Whitefire

by Fern Michaels

  Katerina stood looking down at the supine woman on the hearth, her head resting on a large goose-down pillow. She was awake and staring into the fire.

  “I made a mistake in allowing you to come here,” Katerina said matter-of-factly. “Your actions almost got the two best men killed. It was a senseless thing to do. It was a drill and both men were evenly matched. From now on you will only be allowed in this kitchen and in the room next to mine, where you will sleep. Do you understand what I’m telling you? From this moment on you are to have no contact with any of the men. I can’t afford any mistakes. Why did you shriek like that? Tell me, so that I’ll understand. Are you so naive that you didn’t think, weren’t aware that a disturbance like that was harmful to the men participating in the drill? If the prince hadn’t held back at the last moment, Kostya would be dead.”

  At the sound of Kostya’s name, Halya moved her head and stared up at Katerina. “I’m sorry,” she said, struggling to a sitting position. “I owe you an explanation for my behavior. I was startled when I saw Kostya. We played together as children in my home in Moldavia. While I was of royal birth, he was a peasant, so our playful years were forced to end with my father sending him away. I was sixteen and he was seventeen. I was sent to Moscow with my brother so that . . . it isn’t important why I was sent. When I learned that my father was sending Kostya away, I ran to him one night and we made love. It was the most beautiful thing in the world to us. We swore that one day we would be reunited and live happily ever after. Children say things like that, only we meant it, and after that night we were no longer children. I loved him then and I love him now. While I lived in the Terem Palace and was Czar Ivan’s mistress, I had only one thought and that was to marry the Czar, thinking that somehow Kostya would hear of my marriage and come for me. I’ve done many things in my life that I’m not proud of, but with only one thought in mind—that somehow Kostya and I would be reunited. If it required the use of my body, then so be it. One only gives that which one wants to give, no more and no less. I’ve lost Yuri and I’ve found Kostya. My life is complete.”

  Katerina looked at the wide-eyed woman in front of her and felt a chill wash over her. If only life were so simple. In her own way she was glad that it was Kostya Halya loved and not Banyen. Banyen was a part of her whether she liked it or not.

  Halya stared at Katerina, a strange look on her face. “Please tell me that you don’t . . . that Kostya . . . please tell me . . . I have to know,” she pleaded, the grass-green eyes moist with unshed tears.

  “I have no feelings for Kostya, and he has none for me. Another time we’ll speak of him and the reasons why he is here. I have much thinking to do. I want your promise that you’ll not seek him out or do anything foolish.”

  “You have my promise,” Halya said happily. “I’ll do and say whatever you want as long as I know that he is here. I was going to go back to Moldavia and inform my parents of Yuri’s death and make a new life for myself. At first I had many plans, each more difficult than the last. There is one other thing you must know. I left the Terem Palace with the Czar’s permission, but a day early. A young soldier helped me escape. I’m sure as I sit here that he planned my death and was due to execute it shortly. He’s a madman and I could no longer live under the same roof. If I were to tell you the things I was forced to do, you would die of shame. But I’m alive, and that is all behind me now. Now I have Kostya. There really is a God.” She smiled. “Every day from the day we were parted I prayed, and He has finally answered my prayers. Now I must pray anew that Kostya feels the same way I do.”

  “Come, I’ll show you where you are to sleep and let you turn in for the night. You look tired, and this has been a day of days for you. I think that you’ll sleep happily and have dreams that only young, foolish girls have,” Katerina said, her voice hard and bitter.

  Halya regarded her uncertainly, was unable to fathom her tone or the look in her eyes. What was eating at the girl? Surely she spoke the truth when she said she had no feeling for Kostya. It must be the Mongol. Did she love him or did she hate him? Whatever, who was she to judge or assume anything?

