The Queen Wins Read online

  The Archbishop looked embarrassed.

  And then Count Vladimir proposed,

  “We have come, Your Grace, to talk about the wedding that is to take place on the day after tomorrow.”

  “Yes, yes of course,” the Archbishop responded.

  Tarena knew he was feeling guilty about what had just occurred.

  He showed her round the Cathedral, which was very impressive.

  He then explained the wedding ceremony in detail.

  The Marriage Service was to be followed by the Coronation, she and Prince Igor being crowned as King and Queen of Karlova.

  “You don’t think,” Tarena said a little hesitantly, “that it would be a good idea to wait until at least the end of the week?”

  She was thinking as she spoke that she had not yet met Prince Igor.

  The Archbishop looked at the crowd and shook his head.

  “I have been told, Your Royal Highness,” he said in an apologetic tone, “that the situation is very dangerous in the City. We are hoping and praying that we will be able to prevent the Russians from overthrowing the throne.”

  Tarena felt there was nothing more she could say.

  At the same time she felt it was quite wrong and unnatural that she should be made to marry a man she had not yet met.

  As if the Count realised what she was feeling, he began to ask questions about the ceremony itself and the Archbishop was only too willing to supply answers.

  Finally, when she had seen everything including the two crowns waiting for her and Prince Igor, Tarena turned to the Count,

  “I think we should return to the Palace.”

  ”That is what I was thinking too,” he replied. “But Your Royal Highness will be aware that there may be a large crowd waiting to tell you what you mean to them.”

  “I only hope that’s true,” remarked Tarena.

  The Archbishop accompanied them as they walked down the aisle towards the door and, as they reached it, he said,

  “I do promise you, Your Royal Highness, that the Service will not be too long or too exhausting. Equally we must ask for the very special blessing of God and that you will be permitted to preserve the peace that your beloved father brought to our people.”

  “That is just what I intend to do, but I realise that things are much more difficult now, and I know it is only by the grace of God Himself that Karlova can remain free.”

  The Archbishop smiled at her.

  Then, as the doors were opened, they looked out to see that the large crowd was still there.

  As Tarena came out into the Square, women and children ran forward to throw flower petals in front of her. There were not very many of them, but she found it very touching to walk on wild flowers and leaves that had obviously been hastily picked.

  The crowd started cheering as she appeared and by the time she reached the bottom of the steps the sound was like the roar of the sea.

  As she climbed into the carriage, the people threw more wild flowers into it. The horses could only move very slowly through the throng and, as they did so, the women shouted,

  “God Bless Your Majesty, and we’ll not lose you! You can be sure of that.”

  It was all very moving.

  Only when they were out of the inner City and travelling down the roads with trees on both sides, was Tarena able to put down her arm and stop waving.

  “You are wonderful! Completely wonderful!” the Count sighed.

  “I have never seen anything like it!” the equerry exclaimed. “No one in the City will ever forget this day.”

  Only the Comtesse said nothing and looking at her, Tarena realised that she was almost sneering at what had occurred.

  As the horses moved more quickly, Tarena said,

  “I have the feeling, Comtesse, that you do not agree with me that such an ancient but cruel punishment should be abolished.”

  “I think those sort of people don’t respect any other form of punishment,” the Comtesse answered her sharply. “You will soon find out that there will be more thieving in Karlova than there has ever been before.”

  Tarena felt that this was plain speaking and almost a challenge to her personally, but felt it best not to reply.

  She made up her mind that once she was crowned Queen that she would choose her own Ladies-in-Waiting and the Comtesse would not be amongst them.

  As if the Count sensed her thoughts, he remarked,

  “I had no idea that there would be a Judgement, as they always call it, in the Square this morning. I can only apologise that you had to be involved in anything quite so unpleasant.”

  “I think it was the best thing that could possibly have happened. I will make sure that such cruelty is not inflicted in future. What is more, as I said to the people, no child in the country I rule over will be allowed to suffer from starvation.”

  “You are so right. It is a disgrace that should not be allowed and would not have persisted if it had not been for fear of the Russians.”

  “I thought from what that man said that all the richer citizens, who could leave, have already gone.”

  “He is right,” the Count replied. “They began to be frightened immediately your father died and they have been moving as quickly as they could to the other side of the country, while some have actually gone further still.”

  “Do you think they will come back, Count?” “I think that once you are Queen they will all want to return to their homeland.”

  The equerry said the same.

  Yet as Tarena looked at the Comtesse, there was no doubt that there was a cynical twist to her red lips – and a look that proclaimed only too clearly she thought that the people who had run away would stay away.

  ‘I dislike her! I positively dislike her!’ Tarena said to herself.

  Yet she knew it would be difficult to do anything before she was actually crowned.

  At the same time it was exciting to know that she was being treated as the Queen already.

  She was quite certain that the barbaric punishment for thieving would not be inflicted again so long as she was the Queen of Karlova.

