38. Borislavs Arrival

Chapter thirty-eight

Borislav's Arrival

Mila

I woke to darkness and damp. I had no blessed moment of oblivion, no moment to wonder where I was, before the day's events came crashing back to me.

Alexey had had me arrested. Why? Was he trying to save me from the baron's assault, or did he think I deserved prison for what I'd done?

I sat up and wiped at the wet streaks from my face, hoping they were tears. Given the state of the cell I was in, the rancid smell permeating the air, I didn't want to think what foul, half-frozen liquids could be on the floor.

"Lady Heli?" My whisper came out hoarse.

"I'm not dead yet," she said wryly. "Much though I might wish it."

Silence fell, the only sound a steady drip of water—I hoped—somewhere nearby. Lady Heli spoke again, her usually stern voice strained with emotion. "Was there news of my husband?"

For all her rigidity, she truly loved the man. I'd seen it in her eyes, the way she looked at him. I swallowed, my stomach tight as I delivered the bad news. "The last I heard, he was ill." Gravely so. "That's all I know."

There was no response. I stared ahead, unable to see even the wall I knew was in front of me, and eventually drifted back off to sleep.

***

The next time I woke, it was to the sound of a door opening. Footsteps neared, setting my heart racing. Had they come to collect me for execution? Torture? Keys jangled, followed by the scrape of my cell door opening, and something clattered on the floor. The door closed again, and the sound repeated in the baroness's cell. The dungeon door opened, letting in a sliver of light from the torches in the hall. The guard left, footsteps fading in the distance.

I crawled over to the cell door, reaching for what the guard had left. A tin cup and plate. I drank the contents of the cup—warm, slightly musty water, but I wasn't in a position to turn it down. On the plate was something wood-like. Old bread, maybe? I nibbled at it. Yes, it was bread, but hard enough to break my teeth. I held it in my mouth, hoping it would soften enough to swallow.

"You ought to soak the bread in the water," Lady Heli said. "It's impossible to eat otherwise. Or you can leave it to the rats, I suppose."

Unsure what to say, I didn't respond.

She let out a humorless chuckle. "I thought when you were brought in, it might be nice to have a companion, but you seem as inclined to conversation as the rats."

"I apologize, my lady."

She scoffed. "Apologies mean nothing to me now. Tell me something. News from the world beyond my cell."

"Borislav should be here in a day—maybe two." Not that it would do us any good. "Most of the nobles have fled the capital." I relayed everything that had happened since her arrest.

When my stores of news were exhausted, I listened, waiting for her to speak. Her breath came deep and even. She'd fallen asleep.

***

How long had I been in this dungeon? The guards had brought food five times, but with nothing else to indicate, I couldn't begin to guess how much time had passed. It felt like weeks.

The door to the dungeon creaked slowly open, and I froze. I still had a small crust of bread in my cell. Surely they weren't bringing another meal so soon—if the hunk of bread and small crust of water could be considered a meal. Maybe they were ready to torture me. If so, should I make a run for it? Fight? I wouldn't make it far, but maybe they'd kill me by mistake. Death was preferable to torture.

A figure entered the room, shrouded in darkness. Darker than what was natural, with the torchlight from the corridor.

"Fia?"

"Izolda!" Relief coursed through me. "What are you doing here?"

The darkness dropped away, revealing my friend. "I'm here to get you out. We have to hurry. The guards'll be back soon." Keys jangled as she unlocked my door.

"Lady Heli's asleep in the cell behind you." I scrambled to my feet. Pins shot through my legs from disuse, but I ignored the pain.

"I'm awake," the baroness said.

Izolda freed her as well. "Follow me."

Lady Heli took a shaky step and almost collapsed. I reached out. "Let me help you." She pulled back, but I grabbed her arm. "If you can't make it, none of us will. Let me help you."

She nodded stiffly.

The guards were nowhere to be seen. We crept along the hall, slipping out a side door.

Night had fallen. The sky was clear and moonless, and I took a deep breath of the crisp, fresh air. I'd expected to die in that dungeon; the air filling my lungs felt like I'd been born again.

We rounded the back corner of the building, and I stopped dead, nearly knocking Lady Heli to the ground. Alexey stood there, a hand resting on the sword at his hip. His eyes passed over me like I wasn't there, but he looked at Izolda.

"Thank Otets. No problems?" he asked her.

"None."

He was helping us escape?

He pulled a thick, full-length coat from the large pack he carried and handed it to Lady Heli, who was shivering in her nightdress. "I'm sorry, my lady, but I couldn't get you any of your own clothes."

She shrugged into the coat. "Don't apologize. Where is my husband?" Already, she sounded almost like her old self.

Izolda and Alexey shared a look. "I'm sorry, my lady," Izolda said, her voice thick. "He didn't make it."

The baroness's face went blank. She swallowed audibly. "Get us out of here."

