Read the book: «Fawn: Act Two. Russian Eros»

Font::

Cover designer Fooocus

ISBN 978-5-0069-4969-0

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

The train eased its weary rhythm as the sprawl of Moscow finally crept into view, the city’s slate rooftops and distant domes glinting faintly beneath a reluctant morning sun. Each click and shudder of the iron wheels seemed to echo against the heart, a muted drumbeat summoning them toward the platform, where the day’s bustle awaited like a tide. Anastasia pressed her palms lightly against the window’s chill, the glass trembling with the train’s slowing pulse, and inhaled the mingled scent of coal, horsehair, and the faint, sharp aroma of iron that hung over the station. She felt her pulse lift in tandem with the clattering announcement of arrival, a delicate thrill brushing her spine as the familiar cadence of rails gave way to the sudden, jerking halt.

The door swung open with a metallic protest, and the three of them descended onto the platform. The air was brisker here, carrying the distant smoke of chimneys and the faint perfume of horse-drawn carriages, mingled with the warm, yeasty aroma of bread from nearby kiosks. The crowd pressed in subtly, a living sea of coats and bonnets, skirts brushing coarse fabric against polished boots, the chatter of voices carrying in layered tones: a soprano of laughter, a tenor of argument, and the soft sotto voce of urgent errands. Anastasia felt herself caught between exhilaration and a flutter of apprehension, the long hours in the quiet coupe giving way to this vivid, untamed mosaic of movement and sound.

Pyotr Ivanovich’s hand rested lightly on the small of her back, a silent guide, while Pierre walked close, ever shadowed yet alert, eyes sweeping over the crowd with measured precision. They moved as a subtle triad through the press of humanity, their motions elegant, deliberate, and yet unobtrusive. Anastasia’s gaze roamed over the faces of merchants, porters, and elegantly dressed ladies hurrying to carriages, the intricate lace and beading on skirts sparkling briefly in stolen sunbeams, the muted patter of silk over stone beneath her ears, a rhythm that matched the stirrings in her chest. Every sensation – the slap of cold air against bare forearms, the brush of skirts past ankles, the hiss of distant steam from a train siding – seemed amplified, a symphony of city life playing across her senses.

A line of cabmen waited beyond the platform’s edge, their sturdy horses stamping and snorting against the cobbled stones, reins taut in calloused hands. Pyotr Ivanovich approached one with a subtle inclination of his head, his voice low and commanding, arranging a vehicle that would accommodate them with the discreet precision of long practice. Anastasia’s heart leapt as the carriage swung open, the leather straps creaking, wood polished by countless rides, the faint scent of tallow and horse mingling with the lingering perfume of her own presence. She slid herself in, feeling the seat yielding slightly beneath her, the coarse fabric brushing the nape of her thighs, while Pyotr Ivanovich and Pierre followed, creating a private enclave in the midst of Moscow’s relentless morning tide.

The driver cracked his whip, a dry, sharp note that startled pigeons from the platform roof, and the carriage lurched forward, wheels rattling over cobblestones with a resonance that vibrated through the floorboards into her soles. The city spilled past in a kaleidoscope: street vendors shouting their wares, the gilded spires of distant churches catching the morning light, the glitter of coach windows reflecting the hurried gestures of townsfolk. She felt the soft sway of the carriage coaxing her body into quiet awareness, the subtle tilt of each curve accentuated by the motion, the cool air slipping in at the open windows to kiss the exposed planes of neck and collarbone.

Her eyes drank in the panorama of Moscow: the solemn dignity of stone façades, balconies brimming with hothouse flowers, lamplighters still tracing the last arcs of darkness with golden arcs of flame. The scent of hay and wet earth mingled with the distant tang of the Moskva, and somewhere beyond the noise, the city whispered secrets of salons and theatres, of music and intrigue. Every now and then, she glimpsed the sharp angles of market carts, the fluttering skirts of governesses, the playful tilt of children’s hats – scenes that painted the pulse of a capital alive with expectation.

