Robin Bridges - The Gathering Storm

My stomach knotted. When the tsar found out about Queen Milena’s ritual, he would know of my involvement. My blood had brought back Konstantin the Deathless. I could be killed for treason.

“Do not be frightened, Katerina. The tsar will never know your part in betraying him.” He pushed a lock of my hair back off my shoulder and leaned forward to whisper, “That is what you were thinking, is it not?”

I looked over again at Queen Milena, who was smiling at me and the crown prince. The grand duchess was no longer standing with her. I looked all around the vast ballroom, but Miechen had left her own ball. Maman and Papa were dancing merrily, as were Princess Elena and one of the Georgian princes.

“Your Highness, I am terribly sorry,” I said. “I have been overcome with a terrible headache. I must beg you to excuse me for a moment.”

“Perhaps you need some fresh air?” Danilo asked as he turned to lead me to the veranda.

I could smell the sea air on the night breeze, but I did not want to go outdoors. I wanted to find the grand duchess. I shook my head. “I need to find a quiet place to sit down.”

His eyes flashed darkly as his fingers dug into my arm briefly. It was a painful warning. “Do not try anything foolish.”

“Of course not, Your Highness.”

I searched the long corridors of the Grand Palace for the grand duchess. The private apartments were on the opposite side of the palace from the ballroom. I knew I wouldn’t have much time before the crown prince would come looking for me.

Grand Duchess Miechen was sitting on a couch in the Blue Room, just off the grand staircase. She still looked pale, and was holding her belly.

“Your Imperial Highness? Can I send for anyone?”

She shook her head. “Katerina, do not worry about me. You must get word to the tsar. The foolish Montenegrins have uncovered Cantacuzene’s secret and resurrected her dead lover, Konstantin Pavlovich. He is going after the tsar before the bogatyr can be summoned.”

“What can we do?”

The grand duchess smiled, despite her obvious pain. “I can do nothing, I’m afraid, except keep the rest of the Dark Court out of the fight. The Russian vampires will wish to side with Konstantin, of course. He and Princess Cantacuzene created most of them. There are still families in St. Petersburg who are bitter about Nicholas’s brutality in crushing the Dekebristi. To revenge themselves against Nicholas’s grandson would be too tempting.”

“I am so sorry, Your Imperial Highness,” I said. “I was there when Queen Milena released him, but she did not realize what she was doing. And then he disappeared, and there was nothing anyone could do.”

“Soon everyone will know. The tsar will not be pleased—if he survives.”

“Why do you care?” I asked suspiciously. “Would you not be happy to see the tsar dead?”

“Alexander Alexandrovich is a foe I much prefer to Konstantin Pavlovich. What hope would my Vladimir have of inheriting the throne from a lich tsar?” She gave a little grimace as her face drained of all color.

“Is it the twins?” I asked anxiously. “It is much too early, isn’t it?”

She nodded and clutched her abdomen with a strained whisper: “Katerina, send for Dr. Badmaev. I cannot let the vampires in the ballroom smell the blood.”

I gasped and realized the grand duchess was indeed beginning to hemorrhage. Mon Dieu. “Can you walk at all?” I asked. “I can send for our carriage.”

The grand duchess shook her head. “I cannot leave the palace.”

I helped her down the long corridor to her private rooms. Her maids quickly undressed her and helped her into bed. They had a footman send for the Tibetan doctor. It would take several hours, however, for the man to reach St. Petersburg and to return with the doctor.

“Shall I get my mother?” I felt helpless as I watched the grand duchess suffer. The cold light that surrounded her seemed to be growing. She nodded, not bothering to open her eyes. Her maids stood at her bedside, bathing her face with cool rags.

I hurried down the corridor, heading back to the ballroom. I needed to find my mother without the Montenegrins finding me first.

I slipped into the ballroom and saw my mother speaking with Queen Milena. Merde. I looked around for my father instead. He needed to know about Konstantin Pavlovich as well if he was not already aware. My brother and the rest of the living members of the Order of St. John were still in danger.

“There you are.” Danilo’s voice was low in my ear as he came from behind and grabbed me around the waist. “I was beginning to get concerned.”

“What did your mother do to the grand duchess Miechen?”

“She has done nothing.” He smiled. “My sisters, on the other hand, consider the grand duchess a friend of Cantacuzene, and therefore an enemy of the tsar.”

“She was no friend of the princess!” I hissed. “Let me go!”

He led me out of the ballroom, and into a deserted corridor. “I am afraid I cannot do that.”

“She could die!”

Princess Elena sneered behind us. “And what can you do to help her? Pretend to be a doctor?”

If there was ever a moment I wanted to embrace my darkest powers and destroy someone, it was then. But Danilo pushed me into a small sitting room. I heard the door lock behind me.

“What are you doing?” I screamed.

“You must not interfere, beloved. When Konstantin is defeated, we shall be married. There will be no more meddling from the Dark Court.”

“What do you plan to do? How will you protect the tsar?”

There was no answer.

“Danilo, you cannot leave me in here!”

But the crown prince and his sister had already left. The hallway fell silent.

There were no windows in this room, decorated in an Oriental style, and only the one door, which was locked. I was trapped. No one would be able to hear me above the noise of the ball.

Except George Alexandrovich, if luck was with me.

“Your Imperial Highness?” I spoke aloud. “Please, Your Imperial Highness. If you can hear me, the tsar is in danger. Konstantin Pavlovich has returned and is here at Peterhof. Princess Cantacuzene was raising the undead army for him.”

I tried to stay calm.

“Your Imperial Highness? Georgi?” I whispered desperately.

There was a sudden commotion in the hall. I could hear Elena shrieking.

The door opened, and instead of the Vladiki prince, I saw the grand duke. I wanted to cry. “George,” I whispered, forgetting all imperial protocols.

He stared at me for a moment. “Katerina, I—”

“Who dares disturb my bride?” Prince Danilo said as he rushed into the room.

The grand duke turned to face him, his hand going to the saber at his hip. “I dare. And by the order of the tsar, Katerina Alexandrovna must come with me at once.”

“What nonsense is this? This is a Dark Court gathering and you have no right to be here.”

“I have no intentions of staying. But the necromancer must come with me.”

Danilo tried his best to look menacing. “But the duchess and I are about to be married.”

“I do not believe the duchess wishes to be married,” George Alexandrovich said, glancing at me. I shook my head slightly. There was no reason for me to pretend anymore.

“This is none of your concern, Imperial Highness,” the crown prince said.

“Perhaps not, but by order of the tsar, I am required to take the Duchess of Oldenburg to the Peterhof chapel immediately.”

“For what purpose?” Danilo said through gritted teeth.

“Urgent matters of state.” George turned to me and offered his arm, which I took, gladly.