The Alexander Park, Tsarskoye Selo. August, 1903.
The Alexander Palace is an elongated two-story yellow building with double wings on the sides. It has a white ceiling, white window frames, and white rows of columns at the entrances.
The Alexander Palace is the place Tsar Nicholas and his family call home, and it is surrounded by a huge park that can be viewed from the buildingʼs balcony, a common leisure spot for the Tsarʼs family.
More valuable for Nicholas than power are his wife and daughters. Few other ruling families have been as perfectly united as his. Even fewer are right now. The man would have been happier with a simpler job, something that left him even more time to spare for his daughters and wife, especially his fragile wife.
Nicholas, like many Russian aristocrats, loves gifting his mother and wife new and different jeweled Fabergé eggs almost every year, but none of those eggs have exemplified his love for his family more than Lilies of the Valley, a light violet Fabergé egg he gave Alexandra in 1898.
Supported by four gold cabriolet legs from which green leaves veined in rose-cut diamonds spring out, the egg is surmounted by a rose-cut diamond and a cabochon ruby Imperial Crown set with two bows. Quartered by four lines of rose-cut diamonds, the jeweled piece is also decorated with pearls and rose-cut diamonds meant to represent lilies of the valley.
Alexandra Fedorovna loves flowers, so she regularly has them brought to St. Petersburg from Crimea. The lilies of the valley are among her favorites, as are pearls her favorite jewels.
Fabergé eggs usually include a surprise inside. In Lilies of the Valley, this surprise consists of three oval miniatures, one of Nicholas II in military uniform and two more of the oldest Grand Duchesses, Olga and Tatiana. They rise from the top of the egg when a pearl button at the side is turned. A turn in the opposite direction automatically folds and returns the miniatures back to the interior of the egg.
Nicholas knew his wife would love the egg when he had it commissioned, and he knew exactly what she would love about it. A true representation of both their family and Nicholasʼs love for Alexandra.
Maria was born a year later, and Anastasia, two years after that. Still now, almost every day, Nicholas and Alexandra will sit, have tea, and play with their four daughters on the balcony. The coupleʼs time with their daughters often includes acting in ridiculous ways, such as holding the dolls and going along with their childish games to amuse them. They are proud, caring, and indulging parents. If any of them could be considered a disciplinarian, it would be Alexandra. She does attempt to be persuasive more than strict though.
The Alexander Park is a green landscape throughout springs and summers. The roads, surrounded by trees, and the water flowing through the canals are both exceptions to the rule.
Six-year-old Grand Duchess Tatiana says the park looks like a forest. She likes to imagine it as such with her older sister Olga sometimes. The little girls will pretend to be fairies or similar storybook characters from the many folk tales their parents and nannies tell them about.
Most canals can be crossed over with bridges, something the Romanov sisters are doing right now. Today, the four little Grand Duchesses are going on a walk through their forest with Margaretta Eagar, Sonia Orbeliani, and Catherine Schneider.
Sonia Orbeliani is the Empressʼs 28-year-old lady in waiting. Catherine, a Baltic German, is the same woman who taught Alexandra the Russian language many years ago. In the family, she goes by the name of Trina.
"I spy, with my little eye… something blue!" Tatiana exclaims.
Olga and Tatiana are walking side by side, holding hands and swinging their arms together as high as they can, back and forward. Tatiana thinks this is fun.
"The sky!" Olga immediately suggests, looking up and pointing at it.
"Nope", Tatiana shakes her head proudly. There is a cheeky grin on her face. She didn't make this riddle as easy as she has before. Olga infers this and ruins her sisterʼs perfectly done half-up hair with her hands in response.
"Olenka!" Tatiana pulls away from Olga, but her smile does not disappear from her face.
Tatiana makes use of her fingers in an attempt to brush her hair back to normal and then goes for Olgaʼs hair.
Being incredibly close, the four little girls are extraordinarily affectionate with each other. Their closeness may largely involve the usual hugging and head patting, but it also includes pushing, kicking, and making use of any methods at hand to irritate each other.
Margaretta, Sonia, and Catherine are walking slower behind the four children. None of them have scolded the two oldest girls. It is an informal day after all, and Olga and Tatiana are laughing and screaming. They are having fun.
