ROMANOV AUTUMN
Chapter Twenty-Eight

Even though Jack and Alyiah were officially a couple, they were too busy over the next couple of days to really enjoy it. Jack finished the last of the set pieces for Friday’s opening performance on Thursday, and he had a couple of the dancers help him bring the set on stage.

Noel frowned when Jack began breathing funny, and insisted they rest a moment.

"Sorry," Jack apologized, feeling a bit lightheaded. "I can’t lift too much at once…my asthma is pretty bad."

Noel ran a hand over his head of curly black hair, folding his arms. "Have you ever taken coffee for it?" he asked, and Jack raised an eyebrow.

"What?" He cocked his head to one side, and closed his eyes when he felt another sharp pain go through his lungs.

"Benjamin has asthma, too, you know," Noel continued, "and he always drinks coffee at the start of an attack. It helps."

Jack thought for a moment--he’d never heard of that before. "I do like coffee," he replied, "but I was never told it was a cure."

Noel chuckled. "I’m not surprised, as you are American," he said, and encouraged Jack to see Mme Artoire. Speaking of which, she began squawking at them, asking why they were standing around and doing nothing when they had a show to put on.

"Jack’s not feeling well," Noel explained, and she turned to him.

"Que voulez-vous dire? Il allait parfaitement bien ce matin," she said, and Noel gestured towards his new friend, who had to sit down on one of the chairs, his head spinning from lack of oxygen.

Jack hated it when he was talked about as though he were a piece of furniture.

"Il a l'asthme...son isn’t de respiration bien," Noel replied, and Mme Artoire turned to Jack again, noticing how pale he’d become. She eased him to his feet, and encouraged him to come to her office at once.

"Why did you not say something to me sooner of this?" she asked, once he was sitting down on her couch, and she began to boil a pot of water on her miniature stove.

Jack coughed. "I’m sorry," he apologized. "I’ve been caught up with everything going on around here."

"Save your breath, dear," she encouraged, steeping the coffee shortly afterwards. "Do you drink this?" She handed him the cup, and he accepted it, nodding. It was black, as he liked it, and smelled very bitter.

"Yep," he said. "Noel said it helps."

"It does, yes," she replied, sitting, and watched as he sipped from the coffee, being careful not to burn his lips. He felt the hot liquid ease its way towards his stomach, and almost instantly his lungs began to loosen. He coughed again due to the sudden change, and swallowed painfully.

"I suppose you will be unable to lift in the future," Mme Artoire spoke after a bit of silence.

"I’m sorry," he apologized. "I can still paint and draw, but…" He wheezed slightly, and she held up her hand, nodding in understanding. He finished the rest of the coffee, and she allowed him to rest on the couch for an hour or so. When he felt better, he went out and watched as the dancers rehearsed over and over again.

Alyiah immediately came to him when they were able to take a break, and began questioning him in English and French about his health.

"I’m feeling much better," he promised after she kissed his forehead and cheeks repeatedly. He allowed her to sit beside him, and placed a gentle hand on her thigh. "How’s it going up there? You guys look really good."

Alyiah blushed. "I am very tired," she admitted. "I feel as though I can sleep for a year."

He kissed her forehead with a small chuckle, and she sighed, resting against his shoulder.

He was grateful to sit for a while, and was slightly disappointed when Alyiah had to get up and rehearse once again. She did not break until dinner, and the two of them ate quickly, hurrying back to his dormitory.

Alyiah closed her eyes when he began to help her undress, easing the gown from her shoulders. She sighed with relief as he loosened the corset strings, feeling the throbbing in her sides ease considerably. Once she was out of her clothes, they slid under the covers in his bed, and she began to kiss him passionately.

"Alyiah, isn’t it a little early for this?" Jack asked between kisses, and she peered into his eyes lovingly.

"I am more than ready for you," she replied, and he smiled, asking if he should undress, as well.

"Yes, yes," she gasped, slightly winded, and she immediately began to unbutton his shirt.

Jack felt his heart thumping against his chest; he’d never had sex with anyone, and was unsure of what to do. He did not want to hurt Alyiah due to inexperience, and he warned her of it ahead of time. Alyiah smoothed his hair away from his forehead, and pressed her lips against it.

"Shall I guide you?" she asked, and immediately disappeared beneath the covers.

*****

Almost two hours later, they lay side by side, panting and covered with sweat. Jack realized why couples were so eager to have sex; it was the most wonderful feeling in the world, once done properly. Alyiah appeared to have enjoyed every moment, for she was beaming with satisfaction when he turned to face her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his voice a bit hoarse, and she glanced at him with her eyes sparkling.

