Captivating the Bear

by Jane Godman

  The approach to the castle was winding and treacherous, and for the last few hundred yards, they dismounted and led their horses. In addition to his wig, beard and mustache, Ged wore a cloak with the hood pulled up to shadow his face. He paused when they drew close to the palace and pointed at the view below them.

  “The south plain. That is the army encampment my uncle spoke of.” His voice was tight with repugnance. “Vasily’s determination to keep his soldiers close has destroyed the landscape. It reminds me of shantytowns I have seen in the mortal realm.”

  Although Lidi didn’t know what he was referring to, she could understand his distaste. The far side of the plain was a mass of rusting roofs slung across mud and rocks. Buildings were stacked precariously on top of each other with piles of trash in between. This was the view from the palace. King Vasily’s focus was on his own protection rather than aesthetics.

  When they arrived at the huge, gilt-decorated gates that marked the entrance to the palace, their way was barred by two guards wearing ornate uniforms and carrying huge curved swords.

  “State your business,” one of the soldiers demanded.

  “I am Lady Lidiya Rihanoff, daughter of the Count of Aras. I request an audience with King Vasily.” Even though she was playing a part, Lidi found it difficult to use the royal title when referring to Vasily.

  The guard looked her up and down. Turning away, he engaged in a muttered conversation with his companion.

  It was several minutes before he turned back to them with a curt command. “Wait here.”

  The guard who had challenged them entered the palace through a small door at the side of the larger gates, leaving them alone with his comrade. Lidi wrapped her cloak around her. The wind was whipping straight off the highest peaks of the Callistoya range and seemed to be biting right through to her bones. She didn’t dare speak to Ged, who was now supposed to be her bodyguard. Once or twice she caught his eye and saw a reassuring twinkle that warmed her more than the heavy material of her cloak.

  It was a full twenty minutes before the guard returned. Without speaking, he signaled to his companion and, together, they opened the huge gates until there was just enough space for the horses to pass through. The sound of the hinges creaking closed behind them made Lidi want to move closer to Ged. Determinedly, she straightened her spine.

  “It has been a long journey. Kindly arrange to have my horses stabled.”

  “Your groom can see to your horses while I escort you to the king.” The guard led them across a courtyard that was similar to the one at Aras House, although this was larger and quieter. The few people who were around scurried about their business with their heads bent and avoided eye contact.

  Being separated from Ged was not part of the plan and Lidi shook her head. Realizing they hadn’t agreed on an alias for him in his role as her bodyguard, she thought fast. “Robert is my bodyguard, not my groom. He can’t be trusted with my horses.”

  Ged made a slight choking sound, but collected himself before the guard noticed. As he walked ahead of them, calling for a stable-hand to come and take the horses, Ged leaned closer. “Robert?”

  “It was the name of one of my cuddly toys when I was a child.”

  Although his lips twitched slightly, he didn’t say anything more. The guard led them toward the central palace building. Once they passed through its doors, it was eerily silent.

  They came to a halt in a grand, highly ornamented reception room. The furnishings were rich and ornate, with oil lamps glowing in every alcove. Light bounced off the gold filigree ceiling and reflected the colors of high stained glass windows. The effect enhanced the sensation of peace and tranquility.

  “You are to wait here until the king’s secretary sends for you,” the guard said. He indicated a group of chairs organized around a table upon which there were a number of books.

  “How long will that be?” Lidi asked.

  He gave her a pitying look and left. Although she risked a quick glance in Ged’s direction, she didn’t dare speak to him. They had no idea if anyone was watching them or listening in on their conversations. With a sigh that was a combination of impatience, annoyance and nervousness, she took a seat on a high-backed chair and began to flick through a book without reading it.

  After anticipating a lengthy wait, she was startled when an ornate tapestry was thrust aside and the door that had been concealed behind it opened. Getting to her feet, she faced the man who entered the room. He was shorter and darker than most Callistoya bear shifters, his features handsome without being remarkable. As she registered that information about his appearance, she was also distracted by the way Ged was acting. She could almost feel the waves of tension coming from him. She had been told to expect Vasily’s secretary. Whoever this man was, there was clearly history between them.

  “Oh.” Realization hit her at the same time as the stranger stepped toward her.

  Bowing low, he took her hand. “We meet at last.” With a smile, he brushed her knuckles with his lips. “I am King Vasily, but your presence here indicates that you are prepared to call me husband.”

  * * *

  Ged paced the small chamber that had been assigned to him in the servants’ quarters. It wasn’t easy since the room was the size of a shoebox. How had he ever believed he could do this? It was bad enough having to see Vasily again without giving in to the temptation to tear into him with his teeth and claws. Watching his stepbrother leer at Lidi and drool over her hand? He paused, his chest expanding as though he had shifted into bear form and run for miles across the Callistoya plain.

  He needed action, but his secret identity was a problem. Thirteen years was a long time, but he had no idea how many members of his father’s staff still remained in the palace. Reminding himself he hadn’t come here to remain trapped inside this room, he stepped cautiously out into a narrow corridor. There was no one around. Following the passage for a few yards, he came to a door that led him outside.

