and let yourself be seduced by the crown prince. It will be the death of you.”
He turned around and walked away. I had never felt so alone before.
I did not want to go back to the ballroom. I was not ready to see
Prince Danilo just yet. I wandered down the hallway toward the glass garden. The grand duchess Elizabeth had a magical touch with flowers. Orchids and roses and angels’ trumpets bloomed with wild abandon. The air was heavy with their fragrances. I could have stayed in there all night, listening to the babbling fountain. But I noticed a door leading outside into the courtyard, so I pulled my wrap around me and stepped out into chilly night air.
I had been wrong. It was not a courtyard, but a tiny patio that looked out into the wooded patch along the still frozen Fontanka River. It was a silent night, and I loved the cold. I walked a little bit away from the lights of the house so I could look up and see the starlit black sky. I hugged myself, wishing hopelessly for a happy ending.
A branch rustled in the stand of trees, startling me. My heart began to pound. Silly girl, I told myself. It is only the wind. Or perhaps a fox, hunting at night. Another branch snapped, and I fought the surge of panic rising in my chest. I had strolled too far away from the house to run without tripping in my ridiculous ball gown.
Slowly, I backed away from the stand of trees. Another noise, closer to me this time. And then a whimper: “Mis-tresss …”
“Count Chermenensky?” I whispered. What was he doing here outside the grand duke and grand duchess’s palace?
“Mis-tresss …” I heard him stumbling through the thicket of dried and dead branches. “Hide … I have been hiding.…”
“You’ve done well,” I told him. “And you need to stay hidden, for your own safety. Do you need me to get you anything?”
He kept to the shadows of the woods. “Hungry …,” he whimpered. He sniffed the air. Perhaps he could smell the leftovers from the feast, which the cooks would sell to the poor at the end of the ball.
“I can get you something warm to eat. Wait here.”
I started to head back to the house. I hoped I would be able to sneak into the kitchens and come outside again without anyone seeing me.
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