  They returned to the Palace where fortunately they had not yet learnt of what had occurred in the City.

  The Lord Chamberlain busied himself explaining to Tarena that she was to receive a deputation of the wives of the Cabinet during the afternoon.

  “Just the wives?” she enquired.

  The Lord Chamberlain smiled.

  “I am afraid so. The Prime Minister has called a special meeting for this afternoon and tomorrow we are to discuss the final arrangements for the wedding.”

  He glanced at Count Vladimir as he spoke.

  Tarena sensed, without their saying it in words, that they were scared the Russians would, at the last moment, somehow prevent her wedding and Coronation from taking place.

  It was one thing, she thought, to have made at least some of the people pleased and respectful to her.

  But there were still Russians, who had penetrated into the City and had then acquired a significant following amongst the opponents of the present regime.

  And their armed forces were outside waiting for the opportunity to take over.

  Almost as if instinctively she was looking to him for help, Tarena turned to the Count and he said quietly so that only she could hear,

  “You have taken the first two fences in style. Do not be afraid of the next ones.”

  Tarena smiled apprehensively.

  “Do you really believe, Count Vladimir, that we can reach the winning post?”

  “You are halfway there already and I am betting every penny I possess on you.”

  Tarena laughed out loud and it seemed somehow to break the tension.

  “Luncheon will be served in a few minutes time,” the Lord Chamberlain announced.

  “I would like to tidy myself first.” As Tarena turned, the Lord Chamberlain added,

  “I think I should inform Your Royal Highness that Prince Igor has just arrived and will
be meeting you before luncheon, if you wish it, in the private rooms where His Majesty, your father, always received special guests.”

  For a moment Tarena felt as though her heart had stopped beating.

  “Thank you, my Lord, that is an excellent idea.”

  Then, as if she was running away from something that terrified her, she hurried up the stairs, wondering what the Count would think of Prince Igor’s belated appearance.

  When she reached her own room, her lady’s-maid was waiting to help her take off her hat and tidy her hair and to pour out the water to wash her hands.

  “Did everything go well, Your Royal Highness?” she asked. “And did you like the Cathedral?”

  “I liked it very much,” Tarena replied vaguely.

  She was glad that no one for the moment at the Palace knew what had happened during the morning.

  Because the bottom of her dress had been touched by so many hands she changed into one of the other gowns she had bought in London.

  When finally she was dressed, she walked slowly down the stairs.

  As expected, the Lord Chamberlain was waiting for her and Tarena forced herself to smile at him.

  “I am sorry if I kept you, my Lord.”

  “It’s all right, Your Royal Highness,” he answered. “I have told them to serve luncheon a quarter-of-an-hour late.”

  It was with difficulty that Tarena prevented herself from saying that perhaps fifteen minutes would be too long for her to be alone with Prince Igor.

  But she recognised that she must behave with the propriety expected of her.

  She walked slowly behind the Lord Chamberlain until they were in a part of the Palace she had been told her father kept entirely for himself.

  She had not been surprised to learn that one of the rooms contained a magnificent library.

  The room they were now approaching looked out over the garden at the back of the Palace where there was a profusion of flowers that her father had loved so much.

  The Lord Chamberlain opened the door and then announced in a stentorian tone,

  “Her Royal Highness, Princess Tarena.”

  There was a man standing by the window.

  As Tarena entered, she realised he had deliberately not turned round, but remained steadily looking out with his back to her.

  He was tall and she saw that his hair was dark.

  As he turned round and she walked towards him, she knew with what her father had often called her Third Eye that there was something wrong with him and she did not like him.

  When she drew nearer and she forced herself not to hurry, she saw that he was fairly good-looking.

  But there was definitely a vibration coming from him that told her with the instinct that had never failed her there was something very negative about him.

  She put out her hand.

  He bent over it in the French style and his lips did not actually touch her skin.

  “It is indeed a great pleasure to meet Your Royal Highness,” he began. “I do hope that we will be able to bring peace and prosperity to Karlova.”

  Even as he spoke, Tarena knew that the words had been chosen for him and he did not believe in them.

  She did not know why she was so positive, but she knew, without his saying another word, that he was quite certain that they could never bring peace and prosperity to Karlova together.

  Yet if that was so, why was he here?

  He asked politely what sort of voyage she had had on the way from England and he was interested in the fact that she had travelled in one of the new British Battleships. He added as to how much he enjoyed a sea voyage himself.

  It was all very polite, but a purely conventional conversation.

  Tarena felt they were fencing with sharp weapons.

  She was sure, although he made no sign of it, that he disliked her as much as she disliked him.

  Their conversation was so artificial and so obvious that she almost felt like laughing out loud as they were behaving exactly as was expected of them.

  Neither of them was being in the least sincere.

  It was an utter relief when the Lord Chamberlain opened the door,

  “Luncheon is served, Your Royal Highness.”

