The Flaming Tsar and the Magicborn

Preface

So, what led me to write this story?

For many years, I was an avid reader of Russian history books. I thought about what happened if the Czar of Russia dealt with not just the problems of his country, but vampires and werewolves walking around Russia. Knowing a good deal of Russian history, particularly with the life and death of Czar Nicholas II and his family, and my current obsession with vampires, werewolves, and paranormal romance, I decided to combine the two aspects into a historical fantasy with some paranormal elements thrown in for fun.

This story also consists of the tale of the fictional sorcerer Leo Trichenberg, whose successes in preventing riots and solving many problems in Russia is marred by his family's damaged reputation. He was notorious for fathering eight children out of wedlock. His youngest daughter, Hadassah, must live with Nicholas and Alexandra after a murder attempt is made on her life. She lives with the royal family and learns royal politics. He also had to fight against the church, which wanted to kill his legitimate children to prevent an imagined threat to his bastard children.

Leo's youngest legitimate daughter, Raina, is strong-minded like her father; because she was the product of an unpopular marriage, she was ignored by the court and mistreated by several cruel people. She was ultimately sold into an unhappy marriage, giving birth to the famous Miller children. Leo tries (and fails) to help his daughter, which ultimately leads to her early death and the deaths of her children.

As for the vampires, Aramaeus Zempanga of the Snoweagle clan had once served under Nicholas' father, Czar Alexander III. He and his clan devoured many people who wanted to overthrow the czarist government and make Russia into a republic. Aramaeus doesn't support Nicholas as czar, since Nicholas refuses to execute anyone, save for criminals. Aramaeus and Alexander also planned to replace Nicholas with a bastard boy named Alexander Smirnov.

The seven wolf packs, led by Hans Fruar, also enjoyed eating many rebels and supported young Alexander's claim to the Russian throne. Yet when Alexander III died and Nicholas took over Russia, Nicholas forbids them to eat anyone unless he has dealt with the case first.

As for the personality of Nicholas, he is wiser and more confident than what history suggests, but his refusal to take the easy way out of some situations makes him unpopular with many people. Alexandra is stronger than what history suggests, yet she turns her back on her German roots and quarrels with her cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II. Rasputin is also in the story, but far from being the main villain, he is depicted as how he should have been depicted: as a man of the people and NOT a cartoon villain. (Yet, his problems of keeping his pants on remain. Some things never change.)

So let us prepare ourselves for this strange journey through a pivotal time in Russian history, for if the Russian Revolution didn't happen, something else did.