July 20, 1909

I've tested myself in the last 3 months, picking up the books I can find deem useful for my education and read as much newspaper articles as I can swipe with the palm of my hand. I am beginning to become more like my dear sister, Tatiana, despite being deemed as mot much of an academic light is no doubt a hard working studious young girl, I see something in her that could help me in my journey through this obstacle in which I have been in place by the almighty for 14 years. Over the 2 month period I grew fond of Mr. Wittie, his talent for creativity is comparable to that of mine and I enjoyed reading the poems he is comfortable sharing with me and I appreciate his ability to overcome setbacks within the life of occupation with his immense resilience.

- Olga Nikoleavna


Outside of the Alexander Palace

Olga and Sergie are near the shore of the large pond. Olga remained stood up looking at the ducks and their ducklings swimming on the pond whilst Sergie paints the scenery.

"...Time is going by fast." Olga said with a weak smile.

"Time as like an illusion. At times you feel like it has been a year when its only been 3 months." He responded "Hehe I remember back as a young boy I would climb up to the window and watch the sunset as dusk looms over the sky." Sergie reminisced.

"Never thought that you and me would just be out here having a casual talk. After all those times of lecturing me hours on end at noons with political philosophies and theories, I have to admit it did fuel my interest in politics, although it made me more disgusted by its certain aspects."

"No job exists without its certain aspects Olga."

"Such as?" She asks.

"Take a job of a doctor for example. A lot of young kids dreamed to be a medical professional at their very young age, thinking a simple check up or bandage can magically cure their patient in a matter of few minutes. What they don't know is there is more to that, they will have to sometimes ask the patient to strip their clothing just to have a deeper check up on what is going on with their patient, sewing deep cuts of flesh of badly injured soldiers from hard fought battles sometimes had to cut a limb or two off the patients body."

"Oh dear..." Olga expressed her shock, slightly raising her right hand to her mouth.

"Indeed. Trust me, the outside world is not what you and your sister seem. This fact maybe too much for you to take but once you go out beyond the security in which you are privileged of having, you will see."

Olga turns her head forward and inaudibly exhales, she turns back to Witte. "Why give me such dark talk when we are out here where it is pleasant and calming? And shouldn't we be at a room where you can give me another lesson of political history, philosophies or what?"

Sergei halted from painting the scenery and looks at the young heiress. "Because not everything can be learned within one space, at most of times the best teacher is the outside and I also want to give you the space in which can help you express your thoughts a tad more calmly as you just did. And it can also help with your temper."

Olga stayed silent, looking back at the ducks and ducklings on the pond. She begins to speak "What do you mean?"

Sergei faces her.

"My.. temper."

Sergei turns his body to the direction where Olga is standing whilst on his chair. "Your temper... can get in the way of your rationality at times, I have no means to offend, but you need to maintain regulation over your anger. Emotional control is a major key in positive relations with other leaders."

Olga procced what is said to her, she came to the conclusion that he is right, although Olga is tempted over how she would be able to gain the ability to control her temper.


All alone in the big pair's room, Tatiana sat on a chair facing the window her hands rested on her thighs and her grey blue eyes staring at the view of the outside as continues to re-live the tragedy of 1908 in her memory making her guilt continue to infest her heart and soul. She closes her eyes and sighs inaudibly, she stood up from her chair to walk up to her respective desk and pulls the middle shelf to pick up her dairy. She sat down on her chair and picked up a pen beginning to write her thoughts for the first time in 2 months.

July 20, 1909

Tried myself in finding peace within my heart and contentment of the present but the dungeon ball is still chained with my heart. I question myself; Why would God let this happen? Why take my beloved brother so soon? I was taught that everyone living on Earth is born for a reason with a plan set up by the father. But I have to be honest, if God really does give people a plan for what they will do on Earth why couldn't he prevent their unplanned demise before they can even succeed such plans he bestowed upon them?

-Tatiana Nikoleavna

Tatiana placed down her pen and closed her diary.

