Dawn of the Rose

Chapter 2 - Vunerability

Maria woke up from her 2 hour nap. The train was chugging down the tracks, and when she looked around, she was hit with sorrow and sadness when she remembered her family.

"Olenka...Tatya...Aloysha...Nastya...Mama...Papa..." she whispered, tearing up at the memory. She had lost her hemophiliac brother, her devoted parents, and her sisters had fallen. OTMA was finished; M was the only one left.

She pushed herself up from the bed and slowly wobbled to the door, cringing in pain every time her foot touched the ground, making pain flair up her leg. She pulled the door open and stumbled out into the hallway and to the main carriage, when she opened the door a group of men looked up and towards her.

"Maria." Thomas said, stepping forward and taking her hand, helping her into the carriage cart. "Meet Nikolai Yudenich, Lavr Kornilov, Anton Denikin, Pyotr Wrangel, Grigory Semyonov, Mikhail Diterikhs, Anatoly Pepelyayev and the Supreme Leader of Russia; Alexander Kolchak. They are all, or will be, leaders of the White Army; an anti-communism group that will crush the Red Army and the Bolsheviks. Men, this is Your Imperial Highness, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna Romanova, the third daughter of Nicholas II and the heiress to the throne of Russia." he introduced them. All of them bowed and Maria bit her lip as they waited for her to tell them to rise.

"There's no need for that." she said and they rose.

"But there is, when we destroy all of those communist scum you will be crowned Tsarina. Your family will rule for another three hundred years!" Nikolai Yudenich announced and the whole carriage cheered and nodded in agreement.

"I...I never...I never learned from my father or anyone on how to rule Russia, that was left to Alexei!" she answered, her blue saucers wide with fear.

"You must have learned something during your years living in the palaces?!" Alexander Kolchak said.

"Well, we learned different languages, history, art and we were taught how to balance books on our head to walk like a Princess." she replied. Her face screwed up in sadness and Thomas put a comforting hand on her forearm, making her send him a smile.

"Then we will add onto that; we will teach you everything your brother, father, grandfather, even great-grandfather learned to know how to rule. You will bring Russia back to it's former glory. Everyone well clothed, fed, educated, have a job, and your name will be all over history as the most kindest, thoughtful ruler in Europe's history!" Alexander replied. The whole carriage cheered, clapping and bowing to Maria.

"Then teaching must start right away! I will teach her about politics, Nikolai you will teach her about the country, Lavr you will teach her about the Russian people, Anton you will teach her about what countries under our rule, Pyotr you will teach her how to expand her influence and Thomas, you will teach her how to defend herself. The others you will all make sure the whole world knows about the survival of a Romanov. All hail Tsarina Maria, Empress and Autocrat of all the Russias!" he called.

Everyone bowed to Maria, who began to blush and look flustered. Thomas took her hand and walked her out as the men got to work.

"I'm...I'm not sure about this." she whispered, squeezing his hand.

"It's all right, I will teach you everything you need to know and I will guide you every step of the way. It seems you won't be going to England yet." he replied.

"There's a problem with this whole thing; only men can be on the throne. If you don't remember, I am a woman." she informed. He laughed, making her blush.

"Well, when Paul I initiated that law, he said that if there were no other Romanov men related to the Tsar in power alive then a Romanov woman, daughter or sister to the Tsar, would take the throne. Because your older sisters are dead, you are next in line. After you is your son or daughter or if you don't have any children it's your Aunt Olga or Aunt Xenia." he told her.

"Oh. I never knew that." she said, a blush creeping up her cheeks. He smiled and led her into the food cart where a feast was laid out in the table, waiting for her. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she had not eaten in days or had a decent meal in a year.

"Dig in." he said and she sat down, not allowing him to pull the chair out for her. She licked her lips and began piling as much food as she could onto the plate before beginning to eat. Thomas leaned against the dog and watched her delicately cut her food and place small amounts in her mouth. "Come on Maria, go all piggy on that food." he said, laughing as she sent him a glare. "No one will tease you or talk. I promise." he added. She shrugged and dug right in like she was her younger sister.

"Thomas?" Maria said, wiping her chin. "What will they do to make sure other countries know I live?" she asked when her mouth was empty.

"Well, they will ask to record your voice, telling everyone that you are the Grand Duchess Maria and future Tsarina then they will broadcast it to radios across the globe. Your relations will recognize your voice and will want to see you for themselves. It's got out that you and your whole family have been shot, but your Grandmother doesn't believe it, thank god. When we have taken back Russia your family will be allowed back into the country and you will reunite with them." he told her.

"So will I participate in the war?" she asked.

"When your training is complete and if the White Army allows it, then yes." he told her. She gave a nod of understanding and kept eating until she was full. Thomas was about to tell someone to throw the rest out but Maria stopped him.

"No, give the rest to the whole train. It's not a good impression to waste food." she said and Thomas smiled.

"Very good, I was wondering if you were going to stop me." he said as the table was cleared one by one.

"Why?" she asked.

"I wanted to see if you had any kindness for your people in you. Seems I was right." he grinned and took her hand, leading her back to her carriage. "Tomorrow morning you will rise, bathe, dress and join me for breakfast. Then you will go to each of your lessons accordingly for the next week. We then will get off the train and onto another one going back the way we came. We will then take another train to St. Petersburg, at that time the White Army will have taken over the city and the surrounding area. We will then take you back home to Alexander Palace so you can settle back down and then you can train properly how to be a ruler." he added.

"But what if the White Army doesn't retake St. Petersburg?" she asked.

"Then we go to the Crimea, to Livadia Palace. We already have a well written plan if anything doesn't go our away." he told her as he opened her carriage door.

She stepped inside and smiled at him. "Thank you, Thomas."

"You're welcome, Maria." he stepped back as she closed the door then he sighed, walking towards his own carriage as night fell.