The world... as fallen to chaos once again... after 20 years the Germans finally released their full vengeance; They have conquered Poland, Denmark, Norway, the low countries, and France with swift tactics and strategy combined with the power of modern technology, something the Kaiser can only ever dreamed of. The people of the conquered nations suffer under the grip of Hitler, now the most powerful man and the master over almost half of Europe... In Asia, the Japanese imperial army continued their unprecedented brutality in China and nobody can seem to stop them other than others who still has faith in humanity... "Tennoheika, BANZAI!"
Resistance in the conquered countries fight to the death for freedom from their overlords, it seems a hopeless war, a war in which greater brutality will reign over the world...
"We shall fight in the seas and the oceans, we shall fight with growing strength and confidence in the air! We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight on the hills, WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER!"
July 1, 1940
St. Petersburg, Russian Empire
Winter Palace
The winter palace, where the Grand duchesses spent most of their childhood, now Tatiana being its only resident. The garden of the winter palace resembles to that of a miniature version of the garden of Eden, large trees and colorful flowers that look like mini cherry blossoms, color varies from white to pink, a red path that shows the visitors the way all around the garden, the renaissance style architectures adds a more majestic and mystical feel that makes the garden so attracting to visitors in and out. The Garden was built by the late Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, who built the garden so that the public keep their attention away from the girls while they play in their private rooms, to which they can be seen on the windows. Olga and Tatiana walks down the red path on a small stroll around the garden, the big pair have always loved the garden and are happy to walk together around it again after many years.
"...Its so childish upsetting Dmitri." Tatiana said
"I like upsetting Dimitri. Shvibzik taught me her antics." Olga chuckled. "You look so relaxed for a person running a national committee for almost 30 years." Olga added.
"Helping the people is one of my most treasured goals in life, I just love helping others who aren't as fortunate as us." Tatiana answers with a smile. "You know what I don't like?"
Olga looks at her sister with confusion.
"Getting old." Tatiana replies with disappointment. "Our hair is starting to turn white, you and I are beginning to have wrinkle on our faces, we're loosing our looks."
"Oh calm down, Tatya." Olga grinned. "We both aren't that old yet, we still have a lot of years ahead of us. And looks doesn't matter as much as society says it is."
Tatiana sighed, "I suppose your right."
The big pair continues to walk down the red path in peace, for a moment Olga stops, Tatiana followed suit, with the look for confusion as Olga looks down on a number of Denlashaugh Daffodils. "Olaya?" Tatiana called.
"Nothing impresses me more in the world... than the beauty of nature herself." Olga mumbles as she bends down slowly for a closer view on the flowers. " Such beauty brought to destruction by the sin of one creature..." She continued with a mix of disappointment and guilt. After that, Olga slowly stands back up, "When I retire, I shall take my path into gardening and painting." Olga looked at Tatiana with a smile. Tatiana smiles and puts her arm onto Olga's shoulder, platonically, and they continue down the path.
Inside the winter palace
"So you like being alone?"
"Well, no not really, I do get visitors from time to time and I have my maids and servants to keep me company." Tatiana looked at a servant and waves her hand gracefully as greeting, the servant smiles and nods and walks pass.
"While I'm here, how about we play chess; You and I?" Olga suggest.
Tatiana nods.
The big pair plays their game in their late mother's living room, the room is decorated with portraits dating back from the 17th to the 18th century sealed by gold pattern frames as well as dozens of tables each with black leg and circular blue surfaces made out of quartz stone, a mixed color fabric covering the floor with circling and straight patterns, the ceiling filled with glamorous reissuance chapel-style design with light colors and carvings. Hanging on the ceiling, is a golden chandelier about half the size of a large piano. Tatiana places her black knight on 3 D square, taking out Olga's last white knight. Olga have only about 4 pawns left out of 8 and lost both knights, while Tatiana only lost 2 of her pawns and her knights are closing in to the base on 2 C and 3 D.
"Check mate." Tatiana called as she clicked her timer.
Olga taps her finger on the table surface feeling the pressure taking a toll on her cognitive concentration and her index and middle finger touching her on the lips as she thinks. Olga makes her move, by placing her pawn on 3 F. Tatiana places her pawn from 2 C to 1 C where Olga's Bishop is, taking out her Bishop and secured her victory.
"Good game." Olga remarked and shakes hands with Tatiana.
"What happened, Olaya? You used to be a worthy opponent." Tatiana chuckled.
"I have not played for a long while, I've been so busy running the country and kept a watch on the Nazis that I didn't gave myself the time to practice nor play chess with my children." Olga explained.
