A bombshell dropped on everybody's head, well not mine since I already knew it was going to happen, but nobody expected that my father Peter would sign such an unequal treaty.
Treaty of Saint Petersburg is its official name but many have dubbed it the 'Second Miracle of Brandenburg'.
For my part, I have met with many nobles and while many declined my offer, I can't blame them since my mother was a much better prospect, I have, however, gotten the support of a number of officers, mostly due to the support of Alexei Orlov, figure it takes a noble to convince another noble.
Of course, Andrey is popular with the enlisted since he was part of the regiment for many years and while his connections aren't strong, they are numerous.
Now, it's time to use some future knowledge to tip the scales more in my favor.
Russia signing that peace treaty was four months into my father's reign and I know he ruled for like six months originally, so I have 2 months to coup the dodo before my mother.
Now since I have interfered with the timeline there could be a chance the coup may proceed earlier, but that's the thing I'm not gonna rely on my knowledge, I'll just kick off the coup myself, at least I won't get executed if the coup fails since I'm the only eligible heir.
All I need is a chance, a chance where not only was my father distracted but also low on his guard, but also all the officers who are neutral or loyal to me are in the barracks.
That chance came three weeks after the signing of the treaty, my father planned to organize a grand ball, set to happen in three days time, to celebrate the signing of the treaty with his court, a joyous occasion, for me(and him...for a brief moment)
I organized a meeting with everybody on a nice mid-day afternoon. Surrounded by my erstwhile allies I opened the meeting with the agenda on my mind.
"My father has decided to celebrate what he thinks is a joyous occasion, a great grand ball to celebrate the ending of the 'ceaseless war' and doesn't realize that many people want his blood. I think we all know that this is my best chance at ensuring the plan succeeds", looking around me I see quite a number of emotions, Masha had a questioning look, not one of disloyalty but one questioning whether would or not I would be safe, I'll re-assure her later, now I must put up a brave face.
One thing that was common though with Betuzhev, Genri, and both Alexeis was a look of just stonefaced coolness, and as expected Andrey had an excited determination on his face, I think he's just a battle maniac, although my plan hinges on there being no fight.
"I need all of you to prepare, then we must strike", at the last phrase I slammed my tiny fists on the table.
"Anything else to report? We won't be able to meet till this is all over" eyeing everybody around the table (Masha felt she didn't do anything to help and insisted that she doesn't sit around the table), I saw nobody had anything to say and dismissed them apart from Genri and Masha.
*************************************************************
Well I didn't expect it to run in the family, like grandmother like grandson, even remembering her brings a little pain to my heart, it's been four months but I can't forget her.
I who was nothing but a lowly serf with no talents other than my good voice, and when a wandering colonel picked me up my life started to change, singer in the choir of the palace I thought this was the highest a man of my stature would rise.
Then I encountered her, the then-exiled Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of the famed Peter I, she was beautiful graceful, and intelligent.
She was a bit broken, I heard the stories of the deaths of all her loved ones and I decided to talk to her, I don't know if it was curiosity or her beauty that made me make that decision.
Conversing with her revealed a cunning likable, and shrewd woman, one thing led to another and I fell in love with her.
I confessed my love and it was accepted however, she told me "It's too dangerous for us to be lovers, just us being together is dangerous for us, but I have a plan that would allow us to be open", to which she had informed me of her plan of couping Ivan VI, and requested my help to which I gladly offered.
The coup succeeded and I was generously rewarded but if you were to ask me my greatest reward I would say it was the love of Elizabeth, I respected her rule and helped out when asked, but I had been largely neutral, but here I am helping her grandson coup his father.
After the impromptu meeting, I called as many nobles I knew while Elizabeth was still alive, and after a few hours, I made my way to the meeting spot all the nobles agreed to meet at.
Opening the door, I made it to the chair that was at the head of the large table in the room, 'good, it seems I am the first one here, it's not good to make the nobles wait'. It was supposed to be a small meeting only involving nobles who I believed were trusted enough to be privy to what I was going to say.
After some minutes, the last noble came and everybody settled down, everybody here came alone, not even guards were brought.
"Well, what did you call us for Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky? Don't tell me you got cold feet", said one of the nobles.
"No, none of that, I have come to tell you that the coup is now in motion, three days from now", I explained.
"Three days? Hmm... that's the day His Majesty is planning the grand ball" one of the nobles mused out loud, 'good at least we aren't dealing with morons'.
"What is your plan Count?" one of the other nobles questioned.
"Simple, during the ball just give your support, other than that I cannot tell you more, I'm sure you can understand", I responded. To my last words, many nobles grumbled but I don't care, these nobles support the coup because they believe they can control a young impressionable Tsar, disgusting disloyal bastards, we'll need to deal with them after the coup.
After all the nobles left, I slumped down on my chair.
"I hope you are happy Elizabeth with what I'm doing", I muttered to myself.