  While the two women talked, Kostya settled himself in the cot that was his and sighed deeply. It was impossible, Halya here in the fortress! How? Why? Feelings long submerged surged through him till he had to gasp for breath. He buried his face in the bedding and let his mind race. He had thought he would never see her again. God, how he had searched, day after day, month after month, year after year. And she was finally here, so close he could almost touch her if he wanted to. How did she feel? Did she still love him? Only thoughts of finding her had kept him alive in the stockade.

  Katerina paced her room, a deep frown on her face. She was tired but knew she would never sleep. How was she to keep the princess locked up or, barring that, out of sight? What in the name of God was she to do with her for six weeks? What would Kostya do if at the end of the winter Halya . . . She would have to talk to Kostya and see if his promise still held. What will I say to him? she thought nervously. She knew in her heart that she couldn’t force him to help her at the beginning of spring. Idea after idea raced through her mind, only to be rejected. Perhaps tomorrow she would be able to think more clearly.

  The fire crackled as flames leaped up the hollow chimney, sending tiny sparks out onto the hearth. Katerina sat down and drew her legs up to her chin. Every problem had a solution. If she appealed to the princess, it would help. What if Kostya really did leave? If he did, the others would go with him, and there was nothing she could do about it. The promise of gold and dignity would not go far when he left. She had to talk to him, and plead and beg if necessary for his help. “It can’t all be for nothing,” she whimpered as she hugged her knees, a lone tear trickling down her cheek. Tomorrow she would talk with Kostya and promise him anything so long as he agreed to her terms.

  Curling herself into a tight ball, she cradled her head in the crook of her arm atop the red-fox throw and was instantly asleep. From time to time she moaned softly as she raced across the snows, the slant-eyed Mongol in her wake.

  When Katerina woke in the morning, she was exhausted as thoughts of what she had to do plagued her.

  Her simple but hearty breakfast over, she ordered Stepan to fetch Kostya to the kitchen. While she waited, she paced the flagstone floor, her thoughts whirling. God, what was she going to say and do when he stood before her? By now all the men knew something was wrong and were no doubt speculating wildly as to what it was all about. And what was the bastard Banyen thinking? No doubt he has it all figured out, she thought bitterly.

  Stepan escorted a perplexed Kostya into the vast room and discreetly withdrew as Katerina held out a mug of hot tea and told him to sit down. “I must talk with you, and there’s no other place where we would not be overheard. I want you to listen to me carefully, because you are the only one who can help me. Back in the Khanate when I chose you to come here to the Carpathians, I did so for one reason. I sensed in you an honesty. And when you said only savages and animals rape . . . What I’m trying to say is your words rang true, and I knew that whatever your best was, you would give it to me in exchange for freedom. Was I right, was my judgment of you accurate?”

  “You judged me correctly.”

  “Now that the princess is here, what does this do to my judgment? Will you stay with me after the winter is over? Will you keep your end of our bargain? Wait,” she said quietly, sensing he wanted to speak. “If you leave here with Princess Halya in the spring, the others will go with you. I need you to help me regain the Cosars. Without you and the men, I’ll never see them again. Tell me, are you a man of your word? That and that alone is what I want to know.”

  “Yes, I am. I’ll do what I can to help you. I promised to keep my end of the bargain and I will. So will the others.”

  Katerina nodded, her eyes lightening to ripe apricot, as she listened to him talk.

  “I’ve searched for Halya for years, and finding her last evening was so
unexpected that I was shaken to the core. I love her and I always will. Suddenly it was too much for me. I was free from the damn stockade, my life more or less back on an even stride, and there is Halya to add the final meaning to my life.” He looked around, almost expecting to see her sitting in the kitchen. “I understand that it’s not good that she’s here. I must see her and speak with her. That you can’t deny me. If you do, then our bargain is over. After I talk with her and I explain, I’ll do what you say. I also understand that you want no more meetings between us. I agree. It wouldn’t look good for the men, and I have no wish to disturb them. What is good for one is good for all.”

