| |
A
licia stared at herself in the mirror. She felt more than slightly foolish in her forest green dress, covered as it was in silk leaves in the colours of early fall. Her thick dark hair framed her face in voluminous curls, studded occasionally with crystals designed to look like dew drops. She pulled closer to the mirror and brought the mascara wand up to her eyelashes, thickening them one last time.
Nerves made her hand tremble as she applied her makeup. She was attending a masquerade this evening, and would do so at Aleksandar’s side. It was a silent yet obvious declaration to the world. He was publicly announcing his affection for her. Alicia hated that this made her nervous. She detested the idea that the judgement of Aleksandar’s peers could affect her in any way. Still, such judgement was not far from her mind as she put the last touches on her costume.
A short knock at the door announced Stoyan’s arrival. Despite expecting him, Alicia jumped at the sound. She laughed to herself before turning away from the mirror, snatching up the painted leather mask that was the left top quarter of a face created from the shapes of leaves, and walked to the door. Taking a breath, she opened it.
Stoyan straightened and blinked at the sight of Alicia standing in the doorway, dressed as autumn.
“Ms. Wilde,” he greeted, smiling at her. “You look exceptionally beautiful tonight.”
Alicia smiled up at the Bulgarian bodyguard. “Thank you, Stoyan,” she replied as she accepted Stoyan’s offered elbow. “To tell the truth, I feel a little foolish.”
“No, no,” Stoyan said. “You are the image of perfection.”
Alicia laughed as she slid gracefully into the back seat of the car. She adjusted her gown as Stoyan shut the door and entered the front.
“Wait until you see the house,” he said as he started the sedan. “Aleksandar has spared no expense this night. It is like when Theo was alive.”
Certain by Stoyan’s abrupt silence and the sudden hunching of his shoulders that Stoyan had let slip something he shouldn’t have, Alicia looked at his reflection in the rear-view mirror.
“Theo, as in Theodore Svetoslav? Aleksandar’s adopted brother?”
Stoyan blinked. “Who told you about Theo? Did he tell you?”
“It was Marcia,” Alicia said. “I didn’t know he was an adult when he was adopted before then.”
“Ah. It is not something he talks about much,” Stoyan said. “There are those who would make a great fuss about it.”
“Marcia told me Theo died.”
“He was murdered,” Stoyan said bluntly, darkly. “It nearly destroyed Aleksandar,” he added quietly.
“Marcia said he had died suspiciously,” Alicia noted. There was something in Stoyan’s tone, some unhealed wound, perhaps, that cautioned Alicia to speak no more on the subject. She surprised even herself when she blurted out, “Worked out well for him, though.”
If Stoyan was surprised by Alicia’s words, he did not show it. He merely looked at her in the rear-view mirror in curiosity.
“If you call heartbreak ‘well’,” he replied.
Alicia opened her mouth to speak then thought better of it.
“There are many things Aleksandar Svetoslav is,” Stoyan said. “Brother-killer is not among them.”
“You don’t seem particularly surprised about my thoughts,” Alicia murmured.
Stoyan chuckled. “You are not the first to think it. In truth, it does seem outwardly suspicious. A young poor boy is adopted into a wealthy family, the heir to that family’s fortune is murdered, and the poor boy inherits wealth beyond imagining. It is an easy conclusion to come to. That Aleksandar is prone to dark moods does not help, I am sure.” Stoyan smiled ruefully at Alicia. “And you are a policewoman. It must be difficult to get away from thinking like one, even when you are supposed to be enjoying a fine evening of dancing.”
Alicia flushed slightly. She turned her face away from Stoyan’s gaze, intense even when experienced as a reflection, and stared out at the deepening sky. She straightened as the newly restored gate to Aleksandar’s expansive estate swung open. Stoyan drove in silence up the paved driveway. Trees bent over the driveway on either side, presenting a tunnel of growth that would have appeared sinister but for the line of small Chinese lanterns that lit the way along strings of pale gold fairy lights.
Alicia smiled slightly as she watched the lights in the trees.
“There,” Stoyan said quietly as the tree tunnel broke to reveal the house.
Alicia gasped. The gardens had not been touched when she last visited the estate. The house had been barely completed. Now, however, the gardens had been tamed. The shrubs had been pruned back, their wild growth and unsightly decay turned into beautiful shapes lit from within by more fairy lights. The unkempt lawns had been neatly mowed and looked less like a remote meadow fit only for bison. Beside the driveway, a newly planted orchard stretched back into the twilight gloom. Every so often, the small flash of fireflies sparked between the fern fronds that grew on the ground beneath the trees.
