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I had to get a e He most assuredly already knew about Demidov, but I wanted to tell him about the Dekebristi

I suspected they were behind these attacks on the Order According to Grand Duchess Miechen, the Romanov family was certain the Dekebristi had been eradicated If they had indeed returned, I needed to find out where they were hiding

Elena was not at school I breathed a sigh of relief, not eager to face her

Dariya was helping a grieving Aurora De to take her home later that day for her cousin&039;s funeral

The princess did not expect to return to school for sousta walked withthe ball et of the previous weekend They wanted to knohat plans I&039;d already hed Maageue about flowers And cake

"Ooh! Our cousin Princess Sophia had a leh!"

"It was not!" Erzsebet said "It only looked like that to you, because you were only five years old"

"Ma

The princesses&039; chattering was giving o for a walk in the woods alone The attack on Prince Deh Mada the school grounds

"Is your handsousta asked

"He always brings his handso Deer No hts would die if I could do anything about it

"Did you know your brother&039;s friend told us about their scary school? The count said that there is an enormous portrait of Tsar Pyotr the Great in the Great Hall of the Corps des Pages, and the portrait coht"

"It wasn&039;t Pyotr the Great," Erzsebet said "It was Pavel"

"Or was it Alexander the First?" Augusta asked She was arranging rocks in a pretty pattern in the snow A heart

I stopped walking It was definitely Tsar Pavel My brother had mentioned the portrait before And if the tsar walked the Great Hall at night, I needed to speak with hi important," I said as I turned to head back to the school "I e to my brother"

"Oh, do ask hiled as they skipped along behind me

I needed to see the portrait of the tsar in the palace of the Corps des Pages Women were not allowed in the palace, but I wouldn&039;t let that stop uise uards

Never had I wanted to speak with the dead, raise the dead, touch the dead, or even think about the dead But it was ihost He could tell me how to protect the Romanovs from the Dekebristi

I returned tofor ry, as I had expected, but was very upset

"Oh, Katerina! How could you?" There were large tears pooling in the corners of her eyes

I sighed as she rushed forward and embraced me "I&039;m so sorry," I told her "As much as I adether"

"But you were happy!" she said "Did he say soize"