  Katerina nodded. “There are those here in the fortress who think I have no heart, that I’m not compassionate. Today is your day. Yours and the princess’s. Come, I’ll take you to her. Just remember that a bargain is a bargain. If you should default, you’ll leave me no other choice. I’ll have to kill you and make it look like an accident so the men will not revolt. I want that understood, Kostya.”

  “I understand. If this were another time and another place, perhaps we could . . .”

  “No, your princess would always stand between us. Rarely does one find true love, and when one does, it’s not wise to tamper with the . . .”

  Kostya smiled. “There is great understanding in you. I sensed it the first time you ever spoke to me. I have you to thank for my life and for my . . . love. I’ll not abuse your generosity, you have my word.”

  “It grows light. Let your face be the first thing the princess sees upon awakening. Remember, only this one day, no more.”

  “You have my word.”

  Chapter 18

  The Trotsnik tavern on the outskirts of the Terek camp shook with raucous laughter as the Terek Cossacks danced and drank late into the night.

  They raised their mugs of kvass, first to one servant girl, and then to another. When they tired of toasting the women, they toasted their own fierceness and virility, laughing wildly and stamping their booted feet.

  Gregory Bohacky, in a near stupor, climbed on top of one of the tables and began to dance, a bottle of wine balancing precariously on his forehead as he crouched low, his arms crossed over his broad chest. The music played wildly as the drunken Cossack thrust out one leg and then the other, finally falling off the table to land in a bevy of servant girls who were laughing as loudly as the men. Gregory lay on the floor, a wide grin splitting his face, his knees drawn up, feet flat on the floor. Two women perched themselves on his knees. The woman who could maintain her balance would be the fortunate one who would make the short ride back to Khortitsa and his bed for the night. The girls laughed and squealed as Gregory stamped his booted feet, trying to unseat each woman who clasped her arms around his muscular leg.

  Gregory lifted his haunches and gave his right leg a mighty thump on the floor. One woman fell, amid loud shouts from the Cossacks. The other, Sonia, remained atop his knee, shouting that she and she alone was the victor. Gregory was pleased, for of all the women in the tavern, Sonia was his favorite. She could drink, dance, and make wild, passionate love better than any other woman he knew, and when the night of lovemaking was over she didn’t cling and weep like the others. She dressed, kissed him soundly, borrowed a mount, and rode back to the tavern to wait for another time when Gregory would seek her out.

  At the height of the din, Gregory gathered her close and whispered in her ear. She laughed as she waved to the other Cossacks and winked lewdly at the woman who had toppled from his leg.

  Sonia giggled as Gregory tried to mount his horse. On his third try he seated himself, and reached down for the laughing Sonia and pulled her up next to him.

  Back in his hut in Khortitsa, they tore off their clothes and tumbled into Gregory’s rancid, filthy bed. Their lovemaking was wild and fierce, with Gregory shouting lewd endearments to the grinning Sonia.

  Later, relaxing in the aftermath of his proven masculinity, the woman draped across his chest, he became aware of a loud clamoring outside his home. Angrily he stalked to the window. Who would dare to disturb him at this hour? A small group of villagers were wildly gesturing and shouting. He peered into the darkness, seeing nothing to warrant the excitement the men were making. He dressed quickly and stormed outside, shouting to be heard over the excited men.

  Holding up both hands, he demanded silence. “You, old man,” he said, pointing to a half-dressed Cossack, “what is it, what’s going on?”

  “It’s the Russians from Czar Ivan, they are here for the Cosars. Look, Gregory,” he babbled excitedly, “at the end of the road, do you see the coach?”

  “Of course I see it, you fool, do you think I’m blind? Did they say why they arrived so early? They weren’t due for another month. It’s a trick of some sort. Post guards and surround this coach, and at the first sign of a trick, kill them!” he said harshly, striding toward the waiting coach.

  “Explain yourself!” he bellowed to a soldier standing guard at the doors of the coach.

  “Basil Makoviy, representative to Czar Ivan. I’ve come for the Cosars. Your gold is in the coach, full payment as agreed.”