Alicia’s gaze fell on Aleksandar, who waited at the base of the front stairs. His dark curls were brushed back from his face, half of which was covered in a mask resembling a fox. Red fur trimmed the top half of the copper mask. Bronze and brass swirls made their intricate way over the mask, and two ivory teeth dropped from the snout. The work was impossibly fine. Alicia watched as he spied the car and straightened, his deep burgundy cape swirling a little at his ankles. It hung over one strong shoulder, revealing the impeccably cut tails he wore beneath.
Alicia’s breath caught. Though she could only see half of his face, she would recognize him anywhere. The lines of his jaw, the breadth of his shoulders, the proud manner of his stance... all things that identified him to her.
The smile he offered her as she stepped from the sedan gave her the same thrill it had the first time she saw it. She returned the smile with a bright one of her own.
“You look beautiful,” Aleksandar breathed, offering her his hand.
“Thank you,” Alicia said, flushing. She met his gaze. Behind the appreciation in them, the disquieting dark flickered, made deeper by the shadows cast by his mask. Despite Stoyan’s assurances, Alicia was shocked by her own certainty that Aleksandar could most definitely be a murderer.
“We’re almost ready,” Aleksandar said, pulling Alicia from her thoughts. “The guests will be arriving any time now.”
Alicia nodded and put on her mask. “There. I am the fall season,” she said, tilting her chin upwards in an imperial gesture.
The fox before her bowed deeply. “My lady,” he said.
Alicia smiled and took his hand.
“Thank you for standing with me,” Aleksandar said quietly. “It means a lot to me to have you here.”
Alicia flushed again. “As if I could turn you away,” she said.
The smile that Aleksandar gave her did not reach his dark eyes. Instead, sadness pooled there a brief moment. Then he squeezed her hand and turned, leading her up the stairs into the house.
“My goodness!” Alicia breathed when she stepped through the door into the foyer.
The mosaic on the floor had at last been completed, revealing a complicated pattern of organic shapes, the centre of which raged a stylised bull in red. Atop the mosaic sat various podiums and easels with artworks from local artists, as well as donated items from various wealthy families that had felt pressured to match Aleksandar’s devotion to charity, if only for this one night.
Between the two ends of the marble split staircase that joined halfway up the floor, creating a small landing before continuing to the second floor as a single staircase, sat a bar. Lucan, dressed as impressively as Aleksandar, though in grey rather than rust and wearing a feathered mask of a great owl, stood behind the bar, ready to serve the guests. He nodded at Alicia, offering a small smile; the most recognition he had ever given her of his own volition. She returned his smile brightly.
Near the expansive, carved oaken double doors on the left stood Brendon, dressed in an impeccably tailored suit acceptable for this white-tie occasion. He wore a black feathered mask with a beak; the raven. He grinned as he spied Alicia, sparing a quick wave before he stood to attention again.
“Brendon was instrumental in acquiring the art pieces for our silent auction,” Aleksandar said. “He knows a large number of artists, as it turns out.” He beckoned Brendon over. The boy scurried forward.
“You look beautiful, Ms. Wilde,” he greeted formally, taking Alicia’s hand and kissing it.
Laughing, Alicia said, “You brush up exceedingly well, Mr. White. The raven, I see. A fine choice.”
“I thought so,” Brendon said. “When Stoyan and Aleksandar took me to get my suit fitted, we happened past a window with this mask in it. I knew I had to have it.”
“Well, the trickster suits you well.”
“A little too well,” Aleksandar noted with a smile. Brendon flashed a quick grin again.
“The guests are due to arrive soon,” Aleksandar said. “Will you join Stoyan outside, please?”
“Right away, Mr. Svetoslav,” Brendon said. He jogged to the door and disappeared outside.
“I am very impressed with what you’ve done with him,” Alicia said.
“It was all Stoyan,” Aleksandar replied. “That man has the patience of a saint.”
“You are too humble.”
“That has never been my problem,” Aleksandar said, smirking. Alicia rolled her eyes.
“Come, I want to show you the ballroom.”
Aleksandar led Alicia towards the carved oaken doors. He rapped lightly. One door swung open and a curious face peered through the crack. Alicia did not recognise him and guessed that he must have been hired just for this evening. “Mr. Svetoslav?” the man greeted quizzically.
“I would like to grant Ms. Wilde a sneak peek at the ballroom,” Aleksandar said. “Before the guests arrive.”
