The empress is surrounded by her ladies when we arrive. They are all seated around a large, mahogany table covered in food and even from her chair, I can tell she’s a head taller than the women around her are. She has wide, brilliant blue eyes, a full, rosy mouth, and a soft, round face. Her blonde hair is powdered not the usual white, but coal black. She takes a bite of candied pear, and my stomach turns. I realize for the first time that I haven’t eaten since the day before, and I’ve grown ravenous. As soon as we enter, Mother and I curtsy gracefully.
“Your Majesty,” we say in unison.
“Ah yes. Thank you for joining us,” she says graciously, motioning with a wave of her hand for us to take a seat. Out the corner of my eye, I see Sergei and two other men I don’t know standing in the far corner of the room. He washes a glance over me with a pleased expression, and it sends chills across my flesh. With a clap of her hands, Empress Elizabeth dismisses her ladies. I watch as the movement ruffles the large, black feather that stands upright in her hair, draping across her head and curving down the other side, caressing her pale cheek.
“I was so sorry to hear of that nasty business in on the road. I trust you are both well and unharmed?”
She glances from Mother to me, and Mother answers.
“We are quite well, Your Majesty. Though our belongings were mostly destroyed.”
“Yes, Sergei has informed me,” the empress says dryly.
I speak softly, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for being so kind as to replace our gowns.”
That earns me a slight smile as she pokes a bit of cheese with a fork and stuffs it into her mouth.
“Yes, you are too kind,” Mother adds after a moment of silence.
The empress stares at me appraisingly. Her dress is silver, trimmed with gold lace, and almost every inch of her exposed skin is covered in diamonds. Her vestige is overwhelming. It’s all I can do to meet her gaze and not look away.
“Sergei tells me you fought off the bandits single-handedly?” she asks, a wry smile turning up the edges of her lips.
Beside me, I feel Mother stiffen.
“I’m sure it had more to do with the timely arrival of your guards,” Mother offers modestly.
The empress ignores her. “Sergei tells me you fought them off with a knife? Is that true?”
I nod. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“That is quite—”
My mother cuts her off. “Unbecoming a lady, and I’ve told her as much. But have no worries, Your Majesty, I’m sure it was a solitary occurrence. The instinct for a child to protect their mother is a strong thing.”
The empress shoots her a withered look before turning back to me.
“I was going to say courageous. Don’t you agree, Chancellor Bestuzhev?” she asks. A dark-haired man steps forward from behind Sergei. He’s wearing a simple grey tunic, breeches with a black jacket, and a belt of gold-encrusted rubies drapes from his shoulders. It looks very similar to the blood-red stones in the empress’ tiara, a matching set of royal jewels.
He bows from the neck. “Quite courageous, Your Majesty.”
For the first time, I watch as the empress’ face softens and she smiles genuinely, sitting back and gently wiping her mouth with her linen napkin.
“And what do you have to say, Count Lestocq?”
The third man steps forward. He’s short and rotund but somehow still handsome, with flushed cheeks and warm, amber-colored eyes.
“I would say that Your Majesty has chosen well. It will take a brave wife indeed to stand next to Peter.”
His words seem to be a compliment, but there’s an underlying tone that bothers me. A feeling that the words were carefully chosen to have a secondary meaning that I do not understand.
“Yes. But of course, the decision hasn’t been made yet, Count,” Bestuzhev says curtly. “There are still many variables. The treaty for one thing—”
The empress sighs heavily and waves her hand, effectively silencing him.
“Yes, yes. The treaty. I am well aware. But I tire of politics. I want to know more about our young princess. Tell me, Sophie, what do you think of Russia so far?”
Her tone is light, but there is a weight to her words.
“Russia is beautiful, Your Majesty. I cannot wait to see it in the spring bloom. I’m sure it’s splendid to behold.”
She grins. “And do you speak Russian?”
I shake my head just a fraction. “Sadly, no. I speak German and French, and I can read and write in Latin as well. Though I hope to take up the study of the language while I’m here. My mother was just mentioning during our journey that my education would not be complete until I’ve mastered it.”
