Nikolai was half listening to the conversation between Yelkin - who was making an ass of himself, as far as he was concerned, and boy, would Yelkin get it from him later - and watching the antics at the head table.<br/><br/>Knowing the Czar and Czarina as he did, he knew that the Czarina's fork dropping trick was something else. He sighed inwardly, thinking that if he ever tried that with Baba, she would probably bop him on the head with a spoon and scold him for being so clumsy.<br/><br/>But what really caught his interest was the obvious attraction between Alexei and the Swedish princess. He saw that all-too familiar glint in Alexei's eyes and the princess turn red as a tomato, and he knew that the rascally Romanov was working hard at...something.<br/><br/>Finally, the meal was over, and not a moment too soon for Nikolai. He had been afraid that either the Czar or Alexei would take his woman and throw her down on the table and make love to her right there, on top of the roasts and timbales. He saw that smoldering volcano in Alexei, just like he had seen it so many times with so many of his other conquests, and he worried that his boy would take it a bit too fast with a princess who probably had never been kissed before today. He'd have to slow Alexei down before he scared the girl off. She already had kind of a dazed, embarrassed look on her face - even though to the untrained observer, she looked perfectly calm. But Nikolai knew royalty like no one else.<br/><br/>As everyone stood and prepared to depart, he took advantage of the moment when Ingrid was greeting some ladies of the court who had come over to introduce themselves to her, and he tapped Alexei on the shoulder and drew him aside.<br/><br/>"Slow down, my boy!" he whispered quickly. "She's overwhelmed. I saw her face. Remember, she's an innocent. She's not one of those girls you can seduce. You're going to have to be romantic, and I know you're about as romantic as potato stew, but TRY, for the love of God! Perhaps a moonlight walk in the garden. Romance, man! Remember!"<br/><br/>He moved away as he saw Ingrid turn back to Alexei.