Dawn of the Rose

Chapter 1 - Safety

I am rewriting Dawn of the Rose. The old version will be deleted straight after this chapter is published.

Ipatiev House, Yekaterinburg, Russia (Siberia) - 18th July, 1918.

"Mashka?" a little voiced whispered in the darkness of the small room. "Maria?"

Maria's eyes blinked open and she looked around, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. "Nastya?" she whispered, her voice hoarse from sleep. She turned her head to stare up at the 17 year old looking down at her.

"They want us all up; apparently there is chaos in the streets and we are going to be taken into the basement for our own protection." Anastasia said in English, ignoring the protocols the guards placed to only speak Russian.

"Okay. Do you have the medicine?" Maria asked and she nodded.

"Yes, Olenka and Tatya are tying each other's now, Olenka did mine earlier." she whispered. "Mama and Papa are awake and are helping Anna and Alyosha with their pillows. Get up so I can do yours." she ordered. Maria smiled and got out of her bed, placing her feet on the cold floor.

Anastasia got to work on putting on her corset while Maria dressed into the same attire as her sisters; white blouse and black skirt.

"We have to go now." Tatiana said, walking into the room. Maria grabbed Anastasia's arm as they walked out, Anastasia keeping a firm grip on her dog Jimmy.

They met their parents, brother and entourage; Alexei Trupp, their valet, Yevgeny Botkin, the family doctor, Ivan Kharitonov, their cook and their mother's maid Anna Demidova at the staircase and they walked down together, their father carrying their brother Alexei, who had thought it was a good idea to sled down the stairs of the house. Unfortunately, he was born with hemophilia, and any injury; bruise, cut was fatal.

Their mother, Alexandra, stopped on the stairs and made a cross as she saw the stuffed mother bear and cubs sitting on the staircase. Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, Alexei and Nicholas followed her example and then they walked out of their part of the house and towards the doors to the other side of the house.

"Well, we're going to get out of this place." Nicholas told the small party.

They walked into the basement and turned to look at the man in front of them; Yurovsky. "It seems your relatives assume you are all dead; we need to take your photograph to assure your relatives that you are all alive." he told them. Alexandra sent a knowing look at her husband and complained to him that there were no chairs.

"I would like chairs for my wife and my son please." Nicholas asked and Yurovsky sighed, signalling for a couple of guards to bring them in, then he watched Nicholas placed Alexei on one chair. He positioned him behind Alexei, then placed Dr. Botkin on Nicholas' right, the Grand Duchesses stood behind their mother along with the servants. Yurovsky gave a nod and walked out, shutting the doors behind him.

"Papa, where will we being going?" Alexei asked.