-December 17-
It was afternoon, and Alice, the rest of the family is having free time of sorts while checking with servants and maids to make sure that the 1,500 rooms are being dusted and cleaned. It's the Winter Palace, after all!
Marie is reading in the royal library, the distant sound of servants and maids scuffling around, and she then heard a knock, looking up to see a secret passage open and reveal Dimitri. She blinked softly, "Anastasia's supposed to be in the courtyard if you're looking for her.".
Dimitri nodded, "I know, but this isn't the reason I am here...I...", looking to make sure the library doors are closed before looking back to face Marie, "I realize I have your blessing, but I am hoping to have your approval to allow me to give Anya a ring, a promise ring if you will...".
Marie stared at Dimitri, "You realize that you are asking me instead of Nicholas?". Dimitri sighed softly, "I love Anastasia, your highness, and I fear the Tsar wouldn't hear Anya or me if he finds out...His temper is famous around here...".
Marie pressed her lips in thought, and then spoke firmly, "In two hours, bring yourself to Anastasia's rooms, and I'll be there. I will tell Anastasia that I am only heading there to put a Christmas gift for her, but hiding it.".
Dimitri nodded firmly, "Yes, your highness. I shall be there. And thank you...Anya is the best thing that ever happened to me...". Marie smiled softly, "Yes, Anastasia's presence is a gift for us all. And Dimitri, you're a good man.".
Dimitri smiled brightly, bowed his head, and left the library, heading back into the secret passage, going back to work for the next hour and half, knowing the last half of the second hour will take him a while to get to Anastasia's rooms.
Like Marie had said, she told Anastasia that she's searching for a spot to hide her Christmas gift, slightly lying, of course, but she knew what Dimitri wanted, bringing her beloved jewelry box she kept for decades and decades here in the Winter Palace.
On the dot of the second hour, Dimitri made it through the secret passage of Anastasia's rooms, and exited to find Marie sitting in a chair with a jewelry box next to her on a tea table, and Dimitri bowed his head, "Hello, your highness.".
Marie nodded, "Hello, young man. Have a seat, please.", gesturing to the other chair on the other side of the table, and Dimitri nodded politely, walking to it and sitting down carefully, trying not to be rude with manners he'd been taught by Anya.
Marie smiled wistfully as she then touched her jewelry box fondly, "This box and its contents has been in my family for generations, and tradition concedes someone to look within it once a while when in need of a ring or whatsoever else, and you're the next person to do that. I trust you will take care to look, yes?".
Dimitri bowed his head politely, "I will be most cautious with it, your highness.", smiling softly as he realized that this is the first and last opportunity he'd touch a heirloom of most revelry. Marie nodded, and moved it gracefully and gently toward Dimitri, who took a deep breath as he slowly and carefully touched the jewelry box, marveling momentarily upon the intricate details of the wood before opening it softly.
Dimitri gasped softly, seeing countless jewelry that's very gorgeous, beautiful, or magnificent, and he then locked his eyes upon the section of rings, particularly five golden rings. All different in styles, gemstone colors, and shapes.
The first one is a bit gaudy, looking slightly Roman with the style of the band, and the gemstone looks like rose quartz. The second one is rather pretty, with intricate etchings into the golden band, and the gemstone a India Alexandrite, green like the summer grass.
The third one is beautiful, with the golden band a intertwined braid of sorts, and the gemstone a brilliant sapphire blue, exactly like Anya's eyes. The fourth one is magnificent, having two very tiny diamonds between a ruby gemstone, with the golden band slightly thicker than the others.
The fifth one is gorgeous, having the golden band sprinkled with silver diamond dust, and the gemstone a diamond gemstone in the color of snow. Dimitri exhaled softly, "They're all wonderful, but how could I choose?".
Marie smiled reassuringly, "Think of what Anastasia wants, perhaps that would narrow it down.". Dimitri looked again, deep consideration from the Dowager's words, and then smiled softly, putting his fingers carefully and slowly to pull out his chosen ring, showing it over the rim of the opened lid in sight of the Dowager.
Marie smiled brightly as she saw the sapphire blue gemstone ring, and spoke warmly, "You have chosen well. That ring used to belong to my mother. She'd be pleased that you chose it, young man. Anastasia will love it dearly.". Dimitri looked amazed for a moment before nodding politely, "I'd have it close to my heart, ma'am. I do know how to do the proposal, but I do not know where...There's so many places where there's memories of us...".
Marie nodded in thought, "I believe I do have a idea for that. But a bit risky as it's technically in the public, but the moonlight yet darkness will help with that.". Dimitri blinked in surprise before speaking firmly, "Anya deserves to be happy. If your idea makes her happy, I'll be happy then.".
Marie smiled warmly, "Excellent. Now, listen well. This is how it is going to happen..", explaining her idea to a growing interested and excited Dimitri, realizing that this is going to happen for real.