Tatiana stood from her seat and walked out of the room but unintentionally left the door slightly opened.

Anastasia hums as she walks down the hall of the children's floor, she stops on her tracks when she notices a slight opening on the doorway to the big pair's room. Anastasia walks to the door and knocked, no response. The little Grandduchess places her hand on the knob and opened the door completely where she discovers the room being vacant of anyone, Anastasia raises her hand to her chin as she thought to have a look around the big pair's room as the big pair never aloud her and Maria to the room. Anastasia finds Tatiana's mirror then proceeds to make funny faces on it.

"Heheheheh!" She giggles. The little trouble maker continues her exploration in her big sisters' bed room and walked up to their tables, first she walked up to Tatiana's desk where after pulling the right hand drawer she discovers her diary, Anastasia bores an expression of awe then excitement. Anastasia looked around with her sister's diary on her chest as she tightly holds it with both arms, she halt her gaze at Olga's desk and skips to it where she also snatches Olga's own diary from the drawer. With both diaries on her hands, the 8 year old runs out of the room slamming the door shut.


The little pair's room.

In the little pair's room Maria is drawing a sketch of her doll sitting on its little chair to pass the time, a knock on the door cought her attention.

"Open!" Anastasia yelled behind the door.

"Say the magic word!" Maria teased.

Anastasia groans "Please..?"

"Say it nicely."

Anastasia loudly moaned in annoyance "Please?" Anastasia nicely said.

Satisfied, Maria opens the door. She then notices the diaries on Anastasia's hands and bore a look of confusion. "Since when did you start love reading?" Maria asked.

Anastasia turns around, "Oh these are not ordinary boring books!" She exclaims, "These are our sister's diaries." Anastasia said with a mischievous grin.

Maria's face turned pale from shock, "Olaya and Tatya's diaries!? Nastaya thats not- th-" Maria hesitates.

"Oh shush down, they won't know." Anastasia reassured as placed down Tatiana's diary for her to read Olga's. As Anastasia was about to open Olga's diary Maria snatched it from Anastasia's hands.

"Hey!" Anastasia shouted.

Maria then snatches Tatiana's diary. "This is so wrong Nastaya! We can't be very snoopy on people's secret thoughts!" Maria walks to the door. "I am putting these back where they belong."

Anastasia's expression of irritated transitioned into that of mischief. "Oh well..." Anastasia said in a smooth tone "I hope you don't get cought out there by our sisters with the diaries on YOUR hands."

Maria stopped on her tracks just as her hand was already on the knob.

"Oooohhhhh yes. We both know you are being a good girl by returning the diaries back to their room, but they don't know that now do they? Do you think they will go "Ohh my thank you so much Mashak!" and not "Mashka what were you thinking!?" " Anastasia acted.

Maria remains frozen on her position as Anastasia is getting into her head. She still wants to return the diaries but what if Anastasia is right? She thought.

Anastasia looks at her with a grin and arms crossed, Maria releases the knob from her hand and turns around. Maria sighs "You win..." She said, defeated. She hands over the diaries back to Anastasia, whom, quickly grabs them from Maria's hands. The little trouble maker grabs a chair and sits then starts off with Olga's diaries.

"Ohhhh!" Anastasia reacted to a page and reads it.

April 18th 1909

Oh my oh my! What a sight I see at the gates, his hair resembles that of swiss chocolate, his skin is white as vanilla. Oh I wish he were my age! He and I would be so great together, if only too that a girl like me and a man like him can be together. It would've given me the greatest days of my life.

-Olga Nikoleavna

Anastasia laughs "She has a crush on one of the guards at the front doors!" Anastasia flips the pages. "Ohohoho here's a funny one!" She reads it.

January 6th 1908

Ohhhh! I wish at times I could have my own space away from the unpleasantness in the air as it stains my poor snub! Oh next time Nastaya should watch what shes eating. Oh!"

-Olga Nikoleavna

"Pffff! Hahahahahaha!" Anastasia laughed hard on the floor as she reminisces. Even Maria tries to hold her laughter.

