“I may be stuck in the old ways, Katya, but you are too hellbent on leaving all of our traditions behind. Those who forget history, who shirk their duty, can only find fallen empires in the future.”
“Marrying a complete stranger shouldn’t be a duty. We should be able to marry for love and serve the family too. I can have both, Mother. I can do both.”
“I married for duty, and I found love,” she said with a shrug. She had always,always, treated me differently than Alexander. Because, in her mind, I should follow in her footsteps completely. Demure. Mostly passive. Bowing to decisions being made for me, instead of by me.
“I am not you, Mother! And do you truly believe that any of these men could possibly be like Father? That my life will be a copy of yours?” I raised my voice, knowing shouting would embarrass her and cause a scene, but a lump was forming in my throat. Tomorrow, I would meet men that I barely knew from Bratva functions, or did not know at all, and I would be expected to lie back and accept my fate. I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.
My mother looked at me, a stern expression on her face. “I understand, Katya, that perhaps you thought your brother finding love and breaking the rule would pave the way for you to do the same.” She leaned forward. “I love you, my daughter. But you must understand, your brother will be King. You will have to find your strength within the boundaries of a Bratva wife. Not a queen. Not a ruler.”
“Mother, you give me no credit. I am strong and I can rule just as well as Alexander can.” I scowled, but knew that my temper would not get me anywhere here. I forced my anger into retreat. “It is not like the old days. I am worthy of so much more than just being a wife.”
“Just a wife?” She bit out with a tsk. “A woman is never just a wife, Katya.”
“Yes, I agree, I misspoke. I have seen how much you have done for father. How you helped him rule. All I am saying is that I can be that and so much more.”
“So much ambition, daughter,” she said with a sigh, her brow furrowing slightly as she looked at me. And for a moment, I felt that she was really seeing me. Seeing the unfairness of it all. Seeing the strength that I truly had. Seeing how I could be more than what I was being allowed to be.
I felt shackled to my future, and for a split second I thought she could see and understand that too. But then it was gone.
I opened my mouth to reply, but Marisha returned from the bathroom and sat down. Then Father, Alexander, and Nikolai finally arrived shortly after, flanked by our security. Each man was dressed in fine suits, glasses of vodka or whisky in hand, cigars in their mouths like they were the most important men alive. They acted like Gods, leering over us feeble women as they came over, and I didn't miss the flare of Nik’s nostrils as he eyed my outfit.
Alexander immediately went to sit by Marisha, only giving the briefest of greetings to our mother. My heart hurt watching them, so happy in their love, and I stood up angrily.
“Can we finally go and eat now?” I snapped, my temper getting the better of me.
I was tired after being out so late last night, a little hungover still and growing angrier by the second watching Alex and Marisha parade themselves in front of me. Or maybe it was just the growing anxiety in my stomach about tomorrow. Either way, it was my brother and his fiancé who had forced me into this predicament, and they could have the decency not to lord it over me.
Meeting suitors was supposed to enable me to have some options over who my future husband would be, but I already knew none of them would be who I wanted. It was just a ruse, a facade of choice. The men I would meet would already be vetted by my parents, already approved for their pedigrees and contributions to the family. How could a marriage ever be based on anything but love? My father talked about power and control and growing our name, but all I saw was chains around my ankles and wrists. I would be the Genie, trapped within my bottle for all eternity, doing everyone else’s bidding.
“Hungry, Katya?” Nik asked with a cock of his eyebrow, and it took everything in me not to punch him straight in the face. I was sick of his games. Sick of his torments. I was sick of him, and yet I couldn’t escape him.
“Not for anything you could give me,” I replied tartly. “I prefer a nice thick slice of expensive steak where you’re more of a pirozhki man.”
“Nothing wrong with a good pirozhki,” my father scolded, his accent stronger at the sound of a native food, but I barely heard him as Nik and I stared at each other defiantly. “You kids don’t know enough of your heritage. Eating all this American food, and wearing these American clothes.” He tsked impatiently and I hated that I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
My father loved his family almost as much as he loved Russia and I knew I’d opened a box of worms by mentioning Russian food. I’d never hear the end of it if I didn’t nip it in the bud quickly.
“Yes, Father, you’re completely right,” I appeased, giving him my best smile.
“I am?” he asked, caught off guard and confused by my sudden change. “Yes, I am, of course I am.” He eyed me warily, as did everyone else.
I snagged my drink from the cocktail table, readying myself to leave. “You should treat Marisha and Alexander to a typical Russian meal. He really is turning so American, don’t you think,” I cooed.
Father glanced at Alex who was throwing daggers in my direction and I looked over as Nikolai hooked his arm through mine. I narrowed my gaze on him, wondering what fresh new torture this was.
“Yes, yes. In fact, perhaps the wedding should be all Russian food. From bliny to Borscht,” Nik almost shouted.
Fathers smile widened as he raised his glass of whisky. “An excellent idea.”
Nik offered a smile to my mother and father, “How about Katya and I leaving you all to talk about the impending marriage preparations. I’ll take Katya out for dinner and I’ll be heading over to the mainland later so I can make sure she’s in bed early for a change to catch up on her beauty sleep.”
My father smiled. “Such a good son. Your father would have been proud.”
I scowled, but kept my mouth shut because as long as it got me out of here and away from Alex’s sickening love story, I was happy. Besides, I intended to ditch Nik as soon as we were out of sight.
“That’s a wonderful idea,” my mother agreed and before anyone could change their mind, Nikolai bid them all goodbye and began pulling me away, with just a brief wink and a smirk in Alexander’s direction.
Once we were out of sight I pulled my arm free from Nik’s hold. “I want to say thank you for the rescue, but I’m not going to.”
