Shura stared at the book in his hand.
"What's this for?" he asked.
"I have something to show you," Kazmir responded.
Shura was already annoyed- Kazmir's actions indirectly accused Zhanna of being a witch.
…
"Brother, weren't you supposed to marry the lady who was by Shura's side?" Vasilisa asked. She had made inquiries and found out the truth.
"Certainly, yes. But she ran away from the marriage," Boris said sheepishly.
"So..."
"She's married to Shura now."
"Don't be a weakling, brother. That's your original wife. I say you take her back!"
"It's not that easy."
"Are you really going to let Shura get away with marrying your wife? You know that makes him a successor to the throne. I'm just saying."
Vasilisa smirked inwardly. She might not have convinced Boris yet, but at least she had sown some seeds of determination.
Boris pondered Vasilisa's words. He didn't want to lower his ego and fight over a woman his brother had already married. But, come to think of it, Shura now had the upper hand in claiming the throne.
Maybe he knew Zhanna is the key to reaching the throne.
"Am I really going to let Shura get away with marrying my wife? Of course not!" Boris blurted. But Vasilisa had already walked away.
…
Coincidentally, Zhanna happened to pass by. She was on her way to meet Annette, who had messaged her with information about who Tatianka had been seeing outside the castle gates, when Boris intercepted her.
"Princess Zhanna," Boris said as he took her hand and kissed it.
Zhanna quickly drew her hand back in disgust though she kept her face composed. She didn't want to give him the idea that she was familiar or friendly.
"I'm sure you know who I am," Boris said, oblivious.
"Of course I do. You're Prince Boris, brother to my husband," Zhanna replied, emphasizing the word husband.
Boris chuckled. "You seem to have forgotten- I'm the man you chose to marry a fortnight ago."
Zhanna gave him a warm smile, but the words that followed were cold and cutting.
"Oh, but we are both married now. I suggest you let it pass. Let bygones be bygones. Besides, we are not suitable for each other."
She turned to leave.
But Boris wasn't ready to let her go.
"How?" he asked.
"I don't know about you, but I really don't like chestnut-haired males. They give off a bad aura. And looking into your eyes feels like watching a horror play. Your presence makes me feel insecure. And let's not talk about your name- it's just..." Zhanna said, mockingly.
Boris saw red. She was out-rightly mocking him and worst of all, rejecting him. He closed the space between them and whispered in her ear,
"I dare you to repeat what you just said."
Meanwhile, Kazmir explained to Shura, who was flipping through the pages of the book, that the only creature to ever slay a Morozko was a witch.
Shockingly, the witch had features similar to Zhanna: her eyes, her hair.
"I think Zhanna might have an idea who or where the witch you're looking for could be," Kazmir said.
"She does, actually. But I really don't think it has anything to do with a Morozko. Just because they have similar features doesn't mean she's a witch," Shura said, subconsciously defending Zhanna.
"But why does she have similar features?" Kazmir sighed. Something in him felt like he was right.
"Almost everyone has black hair and blue eyes. Rare, but still common. I think we're just overthinking this, Kazmir. The bear probably assumed she was its killer and ran."
Kazmir sighed again. Maybe Shura was right, he was overthinking things.
"Hold on, look!" Kazmir pointed out the window.
Shura turned, and what he saw made his blood boil.
Boris and Zhanna were standing very close. Were they… kissing? No. That couldn't be right.
"Boris, get your hands off my wife!" Shura shouted.
Zhanna smirked confidently. For some unknown reasons Shura's presence always gave her strength.
Shura was relieved to see that Zhanna and Boris were just standing close. Still, Shura put his arm protectively around her. He remembered the spark that burst in him when he saw them close, what was it- Jealousy? Possessiveness?. No!
He gave Boris a knowing glance, then a warning glare, and turned to leave with Zhanna.
…
Boris was seething. These two had a knack for wounding his pride.
Remembering his sister's words, he grabbed Zhanna's hand, drawing her back.
"Shura, let go! We both know whose wife she really is!"
Boris was so furious, another word from Shura might earn him a punch.
Zhanna snapped.
"The marriage is already consummated, Boris! Don't you get it? I don't want to marry you! I don't like you! I never liked you!! And I will NEVER like you!!!"
She pulled her hand away and stormed off.
Boris stood there, fists clenched, face pale. Then he felt it, the hole in his heart.
"I will get you back, Zhanna," he muttered, throat dry.
…
"You should be careful with Boris. He's not a nice guy," Shura said.
"I know," Zhanna answered sharply.
"Also…" Shura hesitated, "You shouldn't stand so close to him, or any other male."
Then he turned and walked away quickly, avoiding her questioning gaze.
"What was that about?" Vika asked, poking her head out of the kitchen.
Zhanna shrugged and walked in.
"So where's Annette?" she asked.
"Right here," Annette said, stepping out from among the maids. She led them to a secluded area, and the trio spoke in hushed voices.
"I found out who Tatianka has been meeting outside the castle walls."
"Well, who is it?"
"It's a man. I didn't see his face clearly, but he gave her a bottle the day before. It was tightly sealed. The contents were unknown but whatever it was, it was important."
The trio fell silent.
"We need to find out what's in the bottle," Zhanna said.
Annette nodded. "I thought about that. We'll need to sneak into her chamber to find out. Luckily, I know someone who knows their way around the castle."
Annette too them to meet Yvonne, the head chef. Yvonne was a strict no nonsense woman, loyal to the king. She had worked at the palace for several years before being promoted to this position.
"Are you sure we can trust her?" Vika murmured.
"She's my sister, of course we can trust her," Annette stated matter-of-factly.
"I have a question though," Annette continued, "Why does the both of you want to bring down lady Tatianka?"
"Oh, everything is her idea. I just want to help her get done with this and then we'll start a new life somewhere else" Vika said instantly but truthfully. Annette turned to Zhanna.
"Tatianka is a demon. A demon that made my life misrable. She stole my husband, my identity, my position and killed my maid. She gave me absolutely no reason to live and I just want to return the favour. Besides she is just a bait, I will use her to attract a big fish soon." Zhanna smirked, a deadly glint in her eyes.
"You know, I wouldn't advise you to do revenge. It always end in chaos