The Romanov Diary

Chapter eighteen

May 2, 1918

"A letter! Maria sent us a letter!" Anastasia runs into Alexei's bedroom in the early morning of the 2nd May.

It's been over two weeks since Maria, Nicholas and Alexandra left Tobolsk for their new prison. Alexei was too weak to be moved, so the rest of his sisters stayed. Their nanny Anna stayed as well as their teacher Pierre, Dr. Botkin and the chef Ivan. Only Theo, Ophelia, the soldier Ivan and Kobylinsky's soldiers left together with the former czar and czarina. These two weeks have been a real burden for them all. Alexei moved into his sister's bedroom and took over Maria's. During the nights, their weeping and utter sorrow and fear can be heard uncontrollably from their room. They don't show any sign of weakness during the day, but as the sun goes to rest and the darkness surrounds the city, the four children can no longer hold back their emotions.

Ella has been crying too, worried about what will happen to her lost friends. She finds consolation with Milo who shares the same pulsating pain and worry. They've tried as best as they can to cheer up the children with card games, dancing in the ballroom, playing music, singing and playing with the dogs. And it helps while the sunlight is shining at them, but as they realise that their fifth voice in their songs, fifth smile on their photos and fifth sound of footsteps over the parquet floor in the ballroom, their own smiles dim away. The days are grey and quiet, and the Romanovs spend most of their days praying, sleeping or reading. Milo and Ella have too lost the most of their energy, as well as everyone else inside of the Governor's House.

When Anastasia closes the door behind her to the bedroom, she sits down on her bed with her sisters and brother there as well. Olga carries Alexei over to Maria's bed next to Anastasia's and sits down with him. Milo and Ella are there too, just as excited - and nervous - about Maria's letter. Tatiana and Ella take a seat on the floor, sitting on warm pillows, while Milo stands up and rests his weight against the wall. This is the first sign of them being alive since Nicholas, Alexandra and Maria left, and the spirit inside of the house quickly changes from fear to hope.

"Open it." Alexei quietly stutters from the bed.

Everyone looks at the envelope in Anastasia's hand as she slowly opens it. She takes a deep breath before reading it with her Russian accent.

"Dear sisters and brother,

Mama, Papa and I hopefully believed that we would be taken to Moscow for a trial. We were all thinking that justice would come and we would finally be released. But we were wrong. When we stepped outside, it was still colder than back home so I figured we were still in Siberia. Bolsheviks were waiting for us at the station, much tougher and meaner than the ones we've met before. Apparently, they're called Ural bolsheviks and are more radical than the other ones.

The cars took us to a big white house on a slope, wider than the Governor's House but not as high. A high fence made out of wood, much higher than the fence in Tobolsk, is surrounding the house. Standing in the yard or on the first floor, it's impossible to see the world outside. The windows are also painted with white paint to prevent us from seeing the view or calling for help. It pains me to not see the world beyond the fence. On the first floor there is a kitchen and an office, but I'm not sure how many rooms there are on that floor. We only have one functional bathroom to share on the second floor. The guards' room is on the same floor as ours. We don't have any camp beds, pillows, wash bowls, bed linen or table linen. I'm sleeping on a provisional bed that the soldiers bought for us downtown, but I miss my own bed in Tobolsk. Bring as much as you can if you come, because we have nothing here. We barely have enough water, but the small amount we have is very fresh and good, almost like the water back in Tsarskoe Selo. I was taking a bath before and the water was light blue!