Around it is billions of sparkling dots, each one a star or planet. The moon, one of three around our planet, shines brighter than the rest, its white glow providing enough light to see Dmitri beside me.
He places a large towel down on the damp, pebbly ground before placing a blanket over the top. “We shouldn’t get wet this way,” he says.
I glance down the shoreline. No one is near except for a fisherman a long way off pulling in his late-night catch. “I brought a small seeing glass if you want to use it.” He pulls the device out of the bag and places it on the blanket. It’s a foot long with the eyepiece at one end and
a wider glass piece at the front.
I pick it up and aim it towards the nearest planet. It is strong enough that if I adjust the lens correctly, I can make out the lights of the cities scattered across its sur- face.
We spend several minutes pointing out the stars and constellations we recognize. Dmitri knows far more than me because of his royal tutors. I know the basic ones from time spent in my village looking up at the night sky with Angelica. We would sneak out of the village on hot sum- mer nights and lay out in the meadow near my house.
“Do you think there are other planets with life besides ours and the few nearby?” I ask.
Alexa Mackintosh
“The Royal scientists disagree, some claiming that it is logical life exists elsewhere and others arguing that it can’t be outside this planetary system. I think life exists outside of what this planet knows.” He leans back and places his head on the bag before reaching for my arm and pulling me down beside him.
I rest my head on his chest as he wraps his arm around me. My dress is barely warm enough for the night.
“What do you think? Would you be terrified if foreign life showed up one day?” he asks.
“Intrigued, not terrified.”
He smiles pleased or amused by my answer.
We lay there looking up at the stars for a number of minutes. Occasionally, someone passes down the main road far in the distance, their lanterns glowing as they pass. No one comes near us on the beach.
“What is that planet?” I point to a bright orb in the northern sky.
There is no reply. I glance over at Dmitri and his eyes are shut.
Am I that boring?
I let him sleep, mildly annoyed. I listen to him breath- ing heavily, his heart beating beneath my ear.
After a few minutes, his arm twitches and his head turns, but he doesn’t awake. His heart rate increases and his eyelids flutter madly. Mumbling, his legs begin to shake.
City of Deception
A few seconds later, he wakes, gasping. He sits up and eyes me as if he doesn’t recognize me.
“You were dreaming.” I grasp his shoulders and shake him gently to knock him out of his stupor.
He rubs his forehead. “I…I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I haven’t slept well lately.”
“May I ask what you were dreaming?”
“Nothing to concern yourself with. Do you want to go for a swim?”
“It has to do with your military missions, doesn’t it?” He sighs. “As always.”
I kiss his cheek. “You don’t have to talk about it. As always, I’m here if you wish to discuss it.”
“Why don’t we go for a swim?” he says, changing the topic.
I glance out at the water. “Is it safe? I’ve heard things feed at night.”
He kisses me on the forehead. “Princess, don’t analyze life so much you forget to live it. If I didn’t think it was safe, I wouldn’t let you near the water.”
I blush. “Sorry, it’s what I do.”
He rises and walks to the edge of the water. I follow.
I raise my skirts and wade into the water. It’s cold and makes my feet tingle. “You know, I never gave you a nick- name. I finally decided on one.”
“Oh?”
“Storm.”
“Storm? It makes me sound…angry.”
Alexa Mackintosh
“I believe you are an angry man, but it has nothing to do with that. It is the first thing I noticed about you: your eyes. They fascinated me the moment I met you, and I thought they reminded me of storm clouds.”
He tests the word again. “Storm…I think it will grow on me. It doesn’t matter, though, because if you like it, I’ll keep it.”
A few minutes later, he says, “I brought a gift for you.” “Another? You’re always giving me something!”
“I have a lot of resources as a Royal. I like sharing them with you.” He reaches into his waistcoat pocket and drapes a shiny chain over my head. It falls around my neck, a pendant resting against my chest.
“I need more light to see it properly. Tell me what it looks like.”
“It’s a locket. It’s studded with silver and diamonds on the outside and black stones on the inside. I wanted to get you something metal, but suspected you’d tell me it was too extravagant.”
“And you’re right. Metal would be far too precious for someone like me.”
“Like you?” He wraps an arm around my waist as he taps my forehead annoyingly with his thumb. “When will you accept you’re better than anyone else on the planet? You’re a princess.”
“A complicated princess.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
City of Deception
I chuckle half-heartedly, resting my head against his shoulder. “Nothing. Thank you for the gift. I know it’s beautiful without even looking at it. I wish I had a gift to give you. You’re always giving me things, yet I give you nothing.”
“You give me happiness; that is a gift. Though, I would take a gift as a kiss…”
I jokingly smack him on the arm. “You’re no gentle- man!”
“Not when you’re involved, Sweet Cakes.”
I like hearing his nickname for me. I used to find it odd and maybe suggestive, but I like it now.
“But about that kiss?”
I laugh. “Yes, I suppose that’s fair for such a beautiful necklace, but don’t get used to it. A gift doesn’t always gain you a kiss.”
