NOVEL WEB Chapter 22: Anastasia (Part 1)
"It is an honor to meet you, Your Imperial Highness. I am Ruslan Yankovsky, entrusted with your protection from this day forward. Please do not hesitate to command me as you wish."
On the day Anastasia turned ten, a young man in military attire knelt before her and introduced himself.
Anastasia, the fourth daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, was a charming girl with dark brown hair, fair skin, and slightly rosy cheeks.
In Russia, since the "Bloody Sunday" incident of 1905, sporadic labor and revolutionary movements had erupted. Although these were repeatedly suppressed by the authorities, with many activists executed, the threat of terrorism against the royal family was ever-present.
Concerned for his children's safety, Tsar Nicholas II assigned each of them a personal guard.
Ruslan was the fourth son of the Yankovsky baronial family. At seventeen, he had been trained in swordsmanship and firearms from a young age by his father. His exceptional skill with the sword earned him the nickname "The Lightning Noble."
Anastasia learned many things from Ruslan—how to ride a horse, basic self-defense, and even how to set traps. For the spirited and tomboyish Anastasia, Ruslan was an excellent teacher.
However, Anastasia had one lingering question:
"Why does Ruslan dress like a man, even though she's a woman?"
Six years passed.
February 23, 1917
The February Revolution Begins
On this day, demonstrations against food shortages broke out in the capital, Saint Petersburg (Petrograd). What began as a peaceful protest quickly escalated as labor unions mobilized, spreading strikes and demonstrations across the city within days.
Upon hearing the news in a western city, Tsar Nicholas II ordered the military to suppress the demonstrations and strikes. However, the soldiers sent to quell the unrest mutinied one after another, joining the Mensheviks (revolutionary forces).
The Tsar had already lost the loyalty of his army.
The capital fell swiftly to the revolutionaries, and Nicholas II abdicated the throne.
"Ruslan, I'm scared. What's going to happen to us?"
Anastasia looked up at Ruslan with anxious eyes.
"Your Highness, please don't worry. As long as I live, I will protect you, even at the cost of my life."
"Ruslan, I have a request. Will you become my knight? My very own knight..."
"Your Highness, your words humble me. My loyalty to you is eternal, even if my body turns to dust."
A simple knighting ceremony followed, witnessed by no one but the two of them.
"Arrest the Romanov family."
The revolutionary provisional government decided to arrest the Romanov family, including Anastasia, and sent a detachment to the Tsarskoye Selo Palace to seize them.
Following the February Revolution, Nicholas II had abdicated, and the Romanovs were now ordinary citizens.
"The provisional government promised to guarantee the safety of the Tsar's family!"
Ruslan and several former guards fiercely protested the arrest.
"Calm down. The arrest is merely a formality. They will continue to live in this palace, albeit with restrictions on their movements. The arrest is just a performance for the public. Their safety is assured."
"How can we trust your words? We won't let you pass, even if it costs us our lives!"
"Silence!"
Amid the heated argument between Ruslan's group and the arrest detachment, a dignified woman's voice rang out. It was Empress Alexandra.
"But, Your Majesty, these men dare to arrest you and the children..."
"It's fine. If we cause a scene now, none of us will be safe. Besides, I've heard the Tsar will arrive here tomorrow. He will surely find a way to handle this."
Following Empress Alexandra's orders, Ruslan and the others reluctantly stepped aside. The arrest detachment declared the family "under arrest" but allowed them to remain in the palace under house arrest. The former guards were expelled from the palace, replaced by revolutionary forces.
Ruslan and the others began gathering allies to rescue the imperial family.
"For now, the imperial family is safe. I've heard they haven't been mistreated."
At this time, the Romanovs were relatively free within the palace. Their letters were censored, but they could still communicate with the outside world. Moreover, several countries, including Britain, had explicitly opposed any move to harm the family, so the sense of imminent danger was low.
Ruslan and his allies hoped that a fair trial would exonerate the grand duchesses, who had no involvement in politics. If an unjust death sentence were handed down, they were prepared to launch a full-scale rescue.
May 1918
The Romanovs are Transferred to Yekaterinburg
Ruslan and his allies feared the family might be secretly assassinated after the transfer, but for a while, there were no signs of such a plot. However, as months passed without a trial, the family remained under house arrest for over a year.
They could wait no longer. With the help of the White Army, Ruslan and his allies decided to rescue the family.
July 16, 1918, 8:00 PM
A message arrived from an informant.
"What?! They plan to execute them tonight!?"
The news was shocking.
At around midnight on the 17th, the family would be awakened and told to move to the basement due to worsening local conditions. There, they would be shot.
Time was running out. With only four hours left, Ruslan and his allies scrambled to gather as many men and weapons as possible.
Ruslan contacted his White Army allies, securing a few reinforcements and additional ammunition.
"Nineteen of us in total. We must rescue the imperial family at all costs. Everyone, prepare yourselves."
The rescue team consisted of nineteen men—personal guards assigned to each member of the royal family and former imperial guards. Their loyalty was unwavering, and they were ready to lay down their lives for the Tsar.
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A/N: Thank you for reading Chapter 22!
Will the rescue of the imperial family succeed?
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