  “Bah! I made no agreement. I told the Czar I would give him my decision in one month. I didn’t say I agreed to sell him the Cosars . . . You made your journey for nothing.”

  The soldier was unimpressed with Gregory’s words. He opened the door of the coach and pointed to six chests that rested on the floor. He nodded slightly, and one of his men opened a chest. Gregory blinked at the gold coins that sparkled in the glowing torchlight. Another nod from Makoviy and all the chests were opened. “My orders were to deliver the money to you and return with the herd. Those are my orders,” he repeated.

  “And what will you do if I order my men to take this gold and kill you? I’m the leader of this camp, and I give the orders. Your Czar be damned! I made no bargain with him,” Gregory said harshly.

  “The Czar has given us a certain number of days to reach here and return with the Cosars. Men were positioned along the route we followed and they are reporting our progress to Moscow. The last messenger was sent back to the Czar the moment we rode into this camp. If we don’t return on schedule, this village will be nothing more than a memory. Do you understand me?”

  Gregory’s heart pounded in his chest, and sweat dripped from his forehead. He knew he had to make a decision, and he knew that if he didn’t strike a bargain with the Russian his own men would kill him and take the gold for themselves. What good were horses when there were six chests of gold? “Agreed!” Gregory shouted, to the approval and wild stamping of his men.

  The Russian nodded and spoke quietly. “The Czar was sure you would agree. We’ll make camp here for the balance of the night and start our journey back at dawn. See that the herd is ready at sunup,” he said briskly as he ordered his men to unload the chests of coins. “A wise decision on your part. If you had refused, as I said, this village and all your people would be nothing more than a memory. A very wise decision.”

  Gregory strode into a circle of his men and laughed loudly. “I said the Cosars were worth their weight in gold, and now we have the gold to prove it.”

  The men added logs to the campfire in the circle and brought out containers of vodka to celebrate. “To Gregory!” they chorused.

  Chapter 19

  As the endless back-breaking days dragged on, Banyen became hostile and intense, his dark eyes brooding and hate-filled, while Kostya drove his men to a near frenzy, his own bright gaze smiling and alert. They were like oil and water. Banyen would sneer, one large fist pounding into the other, when one of his men fell short of the mark. Kostya would laugh and make his man do it over to his satisfaction, his mind on other things. Anger was a waste of time, and for now there was none in him. He could, at this time, even be charitable and forgive Banyen his rough treatment of him in the stockade. Rokal was right, he merely followed orders, and a good soldier always followed orders and gave the best that was in him. He owed Katerina the best th
at was in him, and he would keep his promise. Halya understood and promised to wait for him back at her home in Moldavia at winter’s end. For once fortune smiled upon him, and he had no desire to tamper with God’s work. He would do as he had promised and be happy doing it so long as he knew Halya and he would be together.

  The days were just as endless for Katerina. She watched the men for hours on end, finding no fault with their performance. They were as near to being Cossacks as was humanly possible. Even the Mongols gave an excellent accounting of themselves. The Khan would find no fault with her training. Banyen, she admitted, bothered her. His indigo gaze was angry and hostile each time he looked at her. Did he think that the princess had been brought here for his personal enjoyment? Katerina smiled.

  Banyen was unable to fathom why Halya was secluded from the others. He ate alone with Mikhailo while Katerina dined with the princess in her room. He wondered if she had something to do with the horses. It was possible Ivan had sent her here. How was he to gather news of the Czar if he couldn’t talk to Halya? It disturbed him that some manner of conspiracy was going on and he had no clue as to what it was. Sooner or later he would have to make a decision about the stallions. Now that he knew they were in the fortress, all he had to do was follow Katerina on one of her early-morning jaunts and find out exactly where they were sequestered and then decide what to do. How many more days was he going to wait before he made any of his decisions? Not long, he promised himself; winter was slowly coming to an end and before long the perpetual snows would cease, and he could think about the vast outdoors and the chances he would have to take if he decided to take the stallions.