"Well, the flaw you've made is you made your moves without skill and thought, if you just throw your pieces to the enemy carelessly which gives them the opportunity to easily maneuver their way to your base by taking out the pieces you carelessly placed. For example; during the early time of the round you placed your first 4 pawns forward without putting to consider on what you are doing."
"I was trying to take out your defenses so I can pierce my front into your base."
"Ah-ah, that's a mistake. Because you just wasted chances by throwing your pawns to the enemy, its like carelessly leading them on battle in the rain of bullets or swords without proper objective which you are draining your manpower, by throwing your 4 pawns in a flawed attempted to capture a point."
"Ah, I see. May I ask how do you know all about military combat?" Olga asked.
"Chess is like a miniature battle really, except you use pieces of wood than people." Tatiana answered.
"Ah, well I got to head back to the Alexander palace." Olga stood up from her seat.
"Already? We only had one game."
"Oh we can play another time, I have a scheduled meeting in 2:45. Its already 2:30, I must get going."
"Very well, Olaya. Be careful." Tatiana stood up and hugged Olga.
"I love you Tatya." Olga patted. "I'll see you again... next saturday?" She happily suggest.
"Of course."
Duma building, St. Petersburg
2:50 PM
Olga's ministers are waiting in the meeting room for the arrival of the empress, the Duma meeting room has a quartz stone floor, and lobby like interior design resemble that of a company building meeting room. The empress arrives from the door way with two door sets opened by two imperial guards.
"Ladies and gentlemen." Olga greeted in a serious tone.
The ministers stood up and bows at the presence of the empress before sitting back down, Olga walks to the left end of the rectangular table and takes her seat. "Thank you for attending ladies and gentlemen and following the order to wear official Duma uniforms. I gather us here today for the discussion about supplies to Germany, Mr. Blakytny how much oil barrels and gas are we shipping to Germany?"
Leonid Blakytny, the minister of foreign trade, stands up from his seat, "We are transporting 4.5 million oil barrels, 500,000 tons of petroleum per month, 600,000 tons of grain which most are from Ukraine oblast as accordance to our economic agreement we signed with Ribbentrop following the Kozlov-Ribbentrop pact of 1939. But due to complications with the Anglo nations we halted our delivery for 10 weeks under your order."
"Thank you, Mr. Blakytny, you may be seated." Olga responded professionally. "I have thought about our economic agreement with the Reich and I am deeply concerned of Britain, especially the Americans, looking at us as an Axis sympathizer, so I am ordering that we continue our deliveries to Germany by the morning of August the 2nd, we shall lower the oil barrel delivery to only 100,000 and petroleum shipment shall be lower to also 30,000 tons. I would have our ambassador to the United States and Great Britain to confirm our neutral alignment in this war and that we are all just doing regular business."
The ministers turns to each other to discuss about the decision and regards of diplomatic relations with the British and the Americans.
"Your imperial highness," Nikolai Kozlov, the minister of foreign affairs called, " the choice of lowering our shipments to Germany is a complete violation to our economic agreement that I and Von Ribbentrop signed on February 1940, the Fuhrer will not stand for this." He warned, expressing his concern.
"I share my concerns with the Foreign minister, your imperial highness. If we only give short amounts compare to the amount of what we agreed to lend to Germany it might possibly provoke Hitler go against our non-aggretion pact for resources, our forces aren't ready fight such war." The minister of defense said.
"Gentlemen its also important that we stay on the light of the Americans and the British, the Americans is our main trading partner and so I will add the delivery of petroleum to 32,000 for the Germans."
"Even if we just only deliver 32,000, the Germans will still not put up to this your imperial highness." Kozlov rebuttable.
"What do you mean?"
"Ribbentrop just informed me 2 nights ago that Germany is running out of its fuel to supply its occupying armies in Scandinavia, and in the west. They have been waiting for their next oil and fuel shipment for weeks, the Fuhrer is increasingly impatient and the oil they get from Romania aren't enough to sustain their war effort, they are heavily relying on the imports sent by us, if we do not deliver the figures we promised then who knows what's next."
"Hitler has done a lot of bluff!" Olga snapped, "I'm pretty sure he has enough of the resources he needs to sustain his Wehrmacht across central and western Europe, it will be dangerous if we loose the good light we have on the British and the Americans. I am under the impression he will attack us once the non aggression pact expires but I don't think he's foolish enough to open a second front in his current war just for raw materials."
"I just hope you're right your imperial highness." Kozlov mumbles in worrisome.
"As long as we maintain our international relations, we will all be fine, I promise you my dear ministers."
Berlin, German Reich
Chancellor office, Reich chancellery
"Mein Fuhrer." Ribbentrop saluted as he addresses Hitler.
"What do you want?" Hitler bluntly asks.
