The Tsar's Wife

Details

Early the next morning, Olive sat with Alexei, Nicholas, and Alexandra in the Nicholas's private office. They were trying to work out some details of the wedding,  which was coming up in the near future. Olive knew most of the stress if planning would be put on Nicholas being the Tsar- and Alexandra would be adamant she would need to help as well-, but Olive and Alexei had to help out as well. Olive never could have guessed weddings would be so hard to plan, especially a formal wedding to the Tsarevich of Russia. Everything needed to be precise and planned, as Alexandra was making sure of, and there would need to be many things that may need to be changed, like the whole entire ceremony being in Russian, which Olive was barely grasping onto.

She wished she had someone like Emma, Fiona, or even Miss Peregrine to help her plan the wedding so she wouldn't be as troubled,  but sadly she doubted any of them knew anything about how Imperial Royal Russian weddings worked any more than she did- which certainly wasn't a lot. Millard perhaps might know some, but Olive didn't know if she exactly wanted him planning her wedding. She would of course invite everyone to the wedding, they were her family. She planned on telling them about the engagement in the next few days, and she felt very guilty hat she hadn't told them yet.

Alexandra was sitting on the family armchair, looking at them all sternly as if they were children who had done something naughty. "I want pictures done of course, I can't think of any woman in my family who hadn't gotten pictures done. " Alexandra said, chuckling a bit at the end. Olive smiled, but wanted to grimace at the thought of all the pictures. Alexei had the same idea, who was seated beside her on the small couch while Nicholas sat in a chair beside them, and wrinkled his nose in distaste. "What pictures are we talking about exactly mother? Engagement pictures? " He asked, and Olive smiled at him. He seemed so excited about their engagement and all, and even more about the marriage that was soon to come, but he obviously wasn't ecstatic about taking pictures.

Alexandra tipped her head to the side as if she were thinking, and she looked a lot like Alexei in that moment. "Well, of course Engagement pictures! " Alexandra said as if Alexei were stupid for even thinking about a question like that.  "But then I want pictures of you two informally before you are married, Dear Anastasia can snap those, and then I want pictures before your wedding, during, and of course many, many after." Alexandra said, ending with a smile. Olive couldn't help but wonder what taking formal photos were like, since she had never had them taken before. "What are formal pictures like?" Olive asked, and she knew she looked a bit confused.

Alexei turned towards her with a pained expression,  making Nicholas chuckle at his son. "And hour and a half of pure suffering. " Alexei said, laying his head back on the back of the couch as if he were exhausted by them already. Olive giggled and shook her head at him, rolling her eyes at his tremendous exaggeration. Nicholas nodded, solemnly agreeing with his son. "He is very right, being the Tsar I have had many formal pictures taken." Nicholas told Olive, his eyebrows raised. Alexandra gave them both a stern look, which looked strikingly like Tatiana's Governess glare. "They still need to be done, there's no question about it." Alexandra said, summing up the matter while Alexei did his best not to complain again.

Nicholas furrowed his brows as if he were thinking and leaned forward a bit. "I know for certain everyone in both our families will want to meet Olive, if they haven't already." Nicholas said, and Olive knew the truth in his words. She had met some cousins on Nicholas's side, and Nicholas's sisters, but she hadn't met any of Alexandra's siblings or cousins. Alexandra nodded n agreement and Alexei seemed to be thinking about this as well. "If we host a ball here and invite everyone, Olive will get to meet everyone all together so we don't have to have everyone come from all over the country at separate times before the wedding. " Nicholas said, as though he
was just realizing it, stroking his beard.

Olive wanted to groan at the simple mention of the ball, which she was already dreading. She was not a fan of imperial balls, which usually were very formal, something Olive hated having to try to look. Alexei chuckled at her obviously distraught expression, shaking his head. "We all know how fond you are of balls, love." Alexei teased, grabbing her hand and smiling. Olive blushed and laughed a bit, looking down at their hands. "Which is not very much at all." She said, and Alexei chuckled. Olive could dully feel Nicholas and Alexandra's eyes and smiles on them, but tried her best to act like she didn't.

"The public will want to see her too. " Alexandra reminded, and Olive and Alexei audibly swallowed. The public had only caught glimpses of Olive, they didn't know anything about her at all except the fact that she was being courted Alexei. She wasn't royal, and almost all the Romanovs brides were, so a lot of people may she disagree with her ascending the throne of the Tsarina. Nicholas dismissed it with a wave of his hand, but Olive and Alexei still stiffened. "We can announce it in the newspaper. I don't want to do it publicly since some people may disagree with their marriage and say some very. .. harsh things." Nicholas said, and Olive could tell he was glazing over some details.

Alexandra then stood up, trying to dissolve the horrific tension in the air. "Why don't you two run along? " Alexandra said, but the stern tone hidden in her voice made them both know she wasn't kidding around. "Me and Nicky will try to figure out some suitable dates for the wedding and balls." Alexandra said, and Olive quietly nodded and followed Alexei into the hallway. "There's so much to plan." Olive said plainly once they were out of earshot from the door. Alexei nodded, his eyebrows raised in agreement. "Yes, that there is. Father and Mother are doing most of the planning, so we do get out of it some." Alexei said, playfully wrapping an arm around Olive.

Olive laughed, shaking her head at him. "It seems like we've managed a way to escape again. " she lamented, idly suggesting the imperial ball and their escapes onto the balcony. Alexei smiled, his sky colored eyes shining at the memories. "Well it seems we have." He said softly, and they made their way to the gardens.

Okay, in a way I feel like I am planning this wedding as well because I get to write everything that happens in it. Lol, the video is the song Love Me Now, by John Legend. I love the video and I was searching for a song for Alexei and Olive, but all the ones I did find were all cheesy until I found this, and I love it. I heard it on the radio once or twice, then I actually listened to it and fell in love. Thanks for reading guys, I appreciate it so much!