"Il était incroyable," she replied, and he smirked; Alyiah always tended to break away from the English language when she got excited.

"I’ll take that as a compliment," he said, and she blushed, apologizing once more.

"Jack, it was incredible, is what I said," she translated, and he kissed her just as someone knocked on the door. He bolted upright, as did she, and they stared at one another.

"Mme Artoire wishes to see you, Jack," Benjamin called from the hall, and Alyiah blinked in confusion. Jack smacked his forehead, having completely forgotten about the royal etiquette course he and Alyiah were supposed to attend that evening.

"Dammit," he muttered under his breath, and Alyiah cocked her head to one side, confused. "Uh…I’ll be there in a few minutes," he called, and when he heard Benjamin’s footsteps walking away, he turned to Alyiah. "Mme Artoire wanted us to meet her tonight so we could learn how to behave in front of the imperial family," he whispered, and Alyiah’s face turned a bright shade of crimson with embarrassment. She began babbling in French and Russian again as she immediately pulled on her clothes, disregarding the corset for the time being.

Jack slipped his hand into hers, and when they were certain the coast was clear, bolted for the grounds. It was a cool night, and Jack shivered a little as a gentle breeze ruffled his hair. He kept his arm around Alyiah’s shoulders, not wanting her to freeze, and she smiled lovingly at him.

When they reached the instructor’s quarters, Mme Artoire bid them both to enter after they knocked.

"We’re sorry," Jack gasped after they practically fell in together. "We forgot."

She chuckled. "It is no trouble, Jack," she promised, "but you were prompt to arrive when called for." She turned to Alyiah, who was blushing furiously with happiness and embarrassment all at once, and asked Mme Artoire if she could tell her something rather private. This, of course, was said in French, and Jack was told to sit down and make himself comfortable while it occurred.

"Jack a proposé de aller au devant de moi," she began breathlessly, and Mme Artoire’s eyes widened. "J'ai été d'accord sur lui. Après que nous exécutions le casse-noix en décembre, je vais quitter la société et le porter en Russie avec moi."

Jack raised an eyebrow when he saw the instructor turn to him, her eyes slightly narrowed.

"This is true?" she asked, and Jack glanced at Alyiah, who smiled shyly at him, and he nodded.

"Yes, Ma’am," he replied. "I love Alyiah very much."

Mme Artoire folded her arms, and Alyiah lowered her eyes to the ground. "I never expected such a thing from you, Alyiah Vernonin," she began, her tone very serious. Jack felt his heart racing again, and hoped he hadn’t made a huge mistake in doing this. "But it is something I suppose I expected. You and Jack are clearly meant for each other, and though it will be difficult to see you go, I am very happy for you both. Congratulations."

Jack sighed with relief, and Alyiah thanked her repeatedly in French, and hugged Jack, who kissed her forehead in return.

"Now," Mme Artoire continued, "let us get down to business. We only have one week until the performance opens for the Tsar and his family, so you will need to be properly trained on how to greet them."

Jack and Alyiah were asked to stand next to one another before her, and she picked up her stick, ordering Alyiah to curtsey and Jack to bow simultaneously. "Alyiah, where is your corset?" Mme Artoire asked, and the young dancer looked at her, eyes wide.

"Ah…" She glanced at Jack, who wet his lips. "I…I removed it for the evening, because my sides were aching," she explained, and Mme Artoire frowned.

"That is a necessity for this situation, Alyiah. I will allow it to slide this one time, but I will expect the both of you to return in proper attire tomorrow night."

Alyiah blushed, apologizing, and Jack scowled a little. "Ma’am, might I inject my opinion for a moment?" he asked, and the dance instructor looked at him. "I don’t know if that’s the safest thing for women to wear," he continued, and Alyiah’s eyes grew very wide. No man even thought to point this out. It was part of society fashion, and that in itself ruled. "Her sides are bruised all over, and she…" He was about to mention how it prevented her from eating proper meals, as well.

"Jack, it is custom," Mme Artoire replied. "I do not know what the womenfolk do in America, but this is France."

Jack shut his mouth at once, feeling completely stupid, though Alyiah touched his arm gently with her fingertips. They were ordered away a short time later, and she wrapped her arms around him when they stood in the hall, burying her face against his chest. He rubbed her back soothingly, and she peered into his eyes.

"You were very brave, Jack," she whispered, and he chuckled. "No one has tried to stand up for us before."

