Chosen by the Tsar

As Agreed

     Everything that was promised in the contract came true.  I was given my own room which was absolutely gorgeous and at least twice as large as the room I shared with Belis at home. It was directly attached to the Grand Duchess’s by a door hidden behind tapestries on both sides. The palace tailor measured me within an hour of my arrival. Just a few days later the few clothes I had brought with me disappeared and the multiple wardrobes in my room were filled with dresses made just for me.  Breakfast was brought to my room at dawn every morning so I could be up and ready to tend to Palona when she awoke.     

     Palona was just a few years younger than I, and we quickly became very good friends. In fact, after a few short weeks, the door between our rooms was rarely ever closed. My job as her chamber maid was to fetch anything Palona needed from within her room. There were other servants who brought us whatever she desired from outside of her room.  I helped her dress in the morning and redress at night for bed.  I would draw her bath whenever she needed.  I quickly learned that her previous chamber maid was unexpectedly removed just prior to my arrival. Palona said she didn’t mind, however, as she was much older and didn’t seem to like spending time with her. 

     As her companion, wherever she went, so did I.  She may have been a few years younger than me but I quickly realized her studies were already far beyond mine.  At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to catch up, but I spent many sleepless nights in my room filling in the gaps of what my poor, previous education had given me and the pristine depths of knowledge I was now being provided.  Under no circumstances could I have EVER received such an education on our side of the city.  There were even times Palona gave me informal lessons, which I was quite sure was suppose to be the opposite.  This again made me wonder why the Tsar would choose me instead of someone more qualified to tend to his daughter.  The answer to that question came soon enough.

     Palona and I began eating breakfast together almost every morning in her room, lunch and tea on the patio, and she had dinner in the great hall every evening with her family, including her two brothers, Rendi and Bastro, the Tsar, and her step-mother, the new Tsarina. While I was by her side during the day, I stood on the edge of the room with the other servants trying to blend into the tapestries during dinner.  No matter how hard I tried Tsar Petriv made me feel anything but invisible. Each night, no matter where I stood, his eyes would find me.  They seemed to burn into my body, making it hard to breathe. There were multiple times other servants thought he was beckoning me and made me tend to him at the table.  Getting close to him gave me goosebumps and made me want to run out of the hall as fast as I could.  I had to do something, I had to get away from his burning eyes.

     After a few months of enduring his grueling eyes I began making up excuses for why I couldn’t be in the great hall during dinner. I helped out in the kitchen or cleaning around the palace. Anything to not be under his stare.  I thought it was working, but apparently he noticed.  

   Palona and I were having lunch in the courtyard one afternoon when we suddenly heard hooves approaching. Without any warning the Tsar came walking up with the farrier and a beautiful white horse. “It’s an early birthday present, my sweet,” he explained to Palona. She threw her arms around him in joy and squealed with delight. “Why don’t you go with Dante and give him a test ride?  I’ll stay here with Kaylis and keep her company while you’re gone.”  

     He casually sat next to me, smiling and not taking his eyes off of Palona until she was out of sight.  He then turned to me and said, “You haven’t been to dinner in over a week.” It was definitely a statement, not a question.  Before I could string a sentence together he continued on, obviously not expecting an answer from me.  “I take it you’ve settled in comfortably? The dresses Poli made for you fit you...exquisitely.” He said this as he scanned my body from head to toe and it almost seemed as if he was licking his lips. Again, before I could answer, “Everything is to your liking?”  

    “Yes it is, thank you Tsar...” but before I could continue he cut me off.  

     He reached across the table and placed his hand on mine, “Please, call me Petriv.” I froze. I couldn’t breathe. “Everything is as agreed upon then,” he said as reached up and pushed a small lock of my hair out from in front of my eyes and back behind my ear. Him touching me reminded me of everything my mother had told me the night before I came here.  This time it was I who was burning but with anger and rage.  I stood up as quickly and gracefully as I could, almost knocking over my chair, and pulled my hand away from him. No matter what, I was NOT here for him or any fantasies he was spinning in his head.

     “Yes, JUST as agreed upon. And now I will return to my duty, Palona!”  

     I didn’t like the smirk he made with his mouth or the way his eyes narrowed in on me as I excused myself, they told me this wasn’t over.  But it was the words he called out to me as I walked away that almost caused me to break into tears, “I expect to see you at dinner tonight, as agreed!”