As the carriage rumbled deeper into the city’s heart, the trio fell into a quiet rhythm, the human tide parting subtly before them. Pyotr Ivanovich’s gaze softened briefly upon her, approving the quiet attentiveness with which she absorbed every detail, Pierre’s eyes alert yet shadowed in deference, and Anastasia felt herself suspended between observation and participation, a vessel poised between the intimate memory of the morning and the grand theatre of the capital. The wheels clicked in stately succession, carrying them over the sun-warmed stones of Moscow, and in the subtle incline of the street, the tilt of her body, and the gentle sway of the carriage, she felt the city’s breath mingling with her own.

At last, she allowed herself a small, quiet exhale, fingertips tracing the crease of the seat, gaze wandering to the bustling streets beyond. The cold morning had not yet left her cheeks, but her pulse hummed with warmth and anticipation. The capital stretched before her, vast and undulating, a labyrinth of streets, spires, and possibilities, and for the first time since leaving Rostov, she understood the weight and the thrill of being so utterly, vividly alive.

The carriage rolled on through streets that grew steadily quieter, the clamour of the station dissolving behind them into a distant murmur. Moscow altered itself by degrees: the crush of voices thinned, shopfronts gave way to longer facades, iron fences, stone walls worn smooth by time. The wheels struck the cobbles with a dull, measured rhythm, and the horses’ movement carried a slow, swaying cadence that settled into the body like breath.

Anastasia sat straight, hands bare in her lap, fingers loosely interlaced. Her travelling coat lay smooth over her knees; beneath it, the familiar pressure of her ordinary clothes – linen, stays, the quiet discipline of fabric – kept her grounded. She felt the carriage’s motion travel up her spine, rocking her gently, and watched from beneath lowered lashes as the city slid past – arched gateways, tall windows already awake with the movement of the day – aware of her own warmth, her pulse, the faint responsiveness of a body long trained to answer motion.

The carriage slowed.

Ahead, set back from the street, rose tall wrought-iron gates, dark with age, their spear-tips catching the lamplight. High stone pillars flanked them, severe yet assured. Pierre leaned forward to speak briefly to the driver. Leather creaked; the horses shifted; then the gates swung inward with a low, resonant sound that seemed to open more than passage.

Only then did the house reveal itself.

The mansion stood beyond a wide courtyard, pale stone rising in composed symmetry: broad steps, a columned portico, tall windows glowing warmly from within. It was not ostentatious, but it possessed the calm authority of something long inhabited, long obeyed. The space around it felt ordered, intentional, as though every approach had been considered.

The carriage rolled through the gates and came to a halt before the steps.

Pierre was down first, brisk and precise, offering Anastasia his hand. She accepted, letting her weight shift forward, feeling the brief firmness of his grasp, the answering awareness of her balance, her hips, the quiet exposure of movement as she stepped down. Her skirts settled. She straightened, conscious of her uncovered hands, of the city’s closeness, of how awake her body felt after the long confinement of travel.

Pyotr Ivanovich followed more slowly, surveying the house as one surveys a familiar instrument. His gaze passed over her as well – not lingering, not careless, but acknowledging, measuring her presence in the new space.

They ascended the steps together. The doors opened at once, as though the house itself had been waiting.

Warmth met her first, then light: a broad vestibule with polished floors, dark wood, the faint scent of wax and clean linen. Sound changed instantly – the city cut away, replaced by a contained hush that made her aware of her own breathing, of the soft friction of cloth against skin as she moved. Anastasia crossed the threshold and felt, with sudden clarity, the intimate sensation of being enclosed, gathered inward, as though the walls themselves had drawn closer.

The doors shut.

She stood a moment between the two men, coat still on her shoulders, posture composed yet alive with sensation, her body alert beneath its layers. Whatever Moscow intended to ask of her – whatever this house meant to shape – would begin here, in this warmth, under these eyes.

The servant appeared without announcement, as though she had stepped out of the walls themselves.

She was neither young nor old, her hair drawn back severely, her dress plain to the point of anonymity. She inclined her head to Pyotr Ivanovich with a restrained, practiced smile – one that acknowledged rank without intimacy – then moved at once to her task. There was no wasted motion in her hands. She relieved him of his coat first, receiving it as one receives something expected, familiar, already accounted for.

Only then did she turn to Anastasia.

