The Tsar's Wife

Gathering

Three days after Alexei told Nicholas about his engagement to Olive, he decided to tell the entire family. Normally this would be done at dinner or while they were all gathered together in the garden or boudoir,  bit given their circumstances the announcement would just have to be made in Nicholas's hospital room, when they all gathered together in a few moments. Olive was going to arrive with his mother and sister, Alexei knowing if Olive was waiting with him and Nicholas wanted to make an announcement to them all, it would only take a few moments for them to piece everything together.

   Alexei was sitting as patiently as possible by his father's bed in a wooden chair. Nicholas was sitting up, his leg hidden under blankets though it had healed well, smoking a cigarette with his arms crossed and broad furrowed as if he were in deep thought. The hospital didn't allow cigarettes, but Nicholas could do anything and get by with it. Though it was cold, Alexei knew their family could get away with anything- who would dare to look at the Tsar in the face and say "Put that cigarette out."?- and the people of Russia knew it. Most took one look at them and thought them to be spoiled royal brats, though that was far from the case.

They hadn't been abused disciplined in any way, but Alexei's father hadn't wanted his kids to be spoiled at all, so they raised their children,  as his mother liked to call it 'Old fashioned English way'. Though they could have had the finest beds in all Russia, they had hard camp cots. They took freezing baths every morning, instead of warm ones. However,  not one of the children had ever complained about the way they were raised, because they were always happy. Alexei couldn't be as active as he would have wished to be because of his sickness, but he had always tried to make the best of it if he could.

  Alexei snapped back into reality almost as quickly as he had drifted out of it to begin with. The smell of cigarette smoke filled his nose and he wrinkled it like a rabbit, which made his father chuckle. "Shall I put it out?" Nicholas asked, gesturing to his almost completely burnt out cigarette. Alexei nodded respectfully,  knowing he shouldn't order his father in any way possible. "Please, with all due respect. "Alexei said, coughing at the smoke in the air while Nicholas chuckled and stubbed the nub of a cigarette in an ashtray on his bed table. "You never were one for tobacco. " Nicholas lamented,  shaking his head with a warm sort of smile.

That much was true. Whenever Alexei would receive letters from Nicholas while he was at the war front, Nicholas would always roll two cigarettes into the letter. Alexei had tried one once, sneaking out to the back tree in the garden where Anastasia snuck off to smoke, and had almost died coughing from the taste and smell. Needless to say, he never tried one again,  even when he'd sit with his father and all the soldiers and they would all light their pipes, Alexei never followed their lead. Anastasia however always snuck cigarettes, making sure to never let Alexandra see. Tatiana would yell to Anastasia, "Be careful with those ashes Anastasia! You'll burn us all to a crisp!" But she never once told on her.

"Alexei. " Nicholas said sternly, and Alexei felt his father's eyes on him. He had been daydreaming quite a bit, sometimes they were happy like his and Olive's future together, which was now of course possible, or they were dismal thoughts from his childhood. "I'm sorry father, I drifted off." Alexei said, rubbing at his face in attempt to quell his thoughts. Nicholas nodded, his mustache twitching. "I very well saw that, don't tell me you're getting 'groom jitters'  now are you?" Nicholas asked, his usual teasing creeping into his voice and eyes.

Alexei chuckled, reaching for a glass of water on the table and taking a small sip. "Well, I'm not very anxious about marrying her, I'm very willing to spend the rest of my life with her." Alexei said, feeling the small smile stretch across his face at the mention of Olive and their engagement, which he couldn't be more ecstatic about in truth. He loved her a whole damn lot and he knew she lived him too, which is surprisingly all he felt he would ever need in his life. "I'm just a bit nervous about the way Russia will react, though I know a part of me doesn't care. Is that swine of me father?" Alexei asked, tilting his head to the side like Joy or Jemmy might.

Nicholas shook his head, pointing at Alexei. "No. Listen to me, Whenever I married your mother, she was a German. Do you think for one minute Russia approved of my choice? Do you think I cared?" Nicholas said, a smile of his own creeping onto his face in earnest, and Alexei hid his smirk in his glass. Before he could reply though,  the door to Nicholas's room opened and Anastasia peeked her head in, then was followed by his mother, sister,and Olive into the room. Olive glanced at Nicholas before looking over to Alexei, locking eyes with him. She of course, knew what was about to be announced, and was hiding it very well.

"Papa, you said you wanted us in your room?" Maria said quietly, moving hesitantly beside Nicholas. Nicholas nodded, confirming Maria's question. "Yes. I have an announcement. Please sit." Nicholas said, though Alexei heard the slight warning in his voice despite the gentle tone of it. Olive stayed up, moving over to Alexei silently as she was told to do whenever they had planned the whisk announcement out. Alexei wrapped an arm around her waist,  kissing the side of her forehead gently.
Olive blushed, and Alexei could practically feel Maria's lovesick eyes running over them both, and her sappy smile was surely along with it.

Nicholas looked to everyone on the room, and Alexandra's eyes flashed with realization as she looked at Olive and Alexei. "Nicky..." She gasped, a smile and tears breaking out on her face.  Alexei smiled to see his mother like that,  and he had to viciously blink back his tears. "My beloved family. I have come here to announce on behalf of my Son, Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov,  and his new fiancee, Olive Abroholas Elaphanta. May their future marriage be blessed." Nicholas said, an orderly tone to his voice.

Gasps from around the room was all Alexei heard before he was crushed into several embraces.

CHEESY. Still, how do I end chapters. I'm so sorry I haven't updated guys, I've been busy with some family matters and haven't had any time. The picture at the top is of Alexei and Tatiana in 1918. Alexei was so handsome wasn't he? Haha. I'm sorry this was so poorly written,  it is 2:49am where I am and I've been up since nine because of my DARLING little sister. Thanks fir reading guys!! I love you all!