Chapter 35 Anya
"No!" I grabbed his arm. "Nikolai, you cannot do that!"
"Why not?" His gray eyes were fierce and determined.
"Because it will cause problems! Huge problems!" I sat up too. "If you break the engagement, Katya's father will pull out of the alliance. You will lose thirty percent of your strength. Your enemies will attack. People could die!"
"I do not care."
"But I care!" My voice broke. "I care, Nikolai. I cannot let you destroy everything you have built. Not for me. I am not worth it."
"You are worth everything." He said
And I was shocked at the sincerity in his voice.
"No. I am not." Tears streamed down my face. "I am just a slave. The daughter of your enemy. I am nothing."
"Stop saying that." He grabbed my shoulders. "You are not nothing. You are everything to me. Do you understand? Everything."
"Then prove it by being smart." I wiped my tears. "Keep the engagement. Marry Katya. Secure your power. And leave me be. I can handle this. I can handle her."
"Anya..."
"Please, Nikolai. Promise me you will not break the engagement. Promise me you will do what is right for your family. For your empire."
He stared at me. Conflict warred in his eyes.
Finally, he sighed. "Fine. I will not break it. Yet. But if she continues to hurt you, I will end it. Consequences be damned."
I nodded. "Thank you."
He pulled me back into his arms. We lay there for a while. Just holding each other.
I wished we could stay like this forever. Safe and together. Away from the world.
But I knew we could not. Reality would intrude. It always did.
"I should go," I whispered. "Before someone notices I am gone."
"Stay. Just a little longer, please." He pleaded.
"I cannot. Katya will look for me. She will find new ways to punish me." I bit my tongue. I shouldn't have said that.
He tensed. "What has she done to you?"
"Nothing. Just maid work." I said quickly.
"Anya." His voice deepened.
"Really. It is fine. I am fine." I pulled away and stood up quickly. "I need to go."
He watched me walk to the door. "Anya?" He called.
I turned back. "Yes?"
"I care about you. Never forget that." He said softly
My heart clenched. I didn't say anything. I just nodded and left quickly, before I could change my mind and beg him to keep me there forever.
I hurried back to the servants' quarters, hoping no one was outside to mock me or call me names.
But I was not lucky.
Katya was standing in the hallway. Her arms were crossed. Her eyes were blazing.
"Where were you?" She demanded.
"I... I was in the bathroom, Miss Katya."
"Liar. I saw you follow Nikolai." She stepped closer. "You were with him. In his room, were you not?"
I said nothing.
She slapped me hard across the face.
"You little whore. You think you can steal my husband?"
"He is not your husband yet," I said quietly.
I shouldn't have said that.
She slapped me again. Then grabbed my hair and pulled me close.
I bit my tongue to stifle a scream.
"Listen to me very carefully," she hissed. "If you tell Nikolai about anything I do to you, I will kill you. I will slit your throat in your sleep. Do you understand?"
I nodded, trembling.
"Good." She released me. "Now, the east wing floors need scrubbing. You will scrub them on your hands and knees. All of them. By midnight."
"But... that is twelve hours of work."
"Then you better start now." She smiled. "Oh, and no food or water until you finish. I need to make sure you learn your place."
She walked away, leaving me standing there.
I went to get the cleaning supplies and started scrubbing the floors in the east wing.
Hours passed. My knees hurt. My back hurt. My hands were raw and bleeding.
I was so thirsty, hungry and tired.
Katya chose the east wing because Nikolai never comes to places like these. They were for the guards.
Mikhail walked past at some point. He saw me on my hands and knees, scrubbing like a common servant.
Our eyes met. I waited for him to say something or help. But he just looked away and kept walking.
He knew what Katya was doing, but he did not care. Because he never liked me. He wanted me gone so Nikolai would be with Katya.
More hours passed. The sun set and night came.
Still, I scrubbed. Moving from room to room. From hallway to hallway.
My vision blurred. My hands shook. But I could not stop.
If I stopped, Katya would find a worse punishment.
Finally, at eleven-thirty, I finished cleaning the last floor.
I stood up slowly. My legs nearly gave out. I stumbled back to the servants' quarters to my small room.
I opened the door and collapsed on the bed.
Hot tears streamed down my face.
I cried from exhaustion, from pain and loneliness.
But I cried quietly. Because if Katya heard, she would come and would punish me more.
A soft knock came at the door.
"Anya? Child? It is me. Vera."
I opened the door. She slipped inside, carrying a small bundle.
"I brought you food and water. Quickly eat. Before anyone sees you."
I took the food and ate it so fast I nearly choked. I drank the water like I had been in the desert for days.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"That woman is a monster," Vera said. "Someone needs to stop her."
"No. No one can know. She will kill me."
"Anya..."
"Promise me, Vera. Promise you will not tell Nikolai."
She sighed. "I promise. But I do not like this."
"I do not like it either. But it is the only way."
She left. I lay back down on the bed.
The estate was quiet now. Everyone was asleep.
I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.
Then I heard familiar footsteps in the hallway.
No. It could not be.
Why would Nikolai come to the servants' quarters? He never came here.
But the footsteps stopped at my door.
Then a knock came.
My heart skipped a beat.
The knock came again.
I stood up, walked to the door and opened it slightly.
And there he was.
Nikolai, standing in the shadows.
He was wearing a black hoodie and a face cap pulled low over his eyes.
"Anya," he said softly.
"What... what are you doing here?" I stammered. My voice was barely a whisper. "You should not be here."
"Let me in," he said.
"You cannot be here. If someone sees you..." I looked around frantically. The hallway was empty, but anyone could walk by.
"Anya, please."
My heart was pounding. "You need to leave. Now."
He ignored me, pushed past me and walked into my tiny room.
He looked around at the bare walls, the small bed, the single window.
"This is where they put you?" His voice was low and angry. "This is where you sleep?"
"Nikolai, you need to leave."
He turned to me and pulled off his cap. He looked tired.
"I want to sleep here," he said simply.
"What?" I stared at him. "You cannot..."
"I cannot sleep without you. You know that. So I am staying here. Tonight with you.”