The girl felt it immediately: not scrutiny, not appraisal, but the near-absence of attention. The servant’s eyes slid past her face, past her figure, settling instead on seams, fastenings, the practical problems of cloth and weight. Fingers brushed Anastasia’s shoulders with professional certainty as the coat was lifted away. The touch was neither gentle nor rough – simply exact.

For a brief, irrational moment, Anastasia found this more unsettling than inspection.

Her sleeves loosened; the fabric slipped free. Cool air touched her wrists, then warmth again as the servant smoothed the garment, folded it, removed it from her presence. Anastasia stood revealed not in body, but in outline: the clean lines of her dress, the disciplined set of her shoulders, the long, trained fall of her posture. She became acutely aware of her hands, bare and pale, hanging at her sides without gloves to instruct them what to do.

The servant did not comment. Did not pause. Did not linger.

Pierre had already been divested of his coat, standing quietly to one side, eyes lowered, awaiting the next instruction like an extension of the room’s order. The servant passed him without a glance and retreated, soundlessly, coats in hand, leaving behind only the faint displacement of air.

Pyotr Ivanovich adjusted his cuffs.

“Good,” he said mildly, as though something had been confirmed rather than arranged. His gaze rested on Anastasia now – not possessive, not indulgent, but attentive in the way one attends to a valuable object newly placed in a proper setting. “You will find,” he continued, “that the house does not require you to perform. It prefers accuracy.”

Anastasia answered him with the same small inclination of the head she had just seen from the woman – measured, economical, offering acknowledgement without invitation.

As they moved deeper into the house, she carried with her the strange impression left by the servant’s near-invisibility: the sense that here, one could be seen without being looked at – and shaped all the same.

Only after a few steps did Anastasia realise that they were not moving at random, nor merely deeper into the house, but towards something. A thread of sound, so fine it might have been mistaken for memory rather than presence, drew them forward: piano music, subdued, measured, unfolding somewhere beyond the immediate rooms.

It took her a moment to recognise it for what it was.

Music had followed her for so long that she no longer registered its arrival. In Voronin’s studio it had been constant – an imposed pulse, a background necessity, as unavoidable as dust or sweat. It seeped into the walls, into the hours, into the body itself, until silence felt abnormal and even dangerous. Here, too, the music had been present from the moment she crossed the threshold, but only now did it separate itself from the general atmosphere, lifting into consciousness.

She listened more closely.

The sound was distant, controlled, not meant for demonstration. Not rehearsal, not performance – something private, maintained for its own discipline. It guided their steps down a corridor, across a carpeted passage where their footfalls were absorbed almost entirely, leaving only the faint whisper of fabric and breath.

What struck her then was not the music, but everything around it.

The house seemed… sparse. Not bare, but selectively inhabited. Doors stood closed; rooms they passed gave no sign of occupation. No servants crossed their path. No voices drifted from behind walls. Lamps glowed where needed and nowhere else. The scale of the place suggested life, yet life appeared deliberately thinned, reduced to what was essential.

Compared to Voronin’s house – with its constant movement, its smells, its audible presence of others – this felt almost monastic.

Anastasia slowed slightly, her gaze lifting, searching instinctively for signs of habitation. Finding none, she turned her head towards Pyotr Ivanovich. The look was not bold, but it carried a clear question.

He noticed at once.

“I do not like excess,” he said calmly, without breaking stride. “Nor spectators.” His tone was explanatory rather than defensive, as though he had anticipated the inquiry. “People who are not necessary tend to misunderstand what they see. Or worse – repeat it.”

They passed beneath an archway; the music grew a shade clearer.

“My affairs,” he continued, “are internal. Those who are here have a reason to be. Everyone else remains outside.”

He adjusted his pace to hers – not slowing, merely matching.

“You will find,” he added, almost conversationally, “that fewer eyes do not mean less attention. Quite the opposite.”

Anastasia absorbed this in silence. The idea settled easily, fitting the impressions already forming in her body: the quiet, the order, the absence that felt intentional rather than neglectful. She straightened almost imperceptibly, as though the house itself required a certain economy of presence.

Ahead, the music resolved into shape – a phrase concluding, another beginning.

Whatever waited at its source, she understood, had not been arranged for display. It was simply there, continuing, indifferent to her arrival.

And she, already, was adjusting herself to meet it.

Pierre reached the door first.