The three women are dressing alike. Only their long skirts are different colors. Catherine and Margaretta Eagar are, moreover, wearing sweaters. The four sisters, on the other hand, are dressed exactly the same way, even two-year-old Anastasia. Black shoes, white stockings, and long-sleeved dresses. Olga is wearing a headband as well.
The youngest Romanov sister already walks perfectly well and even faster than her sisters if she wills it so. Her beautiful strawberry blonde hair is growing. Little Nastasia is slowly becoming a big girl, Olga thinks with delight, and soon we will all be able to play even more games together. The more friends the better.
Those are the thoughts crossing the little empress's mind. Olga is thinking about her youngest sister. She also has questions. Her head is always filled with them. Right now, she has two. Where does the water go after it has rained? Why doesn't the earth become a huge ocean when it rains a lot? She asks both these things to Miss Eagar.
Once the nanny has replied that water usually evaporates back into the air, Olga thinks of the beautiful Crimean beaches. The girl then recalls a recent music lesson she did exceptionally well at. She is looking forward to the next one.
The first time Nicholas referred to his oldest daughter as "little empress", he had been discussing the most recent affairs of state with her in a fairly simple language any child of a similar age could have easily understood. Nevertheless, the girl surprised her father by his perfectly recalling a past conversation that had taken place the previous winter, a discussion about the troubles in the Far East.
Little empress. Olga was delighted to hear her father refer to her in such a way, a way that implied she was just like him. The young girl had told everyone who would listen about it. The name has somewhat stuck, but unfortunately for Olga, it is far from being the most common way people refer to her as.
Unlike many children with no such fortune, Olga is part of the lucky ones who don't have exceedingly worrisome thoughts nor problems beyond their years. The future of the entire nation may depend on her father, but its troubles are distant. They are fun, like a childrenʼs game. Her father is her hero. He is super smart, for whenever he is not with them, Olga knows he is reading and writing reports and orders. One has to be smart to do that.
Her father knows what to do and can do no wrong. Russia and its people are safe in his hands, and so is she.
Olgaʼs thoughts as she walks through the park are simple and happy. She taps Tatianaʼs shoulder.
"Look at them", she gushes at her younger sisterʼs ear with a giggle.
Tatiana looks to her left, where Maria and Anastasia can be seen walking side by side with huge tumbling steps. They are also holding each other's hands. Tatiana smiles down at them for a second.
Ever since Anastasia was born, Maria hasnʼt felt lonely a day in her life, not even on the days her parents arenʼt home. Her older sisters may be best friends with each other, but Maria doesnʼt mind, because Anastasia is mostly hers, her baby sister who is always ready and willing to play with her, who is on her side whenever the childish squabbles begin, babbling in her defense. The two youngest girls are as inseparable as the oldest two are. Olga and Tatiana love Maria as well, and the four-year-old can tell. Her older sisters always accept her hugs smiling and do play with her now. Maria doesnʼt take that for granted.
To love and be loved, as far as Maria understands, means enjoying her parents' and sistersʼ company. It means being cuddled. Maria is the most tender and devoted out of her sisters.
Suddenly, Mariaʼs big eyes become even bigger. She slows down and startles the older girls by jumping, unclasping herself from Anastasia in the process. Still jumping, the little girl starts clapping. She is incredibly excited.
"I know what you saw, Tatya!" Maria points her finger at the canal they are approaching. "The water!"
Influenced by her sisterʼs enthusiasm, Anastasia starts jumping as well. "The water! The water!" She cries with excitement over and over again. "The water! The water!"
This makes Olga laugh.
"No", Tatiana proudly declares with a grin. "It is not that." She crosses her arms.
Maria stands still, pouting. She gradually begins walking again after a few seconds, but not without bellowing about how much she hates the game. She will get over it in seconds though. Her anger is usually short-lived. The four-year-old has never experienced a grudge.
Anastasia doesnʼt understand the game very much yet, not truly. Unlike Maria, she doesn't stop jumping.
"It is, the water!" The youngest Romanov daughter keeps yelling. "The water!" She grabs the back of Tatianaʼs dress. "It is the water!" By now, the two-year-old wouldnʼt stop her antics regardless of her understanding of the game or lack thereof.