Anastasia continues to reads as much of Olga's entries outload to herself and Maria before moving on to Tatiana's diary.

Anastasia reads an entry

August 7th, 1908

I had a wonderous afternoon with mama and our dear friend Rasputin as we discuss about spirituality and faith with each other. The conversation lasted for 4 hours without any violent disagreements between the 3 of us and we shared our differing point of views about the topic without any judgement, well.. despite mama correcting me on some things. But overall, I would love to have that sort of conversation again soon, maybe with friends that I would get to meet one day!

-Tatiana Nikoleavna.

Anastasia bores an expression of unsatisfaction. "Yawn." She mocked. She flips the pages.

October 10th, 1908

Olaya is staring at the window again for 2 hours straight, eyes stuck to the veiw like glue. For years she have dreamt off going beyond the security of our parents and guards which I find very troubling as I thought there are reasons as to why mama and papa closed us from the outside world, maybe there are monsters out there that mama and papa think we are not ready to fend off. I hope one day Olga would understand.

-Tatiana Nikoleavna

"Yawn." Anastasia mocked again. She flips the page to Tatiana's recent entry. She reads it.

July 20, 1909

Tried myself in finding peace within my heart and contentment of the present but the dungeon ball is still chained with my heart. I question myself; Why would God let this happen? Why take my beloved brother so soon? I was taught that everyone living on Earth is born for a reason with a plan set up by the father. But I have to be honest, if God really does give people a plan for what they will do on Earth why couldn't he prevent their unplanned demise before they can even succeed such plans he bestowed upon them?

-Tatiana Nikoleavna

This entry shocked Maria, Tatiana not believing in God? She thought. "B-But why would Tatya go against God!?" Maria asked in a disturbed tone. "We should tell mama and papa."

"Are you stupid!? You will give us away!" Anastasia said.

"Nastaya we must save our sister from the devil!"

"M-maybe Tatya will change her mind, she- ugh.. she knows better than us.." Anastasia hesitantly said the latter half of her sentence.

Maria don't know what to make out of her older sister slowly denouncing the father, she slowly walks to her cot and takes a seat as she gather her thoughts and covers her face with her hands.


Dinning room, 6:10 PM.

It is dinner time, the food has been served by the servants, prepared for the royal family. Tsar Nicholas enters the dinning room wearing his usual military army uniform attire with Alexandra entering with a stylish late 19th century dress as she always have a high taste in fashion and clothing in general even in ordinary circumstances. The sisters arrive in the room as their parents took their seats, the big pair sits at the right side whilst the little pair sits at the left side.

"Tatiana, if you may bless our dinner."

Tatiana nods.

"But m-" Maria speaks only to be shut off by Anastasia with her hand on Maria's mouth. Maria looks at Anastasia with confusion and Anastasia glares at her, telling her what her careless action could've ensued.

A brief 40 second of silence fills the room as Tatiana stayed quiet staring into the abyss, Olga looks at her with confusion. "Tatya?"

Tatiana snapped out from her session of silence and looked at Olga "Oh.. uh..." She then looks at everyone on the table. "I'm sorry I-I"

"Tatiana, this is unexpected coming from you." Sterned Alexandra.

Tatiana slowly looks down in shame. Olga, feeling sorry for her sister, puts her hand on Tatiana's shoulder to comfort. "Don't worry, I'll do it." Olga smiled at her, Tatiana nods with a weak smile.

"We thank you heavenly father for a another day in life as of today of this year. I am humbled that I am still surrounded by the people I cherish and love with the food that you have blessed us with on the table in which we are about to receive and I hope that we may all here in this space have a long and healthy life thanks to your grace. Amen."

"Amen."

The royal family now began their evening feast, as Maria is eating the chicken and mash potato on her plate she looks at Tatiana and shakes her head in disappointment. Tatiana on the other hand is soon unbothered by the fact that she did not attempt at a prayer.

Sorry for the long wait, here it is!