He opened it with the same measured precision he brought to everything else, drawing it inward just enough to admit them before stepping aside. The music flowed out at once, no louder than before, but now unmistakably present – piano, clear and restrained, filling the adjoining space with a steady, disciplined breath.

Anastasia crossed the threshold.

She found herself in a room that needed no explanation.

It was a studio – large, high-ceilinged, orderly in the way working spaces become when they are shaped by repetition rather than display. One wall was given entirely to a mirror, its surface uninterrupted, reflecting the length of the room and doubling it into an illusion of depth. Along the opposite side ran the familiar line of ballet barres, polished smooth by countless hands. The floor was sprung, pale, immaculately kept. Everything necessary was present; nothing superfluous intruded.

For an instant, it might have been Voronin’s studio.

The illusion dissolved as her eye adjusted.

At the piano sat a young woman, her posture attentive, her back straight without stiffness. She played without looking at the keys, her hands moving with quiet assurance. There was something in her profile – in the set of her head, perhaps, or in the inward concentration of her expression – that stirred a faint recognition. Anastasia thought of Katya, the violinist from Voronin’s studio, and realised the resemblance lay not in features but in function: the same absorbed dedication, the same acceptance of supporting a discipline not her own. This woman was older, steadier, her presence less tentative, as though time had settled her into her role.

At the barres stood five ballerinas.

They were arranged loosely, not in formation, each absorbed in her own sequence of controlled movement. Arms lifted and lowered; legs extended with unhurried certainty; torsos inclined, rotated, returned. Each wore the simple, familiar attire of the studio – fitted leotards, skirts that fell lightly over their hips, soft ballet slippers that whispered against the floor. Anastasia felt the impact of them at once – not as individuals, but as a collective impression of form perfected. Their bodies were strikingly beautiful in a way that resisted ornament: long lines, supple strength, an ease of motion that suggested not effort, but habit refined into instinct.

She felt a brief, involuntary tightening in her chest.

Could she stand among them? Not observe, not imitate – but belong. The question rose unbidden, edged with something close to awe. They seemed finished in a way she did not yet feel herself to be, as though whatever roughness time and training might remove had already been smoothed away.

Her gaze shifted – and caught on the mirror.

There, reflected back at her, stood the six of them together.

The realisation came quietly, without shock, but it held her all the same.

They were alike.

Not identical – not sisters, not copies – but unmistakably related. Variations on a single theme. Differences of height, of colouring, of subtle emphasis in muscle and carriage – but the underlying structure was shared. The same proportions, the same disciplined narrowness of waist and hip, the same long articulation of limb. Even their stillness echoed one another, as though they had been taught not merely how to move, but how to be.

And there she was among them.

Her own reflection did not stand apart. It fitted.

Anastasia felt something settle in her body then – not pride, not triumph, but a sober recognition. This was not coincidence. This was selection. A preference refined into pattern.

She did not need to look at Pyotr Ivanovich to understand.

This was the standard. And she – whether by instinct, training, or fortune – had been shaped close enough to it to be invited inside.

The music stopped abruptly, silenced by the sharp clap of hands, followed by a single, clear voice: “Enough.”

Anastasia had not noticed her before. She was small, compact, with dark hair cropped close to the nape, barely thirty. She wore a form-fitting leotard that traced every line of her body, paired with a short, high-waisted skirt that added a touch of authority without diminishing mobility. There was something immediately arresting about her presence, not through ostentation, but through the effortless command of the space she occupied.

She rose smoothly, acknowledging the intruders with a subtle, practiced grace. Her eyes met Pyotr Ivanovich’s first, and she inclined her head slightly, a greeting of recognition. Then, in a gesture that seemed almost ceremonial, she offered her hand to Pierre. He took it with a quick, respectful kiss – formal, precise, and entirely devoid of familiarity. Only then did her gaze rest briefly on Anastasia, a small nod, enough to mark awareness without evaluating, as if to say: I see you. You are noted.

Turning to the studio, she moved with quiet authority along the line of dancers. Her gestures were economical, each movement deliberate yet unforced.

