June 11, 1916
Dmitri Ivanov, in the few years he had spent in service to the Romanovs, had never felt this peculiar feeling long before. Every time that Anastasia passed by him and met him, he would feel a warm, uplifting feeling rise within himself. Whenever he did not see her for extended periods of time, he felt an emptiness and coldness within his heart. With strawberry blonde hair, small nose, light blue eyes, and smooth lips, Anastasia had her friend in awe of her beauty. How could his Anya be called shvibzik when her beauty shone like that of an angelic being- no. She was only a friend, Dmitri thought. Perhaps she would not have felt the same as he did for her. She was far above his station.
The calls of the head cook brought him back to attention. He flinched at the sound of the barking voice of the cook.
"Where are those dishes, boy?"
"Yes, Mister Chernov, I am getting them!" Dmitri replied, resuming his task.
Dmitri collected the dishes from their shelves alongside his fellow kitchen servants. In time, he would see his friend once again, but would he confess his innermost feelings? He had developed something far more than fondness and care for the youngest Grand Duchess. He would never view her in the same way as before. Another thought emerged in his mind. Would the new Tsarina, Olga, accept such news? He did not know if she would or not, and that struck fear into him. It was not yet time to confess his feelings in front of the Romanovs, so he continued his work in silence.
Within the palace, Anastasia continued her English studies with great difficulty. Thoughts of a certain kitchen servant plagued her mind, and her heart beat faster whenever that happened. What was this mysterious yet glorious feeling that she had? It was a deep and soulful thing that made her heart feel a surge of energy every time she saw him. Before she could think further into the issue, her English tutor cleared his throat. Her sister Maria smiled at her, squinting her large blue eyes with such an intense stare, as if honing onto some hidden secrets.
Sidney Gibbs raised an eyebrow at the youngest Grand Duchess. His youngest pupil looked into his eyes, and they were somewhat dilated. She seemed quite distracted.
"You seem distracted, Anastasia. Is something bothering you?" he asked with a certain edge to his words.
Anastasia looked as if she were cornered, widening her eyes and putting her arms behind herself. "W-what? Uh... not at all, it is only a weird dream I had the night before."
"Ah, I see. Well, you two only have ten minutes until lunchtime, so please pay attention!"
The rest of the lesson passed without any distractions. It had taken the youngest Grand Duchess much of her willpower to stay focused. The older, cryptic English within Hamlet did not help. She was in a pensive mood, but not about English literature. On top of her feelings for Dmitri, her fifteenth birthday was approaching. Only a week was left.
She sighed, opening her book and flipping to the page requested by her tutor. Once she had marked the page, she looked at the grandfather clock. It was time for lunch.
"Good work, you two. I must say, Anastasia, that you should pay more attention during our studies. Only then you will succeed," Sidney said.
"Yes, Mister Gibbs," Anastasia said, crossing her fingers behind her back.
Both of the Little Pair left the room and made their way to the Dining Hall. The servants had all come out to place the meals upon the cloth covered table. One of them, a brunette boy with warm brown eyes, winked at Anastasia. Anastasia giggled. Maria noticed the unspoken exchanges between her sister and the servant. No excuses would persuade Maria to think otherwise. The tracking gaze of her sister upon a certain kitchen servant boy only verified her suspicions. They both watched the servants exit through the door to the kitchen.
Maria grinned. "Looks like you have a liking-"
"Mashka... it is not what you think it is!" Anastasia interrupted.
"Do not be afraid, I will not tell Olya. I know that you are happy with Mitya, and that makes me happy as well."
A moment passed before Anastasia spoke. Maria was right.
"Oh, thank you! Tatya would certainly make a ruckus if Mitya and I were... um... together like that."
The sound of chattering grew closer and closer. Both Maria and Anastasia took their seats, being careful not to take the seat where Olga sat. The current ruler was still their dear eldest sister, despite being the head of the Romanov family. They were kept in the dark of what Olga needed to handle as Tsarina. They understood why. They could not imagine being the leader of not only their family including their cousins, but the ruler of a vast country. It was relieving that they would not have to deal with such a heavy burden, and they felt confident in the leadership shown by Olga. Her education under their late father had done wonders alongside her intellect. Even more surprising was that she kept her temper under control for over three years.
