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“What if she was cursed too?” I ask. “Each of you woke up when the one you—when someone who was fated to come into your life was in danger. That’s what Kris and Mirdza think.”

“I did wake up just in time to save you.” His smug smile is kind of hot.

“You did,” I say.

“So was she cursed? Or has she been with them all along?”

I shrug. “Maybe she’s been with Leonid all along.” Why do I secretly hope she’s a villain. “It did seem like she was there as a distraction for us. Kind of a little dig—I see you, and I don’t care about you, but I can still ruin you.”

Alexei’s brow furrows. “She didn’t seem too excited to be ridden.”

“Maybe she didn’t like the jockey, but she agreed to the rest.”

“We just don’t know enough,” Alexei says. “It’s frustrating.”

But he’s talking to me, and I’m doing my best to help, and I didn’t realize how much I needed that. For the first time all day, I feel like there’s a reason for me to be here. “We’ll figure it out.” My smile’s stupidly shy.

He slides his finger under my chin and lifts it until I’m looking right at him. “With you here, I actually believe that. You’re not someone who gives up, not even after a fight is over.”

It feels like he means it. “Speaking of fights, where exactly are you planning on sleeping?”

He laughs. “Anywhere you tell me to go.”

“I know you don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves, but would it be terrible if you slept next to me?” I bite my lip.

He kisses me lightly. “Not terrible at all. . .as long as you don’t wiggle around and keep me from sleeping.”

“I sleep like the dead.” I cross my heart. “Barely even move.”

Alexei, it turns out, does not. The man tosses and turns like a little kid, but every time he wakes me up, I stare at his beautiful face for a moment and think about how lucky I am that fate threw him at me. My knight in shining horseflesh—sent as an actual white horse to save me.

I never really did my three good deeds, but I’m wondering if God will count this. I’m sticking around even though I don’t want to, just to try and help him be the leader the people need. If that’s not altruistic, I don’t know what is.

The next morning, things seem a little brighter. When I stand up and stretch, I realize that Alexei’s already gone.

But he left a note on the fridge.

At the press conference. Turn on the tv.

I miss you already.

A.

It’s short. It’s to the point. And it makes me swoon.

The note’s not all he left. There’re also several different breakfast options under little stainless steel covers. Oatmeal, eggs, bacon, toast, and pancakes. There’s even a tiny omelette.

I turn on the television and start picking a little here and there from all the plates of food. Within five minutes, the news story starts.

“The United Russia party has been reeling since the referendum no one expected to take hold was approved, and since then, officials have speculated wildly about what candidate they may present for the Presidency, assuming they don’t lose entirely to the reinstatement of the monarchy.” Commentators always manage to sound exactly the same. It’s crazy, how all these different people in lots of different languages all manage to sound identical.

“Today we’re welcoming Mr. Igor Baranov, the leader of the United Russia party. He has some pretty exciting news for us.”

Igor looks exactly as he did in person, but also different. His hair is fuller, his wrinkles are less pronounced, and he’s glowing. How do they do that? I’d really like to know. “Thank you for having me today,” he says. “As you may know, our party itself is the combination of two powerful, conservative parties who have joined in the hope of better serving Russia and its people. It’s been quite a long and bloody road for us to get here, to a place where our people have the right and the ability to vote for what they deem to be the best option.”

“Yes, yes, we know that you strongly prefer that we keep the status quo instead of reinstating a single ruler. Hardly a surprise.”

Lots of people behind stage laugh.