Tatiana protests as she tries to get Anastasiaʼs hands away from her dress. Even Olga becomes startled. She untangles herself from Tatiana to avoid her mischievous youngest sister. Miss Eagar intervenes and picks Anastasia up.
"You are being a little monkey, arenʼt you?" The nanny says. Catherine and Sonia laugh as Anastasia struggles against Miss Eagar. Once the fright has passed, Olga and Tatiana laugh as well.
Tatiana turns around to face her governess and begins walking backwards. "That was very naughty Nastya", She points a finger at her little sister, who smiles down at her from Miss Eagar's arms.
The smiling Olga takes Tatianaʼs hand again. She loves doing that. Olga does wonder though... why, unlike the older women, is she always dressed like her sisters?
"Trina, why canʼt Tatiana and I wear long skirts and dresses already?" Olga asks Catherine.
"What is the hurry dear?" She replies. "You are still a child."
"They look prettier longer", Maria gets closer to Olga. Miss Eagar smiles down at her.
"I would also like a long skirt", Tatiana tells Trina, "like yours, and mamaʼs".
The women and the girls have all slowed down, the little Grand Duchesses having turned halfway around to talk to their elders.
"Believe me girls", Sonia says, "when you are older, you are going to miss your short, little girl skirts. They are more comfortable, easier to run, jump and play with, and better for riding".
"I also like riding! We should go riding tomorrow!" Tatiana exclaims. "It is so fun, right Olga?"
Olga nods at her sister. Sonia Orbeliani is a fearless and independent woman. A talented equestrian who has talked to the girls a lot about her days as the faster rider in the Caucasus.
"I want to be as good as you Sonia", Tatiana continues, "but I didnʼt know short skirts were better for riding."
"They might be better for riding", Trina intervenes, giving Sonia a slightly stern look, "but once young girls reach a certain age, they are no longer appropriate."
Catherine, on the other hand, is a shy older woman who keeps mostly to herself. Quite conservative, she is also warm and devoted to the family.
"Well, one gets used to long skirts anyway", Sonia changes the subject, clearly getting the older woman's message. "Would you let me join your spy game, girls?"
The three oldest girls become excited at the prospect. Olga and Tatiana nod at the same time as if coordinated to do so. Maria starts jumping and clapping again.
"Well, is it a little bird?" Sonia asks. "I saw a blue little bird right up that tree".
Everyone in the group stops walking to look up at the three, trying to spot the bluebird Sonia claims to be pointing at. Even Anastasia becomes calm. The restless little girl does understand she may be about to see something very interesting.
"I really want to see the pretty little birdie!" Mashka exclaims. Yet again, her huge blue eyes become even bigger in an attempt to avoid missing anything. Sonia keeps telling them to look at a certain branch, and the girls do. Margaretta and Catherine continue trying as well. They listen to Soniaʼs directions on where to look.
Time goes by, but eventually, Sonia admits after letting out a chuckle that there is no bluebird. It was a simple yet effective prank.
Everyone laughs except for disillusioned four-year-old Maria, who pouts. Her blue eyes fill with tears. Olga reassures her with a hug when she notices. Tatiana pats her head, repeating over and over again that everything is fine.
Sonia can't believe what she just did and feels guilty for a second. She bends down to pinch Mariaʼs cheek, apologizes, and tells her not to worry.
"There are lots of birds around here", she assures the little girl. "Some other time, maybe even today, you might get luckier." Maria rubs her eyes and smiles. Her forgiveness is quite easy to obtain.
That is when Olga notices it. She was so silly not to have done so before.
"Tatya, is it the ribbon around Soniaʼs hat?" Olga asks Tatiana.
"Yes!" Tatiana admits enthusiastically. The two older sisters hug and squeal in celebration.
Nicholas and Alexandra couldnʼt be with their children today. They are on a trip.
Oo
The canonization of Saint Seraphim of Sarov took place a few days ago, and the sovereigns were there to witness it. They may have two more lilies of the valley, two more angels or little cherubs, as Nicholas calls his daughters, but the imperial couple has yet to beget a son, and in a continuous search for a miracle, the ridiculed Frenchman Philippe was first replaced by the "holy fool" Dimitri, one of those people who give up their worldly possessions upon joining monastic orders or deliberately flout society's conventions to serve a religious purpose. Their immense devotion to Christ and perceived feeblemindedness or innocence is most favored by God and is thus said to provide them with special insight.
