Page 50 of The Tsarina's Favorite
“I assume that you would ask me not to share this secret with others.No one has even whispered the suggestion that you speak, and I cannot imagine that it would benefit you if others found out.The tsarina would probably have my head if she learned that you spoke to me before her.”
“Very likely,” I agreed.
“I was going in now for dinner.Should I come tomorrow?”
“Whenever you wish.If you are in want of company, I probably am too.”
“I’ll bring books.They help in passing the time.Do you have any preference on which I read to you?”
“No.”Then I reconsidered.“But please, nothing sad.”
XVII.
Ididn’t struggle whenmy escorts brought me back to the palace.I stumbled enough from clumsiness with my jesses and sightlessness from the hood for it to be seen as potential intentional delay.The pulling on the lead told me nothing but which direction was forward.I took several hard hits on loose gravel and stairs.Eventually, two of my escorts grabbed an arm each and caught me before I went down the next few times.We made painfully slow progress in this fashion.And like before, when we arrived at her room, they affixed the lead to the end of the bed and left me.
Hours passed.I huddled on the tile floor and tried to sleep.Servants worked and cleaned in the rooms adjacent to the bedroom.The bedroom door opened once, but the maid gave a strangled little gasp, likely when she saw me, and then several others joined her.No one approached, and the door closed again not long after, staying closed this time.
When the tsarina finally made her appearance, it was with many of her ladies in tow.The chatter died immediately when one of them pointed me out.
“Why do you keep that thing here?”one of the ladies asked.“It could hurt you.”
“Don't be fools,” the tsarina scolded them.“Like any creature, it needs to be shown who is its master.It is learning.”
“It’s a horrible thing,” another, probably Ekaterina, said.“When the guards brought it into the audience hall that time, I thought I might faint!”
So much for Ekaterina’s declaration that she could see me through any disguise.
“When did that happen?”This time, the one asking sounded like Princess Alaina.
“A few weeks ago,” the tsarina answered, “before I had the chance to properly introduce it to court.Just as well.It still fought confinement.”
“You should count yourself fortunate that you did not see,” Ekaterina said.“It’s almost as ugly as an Altanian!”
Others laughed, although the princess probably did not.
“Ugly or not, I am told it is doing much better and finally settling into its new home,” the tsarina continued.“I thought it might be time again to bring it indoors occasionally, to get it accustomed to the environment, especially in preparation for winter.I would like to be able to show my firebird off, but I need it to submit to me before it is ready for wider audiences.”
