Woke Up In A New Decade

Chapter Thirty Two

Picture: Romanov Family in Livadia 1913.

AUGUST 1913
Liesel's wedding was beautiful. The most beautiful wedding I had ever gone to. Seeing her walk down the aisle in her gown made me tear up slightly. Cian smiled and Caoimhe was a little flower girl. She was so beautiful and the dress she wore made her look like a Grand Duchess. It took place in Denmark because her husband was from there, which was reliving i could not get Cian to go to Germany. I was so happy for her, and ready for her return. She will be back tomorrow and I'll be waiting.

I was on a track of gaining weight, eating four full meals a day. They tried once with Cian but he said no. I had ladies in waiting and Cian to watch me to make sure I ate everything. Dr. Botkin visited more often and sometimes gave Cian food which he ate, Botkin asked me if I remembered anything that happened before that night. Life has been going slow, Alexei had his 9th birthday. There was a Grand Ball held in St. Petersburg, now I understood why the Grand Duchesses didn't know simple things like the currency of money.

I feel so sheltered here, almost forgetting simple things to know in the actual world. I had Cian to remind me though, it was crazy the things that were slowly slipping through my mind.

I was going on my daily walk with Grandmothers lady in waiting, the Irish siblings and some guards that surrounded us. I was walking through one of the trails in the garden with Cian in front of me, I told him where to go and Caoimhe behind me. It was sunny with a bit of clouds. The weather was actually warm in St. Petersburg, I'd never been because of the cold wars but would love to go! Grandmother, the Irish siblings and me stayed in her palace, I haven't seen my sisters in a while, I wonder what they're doing? The walks I took was quite boring, nothing really to speak about with Cian, Kiki or the lady in waiting. The lady in waiting was about Grandmothers age, and always seemed to wear anything blue on her. Either her piece of clothing, shoes or jewellery. Cian whispered to me on a walk that she's obsessed.

Her name was Elisabeth, and she was first assigned to Grandmother when she first became the Czarena of Russia. Me, Cian and Kiki knew that Grandmother was stressed because she was speaking over the phone every night to someone. Cian reckons it's the same person, i agree. It's always at 8:00 Pm, I think it's Mama because I'm the pure source of their conversations. Cian sometimes overheard.

I think Mama doesn't want me, Cian and Kiki to live with Grandmother anymore because one night I was practising with Cian and Kiki my walking when grandmother yelled, "I will not allow you to have her near Rasputin! And you will neglect those young children again!" After hearing that Elisabeth made sure we didn't walk outside of grandmothers room anymore. Cian wondered what was happening through those phone calls.

I was currently sitting in grandmothers parlour, playing the piano I was finally allowed to play it again. Cian had put Kiki to sleep and was simply doodling on paper. Elisabeth sat down on the coach reading. The silent room was beginning to fill with the melody of Russian tunes. We didn't notice when Grandmother walked in with a frown on her face. "Why aren't you two in bed?" She asked. Elisabeth sat up, I stopped playing the melody and turned around and Cian stopped mid pen in air drawing. "I apologise your Grace, I didn't realise what time it was." Elisabeth muttered an apology while doing a rushed deep curtsey.

"Stop apologising to me and start paying attention, report back to me when you are done." Grandmother snapped. Cian stood up as Elisabeth rushed us out the room and into our own. We all still shared, but the room in grandmothers palace in Russia was much bigger and more grander than the one she had in Denmark. Caoimhe was in her bed, fast asleep looking peaceful.

Cian and I got into our night clothes and got into bed. I laid in bed. "Good night Astrid, Good night Cian." Elisabeth muttered to us as she turned off my lano which Caoimhe somehow fell asleep with on.

"Good night Elisabeth." Cian mumbled. She left the toom and closed the door. I waited for a second. And Cian shot up, Caoimhe did too. "Nice acting skills, Cao." I complimented. "It's a family thing." She smirked. We slipped through our room, sneaking around and followed her to the parlour again. We all leaned slightly against the parlour door and tried to listen carefully. Surprisingly there was no servants in sight which was strange. "I sincerely apologise Elisabeth, I really didn't mean to act out like that in such a harsh manner. The Tsarina is tiring me out with such late night conversations."

"There is no need to apologise your Grace. I can tell you have been very tense lately." Elisabeth interjected. "Oh, Elisabeth! I don't know what to do. You are the only close friend I can trust right now. The Tsarina wants to take my dear Valentina and the two poor Irish children. She keeps listing all these reasons to take them back, but with Rasputin around? He, Rasputin is a very dangerous man, is the reason i took Asta away in the first place! Then she has the audacity to try take two back two kids, one skinny and the other a child who she allowed to simply live ALONE BY THEMSELVES in poverty!" Grandmother yelled out.

I felt my pulse quicken and I began sweating. Cian held me up so I didn't slide onto the floor. I didn't want to hear their conversation anymore, Cian seemed to realise this. I heard enough to know we might return back to OTMA and Rasputin. Cian lifted me up. They ran back to our room and i was laid in my army cot, Caoimhe fell into her bed and Cian went into his. I don't know what any of us can do. Caoimhe and Cian will remain their ages, 16 and 8. And I was only 14, going 15 in November. We're all technically useless. We can't control anything nor anyone. How are we going to save them?! How are we supposed to come up with a plan.

I told Cian and Kiki about WW1, they were shocked but believed me, there was tension in the world for ages. I felt tears begin dripping down my face out of my frustration, I didn't know what to do. We had to come up with a plan with 1914 coming soon, quickly at a rapid pace. As I laid in bed thinking repeatedly, my eyes grew tired. Caoimhe was fast asleep. I let out a yawn and allowed myself fall asleep thinking on the matter tomorrow so I had more energy in my body.