7 1.7

By the next day, my room was back to its originally tidy state, and true to the High Chamberlain's words, the serving boys were hard workers and had my gifts checked and packed away in no time, stopping their work only when I slept. I had sent them away with their pockets each a few gold pieces heavier to thank them for helping my ladies-in-waiting, my manservant, and myself with this break-breaking task of moving the absurdly heavy stacks of gifts.

As the last of the serving boys left, Patrina walked over to me, dragging a now-conscious Lada over by the arm, and bowed before turning to Lada and glaring at her.

An awkward silence ensued.

Patrina nudged Lada. "Go on, Lada—tell her what you told me. The needles, the Duchess—everything!"

Lada shook her head emphatically and dipped her head.

Patrina sighed and grabbed Lada by the shoulders to face her. "Do you not love her Imperial Highness? Are you not happy or grateful to be working under such a kind mistress? I've seen how the others treat their servants, Lada. The Tsesarevna will make sure we're all safe, sound, and happy, and you know that!" Patrina's voice was starting to tremble. "Please, Lada! Just tell her what you told me—I can't speak on your behalf—you must tell he-" Patrina was practically begging Lada at this point, but I held up my hand to silence Patrina.

I stepped closer to Lada and tilted her chin towards me gently. "Lada? Is there anything you want to tell me? I'll listen and help you best as I can; just tell me what you need and I will try to provide."

Lada's eyes started tearing up. "I… I-Duchess Petrynovich—"

I frowned. Duchess Petrynovich hated me with all her heart and soul. "What about Duchess Petrynovich, Lada?" I glanced at Patrina, who promptly widened her eyes. I looked back at Lada.

Lada kept quiet for a few moments more, with silent tears trickling down her cheeks, before she bawled out, "Your Highness, the other day when I was taking your dresses and undergarments to the great well near the Spring Gardens to wash with spring water, I bumped into Duchess Petrynovich by accident—"

"Did you apologize?" I interjected.

Lada nodded her head and continued, "I even knelt at her feet and apologized, because if I didn't, Duchess Petrynovich would hound you endlessly. But instead of letting me go, she—" Lada hiccuped up a fresh bout of tears, and Patrina rubbed her back—very gently, I noticed—in an attempt to console her.

"She?" I prodded gently. "Take your time, Lada."

"She ordered her servants drag me all the way to her room where she punished me, Tsesarevna." Lada was sobbing away now. "How—" I started to ask but she barrelled right over my words. "She grabbed my wrists, flipped them over like this—" she roughly grabbed Patrina's wrists to demonstrate, "—and her servants p-pushed n-n-needles into my wrist—" Lada stumbled over her words in her haste to get everything out.

"Needles?" I couldn't believe my ears, but Lada nodded.

I could feel my jaw tensing up. Duchess Petrynovich had gone too far with her stupid jealousy this time! I couldn't do anything much if she hurled insults at my servants but this was not verbal assault anymore; this was physical assault and it was—no, she was dangerous. I had to get something done immediately.

"Patrina, physician. And not the same one as yesterday! She'll bore the two of you to death with her lectures. Peter! PETER!" I hollered at the top of my lungs as I ran out of my room and Peter appeared from around the corner. "Your Highness?" Peter barely got two words out of his mouth before I dragged him away by his arm.

"Where's that poisonous snake?" I growled at Peter.

"Snake?" He shouted back. "Where?"

I slapped the wall in anger. "Duchess Petrynovich, Peter! Has your mind been in deep slumber or what?" I grumbled, dragging him towards Duchess Petrynovich's chambers. I hoisted Peter upright and gestured for the servants to not announce my title before rapping sharply on the door.

"Pass!" A nasal voice shrilled from inside. Oh gosh, I hated that voice. My brain felt scrambled each time I heard the Duchess speak, and knowing that she had ordered needles to be stuck in my poor lady-in-waiting didn't make my impressions of her any better. I stormed through the doorway the moment the servants had opened the doors.

Duchess Petrynovich was daintily [or she tried to be] picking sweet candies from a platter, but she stood up from her stool in surprise and fright when she saw me and my stormy countenance. "Ts-Tsesarevna Yulia, your Imperial Highness… " Duchess Petrynovich stammered in shock, then she caught herself, and pasted on a rather horrid-looking false smile on her face. "Good Tsesarevna, you were not expected. Why have you come?" She smiled a horrible smile, revealing gaps in between her teeth.

"I am very sure you remember poor Lada, Duchess." I stared stonily at her.

"Why, yes, I do, Your Highness. She bumped into me and made me spill my beloved flowers on the floor. What a stupid wretch!" She switched her fake smile to a face twisted by anger.

"The only stupid wretch here is you, Duchess. Lada is my lady-in-waiting, not yours. How you choose to discipline your servants is not my issue, but I will discipline my own servants. No one else is to touch them, especially you, Duchess!" I yelled back at the Duchess.

