The Shining Falcon

As the servant cast open the door, the boyar rushed in on a storm of passion, a young man, dark-haired, supple. Virile of body, thought Ljuba dryly, soft of mind. He fell to one knee before her, kissing the hem of her embroidered caftan like the romantic fool he was. For a time Ljuba looked down on him, unmoved, smiling thinly, then reached down to catch his face between her hands and raise his head so he must look at her.

«Erema. What would you do for me?»

His eyes were glazed with magic and desire. «Anything!»

«Would you do my bidding, hmm? Would you obey me, no matter what?»

«Oh, my dear one, yes! Yes!» His voice was thick with passion. «I—I would take arms against the prince himself if you would only take me back again! The embrace of your sweet arms — "

«Akh, yes," interrupted Ljuba absently. «We shall see.»

But she was thinking fiercely, And now the first step is taken at last. Oh, Finist, here is the beginning of your fall!

Chapter II Suspicion

It was dark in the palace corridors, dim and quiet and cool, cool enough for Danilo, boyar, counselor to Svyatoslav, Prince of Stargorod, to be glad of the warmth of his fur-trimmed caftan. A fine-figured man, Danilo, though no longer young: distinguished, greying of hair and beard, proud of bearing. And right now, quite lost in thought, barely aware of the servants following at a respectful distance, barely seeing the familiar, gloriously bright murals covering every bit of wall, gold leaf glowing even in the muted light.

The marriage should do well. It should do well, indeed. Mikhail's son—eh, marriage will steady him. And my dear Vasilissa… Lissa loves young Afron already, or so Maria tells me.

Akh, Maria. Danilo had but the two children, the two daughters, Vasilissa, the elder, the betrothed, and Maria: sensible, clever Maria. If Lissa had inherited most of their poor dead mother's beauty, Maria had her wit and warmth.

Now I must see to her betrothal as well, Danilo told himself firmly. I should have done it years ago. But… I hate the thought of losing her.

Perhaps he'd come to depend on Maria too much. After all, in those dark years after his wife's death, when he'd determined never to wed again, he hadn't been able to turn to Vasilissa—no, the delicate thing, he couldn't burden her. It had been Maria, for all that she was the younger child, who'd pretty much run the household, and run it well.

But he was being selfish, thinking like that. Custom insisted a young woman be wed, and wed Maria would be. Though the girl did keep swearing in that calm way of hers that she would marry only for love.

«For love!» muttered Danilo. Well now, he was long past such youthful foolishness. Love notwithstanding, he intended to find her a husband who was a fine, noble man. «Someone who's worthy of — "

He broke off with a start at the sight of the figure that had suddenly appeared out of the shadows. «Forgive me, Danilo Yaroslavovich," said a man's voice. «I didn't mean to alarm you.»

Danilo peered into the dimness, trying to place that teasingly familiar voice, making out the shape of a fine-boned, pale face, a neat, dark beard—

«Alexei! How did you get in here?»

The young boyar grinned sharply. «I told the guards I had an appointment with you. They, ah, believed me.»

Danilo snorted. «They believed your gold, you mean.» If old Svyatoslav, suspicious enough at the best of times, knew that his guards could be so easily bribed, he'd have their heads! «Alexei," Danilo began again, then stopped, belatedly aware that his servants, uneasy, had surged forward. Impatiently he waved them back, very much aware that for safety's sake he should say nothing to Alexei, he should simply have the man thrown out.

But Alexei was giving him a hesitant, charming, innocent smile, a very familiar smile, and memory prodded Danilo. Even though he knew the man was about as innocent as a fox with a mouthful of chicken, he found himself remembering a younger Alexei, alone and friendless, the not-quite-respectable boyar's son, half peasant, who'd looked at him with just those hopeful, fearful eyes, the youngster he'd impulsively made his aide… It hadn't been that bad a choice; Alexei had proven clever enough, and most of the time his charm had seemed quite genuine. But, Danilo realized with flawless hindsight, there had always been that other Alexei, the inner, secret Alexei he'd never been able to reach, a slyness, a bewildering hardness beneath the innocence.