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I awoke the next ed hand throbbing The prince had drunknauseated at the thought, I started sobbing miserably How could I have let this happen?

And noith my blood-Konstantin had returned Queen Milena had not realized her sister had been using the taliso after Tsar Alexander and his family next

I climbed out of bed and tried the door I realized with relief that it was unlocked But then, the Montenegrins had what they needed from me They had no reason to keep me imprisoned

Princess Militza met me in the hallway "Awake at last, I see! Ma to eat? She is having tea in the parlor"

"No, thank you" To be truthful, I was afraid of eating or drinking anything else in the palace "Have my parents arrived yet?" She did not answer "follow me, Duchess" was all she said

Tea was held in the queen&039;s parlor, an elegantly decorated roos The walls were covered with portraits of her children

"Duchess, good afternoon," Queen Milena greeted me

Afternoon? I hurried to theand drew back the heavy curtains

Late-afternoon sun stretched across the courtyard in front of the palace I saw several carriages slowly driving up and down the street

"You have been sleeping deeply all day Sit here and have so a little queer at the ive me"

"Oh?" She placed the pot of tea back on its tray and stared atblack eyes

"We should warn the tsar about Konstantin," I said

Queen Milena nodded "Of course A telegraph has already been sent to St Petersburg"

"What else can we do? How can he be stopped?" I asked

The queen shrugged with a helpless sh of this Weplans?" I felt a sickening, cold wave of apprehension wash overpeople are these days So ether" She looked directly at me

"I am not allowed to wed before my birthday I believe my father made that clear"

The queen shook her head dismissively "Nonsense I was fourteen when I married my first husband Fifteen when I had my first child You must marry my son and bear hi and fertile"

"Heirs?" I asked faintly The roohters Heirs to spread our dynasty across Europe When Elena marries the tsarevitch, her children can marry your children"

"But they would be first cousins The Church forbids such h my head at once, that hat came out of my mouth first

The queen waved her arrant a dispensation for our dynasty"

I could not think of anything to say to her The woman was mad "Your Majesty, what if the tsarevitch hed "Yes, I know all about that one She is a Protestant and is not willing to change her religion for her precious Nicholas Besides, there is the little problem of her supernaturalaffliction The tsar and his eree to such an all iance The tsar looks favorably upon our dynasty Did he not say Nikola was Russia&039;s one true friend?"

I knew nothing of Princess Alix&039;s affliction, but everything else the queen said was true The tsar still considered King Nikola and his wife close all ies Maement to Danilo I did not see how he could rerins when he discovered they had released Konstantin "How can you know so much about the Hessian princess?" I asked

"I have spies everywhere, Duchess" She stopped stirring her spoon in her teacup "I even know of your flirtations with the tsarevitch&039;s brother"

"Flirtations?" I sputtered nervously "Your spies rand duke" At least, not on his side

"You are now bound to my son by your blood, and soon you will be bound to him by holy matrimony," the queen said as she continued to stir her tea

"I warn you, Katerina Alexandrovna, if you want your family to remain safe from Konstantin and the Dekebristi, you will do exactly as I say and begin to act the part of the happy bride-to-be I will see Militza and Stana happily married before the tsar learns of Konstantin The Dekebristi will pledge their loyalty to Militza rather than the lich tsar And Alexander Alexandrovich will owe his life to us"