Later on, proclaimed prophet Daria Osipova, who suffered from epilepsy, was summoned to talk to the couple about their future son.
Despite wholeheartedly believing in these various pious people, Nicholas and Alexandra never stopped placing their utmost faith in the starets Seraphim of Sarov, working to make sure he was canonized.
When the royal entourage arrived at Arzamas, the town where the celebrations took place and Saint Seraphim had once lived, nearly half a million pilgrims had reached the Sarov Monastery, both peasants and well-to-do believers. From every corner of the Russian Empire people came. Young and old. Rich and poor. Dressed in bright regional costumes, rags and fine clothes, but all with one purpose. To venerate Seraphim. Some people walked all the way to the site, as the physical rigor doing so requires is itself considered an act of veneration.
Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra walked the last stretch of road with the pilgrims, although not without security nearby. On the day of the canonization, they received Holy Communion amidst their subjects.
One hundred thousand pilgrims filled the monastery, churches, and squares. Thousands more stood nearby or on the road. People were lining up as far as through the ancient Sarov Forest, all awaiting the moment when the relics would be opened for veneration.
The Tsar and five Grand Dukes lifted the coffin and carried it from the church. The crowd watched the procession in silence. The occasional weeping was all that could be heard.
After the canonization, Nicholas and Alexandra bathed in the Sarova River, as it was said Seraphim had once done the same. They prayed that the sacred waters would finally bless them with a son and heir.
Oo
Few people receive special gifts from the light. Even fewer are able to make use of said gifts, for those who possess them may require an almost otherworldly spiritual vocation, something the man Russians now call a saint had.
Before he died, St. Seraphim left a particularly important prophecy to Nicholas Motovilov, his chronicler. The recipient of said message was specified in the letter that contained it: "To the Tsar in whose reign I shall be glorified".
While speaking to Motovilov, the starets often mentioned Tsar Nicholas, whom he called "a Christian in his soul". He mentioned the Tsar's devout consort, Alexandra Feodorovna, and his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna.
Motovilov searched and worked tirelessly for ways to bring about the canonization of St. Seraphim during the reign of Nicholas I, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, and his mother Marie Feodorovna. When Nicholas I died in 1855, proving his efforts unsuccessful, Motovilov was bitterly disappointed.
What had happened, or more accurately, hadn't happened, had been contrary to Seraphim's prediction. The old man had linked his canonization to an exact combination of royal names. Motovilov died in 1879. No one would have guessed that fifty years after the death of Nicholas I, the very same names would make another appearance among members of the imperial family: Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, and his mother Marie Feodorovna.
St. Seraphim had not only predicted his own canonization but also the arrival of the Tsar and his family to the celebration. In anticipation, the prophet had entrusted the letter to Motivilov with these words: "You will not live that long, but your wife will live to the time when the royal family will come to Diveyevo, and the Tsar will come to see her. Let her give it to him."
And so, Motovilovʼs wife Elena Ivanovna preserved the letter, and when Tsar Nicholas II came from Sarov to visit Diveyevo, he received it… and was painfully made aware of the future downfall of the Russian nation, the Orthodox Church, and his reign. He was made aware of the suffering that would follow.
As soon as the Emperor read the letter, he began weeping bitterly. The Empress would cry as well. The entourage tried to console the imperial couple, assuring them that while Seraphim was a saint, he had once been a human as well. The letter, they said, could simply be taken as a warning of what might happen instead of a curse, something doomed to happen.
Nicholas and Alexandra thought of little else for days. Needless to say, the letter had been unnerving, adding to the distress the contents of Monk Abelʼs casket had resulted in two years ago.
Not a single complete manuscript written by the famous seer survived, only fragments and some copies. Nevertheless, at the request of Tsar Paul, Monk Abel, like Seraphim, had also written down his most important prophecies and hidden them in a casket to be opened exactly 100 years after the death of the Mad Tsar. The predictions were, to say the least, disheartening for the imperial couple, and only more so once they caught up on the fact many of the events prophesied had already come to pass, the murder of the Tsar Liberator being the most shocking of all for Nicholas, who later also identified his father in Monk Abelʼs writings when an Emperor who would bring peace was alluded to.
