The Imperial Revenge

Chapter 23

September 1928

I took a trolley to the other side of the city. The poor side. That's where drugs and prostitution thrived. Ileana and her brother were probably very smart hiding on that side of the city. The police would never have looked there. So I came to her small little hotel and went to the dirty and dusty lobby. There stood the tall and slightly plump Ileana. She wore a knee-length red gown with a silver necklace. Her short-brown hair was wavy and in tact.
"Alexei, it's nice to see you again."
"Well, we talked about me coming here. We are going to have such fun. Let's go see Charlie Chaplin, Ileana."

We sat down at the cinema together. I had bought a bag of popcorn for her and we waited for the film to start.
"How many times have you see this movie?" I asked her.
"Just a few times. I first saw it when I was six in 1915. You know, I was a nurse during the Great War."
"Were you? You were only a little child."
"Yes, I was. But I liked to cheer up the patients and I give them their medicine. What did you do during the Great War?"
I obviously could not tell her the truth. That would ruin my cover. Besides, she didn't need to know. "I was ten when the Great War started. I lived in Tomsk so I heard gunshots a lot. I didn't really contribute. Do I have permission to hold your hand?"
"Absolutely not! I'm soon to be engaged!"
I nodded. "Right, of course." And with that, the lights dimmed and the movie started. There was not a word between us for the next thirty-minutes.

After the movie, it was only a short walk to the club I was taking her to. It was a rather clean and more expensive restaurant. It'd probably make Ileana feel at home. So we walked to the restaurant and went in. There were several tables surrounding the dance floor. Ileana and I sat. The waiter automatically poured two glasses of vodka and poured some strawberry juice into each glass.
"What can I get for you both?" The waiter asked. Ileana looked at me automatically for help.
"We'll have two bowls of Olivier salad with one piece of Chicken Kiev for each of us." I replied. The waiter smiled and walked away. Ileana scanned the room and watched the dance floor for a minute.
I spoke up first. "So tell me more about Prince Alexander. What's your future husband like?" I put my head on my hand. She straightened herself and set her napkin in her lap.
"Our parents are distant friends. They don't really know that Alexander and I are speaking to each other. We've only ever sent letters and pictures. But he said he loves me and he can not wait to meet me next Summer."
"Wait, please let me get this straight. You and Alexander have never met? Ileana, you don't really think he'll propose? Oh, women are so innocent."
Ileana scoffed. "I am not innocent, you fool. I am in love and so is he. There's nothing that would ever stop me from marrying him. Haven't you ever been in love?"
I shook my head and pulled out a cigarette from my pocket along with my lighter. I lit my cigarette, inhaled, and exhaled. "Men like me don't fall in love. Besides, why would I want that? Grief is the price you pay for love." I said. Ileana didn't say anything and took a sip of vodka. I could not make it anymore awkward. I needed to change the subject.
"Are you a feminist, Ileana?" I questioned. She started giggling and nodded.
"You say things so bluntly! No wonder you can't get a wife! The answer to your question is yes. I am a feminist and women should have equal opportunity. Don't you think?"
"I believe women have a very important place in this world. I think they can get involved with politics and medicine, sure. Oh, I believe our food is here." I smiled. Our food was set down in front of us and we started to dig in. Ileana first tried a bite of the Olivier. Her eyes widened and a large smile beamed on her face.
"My Goodness, this is so exquisite! I guess Communist Russia has an excellent taste in cuisine after all. You should try Romanian food. We have some excellent meals!" She exclaimed and started to eat larger bites. I just looked at her and tried to read her. It wasn't easy. I couldn't tell what she truly wanted out of life.
"It sounds like you really love your country." I sipped my vodka.
"Oh, I do! I can't imagine living anywhere else besides Romania. The people love me and I love my people."
"I understand that. I think everyone in a way loves their country. Do you like the Chicken Kiev?" I smiled. She laughed and nodded.
"It didn't have to taste so good."
I looked at the dance floor and then back at Ileana. "Do you dance?"
"If someone asks me the right way."
"Princess Ileana of Romania, will you please dance with me?" I smirked. She gave a side smile and stood up. We together went to the dance floor and danced the night away. We stayed at the club for a few hours. We danced and probably drank too much. We both had at least four glasses of vodka. And on the way out, we were stumbling and laughing.

