April 21, 1912

About two years passed, and Dimitri grew closer with the Little Pair. Whenever the sisters had leisure time, they met Dimitri and frolicked in the palace gardens. Anastasia, thanks to her friendship with the kitchen boy, became livelier. To the relief of Maria, her old Nastya had returned. Olga was also relieved to see her youngest sister resuming her pranks, despite their milder level. Not only was Dimitri happy to see his friend Anastasia regain her spirit, but he had been added to the list of servants to accompany the Romanovs to Livadia. White Flower Day was approaching, and the royal couple had decided to participate in charity work there.

Having turned sixteen years old just four months earlier, Olga was closer to her coming of age as Tsarina. The eldest Grand Duchess was no longer a naive little girl, as she now knew more about the outside world. The position of her family was still precarious. Strikes and riots were still common in the far reaches of the Russian Empire: the aging, faltering giant created by her ancestors. Her family still faced the risk of losing their power over the people. Feeling burdened by the thought of the increasing problems of the empire ruled by her family, Olga yearned for an escape from the grim reality.

A knock on the door sounded, and Olga heard her sister Tatiana speak. "Olya, I need to tell you something wonderful!"

"Yes, Tatya?" Olga said, walking to the door.

She opened the door to see Tatiana and the Little Pair standing outside with excited faces. Anastasia wore a smug smile on her face, perhaps thinking of the pranks she would play on her sisters. Maria kept her smile.

"We will go to Livadia today for White Flower Day! Papa said that after our charity work, we will be able to relax on the beach," Tatiana said.

"That is good to hear," Olga replied.

"Also, I have heard that Dimitri will be joining us."

"That is fine, I actually enjoy his presence and his sarcastic sense of humor. I know that little Nastya will enjoy the time with her friend," Olga said, looking at her youngest sister.

"I may be a princess, but even a kitchen boy can be my friend. Anyone who dares say otherwise, I will prank them!" Anastasia declared.

"Except for Mama, Nastya. You know how strict she can be," Tatiana warned her.

"I do not care. Dimitri will be with me wherever I go, he is my only and best friend!"

"Will you fall in love with him someday, Nastya?" Maria teased, poking her sister on the shoulder with her finger.

Anastasia looked away. She felt a twinge of nervousness. "How am I supposed to know? He is only a friend!"

"Such strong feelings. You like him, right?"

Anastasia huffed, raising her chin. "Only as a friend. Even if I fall in love with him someday, I do not want any children."

"We will see."

Tatiana reminded the Little Pair to go to their room to pack some belongings, and Anastasia and Maria left the Big Pair. Before Tatiana could enter her room, she still heard them argue over whether Anastasia would fall in love with Dimitri. She rolled her eyes, and she stepped into the bedroom. Olga placed down her book on the table beside her camp bed, looking intently at her sister.

"So, when do we depart? What has Papa said?" Olga asked her sister.

"At half past ten in the morning. We have less than an hour to get ready, so I say that we should begin packing our belongings," Tatiana said, looking into a closet.

The Big Pair pulled out their travel briefcases from the closet. They packed their extra clothing, swimsuits, and their little amount of jewelry. Both the Little and Big Pairs were raised with little physical luxuries and comforts. Such practices were imperial traditions to raise the royal youth in piety and discipline, and the royal children had grown accustomed to their plain lifestyles. When the Big Pair had finished packing their things, they huffed out a breath while struggling to close their briefcases.

"Olya, you pack too much. You should bring less," Tatiana said, taking out a few dresses from the briefcases.

"Yet I need ten fresh dresses for the fourteen days we will be there. I would hate to wear dirty garments for a few days," Olga said, shaking her head.

"The case is too small to fit-"

"In all honesty, these are my dresses, not yours. I do not think that you should be the judge of whatever I pack."

"You are being rude," Tatiana commented.

"Then you should stop bossing the rest of us around. You are not my mother."

Tatiana sighed. "Fine. Then, I will stop speaking so that this argument does not escalate any further."

After a few attempts, Olga managed to pack all ten articles of clothing into her travel case, and Tatiana led Olga to the palace greeting room. Going through the rather complex interior of passages and rooms, Olga looked at the familiar paintings on the walls. She would not see them for over a week, and she knew that her homesickness would set in within a few days at Livadia. She enjoyed her visits there because of the weather and friendly locals, but she always enjoyed her time within the walls of the palace. Within the palace walls lay so many memories of her childhood: her first steps, her first snowball fight, and her twelfth birthday. To her, the palace would be her beloved home.