Beside me, Mother sits up a little taller, a modest grin gracing her lovely face.
“Well, it’s settled then. General Salkov can be your tutor. Beyond helping you master our beautiful language, he can also teach you the customs of court and see to your safety during your visit.”
At the word visit, Mother visibly tenses.
Just then, the door to her chamber sweeps open and Peter bounds into the room as if on horseback. Seeing me, he grins wildly, his blue eyes dancing mischievously, just as they did when he was a little boy. But his face is longer and more defined, a hint of stubble rides his jaw, and he’s gotten tall, taller than even Sergei. He bows quickly to his aunt, then to my mother, before crossing the room in two long strides and taking me by the waist, lifting me into the air, and twirling me gently before sitting me back on my feet.
“Sophie how glorious it is to see you again.”
He turns back to the empress. “I’m sorry, dear Aunt, but I could wait no longer.”
She smiles warmly and waves him off.
“How have you been? How is Prussia?” he asks quickly, ignoring my mother’s uncomfortable cough.
“Very well to both,” I say, unable to keep the smile from my face. “And you?”
He shrugs. “As well as can be expected in such deplorable conditions.” He shoots a grin over his shoulder to his aunt, who is watching us with a wistful look on her face. “I’ve had no one to play Whist with.”
I can’t suppress the laugh that follows his words.
“That’s probably because you cheat so badly.”
“I cheat quite well, thank you,” he says, combing back his golden hair with his fingers, then letting it fall back into a mound of curls.
The empress stands, and we all turn to face her.
“Tonight, there is a ball in honor of Peter’s sixteenth birthday tomorrow. I do hope you will both join us. I would be honored to introduce you to my court,” The empress offers gracefully, brushing the breadcrumbs from her bodice.
I curtsy.
“Of course, Your Majesty. We would love to attend,” Mother answers for me.
The empress turns her full attention to Mother for the first time.
“Johanna, I must admit, I was so devastated when your dear brother died before we could be wed. I have always felt that destiny was somehow subverted when our houses were not joined in marriage.”
Mother inclines her head. “I have felt that as well, Your Majesty. But I believe that destiny, and anything that is truly meant to be, will always find a way to right itself.”
Peter faces me and, bowing, takes my hand in his, bringing it gently to his lips.
“I look forward to it,” he offers with a depth in his voice, and I can’t help but wonder if he means seeing me at the ball… or something else entirely.
The empress steps forward, taking Peter’s arm, and they exit together, leaving Mother and me to return to our chambers. Within moments of returning, Sergei and Count Lestocq arrive, followed by a flurry of attendants and footmen. They bow graciously, both men looking pleased with us.
“Ladies, let me be the first to congratulate you. You have made a splendid impression with Her Majesty. She is quite taken with young Sophie,” the count offers with a grin, handing my mother a large, leather satchel.
/> Mother huffs, opening the sack, “Of course she is. My daughter is a rare jewel. One would have to be blind not to see her beauty and grace…” Her voice trails off as a handful of gold and silver rubles falls out into her hand. She gawks only for a moment before gathering herself, slipping the money back in the purse and looking back up at Sergei. “My daughter is worth much more than the contents of this purse.”
I blush at her words. More than once growing up, Mother had openly complained about how plain and boyish I was. To hear her speak of me so warms my heart.
“I quite agree,” the count says firmly, holding his arm out to my mother. “And I see where her beauty and grace have come from. Let me assure you, that is only the beginning of Her Majesty’s grace. Much more will follow. But for now, may I interest you in a tour of the palace, my lady?”
Her eyes light up, and then flicker hesitantly in my direction.
He continues. “Sergei is eager to begin her Russian lessons and the servants will be busy for hours preparing your gowns for this evening, far too tedious for a lady such as yourself to be forced to endure, don’t you agree?”
At his words, she tucks her chin bashfully and accepts his arm.
“You are quite right, of course. A tour would be delightful.”
