Queen of Someday Read Free

destroyed.” She turns to me, wearing an expression of shock and indignation, “Can you imagine? Bandits? What a dreadful thing. Thank heavens Her Majesty thought to send us a royal escort or we would both be dead!”
    Her face flushes as her voice raises pitch. No doubt, she is thinking even now how this tragedy might be used to her advantage. Her head snaps back to me, as if she’s really looking at me for the first time.
    “My heavens, Sophie! Where are your clothes? Did that horrible man…?” She doesn’t finish the sentence. I know where her mind is spinning off to. If he had touched me in any way, I would be ruined. Sullied and unfit to marry the prince.
    “No, Mother. I only fell in some thick mud. I had to rid myself of the gown in order to escape.”
    She lowers her chin and appraises me carefully, as if she could see the damaged virtue like a spot on her favorite table linen. Finally, she nods, accepting me at my word. Beside me, Sergei slips off his coat and drapes it over my shoulders. It’s warm and soft and smells vaguely like the winter pine of my homeland.
    “Here you go, Princess. You must have a terrible chill. Would you like us to make a fire for you to warm yourself before we continue to the palace?”
    His voice is tender, the way a person might speak to a child. I’m not sure why, but it unsettles me. Perhaps it is pride, but I don’t like it at all.
    “I’m quite all right, I assure you. I think my mother would be quite pleased to ride on ahead. No need to make a fuss.” I pause. “And please, call me Sophie.”
    He bows his head. “As you wish, Sophie.”
    He barks orders to his men, who form a tight ring around the carriage with their horses.
    “Are you quite certain those bandits won’t come back?” Mother asks as she hikes up her skirts and climbs back into the sled.
    Sergei smiles, winking at me behind her back. I catch his eye, and a small warmth forms in my belly.
    “I’m quite sure they are gone. And should we be set upon again, I’m sure young Sophie will defend your honor.”
    I can’t help but grin at his words. I carefully climb in behind Mother, and Sergei follows me.
    “In any case, I shall ride here with you—for your protection, of course.”
    Mother shrugs indifferently, and Sergei takes a seat beside me.
    “They destroyed all our lovely gowns,” Mother begins, not meeting his eyes. “We will need new ones. And since this attack occurred on Her Majesty’s road—”
    Sergei waves her off as if it’s nothing. “Yes, of course. I will let the empress know the situation. I’m sure she will make recompense.”
    Mother nods and sits back, closing her eyes as the carriage rolls into motion.
    Sergei leans over to me, his voice a whisper.
    “Where did you learn to handle a knife like that?”
    Mother answers, her eyes still closed, but her nose wrinkling up in disgust as she speaks.
    “Her father let the child run quite wild during our time in Settin. Too indulgent, I always told him so. Young ladies should be taught to sing and sew, not to fight and swing a sword. Still, dangerous times he would say. Posh. To this day, the girl can’t sew a straight line and her singing voice is just awful.” As if suddenly aware she was articulating all the wrong things to a man who, for all she knew, had the ear of the empress, she sits up starkly, opening her eyes. “That is, Princess Sophia’s strength lies in other accomplishments. She can play the piano quite well, she can read Latin, and she is in every way a true Lady of Prussia.”
    “I quite agree,” Sergei says gently. Mother nods and rests back again. Within minutes, she’s snoring gently.
    Even under the warmth of his coat, I’m shivering. I hope Sergei doesn’t notice the uncontrollable shaking as we bounce along. After a few minutes, he takes my hands in his. I open my mouth to protest, but he brings my fingers to his mouth and blows on them. The warmth of his breath feels so good against my frozen skin