Once the Big Pair reached the front door, they encountered their parents waiting outside with their cases fully packed. Nicholas smiled, and Alexandra wore a worried expression on her face. The Little Pair had not yet finished packing their things, and the time to leave was approaching.

Nicholas looked behind the Big Pair, and he checked his pocketwatch. "Do not worry, Sunny. We have plenty of time before our car arrives."

"Nicky, you should discipline our children more. Simple cold baths and camp beds are not enough. When I was their age, my father did not hesitate to intervene for even the smaller infractions. Even being late can be a transgression," Alexandra said.

"I cannot, and I do not need to. Do not worry, our children behave well for the most part, except for our little shvibzik. But I love her for her liveliness and her fun nature. She reminds me of my late brother," Nicholas spoke with a hint of sadness.

"I do not approve of the pranks. Her rock and snowball prank had gone too far."

"Please, Sunny, can we leave this subject for later?"

Alexandra shook her head. "No, I cannot allow our children to run amok and cause trouble. They need to be disciplined and sheltered until they are mature enough."

Nicholas and Alexandra continued to argue, and Olga thought about the faults of her parents. The Tsar was incompetent, and a successor needed to be coronated at a later time. Nevertheless, Olga still felt closer to her father, who was a better parent than a ruler. He often spoke with her about politics and his personal issues with the other aristocrats and advisors. Her mother, the Tsarina, was more focused on her family rather than ruling Russia. Even though she cared about her children, she refused to give them more independence. If not for the strict rules of associating with people within her station, she would have developed a happy friendship with Pavel.

Looking at the entrance to the greeting room, the Big Pair saw their younger sisters arrive. Nicholas soon noticed the Big Pair talking with the Little Pair while the selected servants entered the room in their best uniforms. With a quick glance back at the servants, Anastasia looked for Dimitri within the group. She settled her gaze at him, and he smiled back.

"Hey, Nastya, enjoying the view?" Maria teased.

Anastasia groaned. "Ugh, shut up!"

"Calm yourself, you are a princess," Tatiana said.

"But Mashka-"

"Whether she started it or not, does not matter."

Nicholas walked over to his daughters, and said, "It is time to go. Let us not be late for the boarding."

"Yes, Papa," Anastasia said, and all four sisters picked up their cases.

Stepping outside the palace, the Romanovs and their few selected servants approached their vehicles, which idled outside the palace perimeter. With one last look at his friend, Dimitri waved at Anastasia while her parents were looking away. She waved back before stepping inside the red-painted Ford Model T alongside her parents and sisters. He and the other servants entered their car, and the guards entered their vehicles. The drivers started their engines and began to drive away from the palace.

Dimitri looked back at the receding shape of the palace, and he knew that he would miss the familiar interiors of the Alexander Palace that had been his home for a few months. Before, he was a mere street orphan, and he now had found a new home and family with the Romanovs. He felt both excitement and fear. What would happen to him?

Anna Demidova, a tall woman with blonde hair, looked at Dimitri before speaking. "I have been in Livadia before. I assure you that you will enjoy your time there."

"It feels so strange being a kitchen boy... a royal kitchen servant after years of living on the streets," Dimitri said.

"I believe that these kinds of things happen for a purpose. You are very fortunate, since the Tsar hires very few to serve him. It is a miracle that you have gained a place here with us."

"Yes, I am thankful for what had happened to me, but I still cannot get used to my new life. It is that everything happened so quickly!"

"Life often moves faster than we realize," Anna said, looking outside at the passing grassy fields.

To Dimitri, the words spoken by the royal handmaiden sounded true. Much in his life had changed within a few months. Instead of picking pockets and sleeping on the street, he was guaranteed three meals a day and slept in a bed. Before, he only had the fleeting company of other street orphans like him. Now, he had the company of not one, but four Grand Duchesses! This was all thanks to the Tsar. As Dimitri thought of all the improvements in his life, he realized that the Tsar was not as terrible of a person. He rethought his feelings against the Tsar, as he had received a great deal from Nicholas the Second.