Even the constant teases from their first removed cousin Dmitri Pavlovich could not break that immense self-control. Instead of exploding in rage, the most that Olga would do was clash with words. Never should she use fists or feet, except for the time that he placed a small bucket of ice cold water on top of her bedroom door. In his defense, there was only so much one could do while trapped inside a building for much of his time.
Olga and Tatiana took their seats. They looked at their youngest sister, who wore a wide smile.
"Nastya, why are you smiling? What is so funny?" Olga asked.
"Oh, it was something that happened last winter. I just remembered the time when Cousin Mitya pranked you with a bucket of-"
"Please... do not bring that subject up," Olga said.
"Yes, Olya."
Anna Demidova entered the room with Dmitri Pavlovich. The Grand Duke and official fiancee of Olga was dressed in a plain white shirt and black pants. He raised an eyebrow at Olga who stared at him. When his eyes made contact with hers, she turned away. What had caused such a reaction from his fiancee?
"Erm... is something wrong with my choice of clothing?" Dmitri said, flexing his right arm on purpose.
"N- no, not at all!" Olga stuttered.
Maria whispered something into one ear of her youngest sister, who giggled. Tatiana narrowed her eyes at the Grand Duke. His thin shirt had short sleeves, exposing his muscular arms. It seemed as if the Grand Duke was flaunting his masculine looks. That did not come as a surprise to the Grand Duchess, as Dmitri Pavlovich was a flirt. It was hard to believe that the free-spirited and humorous young man sitting across from her elder sister was the future Tsar.
The Grand Duke grinned. His scheme to gain attention from his fiancee had succeeded! He liked her company, and he often felt fond of her. To him, smart and willful women attracted him like no other kind. Romance was not around the corner, but he had a feeling that their opposing natures would make a good match.
"If you are trying to woo my sister, your efforts fall pathetically short of the mark," Tatiana said, and the Grand Duke widened his eyes as if he had been slapped.
"What-"
"I suppose that is a victory for us, OTMA," Olga said, and she snickered at the thought of her fiancee finally being reprimanded for his womanizing ways.
"But that was just a rude and childish remark, nothing more than a taunt!"
"Yet you were speechless," Olga said.
Tatiana, for the first time in days, chuckled. As all four Romanov sisters began to snicker and chuckle, Dmitri placed his hands over his face and groaned. His efforts to win the attentions of the Tsarina had backfired. Once they had stopped laughing, Olga and her sisters went silent, but an apology would be necessary. The hapless Grand Duke seemed embarrassed. They could very well notice that his cheeks were pink.
"I apologize, Mitya, I could not resist creating some schemes to settle our scores after that bucket prank you had done. In fact, I anticipated that you would attempt to woo me with more... physical means. Thus, I managed to persuade Tatya to follow my plan."
"Well, it seems that you know me very well. I now doubt that I know you as well."
"Truly said, Mitya. Do you accept this as grounds for surrender, Dmitri Pavlovich?" Olga said, giving a smug smile.
A moment passed, and Dmitri stroked his stubble. He sighed. "Yes, Olya. You have bested me once again with your intellect."
Olga laughed before sipping from her glass of water, a beautiful sound filling the room. "No need for dramatics. I hope that this was an enjoyment for ourselves. I admit that I like your playfulness, it reminds me much of my childhood with Mama and Papa."
Dmitri sipped from his glass of wine. "I have a liking for your sharp mind and compassionate heart... a duo of natures best suited for an Empress of Russia."
"You flatter me."
"I am giving my honors for you, Olya. The Mother of New Russia."
"The Mother of New Russia... I approve of that title. How about a title for you when you become Tsar?"
"I would say, The Father of New Russia," Dmitri said.
"How original," Anastasia said before taking a large bite of her lunch.
"Nastya, we must bless the food first!" Tatiana chided.
"Sorry, I was really hungry," Anastasia said.
