The Shining Falcon

Chapter XXXlll Regrets

«Maria?» Vasilissa tapped nervously on the storeroom's bolted door. «Maria, please!»

She had firmly approved of her father punishing the girl for her scandalous behavior. But poor Maria, having to spend the night on the cold floor of a dusty storeroom— The very thought of it had kept Vasilissa awake half the night. And now it was nearly morning, and Lissa couldn't stand it any longer. Whether or not Danilo approved, she meant to see that her sister was all right.

«Maria!» Vasilissa rapped with a bit more force. «Maria, answer me. Maria!»

The girl couldn't be sleeping that soundly; something must have gone wrong. Maria must be ill, or hurt, or— had the demon come for her?

«Maria!»

Hands trembling, Vasilissa fumbled with the bolt until she finally managed to pull it aside. She flung open the storeroom door—

And screamed.

Suddenly Danilo was catching her by the shoulders. «Lissa! Lissa, what is it?»

«The demon! Oh, Father, the demon came for Maria and carried her off. She's gone!»

Danilo nearly shoved her aside in his haste to get into the storeroom. But after a moment he returned, holding a thin little metal blade to which a hook had been carefully wired.

«No," Danilo said in quiet despair. «No one carried her off. Don't you see? Maria has run away to join her sorcerer.»

Maria huddled in the wagon, hidden under the pile of sacking, heart racing. It had been almost ridiculously easy to steal out of the estate in the early morning light, when their watchmen had plainly gone off their guards. I must warn Father, Maria thought, then gave a silent, wry laugh at her foolishness. Who knew when she'd see her father again?

The wagon lurched, and Maria frantically snatched at her concealing mound of sacking. It might smell of onions, but it was shelter. The peasant driver, on his way home to wherever, had no idea he was carrying a passenger out of Stargorod, and this was hardly the time to enlighten him.

Just keep going, Maria urged him silently. Please, just keep going!

There, they'd gotten safely over the rut or hole and were on their way again. Maria, holding her breath, heard the driver exchanging bored greetings with the guards at the city gate. And then the wagon was rumbling out of Stargorod. Maria peeked through a hole in one of the sacks, saw the city walls receding slowly behind her, and shivered in a mixture of fear and excitement.

There was no turning back now. Like it or not, she was on her way.

After his first shock, Danilo, ablaze with frantic energy, called for his overseer. «Sasha, come here! Hurry!» And to the trembling Vasilissa, «Don't worry, child. She can't have gotten very far. We'll find her before— Sasha where are you, man?»

The servant came hurrying up, panting. «Ah— You're up early, master. Just as well, you see.»

«What are you talking about? Sasha, I'm in no mood for riddles!»

«No—no riddles, master. It's orders—orders from our Prince just arrived a few moments ago. He—uh—wishes to see you and the rest of the council as soon as possible.''

«Damn!» That escaped Danilo before he could stop it, but it was quite heartfelt. Just because Svyatoslav seemed to need less and less sleep as he aged, he expected his counselors to be the same! Danilo bit his lip to keep from saying something in front of Sasha that he'd regret. Dammit all! Surely Svyatoslav must realize that these early morning meetings never accomplished anything, not with all the boyars sitting around blinking sleepily at each other! And to be summoned now, with Maria missing—

«I can't go, not now! Tell the messenger— No, wait.» Danilo gave an angry sigh as he realized: I don't have a choice. If I don't go, Svyatoslav will certainly wonder about my loyalty again.

«Sasha," Danilo said bluntly, «my daughter has… disappeared.»

The servant glanced hastily at Vasilissa, then exclaimed incredulously, «What, young mistress Maria?»

«She has. I suspect she may be trying to reach Kirtesk.»

«Kirtesk? But—that's a long way to go! And for a young lady, alone — "

«I know, man, I know!» Danilo hesitated a moment. «I'd hoped to be supervising this myself, but…» He shrugged helplessly. «You'll have to be in charge, Sasha. Send out as many men as you trust to search.»

«Of course.» Sasha bowed, then paused just long enough to give Danilo a quick, sympathetic smile. «We'll find her, master," he said gently. «All will be well, don't fear.»

«Thank you. Go now. While I," the boyar added wryly, «go to attend my Prince.»

Danilo sat with the other boyars in Svyatoslav's small audience chamber, and nodded when it seemed he should, and agreed with whatever the others said, and couldn't keep his thoughts from his daughter, his poor Maria, alone in the middle of—of— God, if only he hadn't been so harsh with her. He had driven her away! And yet, what else could he have done but— ' 'Boyar! Boyar Danilo!''

He came back to himself with a shock. «Ah, my Prince,

«You.» The regal sweep of arm took in the other counselors. «Leave us. You.» He pointed directly at Danilo. «Stay.» As soon as they were alone, Svyatoslav frowned. «What is all this about?»

«My… Prince?»

«This mooning and dreaming. Were I a gambling man, I'd wager you haven't heard one word in twenty that we've been saying!»

«I… Forgive me, my Prince.»

«Not till you confess! What troubles you?»

Danilo had meant to give some vague, pacifying reply: an aching head, a poor night's sleep. But instead, he heard himself blurting, «My daughter is gone. My Maria has— has run — "

«Has run away, eh?» Svyatoslav shook his head. «There it is: children are always betraying one.»

How would you know? Danilo thought savagely. You never sired any.

But he wisely kept silent, and the prince, with surprising gentleness, said, «Come, tell me. It shall go no further than this room. What is it? Has the girl a lover?»

«Yes— No‑I mean, her virtue is‑is intact; I trust Maria's sense that much. But she… swears she's in love.»

«With someone at court? If he's unwed, surely there's no problem to arranging — "

«No problem," Danilo said bitterly. «She's chosen to love a sorcerer! Prince Finist of Kirtesk — "

He stopped short, realizing to his horror that he'd been about to condemn royalty to royalty. But Svyatoslav, unheeding, murmured, «So that's it! 'Justice,' bah! I knew he was after more than that! Why, he used me!» The prince stared at Danilo with such sudden intensity that the boyar had to fight the impulse to squirm. «So, Danilo. It seems we have a common bond between us.»

«My Prince?»

«We've both been betrayed by those we love.»

It was on the tip of Danilo's tongue to gasp out a ridiculous You love Finist? But he bit that hastily back, real‑izing just in time that Svyatoslav could only be referring to his treacherous cousin, the exiled Prince Rostislav.

«So!» the prince continued. «I will never see my cousin again, not while we both live. But your daughter, at least, shall be found.»

«My Prince?» Danilo repeated, abandoning any hope of following the man's train of thought. «I don't understand — "

«Why, it's simple!» Svyatoslav's smile was almost beatific. «I will send my own guards to search for her. No, no, get up, man! Don't thank me till it's all over. And don't fear, boyar, Maria Danilovna will be found. Her betrayal shall be ended!»