saraamarques

The Grand Ducal Coup has succeeded. In order to avoid revolution, Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, the Tsar's brother, takes the reins of the Government in Petrograd and declares himself regent with the support of all senior Grand Dukes. With a heavy heart, he sends his brother, wife and daughters into exile to the Isle of Man and becomes his nephew's tutor until he comes of age. Russia becomes a Constitutional Monarchy, and revolution is avoided.Meanwhile, the Tsar's uncle, Grand Duke Paul, who had settled in Russia in 1914 after spending several years in exile in Paris due to his scandalous marriage to a divorced woman, is adjusting to his old life. His children, Vladimir, an accomplished poet, Irina, and Natalia, will have to settle into a new world, far from everything they have always known.In the final days of the old regime, Vladimir falls in love with Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, but the coup, Rasputin's murder, and their divided loyalties drift them apart. His sister Irina also finds love with Feodor, but he still sees her as a little girl. Natalia, the most extroverted and fiery of the siblings, makes an impression wherever she goes, leaving a trail of broken hearts in her wake.Together, they will have to navigate life, love, friendship, and heartbreak in a foreign country with a new position, new people, and unfamiliar conventions.…

saraamarques

Following the Grand Ducal Coup of 1917, Russia embarks on a tenuous path to recovery. Grand Duke Michael, acting as regent for the young Tsar Alexei II, has granted autonomy to various regions and overseen a gradual economic revival. Yet, a shadow hangs over the future. The young Tsar has just recovered from a severe haemophilia episode and, although advances in medicine seem to be promising for his condition, voices within the family are questioning his rightful place as Tsar of Russia.Meanwhile, in Paris, the exiled members of the Bolshevik party feel that the chance of achieving their long-awaited revolution is slipping away. Russia's prosperity has damaged their cause and their leader, Vladimir Lenin is fading away after a series of strokes. The race to occupy his place is on and is feverous, but Grigory Zinoviev has a more subtle approach. He intends to use an unexpected connection to the Ballets Russes, Russia's most avant-garde ballet company and long supported by Grand Duke Paul, to find his way into the imperial family and damage it from within.As for the Paleys, Grand Duke Paul's morganatic family, they are fully settled in Russia. Prince Vladimir Paley continues his work as a professor of Russian Literature at the Corps des Pages and accepts the position of tutor to Grand Duke Michael's two children, Tata and George. Princess Irina Paley is living a fairytale romance with Prince Feodor Alexandrovich, but she'll have to make a difficult choice between love and her own personal ambitions.Princess Natalia, known for her artistic spirit, finds herself drawn to a captivating ballet dancer. However, her unconventional passions could spark unforeseen consequences for both her and the Empire.…

saraamarques

In the summer of 1925, all of Russia turns its eyes to the coronation of Alexei II, a dazzling spectacle meant to reaffirm the strength of the monarchy. But beneath the splendour, a sinister plot is brewing in the shadows-a conspiracy within the Ballet Russes, where Bolshevik sympathizers conspire to strike at the very heart of the empire. As the grand event draws near, more and more people seem determined to make the new reign a short one.While the empire stands on the edge of peril, Princess Natalia Paley becomes ensnared in a dangerous fascination with Serge Lifar, a brilliant but subversive dancer with ties to the conspiracy. What begins as admiration soon turns into something far more reckless-a betrayal that could not only cost Natalia her friendship with Alexei but put the entire monarchy at risk.Meanwhile, Vladimir and Tata struggle to make it to the altar as their love is tested by endless delays and the meddling of Tata's formidable mother, Countess Brassova. As tensions rise and secrets from the past come to light, they are forced to confront whether their relationship can survive the forces working against them.For Irina and Feodor, the weight of responsibility as Viceroys of the Caucasus has cast yet another shadow over their once-passionate marriage. Irina, struggling with the demands of motherhood and her new life, throws herself into an ambitious project to improve the lives of those under her care-an endeavour that will challenge her in ways she never expected.…