Chapter Fifty Two

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Picture: Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov ft. Sailor Suits.

NOVEMBER 1915.
I enjoy walking through the gardens. Olga joins me to calm down her nerves, sometimes Valentina joins. She now oversees the hospital, she seems on edge. She always walks stiffly, fiddling with her necklace or her bracelet every time I blabbered or talked, perhaps she thought I didn't notice. This time Cian was with us. He never really talked or looked when he walked with us. He was always nervous, biting his fingers or would scratch his neck to the point it began bleeding. "You know, we have to visit Anna today." Cian finally said as he was scratching his neck. "Anna? Really?" I sighed. Anna keeps flirting with Papa it's starting to actually piss me off, Cian was pissed off by her the whole time. I can see the annoyance in Mama's eyes when she does it.

"Mhm.. we are going there for tea when Tatiana returns." Cian replied and then watched as blood dripped off his hands. He sighed and bandaged up his neck. I realised that it was golden and black and red mixed together. Olga continued to fiddle with her jewellery. I looked to Olga with sympathy. "You know, Olishka. If you ever want to talk. You have me, Cian, Caoimhe, Valentina and Zander. You have Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia." I told her. A smile appeared on her face as she realised Cian was running off somewhere. She checked her watch and gasped. "No wonder Cian's running, we better get going." She told me. "Tatiana will be arriving soon." She took my hand as she lead me back inside. We walked to the front of the palace to find Tatiana trying to talk to Cian who was side eyeing her. "Tatya!" Olga said happily, Cian stop side eying her happily.

"Let's go for tea now." Tatiana smiled as we walked to Anna's house. We walked inside as Anna laid in bed, looking terrible. "Wow, you look shit." Cian noticed happily. "Hello Anya!" Tatiana said after Cian's beautiful sentence. The woman's dead eyes lightened up a bit watching them carefully. "Come sit my dearest." She said as we sit around her. Valentina and Zander where there already same with Caoimhe. Maids handed us tea. "How is your Papa?" She asked. Olga sipped tea as Tatiana answered her question, "He is still at the front with Alexei." Anna processed the answer. "When is he coming back? I miss him ever so." Anna asked.

I stayed silent, looking at Cian who was teaching the maids how to make British tea because he was some sort of genius. "He will be back when he will need to come back." Valentina answered. Anna rested her hand on her heart. "I pray for him everyday for a safe return." She said. "So do we." I said in a rather snappy tone. Anna looks over to me, "How is your nursing going?" She asked me. "Astrid is doing very well." Tatiana answered as she smiled to me. I smiled back at her as Anna shut her eyes. "I'm sure that your Papa is very proud of you." She said.

"I write to him every week." I said with my tone indicating 'for a matter of fact.' Tatiana continued to sip her tea as Olga stared into her cup. Cian was also staring into her cup. "That's well." Anna says. "My dear Tanushka, is your Papa handling Aloysha well?" She changed the subject, but not completely. "Aloysha is getting excellent military training." Tatiana answers as i looked over to see Cian holding Olga's cup now. He soon handed it back to Olga. I observed the room, I saw Zander doing some sort of fortune telling thing with her tea, Anna was speaking with Tatiana and I notice it.

It was a picture of Papa on her night stand. Disgust filled my stomach. He isn't her husband, she honestly needs to leave him alone. Cian was biting his fingers again, I keep searching around to see more photos of Papa. I glanced over to her mirror to see a photo of Papa tucked into her mirror. Oh. My. Gods. "You know how much I miss-" Anna got ready to ramble but was cut off by a loud noise. Olga was still in the same position, looking at her cup as maids and Valentina rushed to her helping her with the now broken tea cup and hot tea.

Cian was staring at his hands. Olga didn't react to any of it. A large gash of blood was spilling from her hands as Valentina bandages it up. "We should get going." Tatiana said as she helped Olga. I realised that Cian was already gone, odd. He was there a second ago. "Thank you for having us."

Anna gives her a crooked smile as I helped her help Olga. "Tell your Papa hello for me and to answer my letters." Anna called to us. Tatiana smiled at us as we lead Olga out. We get back home as Olga gets proper medical attention. Cian walked into his room instantly. I go out to enjoy the gardens again. I sit outside and enjoy the winter weather as I hug myself closer with my winter coat. "Hello cousin." I noticed Dmitri sit next to me and started to smoke. "What are you doing here?" I asked him, eyeing him suspiciously. "I came out to clear my mind, you know." He shifts a little as he lit a cigarette and offered me it. I declined.

"Are you nervous?" I asked him. "Nope." He looks up to me. "The uniform suits you, you know." He said as he smoked. "Thank you, the uniform fits you too." I laugh as he chuckled slightly. "Where are your sisters?" He asked as he watched me closely. I felt blush rise to my face, stop it Astrid! Calm yourself down! "Inside." I answer as he leaned back into his chair. "Is Cian inside too?" He asked softer. "I think so." I said as I admired his face. "Is he okay?" He asked as he looked at me, my hope died down as my heart race slowed. "Not sure.. I think he's in his room." I told him. "Does he ever mention me?" He asked.

"Umm.. yes." I told him again. Cian considers him to be closest friends category. If this was modern day stuff they could totally get married. Cian and Dmitri, OMG what could their ship name be? "You wanna come see him?" I stand up. "Really?" He asked hopefully, man this guy is so gay. "Come on." I made him follow me as we finally reached the outside of his room after endless walking. I knocked on the door and the door opened. Cian stood there looking horrible, he was paler than Olga, his hands were bloody and so was his face, he had bandages on his arms and looked overly tired. "Hey.. look who came to visit." I said awkwardly. He cracks his head towards Dmitri and his expression softened from a tough rock to a hard rock. "Hello, Mitri." He greeted. "Hello Cian." He said charmingly.

"I'm going to go help Tatiana now." I said as I left them and began running to the common room. I then rushed in the room. "Hey Tatya, Olishka." I greeted them. "Tatya, can me and Olishka talk privately?" I then asked.

Tatiana nodded. "Sure go ahead." She walked out the room and shut the door. I sat next to Olga who was frowning. I held Olga's good hand in comfort. Once the medical people are gone I sit with her alone in a room. Valentina was sleeping in her chair and in a very deep sleep. Olga looked out of the room gloomily. "Lishka, do you need to talk?" I asked her. She did not respond to my question as she continued to look out the window.

"Do you know when the war will be over?" She asked quietly. I looked at her. "Of course I do." She turned to me with her blue eyes. "When.. when does it end? What year?" She asked me.

"1918, in three years." I responded. "What will happen after the war? Who wins?" Olga asked me again. I didn't know if I should tell her, to make her worry but i sucked it up. "So, Allies win. The Allies is what Russia is aligned with. Germany then gets the treaty of Versailles and... I can't anymore." I was feeling sick to my stomach as I got my history out of my head finally.

"I hope it comes quicker than ever." Olga frowned. I nodded, thinking of the bloody revolution coming up quicker than usual. The feared and horrific Russian Revolution.

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