The Romanov Legacy

Chapter 1

Today is the day all the suiter will arrive. Sixteen of oldest sons of the wealthy families of Russia will come here to fight for my hand, Olga thought as Nadia closed her corset and helped her into her dress. She knew her sisters were rather exited to see who would become her husband, although she couldn't really say the same. At least she knew Carol already, although it was the question if she was glad with that. "You're ready ma'am," Nadia said as she stepped away to see if there weren't any hairpieces that stuck out. Olga turned around and smiled at her maid but most of all good friend. "From where the formality?" she asked smiling. "I suppose that shall need to be the use now, because I don't expect your suitors to expect that you have a good friendship with your maid" Nadia answered. Olga shook her head as Tatiana walked in, wearing the same white dress with her hair also up. Nadia dropped in a curtsy and left the room as she left the two sisters behind. "Oh you look beautiful, I'm sure everyone will love you even more now" Tatiana said as she looked at her sister. "Although I suggest coming to the grand hall, everyone is waiting there and I'm sure mother will be furious when we don't follow the schedule for one minute." They both laughed and walked down the long and wide stairs, for the last time just being together without all sorts of strangers in their house.

Down by the stairs in the grand hall they found their parents and the rest of their siblings. As their mother noticed they are there she directly walked up to them. "There you are, everyone should arrive in about five to ten minutes. You have met most of them when you we're younger and they came to balls and christenings, so don't look like you are going to be thrown in a pit of wild bears who don't know how to behave," she said to Olga as she nodded. Olga still can't place that feeing away, something felt not right. But her mother should be right, they are all respectable young men from good families. As she walked over to her other siblings she noticed Aleksej was missing. This time she turned to her father who stood on the front of the line. "Father, where is Aleksej? I thought the tserarevitsj should be here to welcome everyone as well" she asks. Her father nodded. "He should have been here, but he is still resting from his latest trip and since it still is pretty painful we decided to let him stay in bed," he answered. Olga nodded and stood in between her mother and Tatiana, all waiting to greet all the suitors. "When will they come?" Anastasia asked moving up and down on her toes, getting a strict look of their mother. "There might have just passed one minute Anastasia, so still around five to ten minutes." "Then actually four to nine minutes mother" Maria said back giving a cheeky look to Anastasia. Olga shook her head and turned her look back at windows next to the big door, waiting for the first carriage to arrive.

After waiting a few minutes that felt like hours the first carriage stopped on the big lane, and someone stepped out. After a few seconds the big doors opened and a tall young man with dirty blonde hair and grey eyes walked into the hall. After he looked around for a few seconds he turns to us and bows. "A very good morning your majesties, your highnesses" he said as he walked our way. Olga stretched out her arm for him to take and give her hand a kiss, and so he does. "It is a great pleasure meeting you Tsarevna Olga. I'd like to introduce myself, I'm sir Miles Gabriel Conrad von Grossberg." The young man said. Olga took him in, he indeed looked like a very reasonable man, if everyone was like that maybe this whole selection idea would be a good idea. "Welcome sir Miles, it sure is a pleasure to meet you too," Olga answered when this time two other people walked in. One rather muscular, with brown hair and eyes. She was pretty sure she had never seen him before, and of the looks of her mother she hadn't either. Well great, that already went wrong. Next to him walked in another boy, with slightly lighter brown hair and blue eyes, seeming to be intimidated of the presence of the unknown boy. They both bowed, although it seemed that the more muscular boy didn't really did it because he wanted too. The one with the lighter hair walked over to her and also kissed her hand. "Artemii Ivanov your highness, a real pleasure to see you again" Artemii said. Olga smiled by hearing the name. "Oh yes Artemii, it sure is a pleasure to see you again, it has been a long time." As he walked away to great the rest of the family the boy who didn't seem to exited to bow walked over. Olga again stretched her arm for him to kiss her hand, only to result in him staring at it and then her. What was he thinking? Seeing that he wasn't going to do anything Olga decided she needed to tell him what to do. "You kiss it" she said lifting her hand a little. Clearly not amused he kissed her hand. In a rough voice he introduced himself. "Viggo Ivanov," was the only thing he said. That was what went wrong. Olga was already slightly confused in why Artemii his brother wasn't here. The second letter must have gotten lost and send to this Viggo. "Pleasure," she answered as he already had walked away and looked around. How rude could someone be. "I can't remember him, and he seems rather disgusting. He didn't even knew he needed to kiss your hand and he just ignored us." Tatiana whispered to her older sister. Olga nodded, she was sure he wasn't supposed to be here. "I know, mother doesn't seem to amused herself too."

And so it went on for about an hour. Everyone walked in, greeted them and introduced themselves. As it seemed everyone was already there Olga counted the heads. Fifteen, they were still missing someone. And just as she noticed that the last selected rushed in and directly bowed. "Good afternoon I suppose it is your majesties, your highnesses" he said, clearly out of breath. "Excuse me for being late, the train ran late." The boy had blonde hair, blue eyes and looked like he knew how to work. When he had both greeted her parents he came to her. He kissed her hand and also introduced himself. "Your highness, it is a true wonder to finally be able to meet you. I am Peter Vasilyevich, it's a great pleasure" he said. He looked quite alright, better then Viggo at least. He had been acting not exactly fitting the last hour. "The pleasure is truly mine," Olga answered. Everyone should be here now, great. She was glad to at least see some faces she could slightly remember, although she couldn't really place why her parents had brought Carol, they knew the last time they tried to place her on the Romanian throne didn't exactly go as planned. Well, it was going to be a rather interesting time.