“Of course!” The man stepped back, widening the door a little more. Alicia slipped through and gasped.
The ballroom was enormous, the highly polished wooden floors reflecting the exquisite chandeliers like a mirror. The tables were connected to one another, creating a massive U-shape around the dance floor. The far side of the ballroom opened out into a balcony via a series of eight arches separated by simple Doric pillars. Thin, gauzy curtains ruffled softly in the breeze, let in through the open glass doors that sat between each pillar.
“It will be better when all the candles are lit,” Aleksandar said, apologetically.
“This is like something out of a Disney film!” Alicia breathed at last, walking forward with a wide-eyed gaze. “My God!” She turned around to face Aleksandar. “Everyone is going to have a hard time topping this party, I’m sure.”
“Mr. Svetoslav, sir,” someone said. “The first of the guests have arrived.”
“Thank you,” Aleksandar murmured. He stretched out his hand to Alicia. “Come, love,” he said. “Ready?”
Alicia walked forward and took Aleksandar’s hand. “No,” she said. “But that doesn’t matter.”
Aleksandar smiled and led her back into the foyer to greet the guests.
The first few hours of the night consisted of Alicia and Aleksandar personally greeting every guest as they walked through the front doors of the enormous mansion that was Aleksandar’s home. Alicia was introduced to a dizzying number of people, an army of the city’s elite. Of them, she recognised some of Aleksandar’s acquaintances; amongst them a petite woman with strawberry-blonde hair, who seemed far too attracted to Aleksandar for Alicia’s liking, and the police chief.
“The Masquerade Ball is a lost art,” Aleksandar mused ruefully after the twelfth person wearing a Phantom of the Opera mask greeted him and drifted immediately to the bar.
Alicia smiled. “Not everyone is European, Aleksandar,” she chided gently.
“Must they be?”
“Be thankful they’re wearing clothes,” Alicia said, making him scoff.
“Nuncle!” a small voice shrieked in delight from the door.
Aleksandar’s expression immediately changed as he spied Adelaide at the door, running towards him in a streak of pink and glitter. Alicia could not help but smile as she saw the girl’s costume; a fluffy pink monstrosity of a dress with more frills and crystals than Alicia thought possible for any dress to contain. It was accented with a pair of bedazzled wings, and glittery face paint. Adelaide also carried a sparkling wand with a great big pink star on the end to complete her fairy princess look.
Aleksandar bent down and swept the girl into his arms, hugging her close. “Hello, Princess,” he greeted.
“Do you like my dress, Nuncle?”
“How could I not? It suits you beautifully.”
Adelaide grinned and collapsed back into Aleksandar’s embrace.
“Adelaide, darling, hop down now,” Marcia said, sounding weary. “That’s hardly proper princess behaviour.”
Adelaide sighed, but let Aleksandar set her back on her feet. He stood and greeted Marcia, who had arrived in a shiny blue-green ball gown and a blue-green feathered mask; a peacock.
“Hello, Uncle,” she greeted primly, kissing Aleksandar on his cheek. “You look dashing, of course.”
“And you are stunning, naturally.” Aleksandar turned to David as the man, wearing a mesh horse head, approached. “And thank heavens you didn’t come dressed as the Phantom.”
David chuckled. “It was my first choice, but Marcia insisted that there’d be at least twenty others dressed the same.”
“Close,” Aleksandar said with a smile. “I’ve counted twelve so far.”
“Nuncle, will there be dancing?” Adelaide asked from her mother’s skirts.
“There will be,” Aleksandar said. “After dinner, as is the custom.”
“Can I dance with you?”
“I have reserved the first dance of the evening for Alicia,” Aleksandar said smoothly. “I can promise you the second.”
Sighing dramatically, Adelaide said, “Fine.”
“The bar is open,” Aleksandar said to David, smiling. “You should have three tickets a piece that arrived with your invitations. Anything greater than that is cash only, I’m afraid.”
“Perfectly understandable,” Marcia said. “What time are you opening the ballroom?”
“I expect dinner to be announced at six thirty or so. It does depend on the chef, though. There will be an announcement.”
“Good enough for me,” Marcia said. She turned to her husband. “Let’s get some wine,” she said.
“I’ll find you for a dance,” Aleksandar promised. Marcia flashed him a smile, greeted Alicia with a warm embrace and a promise to talk when she wasn’t busy, and headed for the bar, her fairy princess daughter jogging behind, staring wide-eyed at the splendour of the room.