Alexey looked at me for the first time. His eyes scanned my body. I wasn't sure what emotion lay behind his blank face. Anger, maybe? Concern? He turned away. "Borislav's men are camped outside the city. They're expected to attack at dawn. There's an unused door in the palace wall I can get you through. It hasn't been used in years, so it's not guarded. Once you get to the main city gate, you'll be able to join the crowd that's fleeing."

Borislav. The battle. My heart did a flip. It would all be over soon.

Alexey led us across the palace grounds, careful to walk only where the snow was packed, so we left no footprints. I flinched at every flickering shadow. An icicle fell, tinkling as it hit the ground, and I gasped. Alexey turned to me at the sound, his face unreadable. He put his finger to his lips and jerked his head, indicating for me to keep moving.

The door he led us to was behind the stables, half-covered with dead vines. Positioned as it was, I never would have noticed it, had Alexey not led us directly to it. He pulled the vines aside and grasped the handle. The door came open with a loud crunch, and we all held our breath.

When no one came to investigate, he told Izolda, "Follow the wall down until you reach Telezhnaya Doroga." Wagon Road. "Follow that to the main gate, and try to blend in with the crowds." He pulled open his pack and took out another coat and hat, then handed the pack to Izolda, nodding for her to go on.

She took the baroness's arm from me. "Thank you, Alexey. For everything."

He gave her a bow, unsmiling, and she led Lady Heli through the door.

Once they were through, Alexey held the coat out to me. I reached to take it from him, but he didn't let go. "You were spying for Borislav."

I couldn't look at him. "I was."

"Was any of it real?" His voice was husky. "Or were you just using me to get closer to Lord Kazimir, to the tsar?"

I could feel the heat of his hand on mine through the coat. What could I say? It was selfish to tell him how I felt. We didn't, couldn't have a happy ending. He fought for Miroslav, and I fought for Borislav.

And I was married.

He'd asked me before to break his heart cleanly if I had to break it. But I couldn't lie to him. Not anymore. I opened my mouth, still unsure what I was going to say. "Alexey—"

Izolda appeared in the doorway. "What are you doing, Fia? We need to go."

"Coming."

She disappeared again. Alexey shook his head, pulling the coat from my grasp. He wrapped it around my shoulders. My heart raced at his nearness, my stomach churning with guilt and grief. When he placed the hat on my head, his hand brushed my cheek. My breath caught, eyes filling with unwanted tears.

"Go," he said.

I reached up to touch his face. "I'm sorry."

His eyes were tight with pain. He clenched his teeth. "Go," he repeated.

I stepped through the door, and he closed it solidly behind me. The sound echoed through my head with striking finality. Would I ever see him again?

Probably not in Sofia's body. Not ever, if we didn't make it out of the city alive. I tamped the emotions down until I couldn't feel them anymore and followed Izolda.

When we reached Telezhnaya Doroga, the sounds of a crowd grew. The gate came into view as we rounded a corner, surrounded by a throng of people jostling to get out of the city.

"Wait here." Izolda passed Lady Heli's arm to me, and she walked up to a sleigh driver near the edge of the crowd.

A few moments later, she returned. "He's agreed to let us ride on his sleigh until we leave the city. On account of my grandmother's poor health." She grinned at us.

"Izolda, no one on earth could possibly think she's your grandmother."

"Well, then, I guess you'll have to take the part," she said, winking at me. I rolled my eyes, grateful for the familiar banter to ease my nerves. She helped Lady Heli adjust her hat and coat to hide the baroness's face. "Come along, Babushka."

"Where are you headed?" the sleigh driver asked as we approached.

"My brother lives in Cadmist," Izolda said. "He's going to meet us outside of the Grand Duke's camp—provided we can get that far."

"I would have pegged you for an easterner," he said, scratching his beard. "As it happens, I'm heading to Cadmist myself. My wife went on ahead, and I'm meeting her there before heading home to Kolteshko. I'd be happy to take you the whole way."

"Thank you for the offer, but my brother would be furious if he couldn't collect us. He's terribly protective of his wife." She jerked her chin at me where I'd climbed onto the back of the sleigh next to Lady Heli. Izolda took the baroness's other side just as the crowd started moving.

My chest tightened as we crawled slowly toward the gate. City guards in their red kaftans stood on either side, scanning the crowd. They weren't stopping anyone, but—

"You there!" The booming voice of a guardsman cut through the chatter of the crowd, making me jump. He was looking at us, at our sleigh. "Pull over here."

The driver guided his horses to the side of the road where the guard waited.

"Destination?" He glanced at the three of us women, then turned to the sleigh itself, peering inside. I pulled my coat tight around me, as if to protect myself from the cold night air. My gaze remained fixed on the ground, and I could hardly hear what was said over the pounding of my heart.

"Cadmist, if you please, sir." The driver's tone was cheery, unbothered by the guard's brusqueness.

"Purpose?"

