Saving the Romanov family #9

ГА РФ, ф. 640 оп. 3 д. 25 л. 78 об. фото 1168

Ekaterinburg, 23 July 1918

Was making my rounds when I overheard Tatiana talking to her parents in their bedroom. I couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation. The tsar and empress were enquiring about us. It was really nice to hear Tatiana vouching for us. She stayed indoors the whole day to help her mother look after Alexei.

Preparations for the journey are underway. Went down to the local garage to obtain tools and petrol for the vehicles. Also visited local shops to stock up on supplies, most of which had been requisitioned by the Red Army. I managed to find a few film cartridges which are hopefully compatible with the Romanovs' box camera.

During the captives' recreation in the garden, I gave chocolates to Tatiana's sisters. A smile creeped over Anastasia's face when she took her first bite. She enjoyed it so much that I gave her another bar. Maria and Anastasia plied me with questions to know more about us. Olga asked about the Bolsheviks' plan to kill them. Her parents told them of the attempted execution after all. It made them feel even more miserable, and they remained wary of us until we fought off the Bolsheviks. I asked the grand duchesses where they would want to go to if they were not under house arrest. The three of them were unanimous, they long for the Crimea.

The tsar was admiring the seized vehicles in the courtyard. He noted that the engines were in poor condition and believes their former owners were bad mechanics. I updated him on current events in Russia, though he was also interested in any news of the Great War. It sickens him to learn that the Bolsheviks had no intention of sparing his wife, children and servants. He's worried for them. I couldn't stress enough the danger they were still in.

It's strange to see the once powerful tsar like this, condemned to die in a basement and rot for decades under a muddy road. But I don't hate him. Whatever his blunders, he paid for them dearly with his life and the lives of his family and loyal servants, at least in my time. I asked Nicholas to think about their evacuation, reminding him that staying in Russia was impossible. After he went indoors, Maria said her father needed time as he's still mourning Mikhail's death. Whatever his decision, we'll be leaving Ekaterinburg anyway and he will have to decide on a new home for his family abroad. Stay in Russia and it will mean the death of them all.