"How dare you, Yuli-" The Duchess launched herself at me like a slow-moving cannonball, waving a blunt dagger that couldn't even stab me through. Peter blocked her strike and twisted her arm behind her back.

"No one attacks the heiress, Duchess, or they will be accused of treason. You must have forgotten what title my mistress holds? Besides, you addressed her not by title, Duchess. I would advise you beg for mercy because she has all rights to order your death." Peter rasped in her ear as he held her against him to stop her from attacking me. "Pray that she is merciful today, Duchess." He continued, wrenching the dagger away from her hand. I got a sharp glare in reply.

"Let go of her, Peter." I waved him off and Duchess Petrynovich shook herself off angrily. She sneered at me. "What are you going to do, Tsesarevna? Kill me?" She made a scoffing noise under her breath. "You don't have enough power for that, with all due respect."

I smiled briefly. "There are things much worse than death, good Duchess, especially if life is not the first thing you prize, but power and wealth." I received a side-eye this time. Yes, I couldn't order her death, not that I would, but I could take away her titles, and that was what I did.

"I strip you of your title as Duchess of the Royal House of Aesfomlaer, and remove all your rights to servants of any sort," I paused before continuing, "Have you ever wondered, Madam, where all the ladies-in-waiting come from?"

"I'm a Madam already, am I?" Madam Petrynovich shouted at me. "And no, I haven't!"

I chuckled and walked a slow circle around her. "Yes, you are. Most of the ladies-in-waiting come from poor families that have a chance at rising to become a Countess, or even a Duchess. The others… they are nobles fallen from grace and favor. Like you, Madam."

I straightened and said loudly. "Everyone in this room, listen and spread the word! Effective immediately, Duchess Petrynovich will now be Madam Petrynovich. Peter will send her to the Household Office immediately after this, and her ex-ladies-in-waiting shall follow to be reassigned to new mistresses. This chamber will remain vacant until further notice, and Madam Petrynovich—" She turned away in anger—" you have until midnight tonight to pack your things and vacate this chamber." I smiled to myself this time. No blood spilled, and a harsh lesson taught nonetheless. I spun on my heels and strode right back out, with my footsteps echoing behind me.

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When I got back to the room, I saw a male physician tending to Lada, who sat on the bed. I broke into a run and plopped myself right beside Lada, immediately noticing a basket and a small pot of water on the bedside table.

"How is she, Mister? Will Lada be alright?"

The physician straightened his back and eyed me. "She will be." I opened my mouth to exclaim in relief, but he cut me off. "For now."

I could feel myself starting to worry all over again. "Why for now, Mister?"

He heaved a heavy sigh. "I was able to remove most of the needles from Lada—who would do such a horrible and stupid thing, anyways—but I reckon there are at least 3 needles left in her body that I am not able to remove. Sooner or later, one of those needles will find its way to poor Lada's heart… and I don't need to say what happens next, Tsesarevna." I felt myself tearing up, and I clenched my bedsheets in anger. Lada was a loyal lady-in-waiting, and she had done absolutely nothing to deserve this horrible fate! I bit my lip to hold myself back from spitting expletives.

"She dies," I said blankly. The physician bowed regretfully.

"I am very sorry that she has to go this way, your Highness. There is nothing else I can do. The whole court knows how dear Lady Patrina and Lady Lada are to you." The physician sighed, and I nodded sadly.

"Lada, are you alright for now?" I turned to her and she smiled with trembling lips, trying to be brave. I could feel myself tearing up.

I shook my head regretfully. Why did Madam Petrynovich have to be so mean? "I will never find another lady-in-waiting like you, Lada," I whispered, hugging her. It didn't take long for me to feel her tears soaking my dress.

"You have been too good to me, your Highness—I am undeserving of such kindne-" She began but I cut her off.

"Fie! Every human being is worthy of such kindness, especially one as loyal as you." I hugged her more tightly and I could hear the physician sniffling even as he made to leave.

When the physician left, Lada got down from the bed and kissed my dress' hem before touching it to her forehead. "It was an honor to have served a Tsesarevna such as you, Your High-" she said, but I didn't want to hear the rest of it. It was too painful to even think of Lada dying with a needle piercing her heart and draining her life from her.

I grabbed Lada by the shoulders and hugged her as tightly as I could, and she shut up. We stayed like that for hours, with my tears flowing into her golden locks and her tears forming puddles on my dress. I swore to myself silently, that no matter what it took, I'd make sure Lada got the care she needed. I had to get the needles removed before they entered vital organs—I was practically racing against time and fate. As my eyes teared up again, I sent a silent prayer up to Slyev for Lada to be saved. She wasn't going to die like this under my service—not if I could help it.