Her Bright Spirits

0. Olga's Prologue

11 August 1904

Peterhof Palace, St Petersburg

Madame Eagar did up the buttons quickly, not speaking; barely breathing. I glanced in the mirror beside me and couldn't help but smile; the pale blue silk shimmered like water reflecting the sun. When the back was fastened, she went over to a chest of drawers and grabbed the sash, gently placing it over my shoulder. The way the red ribbon had been woven made it so swirly patterns appeared when the fabric caught the light, with silver thread lining the trim. My kokoshnik headdress, the same blue colour as my dress and rimmed with pearls, was the final thing to put on, which Madame Eagar did for me, working at the white ribbons so it would stay on my head. Once she finished, Madame Eager took a step back and looked me over.

My governess, who had kindly offered to help with the finishing touches of my getting ready because she'd seen how nervous I was, lifted her finger and made a circular motion, which I knew meant to twirl. Back in my original pose, she nodded to herself, her solemn face finally breaking into a grin, "There, that's you ready. You look very regal, Olga Nikolaevna."

I looked back at the mirror. She was right, I did look regal. The outfit was not the same as the usual dresses Mama made me wear; it was the traditional dress of the Russian court. It was the first time I had ever worn it and I was so excited about this privilege that my stomach felt full of buzzing bees, and I asked Eager if I could have a chocolate to calm down, but she said I can't have one until afterwards.

"Everything will be alright, my dear," Eager said. "You remember where you're supposed to stand, don't you? And Tatiana Nikolaevna will be right behind you."

I like Madame Eager, and inside I wished I was allowed to hold her hand during the ceremony. Mama and Papa wouldn't be there because of an old tradition that they couldn't participate, and I didn't like the idea of being alone, even if Tatiana was going to stand behind me, "But where will you be?"

Eager chuckled, "I told you. I'll be off to the side with Marie Nikolaevna and Anastasia Nikolaevna."

Madame Eager always used our patronymics, even though she didn't have to. She was not Russian, hailing instead from Ireland, and never quite grasped how our grammar worked. I never minded, but I did think it was funny how every other word was Nikolaevna this, Nikolaevna that, especially with how strange it sounded in her accent.

She brushed down my dress one last time and pinched my cheek. "Aye, you'll be fine. Now go on, Tatiana Nikolaevna is already waiting for you in the hall."

When I went towards the door, I quickly returned when I realised I'd forgotten to thank Madame Eager for helping me get ready, then I leave for real. She was right, my sister was pacing up and down a small stretch of the floor in the corridor, wringing her hands. Tatiana looked up at the sound of the door opening and ran towards me.

Her arms were outstretched at first, for a hug, but she remembered just before she reached me that we couldn't to crease our dresses, so she only grabbed my hands, "You look so pretty!" She released me but doesn't know what to do with her hands, so she clenched them into fists and kept them at her sides, standing straight and tall like a soldier.

"Thanks, but you're prettier. The blue is nicer with your hair."

Tatiana only shrugged, "I do not think so, I prefer purple. But that doesn't matter! Look at us! This is the court dress! We are proper little ladies now, hm?"

I heard a giggle and looked over Tatiana's shoulder, where I saw Marie peeking at us from the Little Pair's bedroom door. Her hands were clasped together, and I'd never seen a grin so wide; it consumed half her face. She squeaked like she'd just seen a unicorn, "You look like fairy princesses!" Tatiana indulged her, doing a curtsy.