The Tsar's Wife

The Photo on his Dresser

   Olive had snapped up from her letter to Olga - Olga had been informed of her and Alexei's engagement and had wrote directly to Olive to congratulate her, giving her outmost approval- at a knock on her door, and put down her pencil halfway through the letter, getting up slowly and tentatively to answer the door. She listened to the other side of the door, trying to see if she could decipher who it was by her limited hearing, but all she heard was some muffled feet shuffling outside, as if they were shifting side from side. It couldn't be anyone too bad, she presumed, if they had made it to her door.

She opened it slowly, and felt a bit relieved and happy to see who was on the other side, none other than Alexei. His eyes had been on the ground when she first answered the door, but when he noticed the door opening, he brought his eyes to her, looking a bit surprised and nervous. "Hello, Love. I'm sorry to just show up like this at your door." He said giving her an apologetic smile, which she rarely saw from him. Olive smiled, shaking her head. "Its perfectly fine. You don't need to apologize." She assured him, opening her door just a bit wider. He acted so polite and proper towards her sometimes, and it was a bit funny when he did. He nodded, smiling and turning towards the hallway pointing out by the gardens covered in snow.

"Well, I know you may be busy," He said, glancing into her room at her dresser, where her reply to Olga in her letter was still laying on her small desk table on the far side of the room. "But I was going out to the balcony, and I wondered it you would want to come along as well?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as he leaned slightly against the doorframe marked with the Romanov children's name and height from 1910, fourteen years ago. Olive was more than happy to accept his offer as she nodded eagerly, walking back into her room. "Of course, just let me grab my coat. It'll definitely be cold out." She said, grabbing her coat and slipping it on.

Alexei nodded, smiling as if he were relived. "It would probably be best if I grabbed mine too, you wouldn't mind if we stopped by my bedroom on the way." He asked carefully, stepping out of the way so Olive could get out and shut the door. "Not at all." She said, as they started to walk down the long hallway to his room. Olive knew her way there by heart, since back when Alexei was in the hospital from his deadly hemophiliac attacks and her new room wasn't an option since it was cluttered with the children's old things. She missed staying in that room sometimes, though she hated to admit it. She missed waking up and breathing in the scent of Alexei and getting flooded with a warm feeling.

They arrived at the door, and Alexei opened it, stepping inside and peeking out to look at Olive. "You can come in if you'd like, I don't mind." He said, and disappeared back into the room. Olive hesitantly followed him in, which she was surprised at herself for. She had stayed in this room before, but now that Alexei was now actively occupying it, it felt like stepping into a completely different room. She surveyed the room as the familiar scene of Alexei flooded her nose and made that same warm feeling kindle in her stomach like the furnace that was internally inside her.

The room still looked the same, the plain white sheets and a few armchairs lounging around that matched the ones in Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia's room. There was a small desk with papers on it, and some pictures on the wall of his sisters, mother, and father. But what really caught Olive's eye that wasn't there before, was the picture resting atop the miniature dresser beside his bed, beside a candle and a Russian copy of the Holy Bible. She walked toward it slowly as Alexei fished for his jacket inside his dresser, not noticing her slowly making her way over to the small dresser across the room. Whenever she crept close enough to touch the framed photograph, she lifted it carefully off the dresser.

It was of her, smiling brightly at something the photograph didn't show. Olive knew exactly when this picture was taken, at Alexei's birthday ball just a few months ago, while she was speaking with Alexei's cousin Princess Ileana of Romania. She remembered hearing Maria whisper that Alexei had a photo of her on his dresser, but the photo still shocked her for an odd reason that she couldn't exactly place. She had a small picture of him when he was young, in the sailor outfit he had preferred when he was younger, aboard the Imperial Family's yacht, the Standard. She loved that small photo, it was something she had of Alexei that was actually hers that wasn't Alexei himself.

Alexei turned to face her, his coat draped over his arm like a butler would a towel. "I've found it, shall w-" he said, trailing off when he found her peering at the picture like she needed to memorize every little detail of it. Alexei looked a bit terrified that she had found the photograph, swallowing and staying frozen where he stood across the room. Olive looked up from the picture, tears forming in her eyes. "How long have you had this?" She asked, and heard the emotion in her voice from her tears, but she didn't care. Alexei bit his lip, seeing her tears from across the room, and Olive could tell he wasn't sure what she was thinking. "A few months, Anastasia gave it to me a week after my birthday ball. I know its a bit strange me having a photo of you-"

"No, no." Olive interjected, reaching up to wipe some tears that had fallen from her eyes freely. She had no clue why she was so happy and surprised that he had the photo enough to where it made her cry. She had heard of happy tears, and these were partially those, but she wasn't sure what the other parts were. "Its just so surprising that you have something like this." She said, and wished she didn't sound like she was making a big deal, because in truth she was. Alexei took a few steps forward, close enough to touch her now, and glanced at the picture Olive had gripped into her hand still. "I cherish that photograph, it's something I have of you that I can always look at and reflect on. I wish I had more." He said softly, studying her face her eyes moved over the picture still.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her seemingly crazed emotions, and sat the photo softly and slowly back where it had been originally on the dresser. "It's just feels so amazing to know you have that, I'm sorry I'm being all emotional and all." She said, shaking her head and smiling apologetically at him as she sat down on his bed, remembering how familiar it felt. Alexei smiled down at her, moving next to her hesitantly. "I want another photograph of you, one I can take anywhere I go so I'll always be reminded of how much I love you, not that I need any reminding." He said, nodding over at the photo on the dresser.

Olive smiled, and nodded with Alexei. "I'd like a photo of you similar to that, in a locket maybe." She said smiling gently at him as he put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. Olive wasn't sure how long they had been in his room, they were supposed to just be there long enough for Alexei to grab his coat, then leave, but they had gotten a bit distracted and lost track of time. Alexei looked serene sitting there as Olive layer her head softly on his shoulder, loving the feeling of him holding her after a moment like they just had.

Olive felt a warm feeling inside stronger than ever before, and all because of a picture on his dresser.

Intimate moment time! ltyytl requested for more of these moments ,so that's what I did. The picture at the top is of Alexandra back before she converted her religion and was Princess Alix Of Hesse, she was absolutely beautiful and looks like Alexei in that picture, the video is just what I was influenced by while writing. I wish that I had the editing skills to make a picture of Alexei and Olive, but I sadly do not. I wish there was someone out there who shipped them and could actually draw or edit a picture of them, but I'm all alone into that lol. Thanks for reading guys!!! I really appreciate it!!