A Change of Plan
Irina spent most of that evening humming the melody of Nasrosoltan’s work, trying to recreate it while sitting at her piano. She thought to herself, Once we can spend more time together, I will surely ask him to teach me how to play it.
She fantasized about their future together and how Nasrosoltan would do all he could to protect and provide for her. She believed with all her heart that it was God’s will, confident that their love story was meant to be.
Irina retired to her room and wrote in her diary, jotting down the nuances of her thoughts of the past few days. She spent the rest of her waking hours that evening praying for a miracle, that Nasrosoltan could convince her father they should be together. During her prayers, she also asked God for strength and faith to do whatever necessary if her father refused.
Early the next day, Nasrosoltan received word via courier that an audience had been scheduled for Wednesday of the following week. This was just a few days before his planned departure to Persia.
Nasrosoltan was eager and excited, albeit nervous. As Irina had reminded him, he practiced delivering, without stutter or stammer, soft words to attain the desired result of unlocking any hardness in the grand duke’s heart. Nasrosoltan was a meticulous man and did not want to leave anything to chance. He knew this conversation with the grand duke would be the most crucial discussion of his entire life, not to mention the most difficult.
In his mind’s eye, Nasrosoltan visualized sitting with the grand duke in his study, drinking as they had done numerous times. He rehearsed how he would thank Grand Duke Alexander for the courtesy shown to him during his visits to the palace. Nasrosoltan planned that he would gradually direct the discussion toward Irina’s progress in playing the piano and how it had been an honor for him to have served their distinguished family in this fashion. Then, if he could garner enough courage to express his true feelings for the princess, Nasrosoltan would do so sincerely and honestly, hoping his words would not fall on deaf ears.
Nasrosoltan knew it would not be an easy task, for Irina’s family did not assume him to be a part of her sphere of life. He was not expecting this to be a pleasant conversation but also knew that he would never forgive himself if he did not try to fulfill his impossible dream. He believed a lifetime of unhappiness would be too much to bear, but most of all, he did not want to be a lover solely content with longing.
Meanwhile, Irina had heard that Nasrosoltan was expected at the palace to meet with her father and was ecstatic. With great excitement, she wrote in her diary, I believe that will be the day all matters will be settled, and my happiness assured!
As Irina read over what she had written, Nana knocked on her bedroom door, asking permission to enter, so Irina hastily hid her diary behind a pillow. When Nana entered the bedroom, she noticed Irina’s unbridled joy and inquired, “My dear Princess Irina Alexandrovna, you seem quite jubilant; share with me the source of your excitement.”
Unbeknownst to Irina, Nana had heard the rumor of the recent Yusupov proposal and was hoping to elicit confirmation of the news directly from her. Irina replied, “It is really nothing, dear Nana. I am simply happy today; is it such a surprise to see me in this state?”
Nana replied, “No, my dear Irina Alexandrovna, not at all; it is just that recently you have been within yourself, as if you have much on your mind, but today you seem so free of all concerns. I thought perhaps it is because of—” and then she caught herself mid-sentence, realizing that the princess may not yet know of the negotiations.
Irina, who suddenly worried that her secret was out, demanded, “Because of what?”
Nana became nervous at her own ill-timed comment and responded with added formality, “Nothing, Your Serene Highness, it is not my place to say. Please forgive my insolence; I momentarily forgot myself. I am happy that Her Serene Highness is so joyful without reason. This is a blessed thing!”
Irina started to panic and sensed Nana was trying to cover up something she was not supposed to have mentioned. The princess wondered whether Nana had somehow found out about her plans with Nasrosoltan, and she pressed on, insisting, “Nana, you have to tell me what you were going to say!”
Nana, who was not expecting Irina’s overreaction to the words she had just casually spoken, offered the princess profuse apologies for disturbing her peace.
Irina, now sullen, grabbed Nana’s arm and, holding back tears, begged her, “Nadezhda Nazarov, please tell me!”
Nana, feeling terrible that she had ruined Irina’s mood by unintentionally turning it from joyous celebration to sadness, finally relented. “Dear Princess Irina Alexandrovna, please promise that you will not repeat to the grand duchess what I am about to tell you. If she thinks I have offered information that should have been kept private, no doubt, I will be severely reprimanded!”
After Irina promised her, Nana reluctantly divulged, “I have heard a rumor that Prince Felix Yusupov has asked for the two of you to be engaged. That was why I assumed you were so happy. I thought you had heard the news and were agreeable to the offer with such a noble gentleman.”
Irina, suddenly realizing that her secret was still safe, felt relieved and let out a laugh, adding, “Oh, so this was the precious information you were guarding with your life? Do not worry; I will not let Mama know you have revealed this mystery to me. You know I am not a child anymore; I really do not understand why my parents feel the need to keep such things from me. I am old enough now to decide for myself issues that will affect my entire future and happiness!”
Then, as if nothing had happened, Irina regained her joyful demeanor and left her bedroom, telling Nana, “I am going to the music room to play the piano,” leaving her perplexed governess to tidy up. Nana was surprised that Princess Irina did not spend even a moment brooding, as she usually would have, upon hearing something that displeased her.
The next afternoon, Nasrosoltan received another note from the palace. The request was to reschedule his private audience to an earlier date, Friday evening, rather than the planned Wednesday afternoon of the following week. The note asked for him to respond with the same courier who delivered the message. It surprised him that the grand duke wanted to see him sooner than initially planned, and in the evening instead of the afternoon. But he surmised the family wanted him to dine with them, which he took as a good omen in anticipation of his conversation with the grand duke. He was delighted to see Irina sooner than he had thought and began to rehearse his address to the grand duke now that time was of the essence.
Nasrosoltan wanted to appear with elegance in attire and poise and to speak from his heart with humility. He diligently read Hafez and Rumi to learn how to talk about love with wit and pleasantry but without blemish. Nasrosoltan desperately needed to convince the unconvinced and persuade the unpersuadable. And to give him strength and confidence, he repeatedly read Irina’s handwritten note about love, how love always hopes, always perseveres, and never fails.
On Friday, when Nasrosoltan and Irina’s fate was to be decided, he hired an impressive carriage and set off to the palace for the last time. As a parting gift for the grand duke, he brought along a French-language translation of the Divan of Hafez, recalling the grand duke’s interest in the poems of this famous sonneteer of Shiraz.
As the carriage approached the gates, Nasrosoltan noticed an unusual number of guards, reminding him of the dinner when the tsar was present. It surprised him to see such security measures in place, and he suddenly worried that the grand duke had other guests, which would deprive him of the opportunity to meet in private.
Nasrosoltan was unnerved at the thought that this night may pass with no resolution to his petition. Mired in anxiety, he wondered if he would ever get such a chance again before his return to Persia.