There will be a redeemer, read the next prediction, which both Nicholas and Alexandra knew was theirs. He will replace the royal crown with a crown of thorns, he will be betrayed by his people, as once the Son of God was betrayed.
There will be a war, a great war, a world war. In the air, people, like birds, will fly. Underwater, like fish, they will swim. They will begin to destroy each other with stinking sulfur.
The betrayal will grow and multiply. On the eve of victory, the royal throne will collapse, and its many descendants will be scattered and persecuted.
A man with an ax will take power in madness, but he himself will cry afterward. The plagues of Egypt will start.
Blood and tears will water the damp earth, bloody rivers will flow. Brother will rise up against brother. Fire, swords, invasion of foreigners, and an internal enemy. Godless power.
Here and there will be death and nowhere to run. The smoke of fires and ashes, all living things will dissipate. Dead deserts all around. Not a single human soul, not an animal creature. Neither tree nor grass will even grow... and then there will still be more.
The Angel of the Lord will pour out new bowls of calamity so that the people come to their senses. Several wars there will be, the next one worse than the other. A new Khan from the west will raise his hand.
The people between fire and flame will be, but they will not be destroyed like Earth, as if the prayers of the tortured Tsar had saved them.
Warnings, Nicholas and Alexandra decided. Just God's warnings. They had to be firm and prepare for any hardships and tribulations that might come their way, and at the end of the day, they also had to be ready to accept Godʼs will regardless, because every possible happening, even the hypothetical downfall of their nation, was in His hands.
But still, Alexandra knows that as long as they have faith in God, everything is possible. Any prayer can be heard. Faith can move mountains and change destiny if God so decides. At least, that is what she hopes.
Nicholas and Alexandra have discussed the grim topic reassuringly.
"It is not like these sorts of predictions are uncommon either", Nicholas assured Alexandra on one occasion as the two prayed together in their room. "In Russia, apocalyptic prophesies and rumors have circled around for a long time". They have, existing since before the Time of Troubles. They are particularly popular among the common people.
Dates for the end of the world have abounded and clearly been proven to be incorrect as well, and not just in Russia but all over the world. Nicholas and Alexandra are aware of some of them, and in truth, that knowledge is what preserved their sanity. Their friend Philippe's foretellings of future glory also encouraged them.
Nicholas and Alexandra went on to visit the Diveyevo Convent, where Pasha, another old holy fool, spoke to them for several hours. She foretold they would suffer a painful martyrdom.
The Empress, who by miracle didnʼt faint, exclaimed:
"I don't believe you, it cannot be!"
Pasha gave the Empress a piece of red cloth in response. "This is for some little trousers for your son", she said, "and when he is born, you will believe what I have been telling you."
The imperial couple left pale and terrified. Not a coincidence, they both acknowledged in submission to Godʼs will once the panic had dissipated. Hard times were coming, unavoidably so, but the holy fool had made them certain of something else as well, something that would not allow them to fall into despair.
Alexandra's son might as well have been born already, making her most important duty as an Empress full filled. Knowing God has listened to their prayers, Nicholas and Alexandra are more than ready to hope He will not let them or Holy Russia down.
Moscow is the third Rome, the center of the true faith. It can't fall. Surely there must be more to the prophecy, especially considering the miraculous advent of their son. Maybe they will have to suffer through the hard times so he can have an easier and more glorious reign.
Oo
Seraphim is not unique in his abilities, and there are those who are since birth so naturally gifted that they may come to have visions or possess special abilities requiring little effort on their part. No outstanding sort of piety, no training.
The early 1900s are unusual, for there are plenty of these powerful people alive at the moment, which is uncommon. They are so rare barely ever are two of them alive at the same time.
There is a little blonde peasant girl living in a village near Moscow who has the sight. She is nine years old now. Born in Siberia, another gifted peasant in his thirties has a family of his own but spends most of his time wandering from holy place to holy place, searching for spiritual meaning in his life, getting a bit lost in the process.
There are others. Each of these living oracles has a purpose, otherwise they would not exist. The more naturally gifted they are, the easier it is for them to be corrupted by the dark.
