Once Upon His December

Chapter 12 - Moving On

Kira

The next morning proved to be busier than the preparations for the ball.  Clean up was much more time consuming and complicated.  Some of the servants talked and giggled about certain sites throughout the ball.  Who was dressed best, who caught their attention, who had a secret rendezvous.  The most talked about event happened to be Nikolai's dance with a mysterious young woman no one had seen before.

I blocked out the hushed conversations of idle gossip until the mention of the mystery woman who danced with the Tsesarevich.  How graceful she was, how confidently she walked to the floor with him, how he looked so happy dancing with her.  Who was that young woman?

"They made a lovely couple," one girl was saying as she scrubbed at a pot.  "I wonder if she left with him."

That caught my attention. 

"What?" I asked, my voice clipped.

The girl turned to me and smiled.  "The Tsesarevich left this morning to continue his studies abroad."

My heart suddenly felt very heavy.  My eyes burned with an urgent onslaught of tears but I quickly blinked them away, taking slow, deep breaths.  I went back to my chore of drying platters. 

He left? After last night? She knew this would happen.  Again.  He didn't even say goodbye.  Maybe Nikolai finding me in the library, the music box, the kiss, was his goodbye.

Sasha sauntered into the room and immediately went to my side.  She grinned and nudged my arm. 

"I heard you had a lovely time, dear," Sasha whispered.  I kept my eyes downcast on my task but Sasha continued.  "Her Majesty the Tsaritsa has requested to see you, Kira."

I dropped the platter with a loud clang.  My jaw clenched and cheeks paled.  Did she know that I was with Nikolai in the library last night?  Did she know what we did? Was I in trouble?

Lashes.  The dungeon. Not again.

Sasha winked and took the platter to put away.  "You better get going," the older woman encouraged.  "She's waiting for you in the Green drawing room."

I wiped my her hands on my apron then removed it and hung it on a hook.  My heart pounded with each step toward what I knew in my gut was a fate that would greatly alter my life.  As I walked toward the drawing room, I swept at my hair trying to tame the strands that had escaped my bun.  I reached the gold inlaid doors too soon.

My knock on the closed door was shortly after met with, "Enter."

There was an excellent reason this room was nicknamed the "Green" drawing room.  I had not been in this room before so my curiosity took over. The floor was green marble and the furniture, couches and chairs, were gold lined.  The walls were a similar white panel to other rooms with gold embellishments shaped like crawling vines.  It was an exquisite room.

"You requested me, Your Grace?" I stated, dipping into an elegant curtsy.

Anya watched my every move with deep scrutiny.  One of her dark brows arched.  "Yes.  I did. Sit."

I took a seat across from the Empress.  I tried to not fidget with my fingers and reveal my nervousness.  If I was in trouble and to be punished, there would not have been a demand to sit, right?

"My son," Anya began.  "Tells me you have the voice of an angel."

Sharp, intense honey brown eyes fixated on me. I shyly glanced up then back down at the floor.

"I do enjoy singing," I replied, my voice hushed.

Anya grunted softly pouring herself a glass of wine.  "My son has requested that I allow you to study with the court voice teacher," she continued.  "Is that something you would comply with?"