It has been about 5 years since I woke up in this body.

Today was a normal summer day and I was in the garden, studying the history of the Russ. I had to understand Russ and her history to even consider surviving in this world.

Hearing someone approach me from behind, I turned around to see that it was my father, Tsar Nicolas II.

"What are you so engrossed in little Tatiana?"

My father was quite similar to Tsar Nicolas II from my first world, not to say they were the same person, but he was a religious man with unwavering principles. While a good family man, his shy and modest nature was not fit for the position of governance.

Quickly closing my little history book, I faced him, "I was just studying, father. " I replied. It was strange to call him father, it had been such a long time since I had used that word. It had been hard to call him that, but he was so insistent that it had become nearly automatic.

"You know, you should be more like your sisters; playing, running around and eating delicious things! You're a princess of the Russ Empire, you don't need to study so hard!"

I would have been happy to take his advice at face value, if there wasn't a communist revolution around the corner. "There is only one good, knowledge. There is only one evil, ignorance. " I replied, in the face of his unconscious attempts to condemn me to be executed by the communists.

My father looked surprised for a second, but quickly changed his face.

"Socrates, my 5 year old daughter just quoted Socrates! I don't know whether I should be laughing or crying!"

I decided to go back to my book instead of entertaining him.

"Since my daughter is so clever, would she mind playing a little game with me?"

For the Emperor to find time to play with his daughter is not unusual, but for him to do so when the country is dying was. It had been a serious problem in my first life, the Tsar was ignorant of the state of his country because his ministers were lying to him.

I closed and put aside the book as it would be impolite to continue to ignore my father.

"What do you want to play?" I asked.

"How about this? I will bring the best teachers from all of Russ to teach you, but in return, you will have to play with your sisters and attend their parties."

That wasn't a game, that was a deal. It was humiliating to be treated like a child, even though it was technically true.

"I'm fine with that" I said, sinking into my chair, putting up with brats wasn't a problem if I got something better than self-study, it was a necessary sacrifice.

It was strange how I felt no sympathy for my family, the closest thing I had to a familial bond was for Visha and the 203rd. I wonder how they are doing, could they survive what the future had in store for them? Would there be a second world war? How about a cold war?

Feeling my body being lifted off the ground, I instinctively tried to pull away from my father. Yet realising that my success would lead to a metre fall to the ground, stopped my struggle.

Carrying me towards a yet unknown destination, he jokingly said, "Pretty girls shouldn't frown so much or their pretty face would be stuck permanently in a frown."

I would like to yell at him that that was a lie, but it would have been pointless and rude. Instead I surveyed the area, trying to figure out our destination.

"Where are we going?" I asked, only to receive a fatherly smile in return. One that gave me a familiar shiver. The same creeping feeling that always came before a propaganda shoot.

"You always go with the same comfortable but unfashionable dresses and suits, tomorrow we are having a party at the palace and we are going to find you a more suitable dress."

I turned to see that we were headed for the big gate that led to the palace, the one guarded by an Imperial Shepherd. Making for a nearly perfect analogy 9f being dragged away to the gates of Hell, all the hound needed was a pair of extra heads. 'DAMN YOU BEING X!' I screamed internally as my father walked through the entrance to hell.

—--

When I saw those dolls in highly uncomfortable clothes I thought it was stupid that someone would torture themselves like that just to look pretty, but now that I was the doll... I had yet to be hit by any revelations on why anyone would choose to suffer so.

If my father loved something else more than his family, religion, the army or swimming in frozen lakes, it would be parties.

Every time he threw a one it had to be the better than the last, or so the maid told me as she prepared me for the torture room decorated with cupcakes.

Chatting away while fixing my hair, the maid had excitedly proclaimed, "This party is definitely going to be amazing, the heir of the Dukedom of Kieva is coming to the party!"

Kieva? That was something that caught my attention.

"I thought the Dukedom of Kieva hated the Royal family? They have held animosity against us ever since the invasion 3 centuries ago that led to the banning of their native language and destruction of their history." the servant seemed surprised.

"Yes, even though the Serebryakov dynasty have been doing their job under the Tsars for 3 centuries, they still resent the royal dynasty. Which is why it's so incredible that they are attending! It might be a new age of splendour for Russ!" she said with an overly optimistic enthusiasm, not knowing that in 5 years time her whole world was to be turned upside down.

Wait a minute, Serebryakov? Was that their surname? The dynasty's surname was never mentioned in the book, only their first names, the people who wrote the history books were

useless!

Serbrakova? Visha? Was this her past? Daughter of the Duke of Kieva? They have the same surname! I should have tried to find out more about her!

The maid snapped me out of my thoughts, "Are you alright princess?"