  “We must not keep the chef waiting,” Tarena said briskly.

  She walked towards the door knowing that Prince Igor was following her.

  She was wondering, as she did so, how she could possibly escape from him.

  ‘I cannot marry him, I cannot,’ she thought as they walked to the dining room where she saw that a number of guests were waiting for them.

  The Prime Minister had obviously been informed of Prince Igor’s late arrival.

  He was there waiting with his Minister for Foreign Affairs and three or four other Members of the Cabinet.

  As they entered the room and their guests bowed, Tarena noticed that the only other woman beside herself at luncheon was her Lady-in-Waiting, the Comtesse.

  She knew that, if they had invited the wife of the Prime Minister, it would have meant the other wives also would have expected to be present.

  They had therefore made it a small luncheon party.

  The Lord Chamberlain was introducing Prince Igor to everyone present, beginning with the Earl and ending eventually with the Comtesse.

  “I think perhaps, Prince Igor,” he said, “you may have met the Comtesse de Sâvairé before. She has most kindly consented to become Lady-in-Waiting to Her Royal Highness.”

  The Comtesse curtsied and held out her hand.

  Prince Igor took it in his and to Tarena’s surprise actually kissed it.

  Then, as she moved towards the top of the table, where their chairs had been placed tactfully side by side, she was convinced, as she saw the expression on his face, that she disliked him even more than when she had first seen him.

  She had no idea what was wrong.

  Yet every instinct within her told her that he was not what he pretended to be, and was in fact, although it seemed ridiculous, an underhand and wicked man.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Tarena woke early and jumped out of bed.

  Last night she had endured an appallingly boring evening.

  So she had whispered to Count Vladimir when she had bade everyone goodnight,

  “Can I ride with you tomorrow morning?”

  She had mentioned the idea to him once before and, now without prevaricating, he replied,

  “I will be ready at seven o’clock.”

  She smiled at him and slipped up the stairs before anyone could stop her.

  She was running away from Prince Igor, who she thought had been more unpleasant at dinner than earlier.

  He had talked on, laying down the law, about the current political situation in Africa in which no one was particularly interested.

  He managed to maintain this flow of conversation with the Prime Minister, but had ignored Tarena and did not speak to her at all during dinner. And he had treated the Count as if he was too insignificant to pass the time of day with.

  The Minister for Foreign Affairs was a little old and deaf and had therefore not attempted to interrupt.

  ‘If I have to sit through many more dinner parties like this one,’ Terena reflected, ‘I will go mad!’

  After dinner was over Prince Igor looked at some of the paintings in the picture gallery and the reception rooms and made supercilious remarks about them as if he had an expert knowledge of artists.

  Terena might have been more interested if she had not thought he was doing this to avoid having to talk to her.

  When they finally returned to the drawing room, where coffee and liqueurs were being served, Prince Igor, quite obviously, seated himself with a man on each side of him – and ignored the women completely.

  ‘If that is how he is going to treat me in the future,’ Terena thought, ‘I could not stand it.’

  It was not only his behaviour she disliked but the man himself.

  But she recognised that for the sake
of the country she had to make the best of it.

  With a tremendous effort, after the Prime Minister had left and the Minister for Foreign Affairs was talking to the Count, Tarena suggested to Prince Igor,

  “I think Your Royal Highness that we should get together and talk about our future.”

  He stared at her.

  She had the feeling that he was about to ask why and then he replied,

  “I think that anything we have to discuss can wait until after the wedding.”

  “On the contrary,” Tarena countered, “I have a good number of questions I would like to ask you before I actually become your wife. I assure you it is usual to know someone well before one is forced, as we are being, into marriage on such a brief acquaintance.”

  Prince Igor shrugged his shoulders.

  “The only matters we should discuss are the affairs of the country and they I would suggest are best left until I have learnt from those in authority the exact position here in Karlova.”

  She thought that he was being obviously obtuse.

  Moreover, he was not even looking at her while she spoke to him, which she thought intolerably rude.

  “Shall we meet in the garden after breakfast?” she nevertheless forced herself to ask. “It is very beautiful and I don’t think you have yet seen it.”

  “I will think about it,” he replied, “and will send an equerry to let you know my plans. But I anticipate that tomorrow I will be rather busy with the Prime Minister and other Members of the Cabinet.”

  It was not just what he said, but the way he said it that made Tarena angry.

  She felt that he was dismissing her as someone of no consequence whatsoever.

  If that was how he intended to behave in their married life, she could see that he would make things even more difficult for her than she had feared.

  However, she had learnt many years ago to control her temper, so she responded in quite a pleasant voice,

  “I think one of the first things we should do is to look into the jurisdiction of the country. I was shocked today to find that a man was about to have his hand cut off because he had stolen food for his starving children.”

  “I expect he deserved what was coming to him,” Prince Igor grunted. “I am sure you realise that a woman interfering in the public affairs in any country is usually considered a tiresome nuisance.”