“You’re not too bored, I hope,” Aleksandar asked Alicia, drawing her attention away from the bright pink fairy princess skipping happily between the easels and podiums.
“No,” she said. “There are so many wonderful costumes tonight. Though, I have to say, there is no way I will remember any of these people’s names.”
“You needn’t,” Aleksandar said with a smile. “And I’ll be the first to admit that being the host of such a gathering can be boring for the first little while. It gets better.”
“Had a lot of practice, have you?”
“The Svetoslav family used to throw enormous parties like this back home,” Aleksandar said. He smiled, then turned sombre.
“What happened?”
“Hmm?”
“You said ‘used to.’ What happened?”
“Oh. Theo...” Aleksandar shook his head. “Marcia told me she told you about him.”
“Theo Svetoslav, your adopted brother?”
“Yes.”
“The family stopped after his death?”
Aleksandar nodded. “We did not feel we could be merry ever again,” he said softly. “Theo was the light of the family.”
“I’m so sorry,” Alicia said.
Shaking the sadness from himself, Aleksandar straightened. “Hardly good party conversation,” he said, offering a small, apologetic smile.
“May I ask a question?”
“Of course.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were adopted as an adult?”
Aleksandar shrugged. “It didn’t seem all that relevant. And I don’t really consider myself to have been an adult at the time, being close to Brendon’s age, actually.”
Alicia had a thousand other questions. It must have been obvious, because Aleksandar snuck a brief kiss as she formulated the next one. “Later,” he said. “I promise. You can ask me anything you wish.”
Alicia nodded. “Later,” she said. She offered a smile, but it bothered her how, even after all these months, she knew so little of her lover.
These thoughts vanished as she spied Detective Brody enter the foyer. She grinned to see him dressed up to the nines, wearing a strange steampunk-esque mask with one eye that looked like the decorated half of a swimmer’s goggle. Brody did not look pleased to be here. Nevertheless, he strode forward to greet his host and hostess.
“Mr. Svetoslav,” he said curtly, offering a very brief handshake.
“Welcome to my home, Detective,” Aleksandar said, smiling the small, confident smile that irritated Brody to no end. “Perhaps since you aren’t visiting as a matter of duty, you may find it to your liking.”
“I am only here because the chief damned near insisted,” Brody grumbled. “So it is a matter of duty.”
“A shame,” Aleksandar said. “Still, I hope you enjoy yourself this evening, Detective. It is, after all, for a good cause.”
“Oh, I’m sure.”
“Play nice,” Alicia said, smiling beautifully at her colleague.
Brody looked her over. “I had forgotten how pretty a girl you are,” he said.
“Well, the uniform does a lot of hiding,” Alicia said. “Seriously though, Brody. Try and have a good night. Relax a little. It’s good for you.”
“We’ll see,” Brody grumbled.
Alicia laughed, gave him a good-natured kiss on the cheek and sent him on his way. Brody made his way to the police chief and stood near him. He only half-listened to the chief, keeping his eyes and mind focussed on Alicia and her lover.
It was seven o’clock before one of the white-gloved servants touched Aleksandar on the shoulder in a silent indication that both the chef and the ball room were now ready for dinner. Aleksandar took Alicia’s hand and led her up the stairs to the landing. He stood a moment in silence, watching the masquerade guests move through the silent auction, talking amongst themselves about the artwork, or perhaps his home, or the other guests. A low, respectful hum bounced around the white walls of the foyer, charged with the whimsy and excitement a party of this nature always elicits.
For a moment, Aleksandar was lost in his thoughts about the last masquerade thrown by his House. Theodore was still alive. Three weeks later, Theodore was dead, murdered by another Opyri.
Forcing himself away from thoughts of the man he had given up his humanity for, Aleksandar tapped gently on the side of his crystal champagne flute. The small ringing sound was taken up by others, who saw and recognised Aleksandar as wanting their attention, until at last the foyer fell silent and everyone had turned to look up at him and Alicia.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Aleksandar greeted. “I’m not one for speeches, so I shall keep this as short as possible. I thank you for your attendance this evening. Thanks to you, we will be able to provide patients of our hospital with the best food possible to aid their recovery and continued good health. Speaking of food,” his blunt segue earned a few chuckles, “you’ll be delighted to know that the chef is at last prepared. So, without further ado, dinner is served.”
Aleksandar gestured to the double oak doors. On cue, they swung open, revealing the warm, flickering light of candles. The crowd cheered and surged forward, eager to find their places and sit for what promised to be a sumptuous meal.
