Anastasia's Secret Read Online Free PDF

would never believe I had seen such a thing; perhaps he would attribute it to my active imagination. And he had other more important things to think about, including a possible war. “Tell me. What would fix this?” I asked.
    “I don’t know. The Bolsheviks say giving people the power to decide things for themselves would be a start.”
    At that time, I couldn’t really imagine what that would be like. Papa decided everything for the whole country. It would be Papa who would soon say that Russia would go to war. It would be Papa who would send thousands of young men away from their families to be killed. At that moment, I was very glad I wasn’t Papa. And yet, he also had the power to make things better for thousands, even millions of Russian people. Why would he not do that if he could? And if the people had all the power, would they use it for good or not? I had read enough history to know of many examples where the people took revenge when they tumbled a monarchy—the French, for instance. The Reign of Terror was bloodier by far than all that preceded it, and the French people ended up with another emperor in Napoleon.
    I put my basket down on a flat rock, hoping that someone would find it before ants or stray dogs did, but too embarrassed to go any farther and give it to one of those unfortunate souls down below. “Take me back,” I said. Sasha pressed his lips together in a hint of a satisfied smirk. I was annoyed at him for being right about me.

C HAPTER 4
    A few days after that, Papa was late coming in for supper. It wasn’t like him to be late. Mama, who was beautiful, tall, and graceful with soft eyes and a straight nose, looked more tense and anxious than usual, even though Alexei—her Baby, her Sunshine, our Alyosha—was reasonably well; well enough in fact, to be sitting next to her in his military uniform, looking very self-important.
    “Tatiana, go and fetch your father,” Mama said. She always asked Tatiana to do things like that. We all knew that Tatiana was her favorite daughter, despite her attempt to pretend she had no favorites.
    Tatiana had just risen and taken two brisk steps toward the door when Papa entered. We froze when we saw his face, knowing that something had happened.
    “It’s war,” he said, standing next to his chair. “There’s nothing to be done. The Germans have violated Belgium’s neutrality, and we must honor our commitments—even if they hadn’t already declared war on us.”
    “Don’t worry, Papa,” Alexei said, standing and walking to his side. “I can help you with this war.” He looked so thin and frail in his uniform, which had been specially made to fit him. But he stood as tall and straight as he could, despite the lingering pain in his ankle. Alyosha could be a little brat when he wasn’t sick, but I supposed that was because he knew how important he was.
    Tears welled up in Mama’s eyes and rolled down her cheeks, and soon Mashka, Olga, and Tatiana were weeping too. Only I did not. Perhaps, because of Sasha, I knew more than the others, I don’t know. But far from a surprise, it seemed the logical next thing to me.
    From that day forward we barely saw Papa. He was too busy meeting with the generals and the ministers. When I passed by his chambers, hoping to hear details that were lacking in what Anya and the other maids of honor and the servants told us, I heard voices raised in anger and fear.
    “Your Majesty, you cannot lead the troops yourself! Leave it to your generals and remain in safety where you can govern.” I recognized the voice of Sukhomlinov, the minister of war.
    “How can I expect my loyal Russians to risk their lives if I do not share their suffering?”
    “But there are concerns here too. If you leave, who will take charge of everything?” That was Count Witte, an old friend and adviser of Papa’s.
    “The tsaritsa is my companion and shares my power. I trust her completely.”
    Silence. What did it mean?
    “But, Your