He gave her another kiss, allowing her to slide her fingers between his as they began walking back to his dormitory. "I hate seeing you in pain, Alyiah," he replied. "I think the purpose of corsets is to make women appear as though they are thinner than what they are; but you are already thin as a reed without the corset."

Alyiah blushed, grateful for the cool night air once again. "I did not know if Mme Artoire would notice I did not have the corset," she replied sheepishly. "But I cannot curtsey nearly as low with it on."

Jack paused to sneeze, making her jump, and she blessed him in French. "Thank you," he said, used to certain words in the French language now. He was nowhere near fluent, but he could recognize bits of vocabulary in context. It helped that he sneezed quite a bit, so he was used to hearing that phrase rather often. When he did so again, Alyiah clucked her tongue, frowning when he pulled a handkerchief from his trouser pocket.

"My poor Jack." She laughed teasingly after he blew his nose, and he smirked, clearing his throat. "I do suppose I must not wear perfume around you."

He laughed. "It depends on what kind," he replied. "If it’s not real strong, I think I’ll be okay." He slipped an arm around her waist, being mindful of her bruises, and they wandered into the dormitory again.

*****

The rest of the week went by in a whirlwind of activity. Jack was relieved Mme Artoire did not make him move anymore pieces of the set onto the stage, but he did help touch up spots that were not doing quite well with the lighting. He was also asked to follow the usher around the theater and to aid in cleaning it, including using a dust rag--which made him sneeze terribly, but he put up with it--over the rails, and he was able to visit the top box for the imperial family.

As he stood there, he felt a sense of power wash over him. The stage was quite a distance from these seats, but he knew binoculars were provided for those sitting in certain areas.

"The Tsar has his own pair of pure gold," Noel whispered to Jack as the two of them stood dressing on opening night.

"Heard he hardly has any money in his pockets, though. He goes about trying to fit in with the peasant world."

Jack stared. "What?" he asked, and Noel shrugged, slightly amused by the look of obvious discomfort from his friend.

"Yes. He is very modest with his riches, but I know there are huge vaults of rubles beneath the palace floors."

Jack blinked stupidly as he struggled with his tie, and Noel stopped him before he choked himself.

"Sorry," Jack apologized. "I haven’t worn anything this nice since I went to church with my parents while they were still alive." He cleared his throat, thanking the dancer for his assistance, and Noel gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"You do clean up real nice," he complimented, and Jack smiled, peering at himself in the mirror. He felt stiff and awkward in these clothes, and slightly suffocated. "Come on. Let’s go see if we can spot the imperial carriages as they pull through the main drive."

Jack hurried after him, anxious to see Alyiah backstage. She’d been fretting with nerves for the past day and a half, which resulted in their having another sexual escapade the night before. The two young men stood staring out through one of the windows, and Noel turned Jack’s head so he could look towards the great iron gates.

"There! You see?" he cried. "There they are!"

Jack watched as two large carriages pulled through; both were silver with gold trim, and shimmered in the twilight. He felt his breath disappear at once, and he nearly stumbled to the ground with awe.

"Wow," he gasped, and Noel grinned at him.

"Incredible, eh?" he asked, and Jack could only nod. The two went to the stage shortly afterwards, where Alyiah could be found pacing back and forth. She spotted Jack, and immediately bolted for him, tears filling her eyes.

"I do not know if I can go through with this," she sobbed, and he tipped her chin so he could look straight into her eyes.

"Yes, you can," he replied. "Alyiah, you shouldn’t worry…you’re fantastic. Just…think of it as another rehearsal; try not to look at the people in the audience."

She choked on a sob, and he drew her into his arms and placed his lips right against her ear. "Remember that I love you," he whispered, and she gave a small shudder, pulling away and managing a faint smile. Mme Artoire soon began instructing her company to their places, and Alyiah gripped Jack’s hand for a moment, turning when she saw the determined look in his eyes, and went to stand where she was told. He himself was able to sit in the corner of the stage and watch from the crack in the curtain, his sketchbook on his knees.

He used the stage lighting to see what he was doing, and sketched what he could of the different scenes.

The performance went flawlessly, and Alyiah was radiant as she dipped, twirled, and allowed herself to be picked up and carried away by Adrienne in the end. It was so wonderful that Jack even had tears falling down his cheeks when the cast came forward to bow. Roses were thrown at Alyiah’s feet--pink, white, yellow, and red; it was clear she had a heavy impact on the audience.

She carried them back in a bundle once they were ready to go, and Jack kissed her passionately, avoiding the urge to sneeze over the powerful scent of the flowers.

"Are you both ready?" Mme Artoire asked, and Alyiah parted from Jack, clutching the flowers to her breast. "You may leave those backstage, dear, and bring them to your dormitory later," she added, smiling with pride at her lead dancer.

