The Tsar's Wife

The Wedding

The first thing Olive seen when she woke up was Alexei. He was sitting by her bedside, brows furrowed in worry as he looked out the window. Olive didn't realize where she was at first. As she scanned her surroundings, she realized she never left her bedroom. "She will be okay, your majesty. " Olive heard the family doctor tell Alexei. "This happens more than you know. Women get nervous on their wedding day." Olive felt like rolling her eyes, but her body wasn't responding to her quite yet. She groaned softly and stirred in the bed, trying to bring herself back to. Alexei's eyes met hers immediately and Olive heard him let out a breath of relief. "Olive, are you feeling okay?" He asked softly, he reached for her hand and caressed it softly.

Olive was happy to see him, tradition be damned. She still wasn't sure what happened. "Did I fall?" She asked softly, blinking to try and wake herself up. Alexei let out a small, breathy, laugh. "Yes, dear. Dr. Chekhov had to catch you." He leaned forward and gave her a small kiss on her head, the gesture made Olive smile. "At least I didn't hit the ground." She quipped, finally managing to sit herself up in the bed.

"No kissing before the wedding!"

Olive turned her head to the door. Tatiana stood in the entrance, arms crossed. Tatiana shook her head back and forth disapprovingly. "We have less than three hours before the wedding," Tatiana told her sternly, "You still have to get ready." Alexei gave his sister a frown. "Tatiana, she passed out. Give it a rest. We will make it in time, I promise you." He told her slowly. Olive felt thankful for his presence. She didn't have the energy to argue with Tatiana today. "I feel fine. Could someone bring me some water?" Olive asked. She reached out for Alexei. "Could you help me up, please?" She asked gently. Alexei obliged happily, and stood her on her feet.

Dr. Chekhov gave her simple instructions; drink water and take it easy until the wedding, which was approximately in now two and a half hours. Olive felt happy she had gotten to see Alexei after all, whether it was tradition or not. She knew that taking it easy however, would be difficult with the Romanov sisters in charge of getting her ready for the wedding.

Snow drifted softly beyond the tall palace windows, feathering the world outside in silver and white. The winter morning had not yet fully awakened, but inside the Alexander Palace every corridor glowed with candlelight and quiet movement. Servants hurried with polished shoes whispering over marble floors, carrying boxes tied in satin ribbon, bouquets of white roses, and lengths of lace as delicate as frost.

In Olive's chambers, however, time seemed slower.

The room smelled faintly of lavender water and beeswax candles. A fire crackled low in the hearth, warming the silk dressing gowns draped across chairs. Olive sat before the mirror in silence while a maid carefully pinned the last strands of her copper-red hair into place beneath a veil of fine Brussels lace.

Her hands trembled in her lap.

"You are sitting far too stiffly," Anastasia declared dramatically from where she lounged upside down across a velvet chaise. "Anyone would think you were being marched to execution rather than married."

Tatiana shot her younger sister a sharp look.

"Anastasia."

"What? I am helping."

"You are doing the opposite of helping."

Olive laughed softly despite herself, and the nervous knot in her chest loosened just enough to let her breathe.

Olga crossed the room carrying a delicate string of pearls. "Mama said these belonged to her grandmother," she said gently. "She wants you to wear them today."

Olive looked up quickly. "Truly?"

Olga smiled and fastened them around Olive's pale throat. "You are family now."