Oo
Used to having their parents around, the four Grand Duchesses are missing them, but not more than Alexandra is desperately missing her babies, as she calls her daughters. She started missing them more than ever after learning of the prophecy. Their presence and cheerfulness would reassure Alexandra very much right now. The mother has sent her eldest daughter plenty of letters expressing that longing while also describing her journey, something Olga finds particularly interesting.
Sonia helps Olga read her motherʼs letters sometimes. The oldest Grand Duchess likes talking to her little sisters about them. After the bird incident, Alexandraʼs words comforted the disappointed Maria.
"Auntie Olga likes going on walks through the forest with papa", Olga tells her sisters. "They have seen many soldiers of all kinds. Uhlans, Dragoons and Hussars, and infantry, artillery, and cavalry…"
"Oh!" Maria exclaims. "I wish I could have been there to say 'hi' to our soldiers!"
"But there are lots of soldiers here already", Tatiana argues as she looks at her younger sister. "Our guards".
"Yes, I like them all", Maria says.
"The peasants they have met on the trip are all very nice", Olga continues. "They gave mama bread, salt, and flowers they had grown themselves. The children love giving mama and papa flowers and talking to mama. An old lady mentioned us, asking mama where she had left us."
"That is so sweet!" Tatiana exclaims. Maria nods.
"Another one called her mamashinka, which means mother", Olga explains. "Mama and papa are the little mother and father of the nation and have to take care of everyone".
Olga is also aware of the fact her mother reminded her to be good, sit straight, and keep her hands off the table. The girl tries to follow Alexandra's instructions, but she prefers not to talk about them with her sisters, as Tatiana and Maria could definitely use that information against her. Instead, the Grand Duchess continues describing her parents' trip.
"Why did the workmen give mama bread and salt?" Maria asks Olga as she struts around. The four girls are about to cross a bridge.
"It is a tradition", Tatiana replies. "The Slavic way of greeting guests, and mama and papa are guests in the places they visit."
"Well, it is also traditional to give bread and salt to people in other cultures dear", Miss Eagar corrects her.
"Like what others?" Olga turns to look at her nana. She didn't know about that.
"Well, in Scotland, during New Yearʼs Day, the first one to enter a house is required by tradition to bring bread, salt, and coal, and there are many more."
"But why coal?" Olga asks.
"I wouldn't know about that", Miss Eagar admits, much to Olga's surprise. Miss Eagar knows so many things.
"It is also a tradition in the Baltics", Trina adds. "For the blessing of a new home."
Ahead of the group and walking faster, Maria has already crossed the bridge. She is trying to jump on one foot. Unlike light and agile Nastasia, Maria is chubby and stumbles quite easily whenever she jumps. On this occasion, she almost falls on her side. Sonia rushes towards the little girl and manages to catch her just in time.
"Fat little bow-wow", Olga shakes her head at Maria as she and Tatiana catch up to her. Sonia helps the child stand up.
"Did you get hurt, Mashka?" Tatiana strokes her little sister's hair. Maria just shakes her head and smiles.
"Thank God! That could have been a bad one!" A shaken Trina exclaims. Everyone in the little group has started laughing. Only the middle-aged woman remains anxious. Olga thinks it is good that Trina wasn't in the park with them a few days ago, when the four sisters played with their cousins Irina and Andryushka on another nearby bridge.
Olga, Tatiana, and Maria had climbed the railing with their cousins and then thrown leaves at the water to see which one would travel faster. Anastasia had tried to climb as well, but she had not been allowed to.
Olga and Tatiana know Anastasia will always try to follow their footsteps, even at times when it is dangerous for a girl her age to do so. Every hour of every day, the two-year-old girl's greatest purpose in life is doing anything she has learnt results in a funny feeling in her stomach or people making that loud contagious sound known as laughter.
The women and girls keep walking until they come across a bench. Catherine and Margaretta sit, the latter still carrying a slightly tired Anastasia on her lap. Sonia, on the other hand, decides to play ring o' roses with the three older children. The girls and Sonia Orbeliani form a circle, holding each other's hands to close it as they begin singing.
Ring-a-ring o' roses,
A pocket full of posies,
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all fall down.
Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Sonia have fun pretending to fall every time they finish singing the song. Olga is often the quickest to plummet, practically throwing herself to the grass as soon as the song ends. Wanting Tatiana to share her success, Olga will sometimes pull her down with her so that they can both fall at the same time. This makes Tatiana let out wildly loud giggles. The two oldest sisters are a team.
As the tallest, Sonia is always the last to reach the ground. Maria usually comes second, as her clumsiness certainly entails failing to fall on purpose. She always needs someone to help her stand up as well. The third girl will then keep giggling for longer than either her sisters or Sonia will, missing the beginning of the song every time the others start singing again.
The four girls have enjoyed this innocent little game thoroughly, laughing out loud at the end of every repetition of the lyrics.
Anastasia has watched her sisters from Miss Eagarʼs arms, screaming and clapping as they sing, rise and fall. With a twinge of jealousy, Anastasiaʼs tiredness subsides as quickly as it emerged. She extends her arms and tries to untangle herself from Miss Eagarʼs grasp.
"You want to play with them?" The nanny makes Anastasia sit by her side. "You can go." She strokes the little girlʼs head. As soon as she is free, Anastasia grins devilishly. She has changed her plans.
Miss Eagar realizes she has made a mistake a little too late. Anastasia stands up on the bench, swings her arms back, and jumps. The thump is loud.
Anastasia hits the floor, falling hard on her hands and knees. Miss Eagar could swear her forehead bounced on the ground as well. Catherine and Eagar stand up immediately, their minds quickly filling with the worst possible scenarios. The game in front of them stops. Sonia and the older girls stare at Anastasia. Little Maria, sensing the distress in the adults around her, lets out a sob and covers her eyes.
Everyone can see it. That bench was too high for Anastasia to have jumped from it in such a way. Catherine waits for the child's loud cry as she rushes towards her behind Margaretta, who hopes the two-year-old didnʼt open her knees, hands, or worse...
Before either of the women are able to check up on her, Anastasia is back on her feet. She is back up, and she is laughing.
"Oh!" Catherine exclaims in relief.
"Again! Again!" Anastasia chants.
Maria takes her hands away from her eyes and smiles when she realizes her sister is fine. Olga, Tatiana, and Sonia laugh. Miss Eagar, too, chuckles for a few seconds before preventing Anastasia from climbing back onto the arm of the bench in an unstoppable fit of laughter.
It is not the first time Miss Eagar has to stop Anastasia, at times unsuccessfully, from jumping off furniture and hurting herself. It will not be the last time either.
Anastasia did open her knee, and there is even a bit of blood coming from it. The small wound will probably be healing nicely in a day or two, but Miss Eagar still finds it surprising that Anastasia didn't seem the slightest bit bothered.
After playing ring oʼ roses one more time, now with Anastasia, Tatiana suggests that they all go visit Childrenʼs Island. Since it is getting late, the girls are promised to be taken the next day.
Oo
Tatiana worries even less frequently than her elder sister. As the second born, a lot less pressure is put on her. She can make mistakes and think of ways to correct them without fearing as many repercussions. She can learn from the ones Olga makes. She can do so discretely.
Tatiana thinks of enjoying life and making others happy. A true people pleaser, Tatiana shines more as a hostess than any of her sisters. Whenever other children come to visit the little Grand Duchesses, Olga and Maria are apt to devote themselves to one or two of their guests, but Tatiana has learned to scrutinize her every action most anxiously, lest any point of etiquette should escape her.
Tatiana was only two and a half years old when Miss Eagar took her to her first party. Olga, Tatiana, and their nanny were met at the top of the staircase by the children they had come to see, Maria and Dmitri, as well as their governess. A few days later, Olga and Tatiana would be the ones to host a children's party. Tatiana was frantically eager to be dressed and ready, hardly standing still to have her sash tied.
"You really must not be so excited, dear", Margaretta said.
"When we went to Maria's house, she and Dmitri were waiting for us at the top of the stairs", Tatiana argued back reproachfully, "and I know it must be right for us to wait for them." Accordingly, she did so.
The first guests to arrive were children a good deal older than this anxious little hostess, but Tatiana still tried to help them take off their wraps. She then took hold of their hands, leading them to the principal sitting room to ask them whether they would prefer to turn somersaults or jump off the sofa, two forms of amusement especially dear to her.