Alicia watched the crowd push into the ballroom with a small smile on her face. The fundraiser was already a complete success. Aleksandar’s archaic European sensibilities had designed and executed a party that most would consider equal parts unique and sophisticated. Formal balls were unheard of, let alone masquerades. Almost no one knew how to dance ballroom anymore, Alicia was certain, though a fair few would have taken lessons if only to appear more cultured than their peers.
“This party is going to be talked about for years after this,” Alicia murmured, smiling.
“I should hope so,” Aleksandar said, slipping his arm around her waist. He smiled as he watched the last of the crowd disappear into the room. “Shall we?” he asked.
“Of course,” Alicia replied. She smiled to herself as Aleksandar led her down the stairs and into the ballroom.
Aleksandar had been correct when he first showed her the room. It looked even more magnificent lit with the soft, warm flicker of hundreds of candles. She felt as if she had stepped back in time and was not Alicia, a cop trying to make detective, but a princess of Austria, perhaps, or Slovenia, walking before her court with her prince.
Not missing the slight pause in Alicia’s stride as she crossed the threshold into the room, Aleksandar looked at her quizzically.
“Oh, I’m fine,” Alicia murmured in response to his enquiring gaze. “It’s just... You were right, you know. The candles really make this space stunning.”
Aleksandar smiled. “I thought so,” he agreed.
The guests had all remained standing, their masks removed for dinner, awaiting the arrival of their host. Alicia felt a little self-conscious as Aleksandar led her to one of the two remaining empty seats, ensured she was seated, and then sat beside her. They removed their masks as, with a rustle of fabric and a few squeaks of chairs against polished wood flooring, the guests sat and the excited conversation resumed, filling the ballroom with noise. Alicia watched as a quintet strode into the room.
Aleksandar clapped, sending a reactionary wave of applause for the musicians. It took everything Alicia had not to laugh when she noticed a number of guests applauding before realising why they were doing so. The musicians bowed to Aleksandar, took their seats and began to play.
“My goodness, Mr. Svetoslav,” an older woman in her eighties noted from the corner of the enormous U-shaped seating arrangement. “If one were to announce themselves to the world, this would be the fashion in which to do it!”
Aleksandar smiled at her. “Thank you, Mrs, Lieberwitz,” he said. “I could not have my first-ever function be a dull affair.”
“No indeed. Keep this up, young man, and the press will make more of a fuss over you than they already are.”
“They’ll get sick of me eventually, I’m sure. They always do.”
“Hardly,” Mrs. Lieberwitz said with a scoff. “A handsome young man like yourself? Why if I were even twenty years younger, your clean reputation would be ruined.”
Aleksandar laughed. “Mrs. Lieberwitz, it is my current attachment that has saved your reputation and mine, not your age.”
Mrs. Lieberwitz laughed, flushing bright pink, before her husband pulled her attention away from Aleksandar into a business conversation he was having with an associate.
“Very smooth,” Alicia murmured from behind her glass of champagne.
Aleksandar gently squeezed her hand and threw her a cheeky smile.
The first plate of the seven-course meal arrived. The chef exited the kitchen to announce the arrival of the course, going into particular detail with the ingredients, emphasising the words ‘organic’ and ‘wild’ as often as possible. Alicia watched the white-gloved servers swirl around the room, distributing the bowls of soup in a perfectly executed dance, then vanish once again.
Lobster and crab were served next, each spiced rather than served with garlic butter. It was unusual, but incredibly delicious. Following the seafood was a spicy Thai salad made of green mango, papaya and ginger. The main course was wild goose, brined with garlic and salt, then slow roasted all day with copious amounts of butter, glazed in honey and rustic herbs, and served with gravy made of the drippings. Alicia’s mouth watered at the smell.
Before each course, the chef arrived to explain the food, and the expert staff danced their way through the hall. In the meantime, wine glasses were kept full by attendants that stood to attention along the walls behind the table. It was considered polite, Alicia learnt, to applaud each course as it arrived. It was less a dinner party than a re-enactment of a medieval feast, she felt.
By the time dessert came around, a lavender and rosemary crème brûlée, Alicia felt quite full. She managed only a few bites of the, admittedly, delicious dessert before she had to push it away.
“Too much food!” she said.
“Oh I know, dear,” the gentleman beside her said. Alicia recognised him from the city’s political scene and felt ashamed that she could not recall his name. She watched him as he put an over-flowing spoon of the crème brûlée in his mouth. “I won’t be able to move by the end of this!”
