The royal family just stared at me, bewildered.

"Mama, Papa, this is Bonnie Blue Butler from Georgia in the United States," George said. "I met her in Egypt, where she'd accidentally ended up instead of England. I couldn't just leave her to find her way across two continents alone, so I invited her to join us for the remainder of our journey."

"It's lovely to meet you all," I said, curtsying politely.

"Son, I've never known you to have the propensity for taking in strays," the Tsar said at last. "I'd expect this sort of behavior from your brother much more readily than from you."

I heard the thinly veiled disapproval in the monarch's voice and glanced at Nicholas to see that his ears were bright red.

"Oh, leave him alone, Sasha," the Tsarina gently chastised her husband. "I'm sure he meant well." She smiled at me. "Welcome to our home, darling." I got the impression that George could do no wrong in her eyes.

"Thank you, Your Grace," I said gratefully. Following the Tsarina's lead, the rest of the family greeted me warmly.

By the time I'd met them all, Mathilde had gone, but I suspected that it wouldn't be the last I'd see of her.

"These will be your sleeping quarters during your stay with us," George told me later. The room was surprisingly sparse, considering the grandeur of the palace itself, but it looked snug and comfortable.

"My brothers and sisters and I have always lived like this," George told me, undoubtedly noticing my surprise. 'It's father's idea of toughening us up, I suppose."

"Toughening you up?" I laughed. "Preparing you to invade and conquer the Mongols, you mean?"

"Preparing us for the responsibility of ruling a nation. Especially Nicholas." Suddenly George looked very serious. "He fears that Nicky is too soft, too indecisive, and too easily swayed, that he will never be a competent Tsar." I felt awkward, unsure of how to respond.

"Well, that's about it, I suppose." Suddenly George's happy grin was back. "I hope you'll be comfortable. Please let me know if you need anything."

I sat down to write a letter to my parents.

Dear Mother and Father,

At last we've arrived at the Winter Palace in Tsarskoe Selo. It's grander and more splendid than anything you could ever imagine, but my sleeping quarters are much more plain than my bedroom back home, even. George says that he and his brothers and sisters have always lived like that because his father's a strict disciplinarian. The Tsar does indeed seem to be a very stern man, cold and astute in some ways, but I can tell that, deep down inside, he's a very caring man who's devoted to his family and his country.
In many ways, the Tsarina seems to be the opposite of her husband, as she is very warm, friendly, and outgoing. George's personality is very similar to hers, and I can tell that he's her favorite.
Although I'm happy here with George, I do miss you both and everyone else very much. I don't have any idea when I'm coming home. Please give Wade and Ella and the others my love.

Ever your loving daughter,

Bonnie Blue Butler

Days passed quickly for me in the palace. I got to know the royal family and their servants quite well, and went on picnics and other excursions with them. It truly seemed like a life straight out of a fairy tale to me.

One day George asked me about the boys I'd known back home. I told him about Hamilton's tragic end. "After Ham died, I was so heartbroken that I guess I was just never interested in finding another suitor," I said. "After three years, my parents started to panic, afraid I'd end up a spinster like India Wilkes. I think that was part of the reason they gave me the trip to England. They were hoping I'd meet an Englishman who'd make me forget about Ham."

"Other than Ham, I guess there was never really anyone else but Beau Wilkes," I continued. "His father worked at my mother's sawmill. He was born during the war, like my brother Wade, so he was a few years older than me. I had kind of a crush on him for a long time, but he never really saw me as anything but a little girl. My sister Ella was a lot closer to his age."

"I could never have seen you as just a little girl, Bonnie." George smiled his most charming smile, and I just melted inside.

"Of course not. How could you have?" I replied. We both laughed heartily.