“Pyotr Ivanovich, updates. Sofia – extensions better today, hips square, tendu approaching full range. Elizaveta – foot placement corrected; rotation steadier, though the left side lags slightly. Morning hours – all attended. Minor turnout adjustments applied where needed. Natalia – alignment steady; Maria – shoulder extension improved; Irina – sternum lift more confident. Overall, the sequence is on track; small deviations addressed immediately.”

Her voice was calm, professional, yet carried subtle inflections – a soft lift here, a careful pause there – that suggested her mind was weighing more than she said aloud. To Anastasia, every term, every correction, every assessment was familiar, expected. But Pyotr Ivanovich, listening, would perceive what was left unsaid: the small hesitations, the implicit concerns, the judgments measured for his ear alone.

“Balance, concentration, continuation… all in place. Preparing for the next sequence; pupils ready.”

Even as Anastasia followed the familiar names and terms, she felt the weight of mastery in every word. The room was maintained, guided, and measured, every dancer observed, and Pyotr Ivanovich, though silent, fully informed.

Anastasia let her gaze drift over the studio once more. The music had stopped, leaving only the soft echo of fingers on the piano as the pianist paused mid-phrase. The five ballerinas at the barres were still, the reflections in the mirrored wall emphasizing the lines of their bodies, the precision of their carriage. For a moment, the room felt suspended, a carefully arranged tableau, each figure balanced against the others.

She understood – without a word – that this was how the house worked. Observation, discipline, control, and trust. The living, breathing gravitas of the room was embodied not in loud commands, but in the quiet certainty of those who knew their place and the standards to which they answered.

The old man’s eyes lingered a moment, then shifted, as if confirming something only he could see. “Thank you, Tatiana Petrovna,” he said, his tone measured but approving. “That will do.”

Then he turned slightly, letting his gaze fall on Anastasia. “Ladies, this is Anastasia Yuryevna Kovalova. She comes to us from Rostov-on-Don.”

His eyes travelled over her with deliberate hunger – pausing on the lithe lines of her thighs beneath the skirt’s cling, the subtle rise of her small breasts straining the bodice, the dancer’s arch already evident in her stance. “I chose her not for mere charm or honeyed words, but for the raw strength in those endless legs, the perfect balance that lets her yield and hold, and a suppleness so deep it borders on the sinful – hips that open like steppe flowers, a core that bends without breaking. Observe how her body promises it already; I saw that fire in her lines before she even crossed the threshold.”

He gestured with a controlled hand. “Love and honour her – treat her as you would any promising addition to our ensemble.”

The ballerinas, subtle and disciplined, acknowledged Anastasia with polite applause. Even Tatiana Petrovna joined in, her hand lightly striking her own thigh in a crisp, professional clap. Anastasia’s cheeks warmed; she smiled awkwardly, then bowed, her posture careful, instinctive.

Tatiana Petrovna’s eyes flicked over her, and she allowed herself a small, almost teasing remark, just enough to ease the tension: “Do not let your nerves wander as far as Rostov, child. Here, you move and breathe with us, not against us.”

Pyotr Ivanovich’s expression softened only slightly, but he gave a short nod. “Very well. Continue, Tatiana Petrovna. And you, Pierre – show our new guest to her room. She will need to settle before the next session.”

Anastasia followed Pierre’s measured steps, the quiet click of his shoes on the polished floor echoing faintly behind her, carrying the sense that everything here was arranged, observed, and purposeful, from the smallest gesture to the largest movement of the house.

Pierre led the way, the soft echo of his shoes on the polished floor marking their route. He showed her the essentials: the dining hall, gleaming and orderly; the communal bath, its scent faintly of soap and hot water; a newly fitted training room, walls lined with bars and pulleys, racks of dumbbells and neatly arranged kettlebells – something she had never known in Voronin’s studio; a side door that opened to a private garden, where trimmed paths promised sunlight and air. At last he paused briefly at a doorway marked “facilities,” nodding as though to assure her she would quickly learn their use.

Anastasia expected, almost instinctively, that he would now bring her to the common sleeping quarters. But instead, he led her to a wide staircase, ascending with calm confidence. The polished steps carried them upward, the faint smell of beeswax mingling with the lingering fragrance of the garden outside. They turned into the left wing, a corridor lined with doors on either side, all simple, unadorned, and without locks.

Pierre stopped before one, hand resting lightly on the knob. He opened it without a word and gestured for her to enter first.