As soon as they are gone, I feel the air around me thicken. Sergei is watching me with his hypnotic blue eyes and despite the other people in the room, I feel quite alone under his gaze, as if we were the only people in existence.
Finally, he raises one eyebrow. “Sophie, you are a clever girl, tell me, did you pick up on anything during your audience with the empress?”
I take a seat in the red velvet chair near the window overlooking the river.
“Well, it’s quite obvious that Chancellor Bestuzhev isn’t pleased with my arrival.”
He nods silently.
“He seems quite taken with Austria and his treaty,” I add thoughtfully. “Do you think he was behind the attack on my carriage?”
Sergei sits down, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “You will find there are many people here at court that fears the Prussian influence. Peter himself is so taken with King Fredrick that it’s practically all he talks about. There are those who worry that under Peter’s rule, Russia would become nothing more than a puppet to the demands of Prussia.”
I lower my chin, looking him in the eye.
“That wasn’t an answer to my question.”
He shrugs. “I have no answer to give. It’s possible, yes. I would not put it past him, but there are others as well who could have had a hand in it. I simply do not know.”
“So even here, at the palace, I’m no safer than I was in those woods. There are still powerful people who wish me gone.”
“That is true, but I did share my concerns for your safety with the empress. That is partly why she named me your tutor. I’m also your unofficial guard.”
I almost quip that being under his guard doesn’t make me feel any better, but I hold back the words because deep down, I do actually feel safer knowing he’s watching over me.
“And,” I continue as gently as possible, “it was so nice to see Peter again. Though the count’s remarks surprised me. Tell me, what kind of a man is Peter?”
For the first time, Sergei shifts in his chair, looking a bit uncomfortable.
“Peter is… young. He has a great love of all things German and military. He speaks German only, so you must always address him in such, and he can be extremely short-tempered.”
I grin. “So he’s much unchanged then.”
Sergei smiles sadly. “Lestocq is right about one thing; it will take a very clever, very strong woman to rein him in. The empress knows as much. She’s not just looking for a wife for him—she’s looking for someone formidable enough to tame him.”
I take a deep breath, not daring to speak the words floating in my mind. I cannot admit, even to myself, how desperately I hope for him to fall madly in love with me. For years, I watched my parents suffer in their arranged marriage, barely tolerating each other. Is it so wrong to dream of romance and tenderness? Of love?
“And that’s not all. There are two other ladies arriving today, Lady Elizavetta and Lady Ekaterina Vorontsova. Neither is a princess, but they are from one of the wealthiest, most influential families in Russia. They’ve been asked to serve as your ladies-in-waiting while you’re here, but make no mistake, if you are found unsuitable for marriage to Peter, they will be in line behind you—and either of them is a much more suitable match for him in the eyes of the anti-Prussian movement at court.”
I nod, unable to keep the frown from my face.
Reaching out, Sergei lays a hand on mine. My shivers from earlier return and I gaze at him.
“This task will not be an easy one. The road to your coronation will be long, and fraught with danger and treachery. Are you certain this is what you want?” His expression is soft and full of kindness. If I choose to leave, I need only say so now, and he will see me safely home, back to the house of my father. For a moment, the idea fills me with joy. Then I remember that my joy would be short-lived. Two seasons from now, we will be so in debt that we will be forced to sell off our lands, and our kingdom and title will be taken. Mother, Father, and my sweet baby brother will live in poverty for the rest of their days and I, well, I will be sent off to marry my uncle. A slow chill crawls up my spine, and I have to fight off a shudder.
“My choice, General Salkov, is to do whatever necessary to win Peter’s heart and the crown that accompanies it,” I say boldly.
He sits back.
“Then I am at your service, Princess Sophie. But know this—it’s not Peter’s heart you should be concerned with. You must win the heart of the empire.”
I nod, squaring my shoulders and tilting my chin upward.
“Then perhaps we should begin with my first lesson.” I take a piece of paper from the desk and scribble on it. “Tell me, how do you say this in Russian?” I ask, sliding him the paper.
He grins.
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