The Paleys (1922-1924) - An Alternate Romanov Story

A Visit to the Imperial Family

Hertfordshire, June 1924

Nicholas of Romania

Nicholas spent most of his time travelling the world aboard British ships and studying at Portsmouth, which allowed him to remain detached from the family drama surrounding his brother Carol and his sister-in-law Olga. His visits to Romania were limited to Christmas and summer holidays, hardly enough to become well-acquainted with Olga or to fully grasp the extent of Carol's indiscretions.

This distance made him an ideal neutral party—a discreet envoy between the divided factions of his family. It wasn't a role he relished, but refusing would mean relentless pressure from his mother. He reluctantly agreed to these occasional visits to the former Emperor and his family to keep the peace. When studying at Portsmouth, the journey was relatively simple—a four-hour train ride followed by a short car trip. Now that he was about to depart for a year-long naval commission, his mother insisted that he should check in on Olga and the children before departing.

The former Emperor was one of Nicholas's godfathers—he was even named after him—and always treated him kindly. The same couldn't be said for every member of the family. He enjoyed Alexei's company, and they made the best of their limited time together. However, even during Alexei's rare visits to London, he was constantly surrounded by protection officers, leaving little opportunity for the kind of freedom Nicholas enjoyed.

Although Alexei was only a year younger, his sheltered life had left him with a certain naivety that Nicholas found endearing in private contexts. But in a place like Portsmouth, where the naval training was brutal, and the hazing from other students was part of everyday life, Alexei's innocence might have been his undoing. Even in more relaxed environments, like the London nightlife, Alexei had seen so little of the world that Nicholas couldn't imagine him navigating the vibrant, unpredictable chaos of it all, despite being only one year younger than Nicholas at almost twenty years old. On the other hand, Nicholas thrived in it like a fish in water.

Grand Duchess Marie didn't seem to mind Nicholas's presence, but that wasn't surprising—she was the type of young woman who got along with everyone. Beyond her, however, the Empress and the other daughters weren't particularly fond of him, and he was fully aware of it. Anastasia was the only one bold enough to voice her opinion, bluntly telling him she disliked his "smug face" and thought he was just as bad as his brother, albeit better at hiding it.

The others were more reserved in their disapproval, but Nicholas could easily imagine how little Olga must have been looking forward to seeing her husband's brother in the one place she considered safe and peaceful.

When Nicholas arrived at the estate, he was received by the former Emperor, his godfather. He greeted him warmly, with a firm handshake and a genial smile, giving the impression of a man who had long since set aside his crown for simpler pleasures.

"Nicky, my boy!" he exclaimed, clapping him on the shoulder. "It's good to see you again. Come in, come in. Alexei's been eagerly waiting to drag you off to some adventure."

Sure enough, Alexei appeared moments later, his face lighting up when he saw Nicholas. 

"There you are! I was beginning to think you had ditched us for some more interesting company," he said with a grin.

However, the reception wasn't quite as excited as they walked inside. The Empress acknowledged him with a polite nod but kept her distance. Tatiana, who looked to be in the late stages of her pregnancy, offered a fleeting smile before resuming her conversation with the younger children. Marie was gracious and kind, while Anastasia shot him a pointed glare from across the room before turning away.

The room was overflowing with children. His niece Marie, who was turning three in October, was playing with her cousin Alexandra in one corner while Marie's eldest boy, Nicholas, ran around everywhere, causing havoc. Her younger son, Alexander, who was one and a half, tried to keep up with his brother, but his shorter legs made the task difficult. Then Nicholas noticed Mircea sitting quietly with a bandage wrapped around his knee. The sight triggered an immediate sense of unease. He was also his nephew, so when he saw him, he instinctively crouched beside the boy.