  It seemed strange that, although he had grown up in the palace, he had never stepped foot into this area. As a royal prince, there had never been any reason for him to stray into the part of the establishment that was reserved for servants. Now he was in the open air, he took a step back, taking a different look at the place that was once his home.

  To the uninitiated, it would be easy to assume there was no logic to the glorious muddle of buildings. Ged, who knew the palace well, was aware that there was order amid the disarray. Although a number of decorative edifices fanned out around it, the central palace was a rounded, four-story structure. A glorious, pale yellow color, it towered above the surrounding buildings.

  The first two floors were taken up with public rooms. There was a grand ballroom—where the Christmas-Eve ball would take place on the following night—a dining room, several reception rooms and sitting rooms. The third and fourth floors were taken up with the private rooms of the royal family. That was where Lidi would be now. When Vasily had shown up and fawned over her, he had offered to escort her to one of the family bedchambers. Ged had just had time to signal that he would catch up with her later before Vasily had waved him away without looking at him. A steward had directed him to his own room.

  The servants’ quarters were in the basement. Ged had always known, of course, that the building had a lower floor. It just hadn’t registered with him that, because of their position beneath the main building, the servants’ quarters would exit onto a separate courtyard. This was one floor below and to the rear of the main palace entrance.

  From where he was standing now, he had a new view of the palace. He had never seen it from quite this angle, but what interested him most was that within the thick stone walls surrounding this lower courtyard there was a plain, wooden door. Ged could see that it led directly onto the mountain pass up which he and Lidi had recently led their horses.

  With his mind working overtime, he appr
oached the door. The following night, during the Christmas-Eve ball, he planned to confront Vasily. He wanted to force his stepbrother into a fight to the death. At the same time, the resistance forces would spring a surprise attack on Vasily’s army encampment. The only problem Ged had foreseen was how to get Khan and his other friends into the palace. Now it looked like he might have found a way.

  As he had expected, the door was locked. He was considering how easy it would be to break the lock when he heard footsteps approaching. Turning, he found himself staring into the familiar face of his father’s best friend. Ivan Tavisha and Mikhail Orlov had grown up together. When Ivan became king upon the death of his father in an unfortunate hunting accident, he had appointed Mikhail to the post of his steward. There was no one Ged’s father had trusted more.

  “I thought—” Ged bit back the exclamation, annoyed at how close he had come to giving himself away. I thought you were killed in the massacre. That was what he had almost blurted out.

  Although Mikhail’s gaze probed his face, he gave no sign of recognition. “You thought what? Do you have someone waiting on the other side of that door? An accomplice perhaps? What’s the plan? Let him in, steal what you can and get out through this door?”

  It was a surreal situation. Ged had known this man all his life, but they confronted each other now as strangers. Questions crowded in on Ged. How, when everyone close to the king had been killed, had Mikhail escaped? And had this man, who would once have died for his father, now transferred his loyalty to Vasily?

  “I am not a criminal. I was merely exploring the grounds while awaiting orders from my mistress.”

  Mikhail’s eyes narrowed. “Your mistress? You are here with the daughter of the Count of Aras, the lady who is to be our queen?”

  Ged inclined his head. He certainly hoped that would be the case, although not in the circumstances Mikhail expected. “I should go to my mistress...”

  He made an attempt to pass Mikhail and was halted by the other man’s hand on his arm. “Have we met?”

  “This is the first time I have been to the palace.” Ged tried to avoid looking directly at the other man. As he started to turn away, he remembered that Mikhail, who was in charge of all household arrangements, would be the very person to help him find Lidi. “Do you know which floor my mistress’s room is on?”

  “She has been allocated the blue suite,” Mikhail said.

  Ged walked away, conscious the whole time of Mikhail watching him. How the hell had his father’s best friend escaped death on the night of the massacre? And why was he still working in the palace?

  * * *

  When a knock came on the door, Lidi flew up from the elegant sofa and darted toward it. Halfway there, she stopped. What if it wasn’t Ged? What if Vasily had decided to pay her an unannounced visit? She shuddered with a combination of disgust and loathing.

  Since the moment he had stepped through that tapestry-covered door, Vasily had been charm itself. But there had been an underlying threat in his manner. He had made it clear that their marriage would take place as soon as possible and that nothing less than total obedience on her part would be tolerated.

  He had questioned her about her escape and subsequent decision to return. Lidi had explained that she had come back because she was afraid, both for herself and for her father. The men who had followed her into the mortal realm had made it clear that there was no place for her to hide. Although Vasily had regarded her with a probing stare, he appeared to accept her answer.

  For the first time in her life, Lidi was truly afraid. She had looked into Vasily’s eyes and seen...nothing. No compassion. No warmth. None of the humanity that was 50 percent of the shifter makeup. Something had gone very wrong in Vasily’s life, depriving him of the basics of his mortal side.

  “My lady?” Relief flooded through her as she recognized Ged’s voice. “I came to see if you have any orders for me.”

  Her hands were shaking as she fumbled the door open, and as soon as Ged was inside, she turned the key in the lock before hurling herself into his arms.