“There will be time to digest before the dancing begins,” Aleksandar assured him.
“Oh good!”
Conversation flowed with the wine. Alicia found she couldn’t follow the hollow niceties, and was distracted by the quiet setting up of a new bar at the far end of the ballroom. The coffee and tea arrived, much to Alicia’s relief, and a table laden with cheese and fruit was brought into the room. This final course was designed for guests to pick at over the course of the evening, along with endless refills of coffee or tea.
Once everything was set up and the white-gloved waiters vanished from view again, Aleksandar stood. The ballroom fell silent.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the last speech of the evening, I promise.”
The guests laughed and cheered.
“It is with great relish that I declare the dinner portion of this evening complete. Our chef this evening was Augustus Merche. Please join me in showing your appreciation for his most excellent food.”
The chef appeared on the dance floor and bowed with a flourish to much applause. Aleksandar raised his glass to the man and nodded a small show of appreciation. That made the chef glow more than the loud clapping of the guests. It struck Alicia as odd, the adoration the man had for Aleksandar, for it was nothing less than adoration that shone from the man’s eyes as he stared at Aleksandar.
Admittedly, the man’s career was now made. His food had been exquisite, and he was sure to be contacted by every wealthy businessman trying to emulate the success of Aleksandar’s soiree. Still, there was something eerie about that barefaced admiration. Alicia pushed it from her mind. It was not Aleksandar’s fault that people fawned over him. He was, in effect, a celebrity of business.
Once the applause died down, and the continuously bowing chef made his way from the room, Aleksandar resumed his speech.
“Nutrition is something to which we, as a society, pay too little attention. Hippocrates said, ‘Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’ I am a firm believer that much of our modern malaise can be cured, or at the very least mitigated, by the things we eat. This fundraiser was intended to help our hospital provide wholesome, nutritious food to its patients with as little a carbon footprint as possible. I am pleased to say, thanks to your generosity, we have doubled our target.”
The applause began again, and lasted longer than Alicia thought necessary, as the city’s wealthy congratulated themselves on their own generosity.
“I thank you. With these extra funds, I aim to create a scholarship for any medical student seeking to specialise in researching the field of nutrition.”
More applause.
“And I could not have done any of this without your help. So, thank you.”
More applause.
“And now, following the tradition of my forbearers, I invite you all to join me on the dance floor. Thank you once more, and enjoy the rest of your evening.”
There was much more cheering and applause. Aleksandar turned to Alicia.
“May I have this dance?” he asked, smirking.
“I am honoured,” Alicia answered. She took Aleksandar’s offered hand, and tried her best to ignore the eyes that followed her as he led her onto the dance floor. He pulled her in close and waited a moment as more couples made their way to the floor. After a few moments, Aleksandar nodded to the quintet and they began their next set. Aleksandar led Alicia into a stately waltz. His steps were sure and ever so subtly powerful, requiring Alicia to give up her autonomy or trip over her own feet. There was a certain kind of reassurance in being so directed.
“You seem troubled,” Aleksandar murmured after a while.
“Troubled?” Alicia asked. “Oh, no. Just a little out of my element. I’m surrounded by people who make more in an hour than I make in a year.”
“In my house,” Aleksandar said, “you are queen. Don’t let any of them look down on you.”
Though Aleksandar’s choice of words were odd, Alicia felt their effect immediately. Her shoulders straightened ever so slightly. Aleksandar laughed softly. “There you are,” he said. “Your Majesty.”
Alicia laughed at the absurdity of it, but let herself slip into the role all the same. She was a queen, and Aleksandar her king. At least for tonight.
The song was long, but Alicia did not mind. Dancing with a man who so confidently controlled the dance floor made her feel as if she was floating, her feet barely touching the ground.
“I love dancing with you,” Alicia said. “It’s one of the few times I feel genuinely safe.”
“You are safe with me,” Aleksandar replied. He pulled her closer to him. “I would never let anything happen to you.”
Letting her head rest on Aleksandar’s shoulder, Alicia smiled. For all the times that Aleksandar frightened her with nothing more than his dark, intense gaze, for all the instincts that told her to flee as far from him as possible, she believed him.
“I know,” she whispered, closing her eyes and enjoying the dance. “I love you, Aleksandar.”
The words left her mouth before she could check them. They caught her by surprise almost as much as they surprised Aleksandar. But as she thought on them, she realised that they were the truth, spoken in one of her very rare, unguarded moments. She was in love with Aleksandar. She had been since she first met him. It just took her a long time to admit it to herself.
