Flowers Bloom In Spring

Part 3: We Seven

Olga

Flip to one side, flip to the other. My eyes refuse to shut. My heart and soul aches. My mind races like the Russian wind through the trees. It is unchanged and wild with worry. A fluttering bird who cannot be tamed. All I could hear was my own voice. "She's keeping secrets. But what?" The voice inside soon faded into the clicking of the old clock on the wall as I stared at the ceiling. For the first time in a while I felt chained in this palace. Reality hit me like a ton of bricks. I was Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Olga of Russia. I live in a palace, I am the eldest daughter of the Tsar, I have duties and I am stuck here for the rest of my days. Unless god-forbid I married a commoner. I say god-forbid only because I know it would cause my parent's world to come crashing down. Shame would be brought on our family. Although enough had been heaped on us already. Sometimes I didn't care anymore. I'd rather break away from it all. But I can't, as Mama says, "God puts us here for his time and reasoning,"
I just wished that was so easy to accept.
But at the same time a building feeling of duty boiled up inside of me. All that mattered was Russia's survival now. I flung the sheets off me, sitting up quietly. This fight inside was killing me slowly. I had to decide for my family, for myself. That I am what I am, and that is a Romanov. Now I couldn't sleep, as if my duty called I rose to my feet. I hastily brushed my tussle hair away from my face. I pranced delicately to the door, slowly glancing back at T. She was fast asleep and wouldn't wake up for anything. The door slowly clicked, and a sigh of relief washed over me when it closed softly behind me. It was around four in the morning, and the palace was silent. It was odd to see our beloved sitting room quiet and blanketed in darkness. No Mama knitting in the corner, no Nastya, Alexei or Marie. No Tatiana scolding them bitterly as they laughed it up and Nastya made faces at her. It was...calm. I peeled the curtains from the large window, it was dark with a hint of light purple on the horizon.

"Why are you up so late?" A little voice laced with a bit of grogginess matched with that of Anastasia.

I tore away from the window. "Me? Why what are you doing up?" I hissed in a hushed whisper. Our pair of blue eyes met. A sigh escaped from me as I walked towards my youngest sister.

"I just can't sleep cause Maria is snoring so loud." She shook her head. I laughed a little with her. She was fortunate that all she had to care about was if Mashka snored or if Jimmy did 'the governor' on the floor. She was sixteen but a kid at heart. Meanwhile I was having a crisis here at the age of twenty one. I put on a happier face.

"You know Ortipo snores so loud too. Tatiana won't let me get rid of him." I whispered.

"Careful, the Governess might hear us and send us straight back to bed!" Anastasia exclaimed in a whisper. We both let out muffled giggles.

After a little while Anastasia blurted out "We should do something."

"It's five in the morning. What pray tell will we do at this hour?" I wanted to take that back because I knew Shvibzik could find hundreds of things to do.

"I was thinking of doing something to Mashka."

"What? No leave her alone, let's allow her sleep." I protested as Anastasia shoved me towards their room. Although I really didn't want to do anything mean or funny, right about now I could use a few laughs. I rarely if ever participated in Anastasia's antics. But on occasion we would ride our bicycles around the palace. Or chase each other in a rough game of tag.

The door was left open as we crept into their room. I hit my toe against Anastasia's desk, causing a tiny squeal to escape from me. I shut my eyes, gripping my foot. She flashed a glare at me like she was some expert at sneaking around like this. Light peered through the thin curtains in their room. So we could see everything including the 'victim' of Anastasia's boredom, fast asleep and snoring loudly like Nastya said.

"Shvibs-" I mouthed as she retrieved a feather from a box under her cot.

I swiveled around to look at Maria as she shuffled around in her bed.
"We're gonna be in so much trouble." I said barley whispering.

"Not if we don't get caught." She whispered louder, almost daring Maria to wake up at any moment.

"Shut up she's about to wake up!" I hissed back in a quieter tone.

Anastasia didn't care about my warning, and quietly collapsed next to Maria's bedside. She inched the feather close to her nose and cheeks.

Maria's brows furrowed as she was ticked mercilessly by Nastya. Bouts of laugher threatened to give way from both of us as she snorted and turned away from the feather. I snatched the feather out of her hand. I delicately swiped it across Maria's face, causing her to toss and turn again. But our fun was cut short. The obnoxious sound of a motorcade could be heard outside. The bellowing shouts of the Cossacks sounded.

"OPEN THE GATES FOR HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY!"

That title translated to one thing for us. Anastasia and I locked eyes as we struggled out of her room and into the corridor. We skidded down the stairs to the big window on the first floor. A stout little figure carefully opened the car door for the man who we instantly recognized.

"Papa is back!" We screeched, skipping merrily up the stairs to wake our sisters.
I burst open the doors to my room, Anastasia did the same to hers. I nudged Tatya, while trying to catch a glimpse of our father through the window. "T he's back!" I squealed.

"W-what? Who?" Her grey eyes flashed open, taking a hold of my wrists to stop shoving her around. "Papa!" I exclaimed, causing her to shoot up instantly. She quickly rubbed her eyes to chase away sleepiness. "C'mon!" I added as she followed me out of the room. We four pooled into the corridor, Mama and Alexei too in anticipation of Papa's homecoming.