Those seated at the table prayed for not only the food, but for the safety and prosperity of their fellow Russians in a changing world. After the prayer, they could finally have their lunch. Anastasia, as usual, tried to stab a grape with her fork again. Instead of succeeding, she propelled the grape towards Dmitri Pavlovich, and it rolled down his shirt.
"Sorry," Anastasia said in a sing-song tone, and Dmitri laughed.
"Will you return the grape to me, please?" she added, looking at Dmitri with her signature pout.
Dmitri Pavlovich smirked, and he picked the grape from his lap and dangled it.
"You do not dare."
The Grand Duke lowered the grape even closer to his mouth.
"Please, Cousin Mitya-"
Dmitri licked his lips before dropping the grape into his mouth. He ate it, and Anastasia trembled her lip in a frown. She was going to fake cry. Nevertheless, Anastasia began to fake whimper and bowed her head. Maria and Tatiana attempted to ignore the antics of their youngest sister and older first removed cousin. They could only wonder why Anastasia preferred using a fork to eat grapes. Yes, Dmitri Pavlovich was a troublemaker as well as their little shvibzik.
"Do not give in, Dmitri Pavlovich. Do not give in..." the Grand Duke thought, trying his best to ignore the whimpers.
"Cousin Mitya, that was awfully mean of you to take her grape," Maria scolded, no longer able to ignore the situation.
"What- she was not eating it, but playing with it. Food is supposed to be food."
"You could have given Nastya her food back."
Anna Demidova felt somewhat annoyed. Ever since the passing of the late Tsar and Tsarina, she felt that Anastasia and her first removed cousin were more unruly. She hoped that both Anastasia and Dmitri Pavlovich would mature over the years, yet the two royals were very much alike: stubborn, free souls that enjoyed having fun. She had to stop the situation from escalating.
"Both of you, stop that."
"I agree with Miss Demidova. If this continues any longer, I will have to give a timeout."
"Not me, I am a grown man!" Dmitri exclaimed.
"Yet you act as if you are over ten years younger. You are four years older than I, Cousin Mitya," Olga chided, and Dmitri went silent.
Olga turned to Anastasia. "Nastya, eat your food, not play with it."
"Yes, Olya."
The rest of lunch passed without incident. Olga still had more to say, but the topic was far more significant than petty conflicts over food. She broke the silence with a single statement.
"I forgot to say... I am planning a visit to America. Their president has given permission for us to visit the Eastern United States."
Anastasia stood up from her chair. "Yay! I have always wanted to visit America!"
"I believe that all of us do."
"I heard that women over there are protesting for suffrage," Tatiana said, and Olga nodded.
"Will Russian women vote someday?" Anastasia asked.
"Whenever the next Duma meeting comes, I will consider allowing women to join it. I am unsure of how to implement suffrage for women because Russia is a monarchy, not a democracy where the people can vote."
"How about allowing women to serve as soldiers?" Dmitri suggested, sipping from his glass.
"That may be possible. It disappoints me that millions of loyal Russian women cannot completely serve our nation for good."
Russia had progressed by leaps and bounds under Olga I of Russia. At around twenty-one years of age, she had accomplished much, but there was still plenty that needed to be done. Anastasia was right. Women were still treated as unequals to men. Peasants had received better working conditions, but they still remained somewhat poor. Even worse, Trotsky was still at large. Lenin had long since escaped to Germany. The fact that the Kaiser tolerated them spoke volumes to the young Tsarina. She felt betrayed by her relative, and it stung. No longer would she consider the Kaiser as family, but the helper of the murderers of her late parents. Olga was related to the Kaiser through her late mother, but she refused to acknowledge that. She was born a Russian, and she would remain one.
To CalvinHobbesGatsby: Thank you for reviewing, I hope that later developments in the story will be to your liking!
To Megan Lyle: I'll leave Olga and Pavel's relationship up to your interpretation. With Dmitri Pavlovich and Olga not yet in love, there might be a small chance...
Extra Notes: Anastasia and Dmitri (the servant) will get together just like in the movie and musical. Also, Pavel will come again in the next chapter. Vladimir Lenin will also play a role in the much later chapters, and I have not forgotten about him. I will try to work out how he and Trotsky would react in such a different situation.