The Paleys (1921-1927) - An Alternate Romanov Story

The Former Tsar

Natalia

"Natalia Paley, you have a visitor."

The classroom stilled as all eyes turned toward the door. Standing there was Sister Henriette, the headmistress, her small frame dwarfed by the long black habit that swept the floor. Despite her diminutive stature, Sister Henriette carried an undeniable air of authority, accentuated by the oversized glasses that seemed to dominate her pale, angular face. It was rare to see her outside the school's administrative tower, where she ruled with quiet efficiency.

Natalia froze in her seat, momentarily unsure how to respond. In the year she had spent at this school, she had only encountered Sister Henriette a handful of times, usually in the shadowy confines of her office, a room filled with the heavy scent of ink and old books. Those visits had been formal and practical—arranging her travels or addressing minor bureaucratic matters. But seeing the headmistress here, at the threshold of a classroom, was a very rare occurrence.

As Natalia rose and went to the door, she felt a chill creeping up her spine over the dreadful possibility that this might be related to Alexei. Had his condition worsened? Was someone here to take her to his bedside for a final goodbye?

The thought tightened her chest, but she didn't dare voice her fears. There was a strange comfort in the uncertainty, in the faint hope that the unknown might still hold good news. So, she approached Sister Henriette slowly, measuring every step in order to delay the inevitable for just a few more moments. The headmistress said nothing, keeping her gaze steady but unreadable behind those thick glasses.

She didn't need to say anything for Natalia to know that she should follow her, and that was exactly what she did, passing through long corridors and feeling that the eyes of the few people they encountered along the way were instantly drawn to the unusual scene of seeing the headmistress walking alongside the mere mortals that inhabited the school.

Natalia felt like her heart was about to burst and that her legs would not be able to carry her once they got to the old woman's office. She could already feel the tears prickling in her eyes as her mind worked on the terrible scenarios that awaited her behind the door. She found herself wishing Alexei was still alive, or at least if he had indeed passed away, that his death had not been painful.

As the door to the small room opened, Natalia could make out the back of a head unfamiliar to her. It rested on the shoulders of a man much shorter than any in her immediate family, so she allowed herself to take a short breath. She was certain that if something bad had happened, either her father or Vladimir would have come to fetch her.

The man rose when he sensed her presence, turning toward the door. For a long moment, Natalia stared, her mind struggling to process what she saw. It wasn't just the shock of recognizing him—it was the absurdity of his presence here, in the quiet, austere halls of a Catholic school on the outskirts of Paris. It felt as implausible as if the Pope himself had strolled into the Corps des Pages academy to teach fencing.

He wore civilian clothing, a detail that helped soften the incongruity of the situation. His warm and genuine smile reached his tired eyes, and as they rested on her, Natalia felt a small wave of reassurance. Whatever had brought him here didn't seem to be bad news—at least, she hoped not.

"Here she is," Sister Henriette announced in French, as though the silence that had fallen upon the room compelled her to make sure everyone had noticed her arrival.

"Thank you so much for your kindness, Sister," Tsar Nicholas - or rather, Former Tsar Nicholas - replied, holding the sister's hand for a moment.

"It's not something I allow every day. Or every year, for that matter, but you have asked nicely, which was enough for me. You can take my office if you need privacy to talk."