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The palace of the grand duke and grand duchess Serge was beautiful A brilliant brick-red on the outside, it had been bought by the grand duke as a wedding present for his bride On Prince Danilo&039;s arrand staircase to the ball room My father and brother treated the crown prince cordially enough, though I could feel they were still wary of hi to place his trust in the tsar&039;s judgrins for what they truly ith her faerie sight Did she approve of the tsar&039;s friendship with King Nikola?
The crown prince&039;s sisters were not in attendance, as they were journeying back to Cetinje in theto be with their sister the princess Zorka and her new baby
Although it was nowhere near as large as the one at the Winter Palace, or even the one at Anichkov, the ball room was very beautiful The pale blue walls were decorated with plaster angels and scroll work, and huge arched er space The rooht fro with dread as the dance hness Crown Prince Danilo Petrovic-Njegos of Montenegro, with his fiancee, Duchess Katerina Alexandrovna von Oldenburg" I saw the grand duchess Elizabeth standing with her sister, Princess Alix, who smiled shyly atof Hesse, and Alix&039;s brother Prince Ernest
The crown prince left , "I will return shortly, e and Pavel"
"You look beautiful, dear," Grand Duchess Elizabeth said to me "The faint blush of love blooms on your face"
This only caused me to blush more It was not love that bloomed onto run away to another country where the Vladiki would never find me
The orchestra struck up the imperial theme as the empress arrived with her children I was surprised to see the tsar arriving as well Everyone knew he detested balls, but this one was being given by his favorite brother and sister-in-law He must have felt honor-bound to make an appearance We bowed low as the members of the imperial faiown The tsarevitch followed hie escorted his sister, the grand duchess Xenia, ore a gown of white heavily eest Ro to attend even family balls The tsar and the es
"Aunt Elizabeth," the tsarevitch said, sreat pleasure if you would honor rand duchess curtsied, her hand placed over her heart drahness, but I have promised that dance to my husband"
The tsarevitch&039;s eyes twinkled "Then I must humbly ask Princess Alix for the pleasure"
The princess blushed, ehness" She took his hand as he led her onto the floor
The grand duchess Xenia srand duke George "Ooh, there is Sandro!" she said excitedly, and ran off after her Roe bowed politely to hness, would you honor me with the first dance?"
Heabout Count Chermenensky or about the princess Cantacuzene I couldn&039;t turn the tsar&039;s son down, and yet I could not dance with anyone other thanmoment
"Are you ready to dance,his arrand duke&039;s eyes And so else I could not place He bowed curtly, to bothaway My heart ripped I realized I actually wanted to dance with the grand duke Not with Danilo
Prince Danilo swept me onto the dance floor for the last strains of theattention to anything but thein his arms, I realized that I had fall en in love with someone else Someone who most likely hated me more than anyone else in the world did I felt miserable
"Are you happy,down at me
The mazurka ended, and we clapped politely before the orchestra started up a polonaise
"Of course," I said, not even attehtrand duke anyed to the crown prince I could not believe how utterly miserable that made me feel
As we danced around the roo with Princess Erzsebet I felt a stabbing pain inI did not want the grand duke holding any girl in his arms but me
I wished Dariya were there I needed to explain to her that the engagement was back on until I could find a way to protect rins And from Princess Cantacuzene My aunt had chosen to spend the evening at Miechen&039;s Dark Court dinner party instead, taking my uncle and my cousin with her I hoped Dariya would learn more news of Cantacuzene at the Vladimirichi Palace
When it was time for dinner, Prince Danilo ledwith Princess Alix&039;s father and brother
The food was delicious: roast duck and sal of lamb and a wonderful salad of beets and beans My brother and Prince Ernest got along well, trading jokes and stories of an officer&039;s life Prince Ludvig asked Papa about his correspondence with Dr Pasteur and wanted to know if Papa had ever ist
"No, but I have read his work," Papa said "brilliant job he did with the tubercle bacil us"
"Indeed Now if he could only discover a way to cure it!" Prince Ludvig replied
Ma hi traditions of his country I wanted to choke onI did not feel chatty that evening at all
Danilo had noticed, for he bent low and whispered in , ht"
"Just tired" I tried to perk up when the impeccably dressed servants whisked away our dinner plates and returned with orange and strawberry sorbets I sighed, knowing the night would soon be over and I could go holanced at the table where the i atthe evening either Rescue ht in shining ar to his sister The grand duchess giggled and nodded
The empress and the tsar rose from their table shortly afterith their host and hostess This signaled that it was ti
I took Danilo&039;s ar on my other arm "Duchess Katerina, would you please join Princess Alix and ame of cards? We don&039;t wish to participate in the contredanse, and we desperately need one more player" She shness will not mind if I steal her away from you? Princess Alix has left poor Nicky as well, but we are determined to sit out the next dance and rest our stomachs You may have Katerina back for the quadril e" Prince Danilo could not resist the grand duchess&039;s shness," he said with a poarinned and linked her ar rooold-leafed furniture
"I did not know that Princess Alix enjoyed cards," I said
"She detests theleefully "You will see!"