"Yes, I was just thinking about something, nothing important," I answered, taking her hand as I stood up, "Let's go meet my family."

Leaving the room we walked down a long hallway, until we reached the weirdly named family meeting room.

Upon entering, I saw my 3 sisters sitting on the couch. Olga was a pious eighteen year old with an interest in medicine, to her left was Anastasia, a sixteen year old idiot who broke things like a chihuahua on drugs and lastly there was Maria who at had already had more relationships than me in all my 3 lives at just thirteen years of age. Which admittedly is not difficult, considering I had no need for a relationship. Those thoughts aside, she had an overly flirtatious nature, giving my father quite a headache.

Finding it hard to foster any sort of relationship with them despite my father's attempts, it took all I had to maintain a neutral stance with all three of them.

As I made my way to the couch, I gave each of them a slight nod as a minimal show of familial respect before sitting down and grabbing one of the sweets on the table.

Thinking about it, attending father's parties was a good idea. I could be making useful contacts for the future. Perhaps even foreign diplomats or nobility, which would give me a ticket out of Russ when the revolution started.

While I was thinking about how to flee the Nation before the start of the civil war, my parents entered the room.

"How are my girls doing, ready for the party?" said my father, as he made his way to the center of the room.

The sound of agreement rang through the room. I could even hear the music from the ballroom, so I guess we were expected to make a royal entrance. Father turned and gestured to the room, "Today is a special day, it will be Tatiana 's first party, so I want everyone to be on their best behaviour, do I make myself clear? Anastasia and Maria?"

"Yes father" they sounded in reply. Honestly, I doubt they would keep their promise, but that's not my problem, I'm not a child. There was nothing they could do that could ruin this gold mine of an opportunity for me. This was a noble party, full of cultured and powerful people.

—--

EVERYONE IS USELESS, 40 year old 'nobles' surrounded me and tried to their sons, hoping that I would be the one to bear the next generation of their useless nobility. Did they even have the capacity to think? Or were they being led around by their second head?

Where were the bourgeois, the general staff, THE PEOPLE WITH COMMON SENSE?

Deciding that the only way I could vent my frustration was to eat chocolate in a corner, ensuring that anyone with even a smidge of etiquette would bother me. I wasn't taking advantage of the situation to stuff myself with chocolate at all...

"Excuse me, but are you Tanya?"

Tanya? No one had called me that in this life… Turning quickly towards the person who called me, I found myself looking at a teenager of about twelve years old? He had blue eyes and brown hair.

"My name is Tatiana, I don't know you well enough to be called Tanya," the boy looked embarrassed and put his hand over his mouth, "Forgive me, you just reminded me of someone."

After brushing his embarrassment under the carpet, he remembered that I was in fact a royal a princess and introduced himself properly.

"I greet the Tsarina, I am Viktor Ivanov Serebryakov, heir to the Kievan Russ dynasty."

I found myself wondering if he was Visha's older brother, there was a passing resemblance, "Pleased to meet you," I replied, bowing slightly.

"May I ask the Princess for a favour? If it isn't too much trouble, of course." An opportunity to have him owe me a favour just dropped into my lap, finally something useful came from this party.

"Well, it depends on what you are asking for, Viktor," I asked, setting aside the unfinished chocolate.

"Of course, I would like to extend an invitation to you for a party at the Kieva Palace. I think it's a great opportunity to improve the relationship between our two dynasties."

Here he is, someone of his calibre must have a very resourceful father, nothing better than to have him as a friend! He was going to be a very useful future ally.

POV Viktor

That's her, that's definitely Tanya, what's she doing here? Look at her acting like an adult when she's only 5 years old in this place, how Cute. Did she remember our past life?

If so, how old would she be right now counting her former life, 20? It wouldn't be all that strange if we're both in the past. Hopefully, she knows as well as I do the future that awaits Russ.

I'm sure she realised it's a bad excuse I gave, improving relations between dynasties because 2 kids talk at a party, I should come up with a better excuse next time.

She had been eying the chocolate she put down when we started the conversation. It was obvious she wanted to eat it. Although it's strange, She's slightly different from what I remembered, always so stoic and perfect. Maybe she's always been a repressed child?

Surely that's not possible, I'm sure she's already planning a way to win the civil war against the damned communists. I promise that you will have my full support, Tanya!

Together we will save this new life of ours!

"Goodbye, it will be a pleasure to exchange letters with you, I will send you an invitation to the party in Kieva when everything is finalised."

"Thank you very much for the invitation, I know our history is thorny to say the least, but only fools are guided by the grudges of the past."

I smiled slightly to think about how a 5 year old girl acted more reasonably than many people and didn't even realise how strange she was.

I couldn't help but crack a smile, "Exactly, only fools."