As The Grand Duchess continued on her journey, she came across three carriages that were being plundered by a band of thieves. The Royal Guard to the princess's distress were seen in the clearing nearby, causing the thieves to run away.
"God, I can't believe this." Katya muttered to herself at the sheer coincidence of the robbery happening just then, and the fact that the guards were getting closer the scene of the crime. She made haste to get away, but was stopped by a older man.
"Please, my Lady, for the love of God, the painting. That man there he is getting away. Please, it is my life." The man insisted. The Grand Duchess took pity on the man, and chased after the theif even while knowing it would cause her to loose her chance of getting away.
The thief was swift and quick, but Katya was a well-trained rider, and quickly caught up with him, grabbing the canister which contained the painting out of his grip, riding back to the carriages victoriously. When she did arrive back, the guards were already there, any chance of escaping already lost.
"Oh, thank god." The painter exclaimed as he saw the woman carrying his artwork.
"Yekaterina, you promised." Ivan, the head of the Royal Guard said. The Grand Duchess had only days before promised him not to attempt to run away again.
"I know, I lied. I thought I would see the world before giving up my life to my country and the potential wrath of God." She replied as she dismounted her horse.
"Then why on earth did you stop?" The painter asked.
"I suppose it is because I lack conviction, something you seem to have more than enough of, besides you claimed retrieving that painting to be a matter of life and death." Katya replied as the man opened the scroll to check the state of his artwork.
"A woman always is, my lady." He replied as he unveiled a marvelous painting of a beautiful, young, dark skinned girl, her hair in tight ringlets and her eyes seeming to burn into Katya's soul. The woman was dressed in fine clothing, a blue silk frock on her form and a delicate fan in her hand. Her smile was peculiar, making her seem like she held unspoken knowledge.
"She laughs at me Sir, as if she knows something I do not." The Grand Duchess said.
"The woman had many secrets, I merely painted one of them." The painter replied.
"Monsieur Caravaque as been invited back to the palace as the artist in residence." Ivan informed the princess. Katya then finally realised who the man was as he had painted her years before when she was nothing but a child.
"Louis?" She said excitedly.
"Yes, my child, it is I." The kind man replied. Louis was originally from Marseilles but had traveled all over the world including to Russia previously to paint their family portraits. As a young girl Katya had always loved to hear stories of the man's travels and adventures, the mysterious tales never failing to fascinate.
"You are really staying with us?" The Grand Duchess asked.
"Well, Godfrey Kneller was otherwise engaged, I am merely the second choice." The painter quipped.
"Here I am on my way out of the country and I find my salvation on the highway. Louis, you have traveled everywhere and know the steps of progress that must be made so well, please help my father realise that his thinking is nothing short of outdated." She begged the artist.
"Captain Ivan, please translate." Louis asked the guard.
"The Grand Duchess suffers from an arranged marriage, monsieur... among other things." Ivan replied, earning him a dirty look from Katya.
On their way towards the palace, they stopped at the farm house to give the borrowed horse back to it's owners, Ivan informing Katya beforehand that it was the abode of the Baroness Irina Grigoryevna of House Naryshkina.
"Oh, Your Highness, what a lovely surprise. To what do we owe this great honor?" The Baroness said as she greeted The Grand Duchess.
"I am returning your horse Baroness." Katya replied.
"Oh.. Was it missing?" The woman asked confused.
"Yes, I took the liberty of borrowing it this morning. I am afraid I may have greatly scared on of your servants. A young maiden, with quite a good arm actually." The Grand Duchess said as she remembered the pain of the apples hitting her, and the objectively great aim the young girl had.
"She is mute, Your Highness." The Baronese said, visually uncomfortable with the news of her servant attacking someone from the House Romanov.
"Really? She spoke quite forcefully to me this morning." Katya said, not buying into the woman's explanation.
"Well, it comes and goes." Irina said nervously. "But Your Highness is of course always welcome to anything she might wish, anything at all, my Lady." The woman added.
Just then two young women stormed out the door to join the Baroness by the grand enterance in an unorganized fashion.
"Oh ladies. There you are." Their mother said as she tried to cover for their crude enterance.
"Your Highness." The two girls greeted, both very out of breath.
"Your Highness, may I present my daughters; Violet Natalya Alexandra of the House Naryshkina... and Courtney." The Baroness introduced, not sounding nearly as excited about presenting the young blonde as she had been when presenting the dark haired beauty.
"You may indeed. Ladies, forgive me but you seem to have blossomed overnight, your beauty more glowing than ever before." The Grand Duchess said in the most rehearsed tone possible.
"We are so looking forward to celebrating your engagement, Your Highness." Irina said stepping closer.
"Ah yes, well there have been several new developments in regards to France." Katya replied as she looked towards the two young women, eyeing a golden brooch sitting right below the sliver of Violet's visible cleavage. "I must say, Violet, that brooch is stunning." She added.
"Oh this old thing, you are too kind, my Lady." The girl replied in a flirtatious voice as she pressed it closer to herself, pushing her bossom up even higher.
"These developments... I trust will be for the best?" The Baroness enquired.
"Let us hope so, unfortunatly we cannot know the future." The Grand Duchess said with a sigh. "Good day ladies." She added as she and the Royal Guard rode back towards the palace were Katya was sure her father's wrath awaited her.
YOU ARE READING
Ever After ✔~ trixya
Fanfiction"Her name was Beatrice Mattel. And this, was her glass slipper. Perhaps you will allow me to set the record straight?" The Grand Duchess says as she picks a beautiful shoe out of the silver box. "Then it's true? The story?" The writer enquires. "Yes...
