The Gathering Storm
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The next morning I slept late, exhausted from the previous night. It all seemed a blur. Wasn't I to do something today?
I dragged myself out of bed with a horrible migraine and rang for Anya to bring tea. Then crawled back into bed.
My mother burst into my room, shouting and crying. "Katerina Alexandra Marija! Why did you not tell your maman? Shame on you, you wicked girl!" But she was crying tears of joy. "Who do you think has just left your father's study?" She sat down on my bed, causing it to shake. I felt nauseated.
Suddenly, I remembered. I sat straight up, feeling as if the room were spinning. "Oh, Maman, what have I done?" I burst out.
The smile on her face faded. "You have consented to marry the crown prince Danilo of Montenegro. He has just received permission from your father. It took plenty of convincing on my part, I'll have you know. Anya, bring Katiya some cold water, please. She looks ill."
"Oh, poor Papa. He said he didn't want me to leave Russia."
"Yes, but a crown prince cannot be expected to simply pack up and move to his new wife's country. You will become queen someday. You must get to know your new country and its people."
"Queen?" The consort of the Vladiki. How had I gotten seduced into this?
Had I been drugged the previous night? Or was it just that I was infatuated with the first young man to pay attention to me? Mon Dieu, I'd let him kiss me! I had kissed him back! There was truly no way to refuse the prince now.
"But I don't want to be a queen," I said, a lump catching in my throat. "I want to be a doctor."
"Enough of that nonsense," Maman said. "We have so much work to do.
We shal plan a trip to Cetinje within the next month to meet Prince Danilo's parents. I shal have to order a new wardrobe for you. And for myself." She kissed me on the cheek. "Why don't you try to rest some more, dear? You do look rather pale."
"I do?" Had the prince drunk my blood the night before? No, he'd not become a blood drinker yet, at least not according to Princess Canta-
O h , mon Dieu, what would she say when she heard about the engagement? Zut
and merde. What had I done with my ring? I remembered Dariya telling me she had something that I had lost. It must have been the ring. I hoped she still had it.
I flopped back down on the bed, covering my head with a pillow. "Merde! Merde! Merde!"