The escort of cars arrived at Saint Petersburg, and passerby flocked from their workplaces to see the Romanov escort. Guards that had been notified beforehand by the Tsar himself protected the escort by patrolling alongside it. Within the crowd, some of the citizens cheered and voiced their approval, waving miniature Russian flags in the air. The uniformed guards struggled to hold back the enthusiastic onlookers, but the royal family enjoyed the attention. Alexandra refused to make eye contact with the crowd, holding her chin high. She lived up to her nickname as the Ice Queen thanks to her indifference toward the commoners.

Unlike Alexandra, Nicholas smiled and waved at his supporters within the crowds. He sat up straight with confidence and dignity in his maroon-colored suit and light blue sash adorned with various medals which gleamed in the sunlight. The Big Pair, the more mature of the four Grand Duchesses, tried not to wave or react to the crowds. Olga glanced at the crowd a few times, and she looked behind her father's car. Behind the car carrying the royal family were two cars: one transporting the servants and the other transporting guards. Dimitri could be seen whispering something to Anna Demidova, but Olga could not hear their conversation.

Anastasia rolled her eyes as her sister, Maria, blew kisses at the guards along the path of the royal procession. "Someday, Maria will find a dashing officer or noble to marry, but I will be just fine by myself. It would be great if I could become a famous guitar player someday," she thought.

"Enjoying the view, Nastya?" Maria asked.

"I've never seen so many people happy to see Papa before," Anastasia said, looking around at the crowds on the streets.

"Perhaps Papa is doing a good job as Tsar."

"I hope so, and I hope that Dimitri and I will stay together."

"He is a kitchen boy, they do not stay in the palace for life. Eventually, he will have to leave once he is not needed anymore."

"No, I want him to stay! He is my only friend outside our family, so I will make him stay!" Anastasia said, almost yelling.

"Nastya, Mashka has a point. What if you become too attached to him? You might regret doing so," Olga said.

Anastasia kept quiet for the remainder of the ride towards the dock where the royal yacht was moored. For once, her wit had failed her, and she could not think of an argument against her sisters. She hated to admit it, but her sisters were right about the possibility of excessive attachment to Dimitri. She still could not let go of her friendship with him, as she had been desperate for a friend. The isolation within the palace before he came was unbearable, but now she had a close friend.

The procession of cars carrying the Romanovs and their staff reached the dock. The bay waters were calm, as the waves gently lapped at the waterfront of Saint Petersburg. Floating beside the dock, the Standart yacht bobbed in the water, as if waiting for its occupants to board it. Painted in hues of black and gold, the yacht stood out from the dull gray cloudy skies. With her sizeable hull extending over a hundred meters long, the Standart lived up to its reputation as a floating palace for the Romanovs. As soon as the cars stopped beside the dock, the guards formed a buffer between the enthusiastic spectators and the royal family and staff. Waving one last time at the crowds, Maria and Anastasia followed their sisters and parents over the boarding bridge. The sounds of the ocean were drowned out by the cheering and commotion from the crowds.

Dimitri looked around at the masses, and he could not help feeling surprised. Despite the unpopularity of the Romanov dynasty, they still had plenty of supporters in the cities. He looked at the royal couple, and he had a dreadful feeling within himself. Despite the safety of the Russian royalty that day, their bliss would not last forever.

Boarding the yacht, the Romanovs were greeted by the naval officers, and some of them tipped their hats to them. Olga appreciated the attention, but Tatiana had a more reserved attitude for their attentions. As Olga stepped to the starboard, she saw a familiar face. The uniformed man looked out to the sea, holding the railings. Olga froze once he looked at her. He was no random officer. He was Pavel Voronov, the man who held the affections of the eldest Grand Duchess. His shaved brown hair accentuated his handsomely sculpted face. His hazelnut brown eyes made contact with her light blue eyes, and Olga blushed.

"Hello, Your Highness. It will be my delight to serve your family for this trip," Pavel said.

Olga stuttered. She felt nervous. It had been years since she had seen Pavel, as she had only been a child during that time. "Uh... hello. I like your enthusiasm."

Pavel enjoyed the reaction of the eldest Grand Duchess, who facepalmed. "No worries, Your Highness. It is normal to be nervous when meeting new people."

"If only Mama had let me talk with people more, I would not make a fool of myself! What could I say?" Olga thought.

Her trip was going to be interesting.