She stepped inside, hesitating for a heartbeat, and the room welcomed her in a soft, unassuming embrace: pale walls catching the afternoon light, a window looking out over the garden, a neatly made bed with crisp linens, a small desk and chair, and a wardrobe that hinted at order and privacy.

For a moment, she simply stood, breath held, her gaze sweeping over the space. Then it struck her with sudden clarity: this was hers. Her own room, for the first time in her life. A small, electric thrill ran through her, mingled with disbelief and a touch of awe. She had never possessed a room of her own; never a place in which to be entirely herself, where her body, her movements, her presence could exist without immediate oversight, except for the measured observation of the household’s eyes.

Pierre waited silently in the doorway, watching, patient and discreet. She turned to him, a small, tentative smile forming, as though to acknowledge both gratitude and the strangeness of being granted this unusual gift of space.

He finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying that quiet firmness she had already learned to recognize. “Now you know where everything is. You may fetch your luggage from the entrance hall, make yourself comfortable, change – quickly. There is still time to join the class before it ends…” He lifted his hand slightly, drawing the small gold watch on its chain into view. “…in twenty-five minutes,” he added, the precise click of the hands marking both time and expectation.

Anastasia’s heart skipped. She moved almost without thinking, hurrying back down toward the entrance hall to retrieve her belongings, a mixture of disbelief and exhilaration propelling her forward. Each step seemed to carry her closer to a life she had scarcely dared to imagine, driven by the knowledge that the lesson would not wait – and neither would this new chapter of her life.

The door closed softly behind her, and for a moment, Anastasia simply stood, taking in the quiet of her own room. The afternoon light spilled across the pale walls, warming the neatly made bed and the small desk, glinting off the polished wood of the wardrobe. For the first time, she felt that this was truly hers – a private space, untouched by the routine eyes of others, where she could move, think, and breathe as she chose.

She moved toward the wardrobe, hesitating for a moment before opening it. The space was empty, neat, unfamiliar – no belongings of her own had yet claimed it. Her suitcase, which she had just carried in herself, rested by the bed, waiting to be unpacked. She knelt and unfastened the clasps, lifting out the contents one by one: a few neatly folded dresses, her practice leotards, slippers, and a short, soft knitted sweater.

Each item she handled felt charged with significance, a small token of a world she had scarcely dared to imagine. Changing into her dancewear in the quiet of the room, she felt a rare thrill of freedom, the strange intimacy of a space that belonged entirely to her. No one stood over her, no one’s gaze corrected her stance or movement, yet she could still sense the household’s presence – Pyotr Ivanovich’s measured eyes, Tatiana Petrovna’s subtle scrutiny, Pierre’s discreet attention – adding a current of tension that made each gesture electric.

She dressed quickly, guided by habit, letting her hands smooth the leotard over her body, pull her hair into its high tail, snug her slippers on her feet, and align her posture in the mirror. Every movement, mundane as it might seem, felt infused with the knowledge that she was stepping fully into a life that had been waiting for her.

Her eyes fell on the short knitted sweater, the gift from Pyotr Ivanovich. She knew it would not do for the lesson – too brief, too soft to allow the precise lines of her body to be seen properly – but a part of her wanted to show it off, to share the small proof of his attention. With a fleeting smile, she shrugged it over her shoulders, letting it hang loosely, barely covering her midriff, a quiet banner of belonging that neither constrained her movements nor hid them.

Taking a steadying breath, she opened the door, and the polished floors of the corridor awaited her – a bridge between this quiet triumph and the bustling life of the studio beyond.

She stepped into the corridor and the faint scent of wax and wood seemed to welcome her. The short sweater draped lightly over her shoulders, riding up just enough to leave the curve of her waist visible; she tugged it slightly, aware of how it framed her body without truly hiding it. Every step carried a strange mixture of pride, nervousness, and anticipation.

The soft strains of music drifted from the studio ahead, guiding her. She paused for a fraction of a second at the doorway, taking in the scene beyond.

Inside, the class continued with quiet intensity. Five dancers moved with the grace and precision of habit, their limbs long, torsos controlled, feet barely disturbing the polished floor. The music seemed to flow through them, shaping their bodies as they rose and fell, extended and returned.