Robin Bridges: The Gathering Storm

Elena rolled her eyes. “You are so bourgeois, Katerina.”

Dariya linked my arm with hers. “Of course there’s more to life than finding a rich husband,” she said. “I want a rich and handsome husband, with a title. He must be a prince or better.” She led me back to Smolny with the Bavarian princesses and Elena laughing behind us.

We shook the snow from our cloaks as we entered the front gates. Madame Metcherskey was standing at the top of the stairs glaring at us. We were late to dance practice. Again.

I stayed awake in bed until late that night, worrying about Maman’s answer to Elena’s mother. Of course she would want me to go to Cetinje. She would think it such an honor. Rumors of the princesses and their dark magic would only intrigue Maman, if she did not know already.

When I did drift off to sleep, my dreams were troubled, full of dark chanting by candlelight in a strange stone castle.

“Mademoiselle? The headmistress wishes to speak with you.” One of the servants from downstairs awoke me early the next morning. She looked over at Elena, who was still sleeping, and made the sign of the cross.

A feeling of dread clenched my stomach. What had I done now? I quickly dressed and followed the servant to Madame Tomilov’s parlor.

I was shocked to see my brother, sitting on the green rosewood sofa. “Petya!”

He stood immediately. “Katiya, I have unfortunate news. I’m to bring you home immediately. Our mother is ill.”

“Mon Dieu!” Was this his brilliant plan to help me?

“Can you be packed and ready to leave immediately?”

It was easy to play along with him. I tried to look concerned. “Yes, of course. Is it serious?”

My brother frowned. Oh, he was such a good actor! “I’m not sure, but she has been calling for you.”

Madame Tomilov put her hand on my shoulder. “Be strong, child. I shall say a prayer for the duchess.”

“Thank you, madame.”

I hurried back upstairs to our room and threw my things together in a trunk. I grabbed my cloak and muff too. I did not bother to wake Elena or Dariya. They would hear soon enough.

“That was very clever,” I told my brother as we dashed away toward Betskoi House, our family home on the Palace Embankment. It was not an enormous mansion, but Maman loved being close to the Winter Palace. “I cannot believe you kidnapped me to rescue me from the Montenegrins.”

My brother shook his head, looking grim. “Maman is truly confined to her bed and has been calling out for you,” he said.

I stared at him in disbelief. “You’re teasing me.”

“I’m sorry, dear sister. I wish it were just a joke.”

My face burned with shame. I felt horrible. Deceiving the headmistress would, of course, be devious, and my brother was a good person. Unlike me. Maman’s illness could even be my fault. What if Princess Militza had spoken to her about the ball? I was silent the rest of the journey, with knots of worry twisting inside.

As the sleigh pulled through the iron gates into our courtyard, I jumped out without waiting for it to come to a complete stop.

I threw my cloak off as I ran up the marble staircase. “Maman? Maman?” I called.

Her pink boudoir was dark with the heavy curtains pulled shut. Maman was indeed confined to her bed, as my brother had told me. Dr. Kruglevski, our old family friend, stood over her, taking her pulse. Papa sat on the other side of the bed. He looked anxious.

“Hello, my dear,” Maman said, holding her hand out to me. She didn’t seem to be feverish, but she did look rather pale. Her fingers were like ice.

“Your mother is going to be just fine,” Dr. Kruglevski said, tucking his watch back into his coat pocket. “She had an attack of hysterics last night after her card party. Rest is all she needs right now.”

“But she’s so pale. Is she anemic?”

The elderly doctor smiled. “Still reading your father’s books, I see. Do not be troubled; your mother does not suffer from anemia. Time will put the color back into her cheeks soon enough. I’m going to leave her in your hands now, Katerina Alexandrovna.” He patted me on the shoulder as he followed Papa out. He smelled of iodine.

Maman let go of my hand. “Oh, Katiya, I’m so glad to see you. But I do wish you wouldn’t bother the doctor so about medical things. He does not have the time to indulge a young girl’s silly ideas.”

“Dr. Kruglevski has always been kind to me, and has even promised to let me see his lab one day.”

Maman rolled her eyes. “Katerina! What shall I do with you? And I am so sorry that my sudden illness means you will not be going to Cetinje with your new friends. I’m sure you were looking forward to it.”

I patted her hand as I sat on the edge of her bed. “No, Maman. Actually, the Montenegrins are not my friends. I can’t imagine why they’d want me to go to their homeland with them.”

“You shouldn’t say such things, dear. When Princess Militza marries Grand Duke Peter Nikolayevich, she will be very influential in the Romanov court. Besides, what if Princess Stana does marry my brother? Then she will be part of the family!”

Actually, Grand Duke Peter was my cousin on my father’s side, so both of the older princesses could end up as relatives. I frowned at the thought. “Now, Maman, tell me what happened to you last night. Why does Dr. Kruglevski think you are hysterical?”

She waved her hand. “Oh, he knows how silly I can become. I was having my cards read by Madame Marina, and I drew the Queen of Swords. It struck my heart with dread, and suddenly I was worried about you. But now that you’re here, I feel so ridiculous.”

I felt a little queasy. “What does the Queen of Swords mean?” I asked. “Why did you think it has anything to do with me?”

“When you were born, Madame Marina read your cards for you, and she told me that you were the Queen of Swords. And that I should watch over you carefully, for you had a wonderful gift.”

“But I don’t.…” The panic already started to rise in my throat. I could not bear it if my mother discovered my secret. And if she was actually pleased …

Maman grabbed my hand. “Perhaps not yet, but when I saw your card last night,” she went on, “I was frightened, for above it was the Devil card.”

“The Devil?” I quickly crossed myself.

We lived in the strangest of times. Russia was steeped in mysticism and the occult, and science was struggling against superstition to pull the country into the future. It was like dreaming you were in a fairy tale and knowing you should wake up but not being able to. Unfortunately, I knew for a fact that monsters and faeries existed. I might even be one of the monsters. And there was nothing science could do about it.

As soon as Maman fell back asleep, I went to Papa’s study, where he and Dr. Kruglevski were talking. “Katiya, come in!” Papa said, smiling. “You’ll want to hear this too. The tsar has given me his consent to build a new medical institute here in St. Petersburg!”

“That’s wonderful!” I kissed him on the cheek before settling into one of the overstuffed chairs. Dr. Kruglevski handed me a cup of tea from the samovar. “Thank you, Doctor.”

“Your father wants to open an institute of experimental medicine, for research on various diseases, just like Dr. Pasteur’s institute in Paris.”

“Yes, and there’s also one in Berlin,” Papa added, stirring his own cup of tea. “Russia needs one as well if we’re to keep up with modern science.”

“If only he would allow women to attend the Medical Surgical Academy again,” I said with a pout. “The tsar’s minister of education and his cronies refuse to listen to reason.”