And then, suddenly, there was only Ivan. Anna Feodorovna, who had been lying on the ice, just rightthere, was there no longer.
“Where? Where is she?” Sophie knew the answer, but she wanted Dmitri to tell her it wasn’t how it seemed.
And then she saw a white shadow slip fast along under the ice, sucked by some deep, dark, cold current. Sophie saw the woman’s face. It looked surprised, and her fingers scratched desperately at the frozen water above her. There were black weeds all around her.
“We have to get her out!” Sophie yelled again. She felt two arms whip around her, holding her tight.
“Ice not safe,” Dmitri said. And she knew he would not let her go.
She could only watch as Ivan threw himself onto the ice where the princess’s surprised face had last been seen. He hammered at it with his fists until they bled. He shouted her name. Black and red water splashed up into the air when the ice broke.
He plunged his arm up to his shoulder into the freezing water.
But it was too late. The princess was gone.
“Is that it?” Sophie whispered. “Is it really over? Just like that, in a second?”
She tried to break free from Dmitri’s arms. “There must be something we can do … We have to get Anna Feodorovna out. If we don’t get to her … Why isn’t Ivan doing anything? Why is he just lying there?”
She twisted out of Dmitri’s grip and slid down the bank.
“Get back!” Ivan roared, his face wet with tears. “You stay off the ice!”
“But we have to help her …” Sophie knew it was too late, but she felt that if she kept talking, it might not be true. “We can’t just leave her to drown … under the ice … Ivan …”
She sat down in the snow and put her head on her knees. She heard the ice creak. A hand hooked itself under her arm and lifted her up.
“I told her it was all over.” Ivan put his hand under her chin and lifted her face so that she had to look at him. “She was not a princess,” he said. “Youare the princess.”
“But Ican’tbe a Volkonsky …”
It was so painful, this dislocation of her world. Her throat ached. It was as if she were being told that she was a boy, or that her parents hadn’t really died but had just been playing an elaborate game of hide-and-seek on her for all these years. It was as if she, herself, had fallen through the ice. But no, she mustn’t think like that. She must find something solid to stand on.
“I am being foolish!” Ivan helped her up, put his arm around her, and started to walk her back toward the palace. “I need to get you inside. And quickly.”
Sophie’s legs were unbearably stiff and she leaned into Ivan’s reassuring solidness as they skirted the banks of the ice road. She glanced behind her toward the forest. The wolves stood at the tree line for a moment — and then, with a yelp of joy, they streamed off into the forest.
Dmitri led Viflyanka slowly behind them. At the portico, he asked Ivan something in Russian. Ivan nodded, then leaned down and said, “Dmitri will take Viflyanka to the palace stables. The horse needs attention.”
“Of course,” Sophie whispered. “Will Viflyanka be all right, Dmitri?”
“Yes.” Dmitri nodded. “Thank you. Without your help, he would be like …” He must have seen the pain on Sophie’s face, because he stopped.
Masha, waiting on the steps, ran toward them. Her eyes were wide. “I hear ice road crack. Like cannon! But you safe!”
“Oh, Masha …” Sophie bit her lip. “Something awful has happened. The princess …”
“Not princess,” Masha whispered.
Ivan squeezed her shoulder. “Masha, I should have listened to you. I should have understood what you were saying to me.”
Masha shrugged.
“Will you forgive me?” Ivan said.
Masha curtseyed. “I will forgive … and help you, too.” She added, “Now we both serve Volkonskys!” She looked up at him and smiled, a little shy.
“Where are the others?” Ivan asked.