My arm was wrapped around her. We sang loudly and laughed so hard for no reason.
"Oh say, let us fly dear! Where kid? Through the sky dear! Oh, you flying machine! Jump in, Ms. Josephine-" We sang. We looked at each other, both of us forgot the words. That's when we started laughing.
"Do you want to go to the roof over there?" I laughed and asked her.
"How?"
"Look to the side at the stairs. All you gotta do is climb up that ladder and you can go up to the roof."
"Alright then." Her and I both ran. Carefully, we went up the side ladder and then then up the small stairs surrounding the apartment building. Ileana and I pulled ourselves up to the roof and sighed in relief once we were finally up. We went to the front side of the roof and looked at the stars and Moscow together.
"I'm going to teach you how to spit." I snickered.
"I already know how to spit! My cousin taught me when I was five."
I laughed more and sat down against the railing. She sat down too.
"Tsarevich Alexei." She replied. She remembered? For someone who was so young at the time, I thought she had surely forgotten. But no, she remembered me.
I cleared my throat. "What were the Romanovs like? Were they really as evil as everyone says they were?"
Ileana shook her head viciously. "No, they weren't. The Romanovs were kind and sweet to me and my family. They came to Romania in 1914 to marry Grand Duchess Olga to my brother, Prince Carol. My brother is a prick and a womanizer so there's no surprise she disliked him. But me? Oh, my heart beamed for Tsarevich Alexei. I took him under my wing and took care of him that entire day. And...and he promised me he would come back to Romania on my eighteenth birthday and sweep me off my feet. Of course, I found out officially in 1926 that he wasn't coming back. So, I'm moving on with my life. Prince Alexander is kind and sweet to me but...but I can not tell if he's truly the one. Oh, I'm rambling again! Men hate it when women ramble-"
"No!" I shrieked. "No, I love hearing you talk. My brothers only ever talk nonsense so it's nice to talk to a woman. I'm absolutely sure that if Tsarevich Alexei was still alive, he'd come to you. I believe he would have made you Tsarina Ileana of Russia." I smiled.
Ileana's smile faded and she just stared at me. "Alexei..." she whispered. Before I could do anything, she was kissing me, intensely. It was the first time a woman had ever kissed me. I didn't pull back though. After a couple minutes of kissing, she pulled away.
"Should we take this back to your house? Your brothers won't mind, will they?" She grinned and asked. That's when everything came back to me. My plan to get revenge and my family. I couldn't let Ileana get in the middle of my drama. It wasn't right. And not to mention, I couldn't take advantage of her knowing she was drunk and in love with another man.
"No Ileana, this is very wrong. This is very wrong of me. I'm going to pay for a trolley to take you home." I stood up. She stood up too with a concerned look on her face.
"Did I do something to offend you? I'm so sorry if I have!"
"You didn't do anything. But Ileana, you should save yourself for your husband. For a man you love. Alexander...do you really believe he'll propose next Summer?"
Ileana was quiet for a second and then nodded. "Yes, I believe he shall."
"Then great, I'm very happy for you. I'm happy you've found a man who's kind and and sweet to you. I'm happy you're in love with him and that you two shall marry and have several babies. But I can not get in the way of that."
Ileana scoffed and shook her head. She came to me and slapped me. Not hard enough though to cause a Hemophilia attack. "Don't you know how many men would love to take me home? Would love to make me their wife? Alexei, you don't need to be shy around me! You can drop the prick and emotionless act!"
"I can't. My life is work and my brothers. I can't let you or anyone get in the way of my ambitions now. So please, let me buy you a ticket on a trolley and go home." I handed her some of my money. A tear rolled down her face and she ripped the money out of my hand. She then disappeared after lowering herself onto the stairs.

There's a quote I once heard but I can't remember where from. "Our lives are defined by opportunities. Even the ones we miss."