Alyiah glanced at Jack nervously, and the two of them linked arms, following the instructor down a back hallway, which would take them around to the stairs leading to the top box.

Jack congratulated Noel, Benjamin, and Adrienne as he saw them, and they saluted him in response.

"Was I truly wonderful?" Alyiah whispered as they walked quickly, and he glanced at her.

"Absolutely," he replied. "I wish I had the money before to attend the theater."

She blushed, pleased by his compliment, and the two of them stood facing the set of steps they needed to ascend.

"I will be waiting here after I introduce you," Mme Artoire continued. "You will have ten minutes in the top box, because Adrienne is going to come after you."

Alyiah nodded in understanding, and Jack allowed Mme Artoire to step in front of them. He sneezed silently into his palm, and Alyiah smirked, asking if he were all right.

"I’m fine," he whispered, and they followed in the instructor’s wake.

When they reached the doorway, they heard Mme Artoire announcing the arrival of the lead dancer Alyiah Vernonin in Russian, and heard a soft male voice responding to her. Mme Artoire eventually stepped aside, and Jack was able to get a full view of the imperial family.

The Tsar himself was much smaller than he expected, and peered curiously at him with very kind, light blue eyes. His hair was dark brown and short, combed to the side, and his beard was brown with light blond streaks throughout.

Jack and Alyiah bowed and curtsied at once, and were thankfully not required to do so for very long.

"It is a pleasure to be in acquaintance." The Tsar spoke in fluent English, tipped with a slight Russian accent. They were introduced to the Empress Alexandra, who was tall and regal, with a bright red face, dark blonde hair, and hazel eyes. She fiddled with a small beaded purse she carried in her hands, and Jack was fascinated by the amount of lace and white furs upon her body.

She did not speak, but merely nodded politely when addressed, and looked as though she wanted to disappear through a hole in the ground.

Queen Victoria was not hard to miss, of course; she was a large old woman, wearing a vibrant, lilac-covered gown, also trimmed with lace. Both women wore strings of pearls about their necks and silver crowns upon their heads.

"Thank you, your highness." He and Alyiah spoke at once, and both blushed as they turned to each other sheepishly.

"What position do you hold, young man?" the Tsar asked gently. "I do not believe I saw you on stage, even through these." He held up a pair if binoculars, which were indeed made of pure gold. Jack stared as it glistened in the lights, and he opened his mouth, but for a moment, no sound came out. "There is no need to be frightened," the Tsar chuckled, and Jack cleared his throat.

"I’m the set artist," he replied at last, and the three royals looked at each other.

"Beautiful work, lad," the Tsar complimented, and Alyiah was beaming from ear to ear.

"It is an honor to be in your presence, your highness," she breathed. "Thank you for receiving us."

The Tsar nodded in response. "Of course, my dear. How long have you been dancing?"

Alyiah answered his question, and Jack found himself trying very hard not to stare at the Tsarina. She met his eyes for a short time, and he could have a sworn a small smile crossed her pale lips.

They stood talking for at least another five minutes, and Jack was a bit grateful to get away, for the Empress’s perfume was making his eyes water dreadfully. When they were able to leave, and were far enough away, Jack allowed himself to sneeze roughly.

"Bénissez-vous," Alyiah told him, and he sniffed, dragging a hand across his eyes. They were allowed to attend a small party for the company after the imperial family went back to the palace, and Jack realized how hungry he was once amongst the small cakes and pastries. He encouraged Alyiah to take a bunch in a napkin, so she could eat without the discomfort of the corset, and laughed when she did just that sitting on his bed.

"Tonight was wonderful," she breathed through mouthfuls of éclair, which they washed down with cups of tea and coffee. "Jack, having you there with me was much needed. I do not know how well I would have done without you there."

He smiled, leaning forward to kiss her. She tasted like chocolate, and he could not get enough. "I will not eat another bite," she gasped when he offered her another truffle, and he laughed. "I will burst, surely!"

He ate it himself, though admittedly he was very full, as well. Alyiah asked to see the drawings he had done of the performance, and she leaned against him as he flipped through the pages of his work. He was slightly amused when he heard a quiet snoring a few moments later, and saw that she had fallen sound asleep.

He gently eased her under the covers once he put the sketchbook aside, and wrapped his arms around her thin body protectively. She only stirred once while he did this, and nestled more closely against his chest. He pecked a small kiss on top of her head before closing his eyes and drifting off himself.

Chapter Twenty-Nine
Stories