-December 18-
It was about a hour before dawn, and most of the people residing in the Winter Palace are asleep, and the guards, about close to being tired for patrolling all night, didn't notice a disturbance coming up near the royal quarters aka wing.
6 Greylag geese are flying around the courtyard, looking for spots where they would nest and lay their eggs. Now, it's normal for Greylag geese to be in the south of Russia, perhaps on the border of China, but for those particular geese, it's unusual, which is the new normal this Christmas.
The leader of the gaggle then noticed a flow of warm air coming through a loose window, and landed on the threshold, seeing a shimmering yet flaming fire within the fireplace, and realized that this is a warm place, safe and quiet, and with a soft cackling sound, the leader called her friends over, and with a tap that the resident didn't hear, far too asleep to know that the leader opened the window, and with flaps of their wings, the gaggle flew into the room.
Searching for things that could construct their nests, the gaggle went to work, somehow not disturbing the resident whom is revealed to be Alice, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on the point of view, really...
She made sure her door is locked, only giving a few copies of her key to a chosen few people including some of her family members, not wanting to be in the same situation of having feathers in her hair again, but she didn't realize that there would be flying fowl as well, so she didn't lock her windows at all.
So, about two hours has passed, and the sun was rising, still shadowing through the trees outside, but enough to put a glaring beam upon the slumbering Alice who grumbled softly from the intrusion of the sun, and tried to go back to sleep, but froze when she heard cackling voices in the distance, and groaned lightly as she thought that a couple of servants or maids were laughing upon a spoken joke while starting their shift for the day, and dared to do it in the vicinity of her bedroom doors.
Then the cackling voices came again, but Alice blinked in confusion as the sound of the cackles were much closer, almost like in her bedroom, close to her bed, and Alice then got up, rubbing her eyes before opening them to look out around her.
She gaped, her eyes widening and widening by the second for before her, in various places, is six geese laying upon crudely made nests of clothes, strings, yarn, and even a throw blanket from her chaise! She saw the peek of white underneath the geese, and groaned lightly as she realized that the Palace is having more guests, again!
Careful to get up and out of bed as she knew that geese can be territorial over their nests, far more dangerous than a partridge bird, she grabbed her dressing robe, and made her way out while seeing that each goose has two white eggs per nest, and she realized in her count of math, it will be a total of 12 geese once the eggs hatch...
Alice muttered softly, "I understand that you are giving Christmas spirit in some sort of way to us, Aurora, but this, this is getting really crazy...", opening her door gently and quietly after she unlocked it, and looking back, she then closed it after seeing that the six mother geese stared at her sternly and defensively.
She then headed to Nicholas and Alexandra's rooms, and knocked on their door, knowing they are somewhat of early risers. The door opened, revealing Nicholas who looked confused to see his sister dressed in silk pajamas and dressing robes, "Alice? What has happened?".
Alice sighed softly, "You have to believe to see. They're in my bedroom...", and Nicholas blinked softly before speaking, "Alright, we're coming.", calling back to Alexandra about Alice's befuddling request. The three adults then returned to Alice's quarters, stopping at her bedroom door with Alice warning her brother, "Be quiet about it. They're touchy.".
Nicholas frowned in confusion before softly opening her door widely, and the three adults saw the six geese in their nests, and the leader hissed angrily at them, rearing her wings open, causing Nicholas to backtrack and close the door quickly.
"Do you believe me now?", asked Alice, and Nicholas nodded, "Yep. They're real alright.". Alexandra frowned slightly in confusion, "How did they get in, anyway? You made a rule of locking your door since Alexei's incident with the hens.".
Alice looked embarrassed, "I forgot to lock the windows...", and Nicholas blinked before laughing softly, "That has to be embarrassing for you, sis! Now you've got geese in your bedroom!". Alexandra soon giggled after that, realizing the humor of the situation.
"You realize that the children will tease you about this?", Alexandra smirked softly, and Alice groaned lightly, "They are not going to let me live this down, any more than you do, brother. Please tell me that I can use one of the other unattended rooms.".
Nicholas chuckled, wiping off a few tears of laughter before calming down at his sister's pleading look, and smiled, "You're my sister, dear Alice, you don't have to ask me even if I am the Tsar. Of course, there's always a open room around here somewhere.".
Alice sighed in relief, "Thank you! I am not going back in there to grab some clothes as it's literally a group of nesting mothers in there! One or two of those rooms better have backup clothes and a decent bed...This is not the morning I was rather hoping for...", bemoaning at the loss of her beloved bedroom.
Alexandra chuckled warmly, "You have to admit that this is a opportunity for you to sleep in a room with less sun as I know you love to sleep.". Alice slowly smiled, "That would be heavenly for me!", laughing heartily which caused the others to join in, laughing along.