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Norwegian Sea, November 1918
Most of the refugees were on deck watching Murmansk fade into the distance. The Romanovs have finally been evacuated from Russia. Now the Standart is all that remains of their beloved home. In this timeline, Olga lived to celebrate her 23rd birthday. I presented her with belongings and valuables Geralt and I recovered from the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo, notably several Faberge eggs and photo albums the Romanovs left behind before their deportation to Tobolsk. It was my last surprise for her and her family. Olga was moved to tears. Her only regret was that we couldn't take Cisco with us.
The yacht was in poor condition when Geralt and I found her in Kronstadt. Revolutionaries used her as a barracks ship, stripping or defacing all the original furnishings. The Romanovs nonetheless occupied their cabins without complaint. Since the four of us were short-handed, Nicholas and his children were willing to help out anywhere they could, even offering to assist Chief in the engine room. They'll probably have to sell the yacht one day to pay for their expenses, but at least they get to sail on her again.
For once in a long time, the Romanovs were out of danger. More importantly, they were free. Anastasia was so happy that she was on the foredeck screaming with Alexei. The refugees wanted to contribute a portion of their remaining valuables to make a tidy sum as a reward for rescuing them. Neither me nor my companions accepted it. They'll need it more than we do. Such kindness reminded Olga that there are still good people left in the world, restoring her faith in humankind.
Ultimately, I chose not to tell OTMA that we were from the future. They would've plied us with questions and I don't want them to think the grass is greener where we're from. Telling them my real name and where I was born satisfied their curiosity, though I stopped short of letting them see my face. Olga has been impressed with our extraordinary fighting abilities, overcoming superior numbers while barely taking a scratch. She wonders where we received our combat training. Olga is smarter than I thought.
One evening, the grand duchesses messed around with me in the wheelhouse while I was on duty. Maria removed her scarf and wrapped it around my neck, believing I was cold. After Aragorn took over the helm, the grand duchesses stayed with me in the captain's cabin, resting on a sofa. Maria and Anastasia fell asleep on either side of me. They had been craving this proximity ever since we left the Ipatiev House. I looked like a brother to Olga and Tatiana, watching over the little pair with great affection. I have come to value them more than my own life. The Professor plans to meet us in Copenhagen, where the Romanov family will finally come face to face with the man who made this rescue possible.
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