"Be with family, sir. Rather not be here when the fighting starts, da?"

The guard rolled his eyes as he lifted the cloth that covered the driver's belongings. "It's all bluff and bluster. Borislav wouldn't destroy the city, not when he's gone to all this trouble to take it."

Destroy the city? Why would they think Tsar Borislav would destroy the city?

"Still," the driver said. "I'd rather not have an army between me and my wife. I'm sure you understand."

"Best be on your way, then." The guard stepped back and nodded for us to drive on.

We were past the worst of it, but I didn't take a breath until I could see the camp. The tents of Borislav's army faced the city, illuminated in the winter night by their fires. The tents bordered the road; anyone who wanted to pass would have to go directly through the center of the camp. Doubtless they were checking all the travelers, ensuring none of Miroslav's army—or Miroslav himself—escaped.

As we neared the tents, I bit my lip. Was Han in there somewhere? Did he know I was coming? I still couldn't believe he was alive. Wouldn't be able to believe it until I saw him.

"We'll get off here," Izolda said.

"You sure?" The driver frowned at her as he pulled to a stop. "I'd be happy to see you through, at least to the other side of the camp."

"My brother wanted to take us through himself." She shrugged, the picture of nonchalance. "Protective, as I said."

"If you insist."

We climbed off the wagon, and Izolda pulled a handful of coins from the pack Alexey had given her. "Our thanks, sir, and may Otets bless you."

He inclined his head. "Stay safe." He made a clicking sound with his mouth and drove on.

We watched as a guard stopped him at the edge of the camp. The wind carried their words away, but the guard looked briefly in the back of the sleigh and waved him on.

Izolda waited until he was out of sight before starting forward. She took the baroness's arm. "Let's go." We walked the short distance to one of the guards, who watched our approach.

"Names?"

Lady Heli drew herself up to her full height. Despite her disheveled appearance, her bearing was unmistakably noble. "Baroness Heli Fedorova of Tsebol, cousin to Borislav, who is Heir of the Sanctioned and rightful Tsar of Inzhria. I wish to see my cousin." Izolda held out a ring as the baroness said, "My seal, if you require proof."

The soldier blinked several times, stunned, as he accepted the ring. Recovering himself, he said, "Wait here, my lady."

He strode to another guard and spoke animatedly, too quiet for us to hear. In a moment, he returned and bowed to the baroness, handing her ring to her. "Welcome, Lady Heli. We didn't know to expect you. I'll escort you to his majesty, if you'll follow me."

He turned to leave, but I cleared my throat. "I'd like to see the Survivor of Barbezht first, if I may," I said, more bravely than I felt. My whole body was shaking, and not from the cold.

The soldier looked to Lady Heli for confirmation. She nodded.

He led us past the first tents and into the camp. A young man sat in front of a fire, sharpening an ax. He jumped to his feet at our approach.

"Show this woman to Captain Han Antonovich's tent," the guard said.

Captain Han Antonovich. It was him. He was alive.

And a captain. What had happened while I was gone? Was the gossip true? Maybe the tsar had given him a magic hand. He couldn't lead soldiers one-handed. Could he?

"Miss?" The young man looked at me expectantly. Izolda, Lady Heli, and the guard were already gone. "This way, please."

I'd never be able to find my way back to the road, I knew, as he led me through the maze of tents. Despite the late hour—I wasn't sure what time it was, but it had to be late—there were still a large number of fires, with men sitting around them, talking and eating. We walked a long way into the camp before my guide finally stopped.

"Here we are. I don't know if the captain's back yet, though. I think the commanders were meeting with the tsar."

I looked at the tent before us. The soldier could probably hear my heart pounding. Otets' Blood, the whole camp could probably hear it. "That's alright. I'll wait."

He gave me a curious look, undoubtedly wondering what a young woman wanted with the commander so late at night. I looked a mess, covered in filth from my time in Miroslav's dungeon. My hair was still uncovered, a single braid down my back, marking me as an unmarried woman. What could an unmarried, grimy woman like this want with the Survivor of Barbezht? I could almost hear him thinking.

I was beyond caring. Han was alive. He was here.

"There's no need to wait with me. Thank you," I said, dismissing him.

"Of course." He made a slight bow and walked off, giving one last questioning glance at me over his shoulder.

I took a deep breath and put my hand to the flap.

Darkness and silence filled the tent. He wasn't back. I felt my way around the tent until I found a lantern and tinderbox.

Lighting the lantern, I looked around the tent. A cot, a trunk, and a small table with a pitcher and washbasin. Simple provisions, far less cluttered than his room at home. He'd finally learned to clean up after himself. The thought made me smile.

The pitcher was filled with water. Thank Otets. Disgusting as I felt, I was in no state to greet the husband I'd thought was dead. I cleaned myself as best as I could with the half-frozen water, then took a seat on the cot.

Footsteps approached, and I sprang to my feet.