The Tsar's Wife

The call

Tatiana and Olive returned to the palace a bit after breakfast , leaving the mansion. It was about an hour's ride away, though Olive was a bit relieved they were finally going home. She was glad to see all her old friends and all, but she wanted to be around the palace since Alexei was gone. Sometimes, she would sneak into his room which had actually been transformed back to the way it was before Olive started occupying it, and look through the things on his dresser, hoping she could trick herself into thinking he was still at the palace. However, she never did end up tricking herself. At the end of the day, Alexei was still gone.

The call from the war front came unexpectedly, since everyone had thought communication was going to be cut off completely. Olive, The Grand Duchesses - not including Olga, she had returned back to Wales with Erickson, sadly- and Alexandra were all in the private woman's boudoir, unsuspecting. When the call rang, everyone jumped. No one was expecting a call, which could mean bad news, though the call still could be anything. Alexandra got up from her chair with a huff - she had always answered the palace calls if she could- and answered the phone. The room grew silent, and nobody was very alarmed with the call, though ut was a strange time of day for someone to be calling.

The empress gasped suddenly,  making everyone in the room freeze and turn quickly towards Alexandra. Olive felt her heart beating in her chest, her nervousness flooding through her body. A call at a strange, unsuspecting time and a call serious enough to make the empress of Russia herself gasp couldn't be good news. "Will they be alright?! I want them home immediately! " Alexandra demanded into the phone, her face hot with either anger or tears. Olive felt a chill roll down her spine, despite the warm temperature of the boudoir. The war front. The Germans. Olive thought, her eyes widening.

The Grand Duchesses were just as sacred and shocked, Maria and Anastasia casting each other a few scared, confused glances. Tatiana was studying her mother carefully,  who was nodding silently on the phone. "Yes,I will notify them. Thank you, bring them home as soon as possible." Alexandra said, hanging up the phone. Not one of the girls said a word, they all knew better than to question Alexandra. Olive was terrified, but tried her best not to show it. Alexei could be fatally injured by just bumping his leg, there was no telling what the Germans might have done, even if they were his mothers family. Olive wasn't a huge religious person, but she crossed herself and gave a silent prayer.

Alexandra finally turned around, her face pale as the moon. "A German soldier tried to kill your brother and father three days ago." She said, and Olive felt gear pulse through her body like her racing heart. She was getting light headed, nothing seemed to make sense. Tried to kill Alexei? What did that mean? Was he hurt? "Are they okay mama!?" Maria screeched, asking the question everyone was thinking in their heads. Alexandra took a deep breath, and looked at each one of them. "Nicholas was shot in the leg, but will live. Alexei was cut by one of the steel pieces that had busted everywhere. His arm is bleeding and is ceasing to stop." Alexandra said, walking slowly and quietly over to her chair.

Olive gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. Alexei's disease didn't allow his blood to clot normally, so if he started bleeding and the gash was deep, he could easily bleed to death. Olive had said goodbye to him at the train station, was that really her last goodbye to him? She hoped to god it wasn't. Olive wanted Alexei more than ever now, given the fact that he could die and she might not even know until someone decided to call and tell his family. What would she do if he died? Her life would go downhill quickly, she couldn't lose him.

Maria was sobbing, burying her head in her lap. Anastasia surprisingly had tears rolling down her cheeks, but made no sound or expression to give away her tears or crying. "Were the Germans punished?!" Tatiana demanded, looking more angry than upset. The Germans were Alexandra's family,  but they had crossed the line trying to kill Alexei and Nicholas. Alexandra nodded gravely, tears now starting to form in her tired eyes. "Yes, most severely. They were young soldiers, naive. They paid their price." Alexandra said proudly,  and Olive felt guilty for being pleased. The boys had more than likely been killed, trying to kill the Tsar and Tsarevich was a huge thing to try to accomplish, there was no way the boys would have gotten away with it.

It had turned out that the guards had heard shouts coming from Nicholas and Alexei's tent, and had rushed into the tent in time to save them both. Thank heaven's they had heard them, they had probably gotten into the tent just in time. They were keeping Alexei and Nicholas in an intensive care unit around the front, where they were being held. The hospital there was better than the one in St.Petersburg, and the doctors weren't sure if Alexei would make the train ride back with his injured arm in the bumpy ride.

Olive said a prayer for het love and Nicholas, God knew they needed it.

Sorry this chapter is so short, I needed to rush it. So, plot is finally building, though it's not the part I'm particularly excited for. What are you all looking forward to in this book? I'm curious to know what you like, especially since you all are the ones reading. Thank you fir reading! ! I appreciate all if your support guys!!