A short nod of agreement. Of course Ivan agreed with everything his General said. “Let us hope he is more amenable than his predecessor.”
The next two weeks passed pleasurably enough. Even with Ivan as a chaperone, Alina and Nikolai managed to lose sight of him once or twice in the garden maze. Long enough to share a lingering kiss. And of course there were the passages between their rooms. Though they didn’t go all the way. Something about honor though Alina couldn’t have cared less.
It came as a shock then when one morning she woke to Genya urgently shaking her. “Mmmm?” She questioned.
“The king is dead,” she whispered. “And the queen, Vasily-“
“Nikolai.” Alina sat straight up, fear gripping her.
“He’s alright,” Genya was quick to assure her. “There’s talk that it was poison. Potentially the Apparat. Nikolai didn’t have after dinner drinks with his family.” Though only she knew why. Because he and Alina had been…enjoying each others company.
“I need to see him.” And damn whoever got in her way. Alina would run them over.