The crowds were in awe. "Are you excited for the coronation, Your Highness?" many people asked him. Little Sergei blushed deeply and nodded. "He is very excited. He loves his Aunt Tatiana." I replied, putting a hand on his small shoulder. The attendees of the bazaar bustled around me, admiring my work but not me. I was mostly ignored unless asked the prices of the items and scowled at. Don't they know it's for a good cause?

"It seems to be a success, Nastya." Mashka said as we watched from under a canvas sheet tent near the pavilion while sipping on tea. "Yes it appears so. Sergei is drawing plenty of attention." I replied and looked to my nephew, standing next to a booth with paintings of himself, Tatiana and our parents, the most popular and important Romanovs.

After a while I stood up to a microphone. "Greetings, lovely people of St. Petersburg." I began. "If you would give me a moment, I would like to explain the cause for this bazaar." Silence fell over the crowd but their attention was mine. "Thank you for coming on this lovely afternoon to support our local orphanage. These children have been abandoned or alone due to their parents' death, when they gather at this safe haven. To keep them safe and healthy, we need funding to buy them clothes and food. All profits from your purchases go to buying these children necessities and keeping their shelter secure. I am blessed to-" I was cut off by the sounds of gunshots.

Pop.

Scream.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

Screams.

Women in white gowns fall to the stone in a sea of blood. I am a target. I am a Romanov.

And here I am, standing on a stage in front of my killers, the prime location for death.

When I hear a little voice scream as it's life is taken from him is when light eludes me and I fall seemingly endlessly.

I was being dragged off the stage when I woke. I thought I was being carried to safety by guards, but it was just the opposite. I watched in a daze as Maria screeched as I was being taken away, grabbing a policeman's arm and pointing to me. The police finally arrived but chaos still ensued. Who are these people?

"Help her! Help! Help!" she screamed in terror but was hurried away by guards to a car. "They are going to kill her!"

Men ran to me. I recognized them, they are members of my guard. They chased after the man who had his hand on my mouth and was running down an alley. Go back, guards. Go back. Save the Russian people, they are in danger. Save Sergei. Save Maria. Don't worry about me.

I was unconscious as soon as I was thrown onto a crate at the end of the alley, cornered by cement walls.

I was paralyzed, waiting for death when I woke to my killer putting his hand up my skirt. I struggled to hit him and get him away from me. That's when I saw a rush of guards running to save me. That's when everything was taken from me. That's when I fell to the ground from the crate and I thought I finally died.