So now, every time Tatiana hosts a children's party, she will try to make sure everyone is well looked after. That way it is more fun for everyone once the games begin, etiquette itself being like a fun little game for Tatiana.
The last time Dmitri and his older sister Maria came to visit the four little Grand Duchesses with their Aunt Ella and Uncle Sergei, Tatiana was still conducting herself, in Ellaʼs words, as a magnificent little hostess. Tatiana takes pride in that.
Oo
The following day, after playing with their motherʼs dog, the four girls went to Children's Island with Miss Eagar. The tiny isle is located across a canal from the west wing of the palace. A boat is needed to reach it, so two sentries were asked to take the girls and Miss Eagar across the canal despite the fact Olga, Tatiana, and to a certain extent Maria already know how to kayak their way to the island.
Once there, a big light blue playhouse awaits them. Today, the girls are playing family inside. After much discussion, Tatiana admits, with a bit of frustration, that it is her turn to be the father, as Olga got the role last time and now wants to be the mother. Maria gets the role of the daughter, while Anastasia plays her part of the family dog convincingly by using Alexandraʼs dog Ara as a reference and barking at her three sisters and nanny.
The game soon dissolves into something different. Maria pets Anastasia and laughs uncontrollably at her barking. Olga and Tatiana attempt to train their "dog" by talking to Anastasia the same way they talk to Ara.
"Good girl", Tatiana will say with a smile whenever Anastasia raises her hand as if it were her paw. Maria laughs at anything Anastasia does. Margaretta canʼt hold back her laughter either.
Olga is a bit bolder. After Anastasia bites her, she storms out of the playhouse, gathers water from the canal in her hands, and springs it over Anastasia. Miss Eagar, naturally, scolds her.
Oo
Olga has thought of Cousin Dmitri recently. He is very playful and funny, even as a big boy of eleven. The other day when he visited and they hid in the same place during a game of hide and seek, Dmitri asked Olga whether she knew if their cousin Irina liked anyone. At first, Olga didn't comprehend why Dmitri had asked that question.
"Like your father likes your mother", the boy explained, and Olga immediately understood.
"I donʼt think so", Olga answered. To be fair, she had not been aware children could "like" like that.
Cousins Alice and Andrew must like each other like that, Olga thinks, otherwise, they wouldn't be getting married. Alice of Battenberg is the daughter of Alexandraʼs older sister, Victoria. She is soon to be married to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, Maria Feodorovnaʼs nephew.
Olga thinks she now knows why Dmitri asked her that. He must be in love with Irina! He must want to marry her as well, just like Andrew will marry Alice. Dmitri had then asked Olga not to tell Irina about his question.
Poor Dmitri. Olga would not tell Irina, but part of her wishes she could just to see her reaction... and what if Irina does like him as well? Olga will tell Tatiana though. She wonders what her sister is going to think. Olga may tell her mother as well, as it would be fun having more people to talk about it.
Dmitri lives with his sister Maria. Aunt Ella and Uncle Sergei take care of them. Olga loves them both very much. Aunt Ella is really nice to her and her sisters, never getting angry nor scolding, and Uncle Sergei is very funny and likes teasing them all. But Olga feels sorry for Dmitri and his sister Maria, because their papa is always away, but not away like Olgaʼs papa is. Olga's father always comes back, and as long as he is staying at the same palace they will see him almost every day. They play together. If Olgaʼs father left her and her sisters to go to Paris without them, Olga doesnʼt know what she would do. She would feel way too sad.
Cousin Ella canʼt see her mama and papa at the same time, Olga remembers. They "liked" each other and now don't anymore. Poor Cousin Dmitri, Olga thinks, poor Cousin Ella. My sisters and I really do have everything.
The young girl has little idea of how right she is. Her father always returns, and he never returns in a bad mood or unwilling to talk to her like a certain father in the Urals does. He never returns with back pains.
Outside the blue playhouse, a few lilies of the valley can be found. After playing, Tatiana suggests her sisters to pick up some of them. It is very fun for the four girls to compete over who can gather the most flowers. We can give the flowers to mama once she is back. Tatiana smiles at the thought.
St. Seraphimʼs prophetic letter is real, but its real contents are actually unknown.
Monk Abelʼs prophecies are a bit modified for artistic license.