To The End With You

C h a p t e r S i x t y

Photo: Olga, Maria, Nicholas 1917
January 1917
Rasputin's body was fished out of the river and now where I am standing is where he is getting buried as his coffin is getting lowered un the ground as the ceremony is slowly ending. Anna built a chapel on palace grounds and that is where he is being buried. All of my sisters are crying except Tatiana, she is taking the lead as usual and comforting everyone.

After from my family and I, Anna is here of course, so is Lili Dehn, Sophie, and Shura are here as well. silence is upon us as the priest finishes blessing the casket that is already in the ground. Mama took the news the worst that Rasputin died but I feel nothing. He had it coming, he deserved it. I stand looking down at the casket in the ground, the man that has terrorized me is gone forever, he can't hurt anyone anymore.

Once the priest finishes his holy songs only sobs can be heard. Mama falls to her knees as she sobs continuously. We get lead back to the palace by our ladies in waiting. I go straight to my room to write in my diary as I see a woman sitting on my bed, the same green dress and the same brown hair. "Hello Valentina" she smiles. I sit down at my desk, "Hello" is all I say. "How was the funeral?" She asks me. "It was odd seeing him dead in the ground" I answer as I play with my bracelet.

Will the devil Angel show up? I haven't seen her in a while. I hope not, it scares the crap out of me. "You know Vanya the end is coming near" she says. I clench my fists that are rested in my lap, "I know" I say quietly as I keep my gaze on my hands. "Remember Vanya, March 1917 is when it all falls down" she reminds me. "I know, I know!" I shout.

"Valentina who were you talking to?" I hear Tatiana's voice. I quickly turn around and look at her. I look back at the spot where the Angel was sitting and she is gone. "No one, I was reading" I lie. Tatiana sits down on her bed. Ever since we found out that Dimitri Pavlovich participated in the murder of Rasputin he has been cut off. No longer associated with us, exiled to another country. I am not sure where he is now but this effected Tatiana greatly. She stopped writing in her diary ever since, I pity her.

Silence fills the room as I think about her words, the end is coming near. I start to panic, there is so much people to save from this mess. I need to save my family, I need to save uncle Misha, aunt Ella, and... Igor! I need to save him!

I get up and walk around the hallways of the palace. I would need them all together. I would need Igor here with us during imprisonment so I could save him with my family and I would need his brothers all to flee the country. Aunt Ella would need to be here as well. I walk around the hallways thinking. "Igor would be the perfect son in law" papas words echo in my head, he would have to marry one of us to stay here.

My heart drops, he can't marry me. I wouldn't be the wife he needs and a marriage would interfere with me saving everyone. He would need to marry one of my sisters. I walk around the hallways even more as my brain thinks while my heart suffers. Tatiana is utterly broken now. Maria, she is a considerable candidate, and Anastasia is too young, and Olga, Olga would be a perfect match for him.

She is close in age, he just what she wants in a husband, but Maria would be easier to convince. My head runs wild as I think. "Valentina!" I hear Tatiana's voice again. "What?" I snap out of it. "Your stomping is so loud, come back to our room and tell me what you are thinking about"she demands. I follow her words and go back to our room. She shuts the door and turns around.

"Tatiana I need you more now then ever" I say to her. She crosses her arms and listens. "My plan to save our family needs to be acted out soon"I explain to her. "And what do you need me for?" She asks me. I swallow, "I need you to convince Olga to marry Igor" I tell her. Her eyes widen, "what? Why?! I thought you liked him and that he was interested in you". I fiddle with my bracelet, "You were wrong, I need most of our family in one place and if Olga marries Igor it would help me a lot with saving more family" I explain to her.

"Valentina, what do you mean? What is going to happen?" She asks me. I start to sweat, "nothing I can't tell you yet" I say to her. She opens her mouth to protest but I quickly cut her off, "I will tell you closer to the date" I promise her. "Now I need you to help me convince Olga to marry Igor" I tell her. She nods her head as she goes to look for Olga. I go to follow her but I am stopped by Maria saying that there is someone on the phone that wants to speak to me.

I go to the phone, "Hello?" I say as Igor's voice beams through the phone, "hello Vanya, I am terribly sorry about your recent loss" he gives me condolences about Rasputin. "Thank you" I simply say. "Hey you should come over to the palace tomorrow I know that you will be leaving to the front with papa soon" I tell him. "Of course I will come Vanya, I can't wait to see you" he says exclaims as my gut twists, "yeah see you tomorrow" I hang up the phone.
***
The next day comes and Igor arrives at the palace. Tatiana already spoke to Olga a bit yesterday and was lashed with hostility but I won't give up yet. Igor had feelings for Olga back before I was that close to him so this is bound to work. We all sit in the tea room as Igor walks in. Of course the little pair eagerly greets him. "My apologies for being late I had to speak with your papa" he apologizes. Maria giggles, "No need to apologize solider!" . Igor smiles as he goes over to sit next to me but Tatiana takes his place. "There is a free spot next to Olga" Tatiana points out.

Igor listens and goes to sit next to Olga. She gives him a small smile as he starts up a conversation with her about papa. Tatiana and I make eye contact with our younger sisters, not paying attention to their small talk, "What do you think Vanya?" He asks me as Tatiana cuts in, "We must go, I think Lili is calling us" she says as she stands up and grabs my arm as we leave the room.

The little pair leave a little bit after us as we walk to our room. I bump into a servant with a letter, "this is for you Valentina Nikolaevna" she says. I go to my room and sit down at my desk. I look at the letter to see that it's from Rasputin. I gasp a little, he is dead, how did this get to me now?

I open the letter and scan through it as my heart stops and my mind goes blank
***
Dear Valentina,
When you are reading this I am dead. I wanted to write saying that your family will die and that there is no hope. You should have been gone months ago yet you were a thorn in my side. Death is welcoming you forever, you can do nothing but sit and watch with your failure. You were nothing but a pawn for me since I couldn't get rid of you
R
***
After the painful weeks go by and Olga and Igor got closers and closer while I distanced myself from him, he proposed to her and Olga accepted. It was official, my sister Olga Nikolaevna, the Dimond of Europe's eye was going to get married next month.