"I think you'd have to see this, from our ambassador to Russia." Ribbentrop pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket and hands it over to the fuhrer.
The Fuhrer puts on his reading glasses and reads the paper handed to him, what it says made Hitler crumbled the paper and threw it by the side. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!? HAS THE EMPRESS COMPLETLY FORGOTTON ABOUT OUR AGREMEENTS!? THAT FOOL, THAT SCOUNDROL! SHE WILL ROT IN HELL FOR THIS!" he slammed his fist on the table surface so suddenly that made Ribbentrop flinch an inch. Hitler slouches and tries to catch his breath, "We need a large number resources for to maintain our occupied sections, a few would not be enough!"
"Perhaps we should have a talk to them again about this unreasonable decision that will ultimately decide the course of this war." Ribbentrop suggested.
Hitler takes a deep breath, "Then a talk we shall have. I'll assign you an aircraft to travel to St. Petersburg at noon."
St. Petersburg, Russian Empire
Tsarina office, Alexander Palace
"Your Imperial Majesty." A guard called from the doorway.
"Yes?" Olga lightly asked.
"Message from the British prime minister." The guard informed as he walked to the front of Olga's desk.
"Another one?" Olga sighed annoyingly, "Tell the British, again, that we are in no interest on joining the war, if he [Churchill] sends me another one of his messages I will not reply again."
"Here's another one from Germany."
"Oh? Please hand it over." Olga raised her hand.
The guard handed the message to Olga, Olga reads the message from top to bottom and shows a look of interest and slight anxiety. "You are dismissed." Olga mumbled. The guard turns around and walks away. Olga picks up her telephone and dails Kozlov's number.
The German embassy, St. Petersburg
3:50 PM
Kozlov and Ribbentrop meets in the meeting room of the embassy building and greeted each other with a handshake, they then proceed to close the door and take their seats.
"Mr. Kozlov, I was sent here by the Fuhrer about the topic at hand, that is the issue of shipment to Germany."
"I heard, but our word is clear." Kozlov replied.
"Surely Mr. Kozlov, you know this decision is a violation to our economic agreement and a threat to our delicate peace, you know that! Its your job to bring this issue to the empress!." He said, with a slightly loud tone with expression of concern.
"I had a talk with the Empress and tried to convinced her but she would not budge, she said she is more concern about our relations with the Anglo nations than to our peace act of 1939. I'm sorry, Mr. Ribbentrop but I have done my part."
"Well there must be some other way, those resources are vital for our war effort against Britain. We promised you peace now why not give us something in return?"
"I had nothing against your war effort on the British Empire, I deeply respect our non aggression and economic deals but as fate puts on it the empress seemed to have lost interest."
"Then she is looking for war, I thought she's afraid of war now she wants one?" Ribbentrop scoffed.
"No no Mr. Ribbentrop this is a big misunderstanding!" Kozlov panicked.
"Oh oh I understand, I shall inform the Fuhrer. Good day." Ribbentrop stands and leaves the room with a serious expression.
"MR. RIBBENTROP!" Kozlov yelled in fear.
With this meeting, the fate of Russia now starts to hang on the balance, as Ribbentrop exits the building, Nikolay Kozlov paces in the room in fear of what may lay ahead.
Later that evening in the Alexander palace, Olga looked out of her window in the bedroom whilst in her night gown, Kozlov informed of what happened in the meeting and now she starts to have mixed feelings about her peace with Hitler, thoughts rain her mind as she deeply thinks about the possible outcomes that will come out as a result of her decision, the discomfort she feels makes her not wanting to take a slumber. Dmitri walks up to Olga with concern of his wife.
"Olga, what's got into you?" He asked.
Olga sighed, "I don't know... I don't know..." She mumbles. "This is situation has gotten out of hand, oh I pray for a miracle, I'm starting to have second thoughts about Hitler, I sense that he is now plotting against Russia."
"What will we do?" asked Dmitri.
"I'm still thinking. If I were to preserve peace with Germany then something must be done, but I don't know what." She replied, with stress and hesitation.
"Well you should get some rest, you can think all the time you want tomorrow." Dmitri suggested, jokingly at the end.
"I'll follow later." Olga replied.
Dmitri sighed, "Goodnight."
Olga remained standing looking at the window, the darkness of the night looms over the outside, a dead end. Little did she know, miles away from Russia, in the Bergof, Adolf Hitler fears that Olga might be plotting against him after hearing what Ribbentrop said about the meeting.
The fate of the continent is now on the balance, two powerful leaders now in a mind struggle against each other, the house of cards are starting to fall apart...
AN: Sorry for the long wait, but at last, here's the new chapter. Enjoy!