Page 26, Line 26 by Charlotte Jane Berney
Inspired by Line 26, Page 26 of ‘The Murder of Rasputin’ by Greg King.
Alexandra finally gave birth to a son in July 1904. They called him Alexei.
“Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia to you, and it was the twelfth day of August to be precise.
It wasn’t the name, though it placed me in line for a royal life.
It wasn’t even the expectation that due to my gender; I would carry the cloak of the nation as the Second Tsar following my beloved father.
No.
It was this: my ‘invisible’ inheritance. From my great grandmother to her daughter, to beautiful mama, and so to me.
A Faberge egg: a small herd of deer, perhaps a dancing bear, any of those I would gladly accept. Prefer, to be frank.
Couldn’t this ‘gift’ have been shared and gently diluted amongst my sisters?
On reflection, perhaps a drop less for Tatiana; she has always been so gentle with me through the torture of it all. Or Anastasia, come to think of it, the mischief we made. Oh, Maria, my dearest, you truly felt my pain. And Olga, though we didn’t share so many games together, I couldn’t wish this suffering on you alone.
Instead, this bruising legacy has infused my life; and all that they could do was to wrap me in furs, cosset me away from all climbing, all jumping, and swords. To protect me from any frisson that might invoke the purple stain; the ‘royal disease’ that brought on the bleeding that would not stop.
Royal blood? Damned blood.
Oh, how I hate you, great grandmama.
Known to her subjects as Queen Victoria.”
Charlotte Jane Berney