She felt Aleksandar pull away, and she lifted her head to meet his gaze. His midnight eyes were large with shock until he gathered himself. He stroked Alicia’s cheek and offered her a small smile. Alicia smiled back, so lost in his eyes that she did not notice they had stopped dancing.
The world faded away. All that was important was the man before her. She did not resist when he kissed her, answering the gentle caress of his lips with her own. Only when the kiss ended did Alicia realise that their waltz had finished and a new, livelier tune had begun. She giggled at the sheepish expression Aleksandar wore when he realised the same thing.
“A drink?” he offered.
Alicia nodded. She let him take her hand and lead her to a chair. He kissed her cheek and left to get her the promised drink. Alicia watched him at the bar.
“You two are adorable,” Marcia said as she took a seat next to Alicia. “Mind if I sit?”
“Not at all!” Alicia smiled at her as Adelaide clambered onto her mother’s lap.
“I think this evening is a success, don’t you?” she asked Alicia.
“I would be very surprised if anyone declared it otherwise. I feel as if I’ve stepped back in time.”
“Aleksandar has that effect on people. He’s an old soul.”
Alicia smiled, glancing over at the newly set up bar where Aleksandar patiently waited to be served.
“Watching you two dance up there was magical,” Marcia said. “I wish David could dance,” she added, a small amount of acid creeping into her voice. “He insists he couldn’t possibly learn. He’s a doctor, for God’s sake. He should know the brain is plastic enough for him to learn.”
Alicia laughed. “It’s something he shares with a lot of men, actually,” she noted. “If only they realised how attractive the ability to dance is.”
Marcia scoffed. “Aleksandar tells me your family is Latin?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I hope you don’t mind me saying, Wilde is not a particularly Latin name.”
“Oh no, my grandfather was Irish. Latin Americans and the Irish are both catholic, so they had no issues marrying one another.”
“Well, that explains that.”
“Here you are,” Aleksandar said, holding a martini glass with clear liquid in which floated a slice of cucumber.
“What is it?” Alicia asked, taking the glass.
“Basil and cucumber martini. The barkeep swore up and down it was the best thing she’s ever tasted.”
Alicia took a small, sceptical sip. It was delicious. “She wasn’t wrong.”
“Nuncle, can we dance?” Adelaide asked, staring up at Aleksandar with wide, pale eyes.
“What do we say when making a request of someone, Adelaide?” Marcia asked.
“Please?” Adelaide added, still staring up at Aleksandar.
“How could I say no?” he replied with a laugh. “As soon as this song ends.”
As if on cue, the music ended. Aleksandar smiled his small smile, placed his newly acquired drink at the table, and lifted Adelaide off her mother’s lap. Smiling, he took the girl onto the dance floor and placed her down on his feet. Alicia and Marcia watched on as Aleksandar led Adelaide all over the dance floor.
When that dance ended, Aleksandar was propositioned by yet another dancer, and so the evening wore on, with Aleksandar playing the perfect and accommodating host until Marcia, David and Adelaide came to say their goodbyes. Adelaide was falling asleep on her feet, and Marcia had decided it was time to put her to bed. Aleksandar offered them spare rooms in his house, but Marcia, heavily pregnant, wanted her own bed. So Aleksandar excused himself from the party to call them a taxi and see them off.
Alicia watched the family exit the ballroom, smiling to herself. She could imagine Aleksandar as a father. He would make a fine one.
“Hello,” said a husky, feminine voice, distracting Alicia from her thoughts of domesticity. She turned to face a tall, slender woman dressed in bright red, wearing a devil’s mask.
“Hello,” Alicia replied.
The woman extended her hand to her. “I am Yulia,” she said. “One of Aleksandar’s business partners.”
Alicia took her hand. “Yes. We were introduced earlier this evening. Nice to meet you. Again.”
“Thank you. May I sit?”
“Of course.”
Yulia sat down next to Alicia and removed her mask. “There,” she said. “Now that I have gotten rid of this silly thing...” She shook her head. “Aleksandar and his play-acting. You would think we were back in the 1300s!”
“I like it,” Alicia replied with a shrug. “It’s not something I ever thought I’d get to see.”
Yulia smiled. “It loses its charm after a while.”
Alicia glanced over at Yulia. The woman had midnight eyes, and staring into them was like looking into pools of water in a cave; their depths were fathomless.
