The Sisters Of The Court

Chapter 71: Scarlett

St Petersburg, 1914

I sit on the balcony leading from my study enjoying the hot weather as I watch the children play on the green below me. All of a sudden I hear the door slam and I jump to my feet in an instant, what could be so urgent at this time in the morning? "Tasha? Are you in here?" I hear Misha call out to me and I hurry to open the door leading to the balcony. "What is it? What's happened?" I rush over and take his hands holding them tightly. My first thought goes to George or to Alexei. What if something's happened to them? My son and nephew, both of them heirs or possible heirs. What if someone has harmed them? "War, Russia has joined the war." He says breathlessly, my heart leaps, finally! Finally we can fight against awful Wilhelm and stop deluding ourselves that there can be peace! I turn and look down at the green where my innocent children are playing, "It has been announced?" I ask quietly and suddenly feel a pang of guilt for being against the place I grew up. But that doesn't matter, I will never return and Russia is my home now, I am a Russian. "Nickie's going to announce it this afternoon, I should be there." He takes me into his arms and I can only hope we win. I take in the familiar scent of the cigarettes and cologne on his shirt. "Go my love, Nickie needs you." I let him go and squeeze his hand before he goes back into the cool darkness of the house. After he goes I run into my office and start writing out the telegram I plan to send. George, I know we're not on good terms but I've told George that he will stay here until it is safe for him to return. We both love him and please do this for his safety and not because of ill will between us, Scarlett. I quickly seal it my hands shaking from the news and give it to a servant to be delivered. Pray God this war will end soon and Misha won't have to go to the front. I hand a servant to telegram it too George as I make the sign of the cross. "Dear God please spare our men and let it be short." I whisper, I never pray but I fear the might of Germany. "And spare my son" I whisper.

That afternoon I take Julia, Alice, Sergei and George with me to the winter palace to listen to the speech that Nicholas will deliver to announce the start of the war. My poor son cannot come again, I know he wishes to see Alexei again, But my baby has been so tired since we came back from the Crimea a few weeks ago. I look out the window and force my hands to be still. How can everyone truly believe that this war will be over in a few weeks? With most of Europe fighting each other? I turn my head away from the window as George takes my hand and squeezes it. I give him a small smile as I look at his youthful face, he'd be a prime target for the Germans. Surely his father would not send him to the war? I take Julia's hand as we get out of the car, "Mama?" She looks up at me and I slip my other hand into George's to steady myself. "Yes my love?" I smile as we start walking inside the grand palace, It's the prettiest palace in the world in my opinion. "Will Alex go to war?" She looks up at me with her eyes as big as a cat's, I smile to myself at her question. It seems she has formed a crush on him, I have almost forgotten what young love was, It's been so long since I've been a child or unmarried I've forgotten. For God's sake I'm over 40 now. 'I don't know my love, But I know that he and his siblings should be here tonight." I pull her closer to my side as I smile at her, she or Nicholas shouldn't be distressed by this war. They should carry on with their puppy love. I see Alice lagging behind us and I beckon everyone else inside, she's been acting strange ever since the visit from the Romanians, perhaps she finally learned a lesson of respectfulness from when I caught her and that awful Prince Carol in bed together and I slapped some sense into her. I walk over to her as she leans against the side of a building crouching down almost to her knees. "Alice, what's wrong?" I put my hand on her back gently and I can tell from the way she swallows she's trying to keep vomit down. "Nothing." She says gasping for breath before she vomits all over the ground, I keep rubbing her back as she shakes, she's to vulnerable to be spiteful now.  "Do you wish to go home?" I ask and almost jump as she lays her head in my lap, I haven't been this close physically or emotionally to her for years. To my surprise tears start running down her face as her body is racked with sobs, I thought this girl was incapable of tears. "Alice what is it?" I ask gently, If I know her at all, her temper could come out at any minute. "I thought," She struggles to take a deep breath "That he would be jealous if he saw me with another." She struggles for breath and breaks down into tears again. I know at once who she's talking about, Nicholas. She's had a crush on him her whole life practically. I frown at her, he would never go for her. "And now-I'm with child." All of her sudden her voice grows cold and she sits up again. With child? She is only 17, this will ruin her and her chances. The thoughts whirl through my mind as I recover from my shock, "You have to take responsibility." I say frankly and I stand up with her, she just gives me an icy glance as if she resents what she just told me, resents showing any vulnerability. "No, I'll be rid of it, it's just a burden to me." She says casually and a fire burns up in me, she doesn't know what it's like to lose a child, She can't kill my grandchild, how could one be so cruel to an innocent baby? "I will raise it if you wish." I make my tone match hers, I won't let her take it away, if she won't be responsible then I will be. It was foolish of me to think for a moment she cared for anyone but herself. "I won't carry this thing for free, I want 3,000 rubles by the end of my pregnancy." She turns and walks away from me, leaving me to stand alone and shocked. I've tried to raise her not be like her father, But now I realize I've failed. Only a person as cruel could sell their own child and give so little concern to it. I go back inside angrily, the angry thoughts whirling inside my head. How could she have so little regard for her own child's life! I whirl round the corner without much regard to who or what could be behind, I am to angry at my insolent daughter to be minding where I'm going. As I turn the turn the corner I run into a person who is taller then me. I tilt my head up and see a youthful young man smirking down at me. Dmitri Pavlovich. I've seen Vicky hanging around with him before but I've never spoken to him except on state occasions. Everyone says he's a great fool and a womanizer. I straighten my back and look him in the eyes and see a devilish glint in them. "Grand Duke Dmitri." I say politely, I've heard he's involved himself with that Yussupov boy, I want nothing to do with either one of them. "Grand Duchess." He kisses my hand then turns it over and kisses my palm as well, giving me a stupid little bow and grin. I take a smell step back in disgust, he is notorious for seducing and sleeping with older women, some two times his age. "Excuse me, I must be going to meet my children." I try to sidestep him to get away but he steps in front of me again. What the hell is he doing? Is he going to try and do what he does to other women my age? Will he try to force me? I can feel my body tense up at the thought, He wouldn't dare put his hands on me, I'm the Tsar's sister in law. "I am going to meet Vicky as well, I will escort you." In one swift movement he stands next to me and tucks my hand into the crook of his arm and makes me walk with him. My Duckie does the same thing when he wishes for me to walk with him, I fight a smile of pride as I think of my son, I don't want this man to think I'm happy to walk with him. "How is Uncle Misha?" He asks me as we walk, Uncle? He is not Nickie or George's son. "He is fine." I say shortly and try to occupy my thoughts by looking at the portraits on the wall as we walk pass, Peter The Great, Tsar Alexey. I don't want to talk about my husband. He keeps talking however, " And you? The infamous beauty?" He says teasingly and I shift uncomfortably, "Apologies Grand Duchess sometimes my words come out of my arse instead of head." He says and I laugh at loud, I can't help it. The way he says it so casually, he reminds me of my own son. He bows low and I smile as we arrive at the door. Perhaps he isn't as bad as he seems. "Until later Grand Duchess." He winks and walks backwards until he enters the room.