  “My God, Lidi.” His strong arms closed around her. “You’re shaking all over. What’s happened?” His expression hardened. “Has he tried anything?”

  She shook her head. “It’s just him. I’ve never met anyone so—” She shuddered, pressing nearer to his reassuring warmth. “Just hold me, Ged. Even though you shouldn’t be here. Even though this is dangerous. Just hold me.”

  He obliged, and after a few minutes her trembling subsided. Taking his hand, she led him to the sofa and drew him down to sit next to her. He studied her face, his expression concerned. “Tell me what has frightened you.”

  “It’s hard to explain. Vasily hasn’t said or done anything specific. I suppose it’s being close to him and knowing what he’s capable of...and what he’s already done. And it’s there, when you look at him. I’ve never seen evil in a person’s eyes before. I don’t ever want to see it again.”

  “What about your father?” Ged asked. “Vasily had him placed in a cell because of your refusal to marry him. Now you are here, surely he should release your father?”

  Lidi shook her head. Tears stung the back of her eyelids, and even though she attempted to blink them away, they defeated her and spilled over. “Vasily said he will not release him until after the wedding.” A sob escaped her. “He even refused to let me see him.”

  Ged drew her close, holding her to him until the tears were over. As his hand ran gently up and down her spine, she could feel the anger stiffening his frame. “We may be able to find some information about how he is doing.”

  Lidi raised her head. “How can we do that? You are in disguise and I don’t want to arouse Vasily’s suspicions. Not any more than I need to.”

  “Let me think about it,” Ged said. “Why did you want to know about Queen Zoya?” The abrupt change of subject left her feeling slightly disoriented.

  She altered her position so she was able to fully face him. “It’s quite a story.”

  He leaned back, watching her face. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Although he didn’t speak as she told him the details of her encounter with Alyona in the rose garden, she could see the pain in his eyes. When she finished, he remained silent for a few minutes before shaking his head. “So it was Zoya who rescued Andrei and me? It makes a curious kind of sense. I once overheard her telling my father that she blamed herself for the way Vasily turned out. She said that if she hadn’t spoiled him as a child, he might have grown up to be a better man.”

  “I hope your father reassured her that Vasily was responsible for his own actions,” Lidi said.

  “To be honest, by that time I was surprised to hear them talking at all.” In answer to her raised brows, he elaborated further. “My father’s second marriage was not a happy one. In fact...” He paused, his expression distant, as though he was looking back in time and trying to capture a memory. “I wonder?”

  “Ged.” Lidi placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a slight shake. “Now is not the time to be mysterious.”

  He laughed. “You’re right. I met someone today. A man who was very close to my father.”

  “Oh, good heavens. Did he recognize you?” Alarm spiked through her again, this time at the possibility that Ged might be snatched away from her.

  “He appeared not to. His name is Mikhail Orlov and he was my father’s steward. He was also very close to my stepmother.”

  “Oh.” Lidi took a moment to assess what he was saying. Could a thirteen-year-old affair between the queen and her husband’s best friend matter today? From the look on Ged’s face, he clearly thought it might. “With everything else that is going on, tell me why this is important.”

  “Perhaps it isn’t. There is one thing that is becoming increasingly clear.” He smiled as he ran his thumb along her jawline. “Well, two things.”

/>   His hands had moved up to her shoulders and were sliding inside the fabric of her dress, warming her flesh and sending a ripple of pleasure to chase away the anxiety. She leaned closer, pressing a kiss onto his lips. “I approve of the first, but what is the second?”

  “We need to speak to Zoya. Before we do, would you care to explain the reasoning behind your decision to name me after a cuddly toy?”

  Chapter 20

  “Zoya Petrov lives as a recluse.” Vasily’s tone was dismissive. “Her opinion about our marriage is unimportant.”

  Zoya Petrov? Not my mother or the Queen Mother? Although she was confused, Lidi decided against asking for clarification about the way he referred to his mother.

  “Nevertheless, I should like to meet her.” Lidi was astonished at the way her usual defiance deserted her in this man’s company. Briefly, she imagined what it would be like if she actually went through with the wedding and married him. She would be giving up who she was and committing herself to a life of fear. It wasn’t going to happen, so that feeling of alarm that tightened her chest every time she looked his way was unnecessary. Wasn’t it?

  “She is the only person who can truly tell me what it is like to be queen,” she explained in response to his frown. “And it is a courtesy to her, as your mother.”

  His laugh was harsh and mirthless. “I owe her no courtesy.”

  They were eating dinner in a small chamber on the third floor. Although they were alone, servants came in and out to serve various courses, providing Lidi with occasional interruptions from Vasily’s company. It was like dancing with the devil and taking an occasional break to catch her breath.

  “Tomorrow night at the Christmas-Eve ball, I will introduce you to the Callistoya nobles. The following day, we will be married,” he said. “Other people’s opinions are unimportant.”

  “A whirlwind courtship. How romantic.” Lidi hid a wry smile. “What happened to the tradition that the king must marry a daughter of one of the five founding houses?”