To The End With You

C h a p t e r t w o

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanova on the Standart 1912

September 1912
I wake up to what feels like early morning. I open my eyes to total darkness which is expected. I assume its like 6 in the morning. My eyes slowly begin to adjust to the dark room. I turn my head and see a girl sleeping in a bed next to me. I feel my gut drop.

My heart begins to pound erratically and I start to sweat. Many things run through my mind. But before anything I let out a loud ear piecing scream. The girl's eyes open and she shoots up out of her bed. "Valentina?" she questions half asleep. I continue to scream, who is this girl? How does she know my name? The girl looks at me surprised. "Nastya go get Mama and Papa! She awoke!" the girl stands up, exclaiming in Russian. I turn my head to see who she was talking to and to my left is another bed.

I see a silhouette of a smaller girl getting up and running towards double doors. A little bit of light floods into the room. I still cant see anything well, but my screaming continues. This is not my house, this is not my room. Where the hell am I?! The taller girl comes closer to me and I can see her big blue eyes. "Valentina you are awake!" she repeats again with joy as if she can't believe I am here. Who is this girl? Was I kidnapped?

I sit crumbled near the iron head board of the bed. My whole body trembles. Tears start to stream down my cheeks. I manage to choke out, "Who are you?" in English. The girl's eyes look at me with confusion, "You do not recognize me darling? It is me your younger sister Mashka!" she speaks to me in English this time but with an accent almost Irish. As soon as she finishes her sentence, the double doors slammed wide open this time but more light entering the room a silhouette of a man and two women appear.

The man starts to run over to me but the girl with the big blue eyes stops him. "Papa! No, she does not recognize me or where she is.". The man kneels to her height, "What are you talking about darling?" he asks her. "She didn't recognize me." the girl explains. "Of course she wouldn't! The lights aren't on! I can't see a thing! Anna be a darling and turn on the lights." The skinny woman asks the more rounder figure. The plump woman responds with a yes and walks over to a corner and the lights flicker on.

I shut my eyes as the light burns my retinas. I slowly squint them open to see whom the silhouettes belong to. My gut is no where in sight, I sit paralyzed in fear and bewilderment I'm going insane aren't I?  In front of me stands the last Tsar Of Russia. Tsar Nicolas II and his wife Tsarina Alexandra Of Russia. I drop onto the floor attempting to get out of the bed, I notice that instead of my pjs I had on a white night gown. I sit on my knees with my hands together begging for forgiveness. "I'm so sorry your majesty for the inconvenience, I will be leaving. Please forgive me your majesty.". This must be a bad dream, I must be dreaming I need to wake up. If I leave I can try to find a way to wake up.

I stand up and the Tsarina speaks, "In the good lord's name, where are you going?". My face reddens with embarrassment , I avoid looking at her piercing stare. I respond in the politest way, "I'm going to try and find my way home.". The Tsarina looks at me confused and in hurt. I look over at the girl with the blue eyes, Grand Duchess Maria. She also has a saddened expression. "Anna go and get Dr Botkin and apologize for the inconvenience." the Tsarina orders. I am definitely dreaming, the Tsar and his family was executed over 100 years ago.

The sounds of the Tsarina's sobbing fills the silent room. We waited until this "doctor" came. After a few minutes a round man with spectacles walks in carrying a suitcase. "Your majesty, I'm sorry for not having the proper attire on. I came a quickly as I could.". The Tsar excuses him and explains the situation from his perspective. The slightly round man comes up to me. "Lets get back into bed shall we? Its more comfortable then the floor, and If I go down I am sure I wont be able to get up." he chuckles as I nod my head, getting back into bed. 

"Hello." he simply greets me. I look at him confused but greet him back. He takes out a notebook and starts to question me.

"I'm Dr. Botkin ,what is your name?" The doctor asks. "Um, my name is Valentina Fedorova." I reply not paying much attention to his presence. I look around the room and study it as he writes something down. "Do you know where you are?" 

"No" 

"Do you know who those people are over there?" he asks as he keeps writing.

"That's the Tsar and the Tsarina, that's one of their daughters." I respond. the only reason I have been able to recognize them is from my Russian Saturday school, we just finished with the Romanov dynasty before moving onto the soviet union.

"Where are you from?". 

I feel the gears in my brain working if am dreaming I can't pinch myself. I pinch my right arm and only feel pain. My eyes widen in disbelief and I start to cry. "Where was Grandmama and Auntie Helen? How was this even possible?". Too busy with my own distress I don't hear more people come in.

"Darlings all of you go to the Big pairs infirmary." the Tsar orders. "No I must see her!" I hear a voice demand. "No you can't! she is in no state of being seen by anyone!" the Tsar answers. I look up and see the figure push through. A few feet away stands Grand Duchess Tatiana staring at me with her piercing blue eyes, the same ones I saw in my history textbook. A frown sits on her face, looking as if she is in distress. She scares me a little with her sharp facial features as she towers over me. She stares at me until the Tsar pulls her away. "NOOO" she screams and falls as the Tsar drags her to the woman that went by Anna. The woman takes ahold of her and the rest of her sisters follow. 

I look up at the doctor, he asks me the question again. "I'm from America." I answer. He just writes something down again. He stops after a few more questions, "Well Valentina I'm sorry to inform you, but it is September 3, 1912 not- 2018 and you are 13 years old turning 14 not 16 years old.". After that the doctor stands up and goes up the the Tsar and his wife. "I need to talk to you privately.".

I sit still huddled. The Tsarina looks at me one last time before she leaves with the doctor and the Tsar. I sit in the room alone. I look around the infirmary. I have to process this information. How is this even possible?