The Shining Falcon

Wonderful, just wonderful. Vasilissa's hysterics had awakened Danilo. «It's nothing, Father. Lissa was only… dreaming.»

She gave her sister a warning glance, but of course, Vasilissa ignored it. «No," she insisted angrily, «it wasn't a dream! Father, Maria was consorting with a—a devil, but I saved her!»

«A devil!» Danilo repeated, amazed. But his face darkened with dawning anger. «A lover, you mean!»

«No," protested Maria. «It wasn't — "

«Oh, so you admit it!»

«No! I — "

«Wait. Vasilissa, child, leave us.»

«But don't you want to hear about — "

«Not now, Lissa! Leave us!»

As soon as the young woman was gone, Danilo whirled to his younger daughter. «How dare you — "

«Father, please. No one could have gotten past you and Lissa to get to my room, you know that.»

«The window.»

Maria fought to keep her voice level. «But this room is on the second floor, and the outside wall is quite smooth.» She forced a laugh. «You don't really believe Lissa and her—her devil?»

«No. Of course not.» But he did just what she had feared: he started towards the window. «Eh, stand aside, Maria. Stand aside!»

God, let him not see the spikes! Let him not see the bloodstains!

But he saw, and touched a wary finger to the stains. «Blood. You lied to me, girl.»

«I…» There was no way out of this, no way short of the truth, fantastic though that might be. «First, I swear to you by our family's honor that nothing shameful happened between us.»

«Who is he?»

«A—a man of—yes, of honor! Of high rank, indeed! Fin — "

«Finn! That—that nameless — " He stopped short, staring out at the unclimbable wall. «No place to attach a rope… Lissa was right all along! The man is a sorcerer!»

«The man is Finist, Prince of Kirtesk!» cried Maria fiercely, but her father spun about and caught her a stinging slap across the face.

«You dare!» he shouted. «That accursed sorcerer— You dare!»

Shaking, Maria shouted back, «That accursed sorcerer saved your honor! Who do you think went to Prince Svyatoslav, eh? Who do you think proved your innocence?»

«Silence!»

«No! Not this once! Finist is a good, kind, honorable man! He loves me! And I—I love him!»

«Why, you little fool! And have you slept with him yet? Have you let this good, kind, honorable sorcerer into your bed?»

«I have not! And he is honorable! He wants to marry me!»

«Liar!»

As lord of the house, he'd always been within his rights to discipline his children as he saw fit, though up to this time, Danilo had never abused that privilege. But before Maria could defend herself, he struck her again and again, raging and terrified all at once.

«Enough," he said at last, panting. «Enough. But you shall spend some time alone, girl, thinking on your sins!»

He dragged the dazed, struggling Maria to a window‑less storeroom and threw her inside. «Stay there till you repent!» Danilo shouted, and slammed the door shut. Maria, aching, heard the bolt slide into place, and sank slowly to the floor.

I should have known. He's so afraid of magic‑if Svy-

atoslav himself should praise Finist's worth, Father wouldn't believe him.

Maria sighed, rubbing sore arms. Danilo hadn't hurt her badly, and she knew he had acted more out of fear for her than genuine anger. The young woman shook her head, ashamed. What truly hurt had nothing to do with bruises or injured pride, but the fact that she had been too foolish—too childish—to accept the strength of her father's fear. She should never have tried to challenge him. And no matter what she did, no matter how contritely she behaved, Danilo was never going to help her—or Finist. There was no one to help Finist. No one save Maria.

Oh, fine! Right now she couldn't even help herself!

After a time her physical aches and mental shock began to wear off a bit. And in their absence, Maria, much to her amazement, felt her spirits begin to rise. She wasn't going to abandon Finist, no matter what. And if she must rescue him all by herself, so be it! But first, she'd see about getting herself out of this fix.

The storeroom was piled with various musty-smelling boxes and barrels. Getting stiffly to her feet, Maria began to rummage through them, holding her breath against the dust. They contained bits and scraps of household gear, the sort of things to be found stored in most homes, things too worn or rusted for use yet too good to be simply thrown away. Maria grinned.

Oh, Father, I do think you've underestimated me!