“If it did, you’d get a lot more gifts.” “Shut up and kiss me, Dmitri.”
Our lips meet as our arms entangle around each other, ensnaring us deeper into a love we should never have al- lowed.
The whole world looks on, but at the same time, no one sees. No one is near except for the stars as witnesses.
And that is perfect for us.
{ 29 }
Chapter 29
HE NEXT FEW DAYS PASS WITHOUT ANY WORD
from rebels or any instructions from the Royals. Dmitri is away on a trip, and the Empress visits a
friend to mourn. Ivan doesn’t request any more time with me. I hear he has gone on a hunting trip with several friends. Zadie is…Well, I assume busy since Petrov tends to be slacking in his duties these days.
I see Kir more than anyone. Since he is the only royal who regularly attends meals with everyone gone, we talk during meals. He is young, but he has a brilliant mind. He understands scientific concepts better than me, and he has fantastic ideas for the wedding. I’m amazed a young man has such interest in it.
We sit at breakfast one morning just the two of us. As we talk, I notice drops of red on the top of Kir’s left hand.
“Are you bleeding?”
Alexa Mackintosh
He follows my gaze to his hand and laughs. “It’s paint, Lady Alkaev.”
“Paint?”
His cheeks redden as he says, “I have interests other than science. I sometimes paint with brushes.”
Artists are rare. Science is championed over every- thing. But what he speaks of is the oldest form of art. Most people use machines to create art, not actual canvas and brushes. It is seen as a primitive act, the last actual paint- ings having been produced over three centuries ago. Oc- casional pencil sketches are acceptable for Firsts.
He sees my expression and says, “Your thoughts attest to why I don’t mention it.”
>
“I’m glad there is another artist in the palace. I want to be an artist, but I want to work with food and not paint.”
As we finish our breakfast, I ask, “Can I see some of your work?”
“Certainly, most of it is in my apartment.”
s
His apartment is a little larger than mine. Off his bed- room is a crescent shaped room full of windows that over- look the gardens and part of the city. In the early morning sun, the usually brown world looks golden. I’ve been here many times planning the wedding. We’ve been sharing breakfast here every Thursday.
City of Deception
Several square frames rest against the wall. A dia- mond-shaped stand rests in the middle of the room, a rec- tangular canvas on it. All the canvases are covered with sheets.
Kir uncovers two of the paintings and sets them in a chair closer to the light. “These are some of my better work.”
One is a portrait of a foreign dignitary who visited shortly after I arrived. The other is of one of the new car- riages that have become popular. The colors are brilliant, and the carriage looks as though it will start moving.
“These are very good,” I say.
“I have a few of landscapes too if you want to see those.” “I would love to see them. I mean, if you don’t mind me
looking.”
“It’s nice to show them to someone besides a family member.” He catches himself and adds, “You’re almost family since you’ll be Ivan’s wife, but it is different.”
“Yes, it is different,” I say softly.
“I’ll fetch the others from across the hall.”
He walks out of the room, leaving me to look at the paintings for a few more moments before wondering to one of the window seats. I gaze out at the garden, enjoying the sight. I place my hands on the seat and lean forward to see better, but as I do the panel beneath my hands shifts.
Alexa Mackintosh
The seat moves several inches to reveal a compartment below. I glance back to see if Kir has returned, but I nei- ther see nor hear him. I pull the seat aside. Beneath it is a compartment several feet wide. In it are a dozen different prints. Hesitantly, I pull one out to see what it is.
I gasp when I see what the painting is.
No wonder he kept them in the seat. The painting shows a nude, young man sitting in a chair; the same chair in the corner.
But the picture is gorgeous. The colors are perfect as is the detail, down to the freckle on the man’s cheek. He sits legs crossed, and the position is quite revealing. He looks forward, eyes bright and with a cunning smile.
I place it back and pull out another. It is the same young man, but this time he wears pants.
A clattering sound behind makes me almost drop the picture. Kir is in the doorway, the pictures he had been carrying on the floor. His eyes are wide, and his mouth hangs open as he tries to muster an answer.
“You have a much more interesting life than I thought, Prince Kir,” I say.
He walks over and takes the painting, sliding it back into the compartment. “You weren’t meant to see these.”
“It was an accident. You-”
He cringes and interrupts me mid-sentence. “Don’t say ‘You are only fifteen. How could you paint someone like this? Just don’t, Natalia.”
City of Deception
“I was going to say it was good, not that you shouldn’t have painted them. Although I have to ask, why a man and not a woman?”
His face flushes. “You’re gay?” I ask.
His eyes fill with fear. “Don’t tell anyone. No one knows, not even my brothers or mother. My father would never have allowed it.”
“I have no intentions of telling anyone.” “You’re not?”
I shrug. “It is not my business. I must ask, though, who is the young man? Your boyfriend I assume?”
“My ex, actually.”
“Can I see the others or is that too much to ask? I re- alize these paintings are private.”
“I think Georgi will kill me when she finds out you’ve seen this one. Seeing the others is not a good idea.”