“Still, you have been good for him. He has not thrown a party like this since Theodore died. You know all about Theodore, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Alicia heard herself say. She felt strangely detached from her own words. “Some.”
“Well, then you’ll know that Aleksandar and Theodore were quite involved.”
Alicia felt Yulia’s cool hand on her arm. Her pulse raced, but her body remained relaxed, disobeying her mind’s commands to pull away.
“I can show you more,” Yulia said quietly. “You would like to know more about Theodore, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes,” Alicia replied. Her own voice sounded hollow to her ears.
“Of course you would. Come,” Yulia’s words were a command and Alicia stood. She felt Yulia take her hand. “I know a quick route to his room. Come.”
Despite herself and the alarms that were silently screaming in her mind, Alicia let Yulia lead her away from the ballroom. They exited via the servant’s entrance, climbing two flights of stairs before making it out into a hallway. In silence, Yulia led Alicia into Aleksandar’s bedroom. It looked as archaic and immaculate as always. Yulia released Alicia’s hand and walked to the fireplace. She picked up a photo from the shelf and brought it to Alicia.
“Here,” she said. “This is Theodore.”
Alicia took the frame and looked down. She released her martini glass to Yulia, who took it from her and placed it on the bedside table. She returned to stand behind Alicia as she stared blankly down at the image.
“Handsome, isn’t he?” Yulia asked.
“Yes,” Alicia said quietly. The answer came before she even knew she had been asked a question. She had been busy trying to get herself to move, to get out of the room and find a crowd. She was in danger. Every fibre of her being told her so. And yet... yet she could not move. A part of her desired to stay, to ride the rush that was her pounding pulse and ticking nerves.
Alicia felt Yulia’s cool fingers stroke the hair that hung in ringlets down the back of her neck, pushing them away to reveal skin.
“They were lovers,” Yulia whispered, her lips brushing Alicia’s ear as she spoke. Her hands rested on the tops of Alicia’s shoulders.
“Lovers?” Alicia asked, her quest for freedom momentarily distracted by the news. Yulia reached around and gently turned Alicia’s head so their eyes met once more. The helpless feeling of being trapped struck Alicia in the chest. Her breath left her momentarily before becoming disturbingly relaxed and regular.
“Yes,” Yulia said. “Lovers. I would watch them on occasion. Sometimes they would invite me in to play.” Yulia took Alicia’s hand in her own and kissed the knuckles. “You poor thing,” Yulia said, reaching out with her other hand and stroking Alicia’s cheek. “You don’t really think he loves you, do you? How could he? He is a prince and you, well, you are entertainment.”
Alicia could not respond. Her mind raced, even as her heart beat shifted from rapid to calm to the slow, powerful heart beat that was familiar to her only because of the effect Aleksandar had on her.
“That’s all right, though, isn’t it my sweet?” Yulia crooned. “You only ever wanted to be entertainment.”
Alicia nodded in mute silence.
“And Aleksandar is the kind of man anyone would want to please. You’re eager to please, aren’t you, pet?”
Again Alicia nodded in silence. Yulia stepped closer. One slender but strong arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her in closer. Alicia commanded her body to move. Her mind screamed for her arms to push against Yulia. Instead, they hung uselessly at her sides, as her traitor body yielded to the desires of the woman before her.
“Good,” Yulia said, her lips hovering over Alicia’s. “Because I require entertaining.”
Yulia took Alicia’s lips in her own. Alicia’s mind exploded in a panicked flurry, demanding her body to react. Instead, Alicia’s lips returned the kiss, her arms rising to wrap around Yulia’s neck.
“Good girl,” Yulia whispered. She walked forward, forcing Alicia back until the back of her knees hit Aleksandar’s bed. Alicia wordlessly toppled back, landing on the bed and staying there.
“I can see why Aleksandar desires you,” Yulia said, and she settled on the bed beside Alicia.
Alicia still screamed internally, and her body still refused to obey as she felt Yulia’s fingers trail from her cheek, down her neck, linger a moment over a breast, then travel yet lower. Alicia felt the hem of her gown lift inch by jerky inch.
Then Yulia leant over her and Alicia stared up into the black pools of her eyes.
“Don’t worry, precious,” Yulia said, smiling. “It’s not bad being my pet. You shall see.” All protest fell away. All thought vanished. Alicia was no longer Alicia. She was a pet, a thing made for the pleasure of the beauty above her; her mistress, her commander, her greatest desire.
Yulia’s kiss was enthusiastically received, even the small, painful nip that drew blood. It pleased mistress, and that was enough.