I'd Give The World to See You Smile 【Sonya/Mary • Anatole/Dolokhov】

Chapter 4

'Are you sure you're okay with doing this?'

Princess Mary laughed. 'I've told you, Sonya, I'm not a weakling. This is exciting. It's just like in the books.'

Sonya smiled and wrapped her arms around Mary. 'Okay. If Fedya's timing is accurate, they should be here in perhaps fifteen minutes.' Any guilt she felt for betraying her friend was overwhelmed by excitement for finally doing something. Perhaps she would write about it – saving her cousin by putting a stop to a wicked man's plan. Her heart raced in her chest as she and Mary raced down to the courtyard, hand in hand, to wait in hiding.

When the troika arrived, the two girls held their breath. Sure enough, Kuragin leapt into view with a large fur cloak, and Dolokhov followed, looking around nervously. He spotted Sonya and Mary and nodded imperceptibly. They did the same back.

As had been planned, a maid ran up and began talking with Anatole. The girls couldn't catch the words, but the maid seemed to be doing her job, as Anatole seemed to be growing increasing frustrated.

'Now,' Sonya whispered, and the two girls emerged from hiding. They weren't particularly intimidating, but neither was Anatole, and when he spotted them, they saw fear cross over his face.

'You will not have Natasha,' Sonya said, forcing her voice to be as commanding as possible.

Anatole seemed to be weighing up his chances of pushing past them to reach Natasha. Before he could come to a decision, however, Dolokhov called from the gate, 'Anatole, come back! Back! Betrayed! We've been betrayed!'

Anatole barely hesitated before fleeing to return to Dolokhov's side. And suddenly, it was over. Mary and Sonya looked at each other as began cheering, as well as giggling uncontrollably. Then, without warning, Sonya did the unimaginable – she pressed her lips to Mary's, deeply, in a long and deliberately drawn-out kiss. There was no mistaking that sort of kiss, Mary thought.

That was the kiss she had read about in stories.

Outside Natasha's bedroom door, Sonya took a breath and steadied herself. In the past few weeks, it seemed she had always had her two new friends by her side. For the first time, she felt alone.

Sonya didn't want to be alone.

She heard loud sobbing from the other side of the door and her heart ached for her friend. She forced down the tears that threatened to spill and rapped at the door.

'Leave me alone!' Natasha shrieked from inside.

Sonya forced herself not to back down. 'Natasha, it's me-'

'You ruined everything!' her cousin shouted through tears. 'I don't wish to speak to you!'

Marya Dmitrievna made her way up the stairs. 'Sonya, has she told you what ails her?'

Sonya hesitated. Marya had no knowledge of the attempted abduction, and it was best to stay that way. 'No,' she said quickly. 'No, not yet.'

Marya frowned. 'Well, keep trying my dear. No doubt being away from her mother this long has made her homesick.'

'Yes, I'm sure that's it,' Sonya said enthusiastically, until Marya walked away. She turned back to the door. 'Natasha...'

'I'm not letting you in!'

'What if I bring shortbread?'

There was a silence. Then –

'Maybe.'

A few minutes later, the two girls sat eating their biscuits on Natasha's bed. Neither said a word. Natasha occasionally began crying again, and Sonya would wrap her arms around her, and she wasn't pushed away. She'd take that as forgiveness.