“Georgi?”
“Your maid, Georgianna. I…I kind of have a crush on her brother, and she’s quite protective of him. If she knew about these…”
“If she knew, no relationship with him?”
He nods. “I mean, we’re not dating because he’s a dif- ferent class and he’s not like me.”
“Not like you?”
“He’s not gay. He doesn’t have a girlfriend, but he sees me as a friend.”
Alexa Mackintosh
I think back to my conversations with Georgianna. I remember her mentioning a twin brother who worked on the carriages and sometimes in the garden.
“How do you know them? I wouldn’t expect a Royal to know servants well.”
“They were like my siblings growing up. They are two years younger than Orion so we were close in age. Their mother worked in the nursery and was my first governess. The three of us grew up together. I’m sure you’ll tell Ivan or Dmitri so I would be a fool to tell you anything more about us.”
I laugh. “You think I want to be the one to tell your family you paint these? What a dinner conversation that would make. I have no intention of mentioning these to anyone. However, one last question: you didn’t force him to let you paint him, correct?”
He crosses his arms. “These paintings are from my im- agination only. It is of Georgi’s brother, but no one knows.”
“I’m making sure. Royals can manipulate those below them to do almost anything.”
As he closes the compartment, I think about the paint- ings. My blood is coursing through my veins fast when I ask, “Kir, would you ever consider painting anyone else like that?”
He looks taken back. “I…I’ve never thought about it.
Why?”
“Would you ever consider painting me?”
City of Deception
He looks like he might throw up. “Painting a girl won’t change me.”
I gasp. “That is not at all what I’m trying to do! It may be the last scandalous thing I can do before I’m Empress and forced to be someone else. You wouldn’t have to paint me nude; maybe in a shift or something.”
“It would make an interesting wedding gift for Ivan.” I blush fiercely. “True.”
Let him think it will be a gift for Ivan. However, I know only the two of us in this room will ever see the painting. Not even Dmitri gets to see this. This is mine, one token of my freedom to choose.
He shrugs. “If Georgi can be present, I suppose. She always helps me with my landscapes and none nude por- traits. It may be strange to paint you, though.”
“The difference is I will only be a model, not someone you like.”
“The difference is you’re my sister-in-law.”
I squirm. “Well, don’t think about that. Please, Kir. This will be the most exciting thing I’ve done in so long. I feel like if I don’t break the rules, I will suffocate after all the engagement and wedding talk.”
He sighs. “Fine, I will start now, but first, I want Georgi here. It will make this less awkward.”
s
Alexa Mackintosh
Within an hour I sit on a settee in a thin shift that leaves little to the imagination. However, it is more mod- est than completely naked. I try to stay still as I lay on the settee. I lean against my elbow and try not to fidget under Kir’s gaze. He works diligently, occasionally asking Geor- gianna to straighten corners of my shift or arrange a piece of a hair a certain way.
Georgianna keeps giggling, repeatedly telling me she can’t believe I asked to do this. She stands behind Kir watching as he paints. Occasionally, she stops to mix the colors he needs. She chats with me for a while, but as time goes on, she is content to be silent.
About two hours later, Kir put down his brushes and rubs his wrist. “This should dry before I put on any more layers. Can you come back after breakfast for the next few days? We’ll
say we’re working on wedding plans.”
I nod. “Can I see it as it is?”
He shakes his head. “You get to see the finished pro- ject.”
s
Three days later the painting is finished.
I peer at the painting, studying Kir’s fine work.
“I painted you like a goddess. Do you like it or is it too much?” Kir asks.
I smile. “Does any girl complain about being portrayed as gorgeous? Kir, this is…amazing.”
City of Deception
Georgianna nods in agreement as she loops her arm through his and squeezes.
I’ve laid on a velvet settee we pulled in from Kir’s bed- room for twelve hours over the last few days. At first, it wasn’t easy to remain calm, dressed in a lacy corset and underwear. However, Georgianna launched into a conver- sation with me, and soon I got used to Kir’s gaze.
The image before me portrays me unlike I’ve ever seen. I’m laughing, eyes bright, hair falling around my face in curls. The picture shows me as almost angelic, a mischie- vous glint in my smile and the way I lean on my elbow across the settee.
“Where would you like to put it?” Kir asks.
“I don’t know. Roll it up so I can put it under my bed for now. Can you imagine the Empress’s surprise if she ever finds this?” I say.
Georgianna laughs. “I’d like to see Ivan’s expression. What will he think? Perhaps he’ll finally see you as Prince Orion does.”
“Georgianna!” I scold.
“I already know,” Kir says. “He was infatuated the mo- ment he laid eyes on you.”
“Don’t speak word of this to either of your brothers!” I’ll melt into a puddle of embarrassment if Dmitri or Ivan ever discover this portrait.
Kir laughs. “I won’t tell. Now, might I use you as a study for someone of my other paintings? Perhaps in a lit- tle more clothing.”
City of Deception (The White City Series Book 1) Page 20