CONTEXT: Dimitri has been summoned by Catherine, though the reason is unknown; Catherine desires Dimitri and wants him to become one of her lovers. Dimitri is the son of a low-ranking aristocrat who attended a ball at the imperial palace a few days ago; it was his first time at such an event and the first time he had seen the Tsarina in person, yet, as a nobleman of lower standing, he had merely observed her from afar without ever speaking to her. Despite this, during the ball, he had the impression that she was looking directly at him at times, and her unsettling gaze sent shivers down his spine.