The Paleys - An Alternate Romanov Story

The Letter

Tsarskoe Selo, 15 July 1917

Dear Olga,

A thousand thoughts swirled in my head as I tried to begin this letter. But in the end, I realized that nothing I write can fully capture the turmoil within me. So, I'll simply start at the beginning and let my heart speak as it may, hoping it will make some sense when you read it.

I don't know if I should have written so soon. I can only imagine the turmoil you face, and the last thing you need is another voice amidst the storm. But please, accept my sincerest apologies for my long silence. In the chaos that has engulfed Petrograd, I wanted to give you space, to spare you the burden of yet another unwanted voice in your irrevocably changed life. But know this, Olga, even in the silence, my thoughts have been with you constantly. The news of your illness reached me, and the ache of not being able to see you, to offer even a shred of comfort, was a constant torment.

Knowing how much your life has changed since our last meeting – and being on the opposite side of the barricade, so to speak – has been perhaps the hardest thing I have ever done.

You must understand that the decision to support the Grand Ducal Coup did not come lightly. Petrograd was on the brink of complete collapse. Soldiers deserted their posts, the government dissolved into chaos, and the revolutionaries threatened to engulf everything in their path. We, a group of men who believed in a better Russia, saw a chance to prevent further bloodshed and usher in an era of liberalism. A chance to guide the country towards a constitutional monarchy.

The consequences, however, have been devastating. Your father has been deposed, and your family faces exile. This pains me more than words can express. But Olga, please, I beg you, don't let your mother's despair cloud your judgment. Russia is wounded, yes, but far from lost. This upheaval is the birth pang of a new nation, one that can rise from the ashes and become a beacon of progress and prosperity.

Think of your brother, Alexei. He needs you now more than ever. His fragile health requires stability, and Russia, under a new, enlightened leadership, can offer that. There will be challenges, of course, but there is also a chance to build something new, something extraordinary. A Russia where you, Olga, Grand Duchess or not, can find a place, a purpose, and perhaps even happiness.

I know, in the wake of everything that has transpired, it is terribly presumptuous of me to ask these things of you. My position hardly grants me the right to offer solace or counsel. Yet, it is my affection for you that compels me to write. Forgive my naivety, but from all I know of you, Olga, there is a strength and resilience in your spirit that makes me believe you could find a happier fate here, in your homeland, than in a foreign land shrouded in uncertainty.

Don't let fear dictate your path. Stay, Olga. Stay and be a part of the change. Russia needs strong, compassionate women like you.

With a heart full of hope and a love that transcends circumstance,

Vladimir