The Pomegranate Society

Thirty-four: Professor Aleksander Morozova

Thirty-four:

Professor

Aleksander Morozova

He was going to be the third, unexpected thing at the opera. Alina just didn't know it yet. He hadn't said a word to her about his going there. He had to have her figure things out slowly, on her own. This was the perfect way to introduce his connection to her. When Alina was out the door on her way to Nikolai's, he headed in the direction of Genya's apartment. He knocked on the door and his lovely, red-headed cousin stood before him.

Her red hair was pinned up and she wore a blue dress with a glittery, blue shawl over her shoulders. "Aleksander!" she exclaimed, kissing him on each of his cheeks.

He smiled at her. "Genya," he said, "where's your roommate?"

Genya smiled. "Don't be coy, Aleks. You know perfectly well she's out on a date with Nikolai. At the same opera we're going to, might I add."

"Does she know? About my connection to you?" he asked.

Genya shook her head. "Why would she? You're a Professor. As far as she's concerned, we come from completely different worlds. There's no reason that we should know each other aside from the University, and even that is a stretch since we barely interact."

"Which means that if she figures anything out----"

She smiled. "It will be completely on her own, no one's ideas but hers."

"Good," he said, and he looped his hand through hers.

"Aleks..." Genya hesitated. It wasn't like her to hesitate. "When you get what you want...you aren't going to hurt her, are you?"

Aleksander frowned. "What would make you even think to ask that, Genya?"

"The men in our family aren't exactly kind to women," she said.

He reached out and bopped her on the nose. She swatted at him. "You can't charm your way out of this one! She's one of my dearest friends, and the only reason I agreed to this scheme of yours is because I wanted her safe. Not hurt."

"She'll be safe, Genya," he said, "she'll also be Queen."

She smiled. "You've no idea how happy that makes me. I worried about her so much when we were at school, and now that I know she's going to be part of the family well...."

"Alina will get everything she deserves," he told her, "and more. Now----let's go. The sooner we can get out of this dreadful opera, the better. What is it this time?"

"Ayama and The Thorn Wood," Genya said.

"Ah. The one about a girl who bargains with the beast who is the son of the King and Queen."

"Fitting, isn't it?" Genya said.

Aleksander laughed. "The Apparat would say it was a sign from The Saints."

"And what do you say, my dear cousin?"

"Oh, you know my attitude towards saints."

She laughed. "The same attitude that you have towards everything."

"Fuck the saints," he said with a smirk, "and fuck everyone."

"How eloquent," she said, "Aleks, you aren't going to try anything at the opera, are you? I know you've got your plans, but this is Nikolai we're talking about. He's our cousin."

"He's your cousin," Aleksander said, "he's my half-brother."

"Exactly," she said, "he's family. Our King is terrible, but Nikolai----"

"Will be ruined if he's made King," Aleksander said, "you were behind this plan when I came to you with it. Are you suddenly having second thoughts?"

Genya shook her head. "No, but I wonder if we shouldn't leave the happy couple alone. I think he really likes her, Aleks, and I've never seen him like anyone. He's even stopped sleeping with Zoya. She says she hasn't been with him once since he started seeing her."

Aleksander frowned. "He hasn't been sleeping with Zoya?"

"Nope," she said, "he told me that he's been trying to be 'good' for Alina. Says that the two of them haven't even slept together, and they only recently started fooling around."

"That's not what we want," said Aleksander.

"It isn't?" Genya said.

"No," he said, "for this to work, there needs to be something that keeps them away from each other."

Genya gave him a knowing look. "My dear Aleks, I thought that was supposed to be you."

"I'm the distraction for her," he said, "we need the distraction for him."

"Perhaps you should talk with Zoya," she said, "I saw her a few weeks ago, and she was...snappish. I suspect because of all of the attention that Alina and Nikolai have been getting."

"It's fine," he said, "after the family trip, everything will work itself out on its own."

"What if she doesn't figure out who you are?" Genya asked. "What if she won't sleep with you on the vacation?"

"Oh, don't worry about Alina," he said, "Alina is all mine and always be. Even if she doesn't know it yet."

"Alright," said Genya, "are we ready?"

"We are," he said, "I don't know that anyone else is."

"No one else is ever ready for us, darling," she said with a smile, and then she called out, "David, I'm going to the opera with Aleksander."

From his drafting table where David sat hunched over sketching something, he waved a hand at her and Genya smiled. "Ah, true love."

"Indeed," said Aleksander, "what's he working on?

"His final," said Genya, "some grand bridge he's dreamed up. It's actually quite beautiful, and he's supposed to be presenting it at the end of the semester. If all goes well, it will land him a job at the best engineering law firm in the country."

"He's one of those brilliant, weird quiet types isn't he?" Aleksander said.

Genya nodded. "How do you think he got me?"

"Don't you mean how do you think you got him?"

She smiled. "Come on dear cousin. We've an opera to see, and schemes to finish."