********************************************************
I signed up in the Imperial Russian Army at the young age of 17. I had no connections neither was I a noble and thus the Infantry I became part of.
Any conflict Russia was part of, I was there, well the European conflicts, my regiment never was part of the excursions into Persia.
I pride myself that I have never done what the Holy Bible deemed an evil act while on campaigns, the worst I have done on a campaign was mock an Austrian officer and start a brawl but I learned my lesson when my wage was decreased. Truly though? Taunting the Austrians is a good deed in my book.
My good deeds were rewarded when I met a beautiful girl, a kind baltic woman with beautiful brown eyes and that smile could smite any Austrian into fleeing, though that is a low bar.
Then I got promoted to serving in the famed and most importantly safe guard regiments, and everything was going great.
However, just as high my life went it quickly went just as low, the love of my life left me with my stillborn son to the afterlife. The only thing that stayed the same was me serving in the guard regiments, but I lost my ways and turned to alcohol to ease the pain.
That's how I lived my life for years until I was tasked with protecting the young Prince, I do not know why I was given such task when I deemed myself not responsible.
In the beginning, I did the bare minimum, and I quickly did below the minimum when I realized the newbie, Genri would pick up my slack. That's how I thought my life would be, wasting away drinking while serving the Prince before he got tired or infuriated with my irresponsibility and fired me, but then the young Prince started talking with me, at first I kept shut but I quickly opened up to him, I don't know if it's because the young Prince felt I was talking to an adult rather than a child or maybe he looked like what my child would have looked like, brown of hair and light blue eyes.
I beat myself up with my stupid thoughts, 'He isn't your son, your son died', I told myself that but it didn't work.
Now, here I am trying to convince officers not loyal to Paul that we go on a nights out, far from the barracks and far from where their regiments are stationed, coincidentally the night out happens the day the ball is on.
********************************************************
Three days later, late afternoon, it's a festive day in the capital, a great ball of which Peter claims that no other will be its equal, but underneath this happy moment, there is a carriage that leaves past the gates of the Winter Palace.
What is special about this carriage? There is nothing other than a few servants and guards, according to the guards of the Palace, little did the guards know that this carriage was holding me, Prince of the Russian Empire, I can't blame the guards though, who would expect THE PRINCE of the empire to disguise himself in servant clothes.
Although the disguise worked sneaking out of the Winter Palace was still very risky, I wasn't allowed to leave the palace without the permission of my mother and father. Luckily, if there is one thing that can be counted on it's the greediness of humans, a couple of bribes here and there and I managed to sneak out of the palace. Of course, none of the guards who were bribed knew I was the prince, if they knew then even if I offered all the money in the world they wouldn't allow me to pass through, they are greedy, not stupid.
Dressing out of the servant attire, I donned my royal set, I know it will take at most half an hour to reach the Headquarters of the Guard Regiments.
Arriving near the Headquarters, our carriage was stopped by two men, this could have been dangerous if I hadn't already arranged this, well not me, that was courtesy of Alexei, these two men were to escort us to the headquarters and were to ensure I could enter unimpeded.
Passing by the gates of the headquarters, we quickly parked the carriage and I stepped out of the warm comfort of the carriage into the bitter harsh cold.
"Well, now or never", I remarked.
"Quite so Your Highness" Genri agreed.
I made my way into the building and opened the door.
"You two stay here, guard the door, and tell us when somebody not related to the event comes" Alexei ordered the two men who had escorted us.
********************************************************
We made our way to the officer dining hall since officers would usually eat separately from the recruits, and you don't need the support of the grunts if you have the cooperation of the officers, which is why I am here.
"Pardon me Your Highness, but I will stand guard at the door to make sure nobody ruins the occasion" Alexei had told me before I entered the dining hall.
"Eh, why?" I asked
"Cause they will not see a Prince here trying to get his birth-right but a Prince being controlled, and even if they see the former, they may still not support you because of their dislike of me, and right now Your Highness, you need all the help you can get", Genri quipped in.
Alexei added more "As he said, after all, I'm not an official guard assigned to you, Genri can be with you since he is your guard, and I find it hard to believe that nobody knows what we are doing so I can guard the door and make sure nobody interrupts you".
Alexei opened the door and beckoned that we enter.
'Alright, just need to convince most of these noble officers that supporting me not only won't get them killed but they stand a chance to get an actual good Tsar'.
********************************************************
As we made our way to the head of the dining hall, I was stared upon and hushed whispers talked of me.
"Who are they?" I heard one of the guardsmen, a young one at that, whisper to an older guar, "You idiot that's the soldier Prince and his guard, he comes to our training sometimes", then another guard butted in the conversation "Then what is the Young Prince doing here?".
Looking unbothered by their conversation and maintaining an air of confidence is quite hard, I'm on the verge of squirming like a worm.
Finally, I reached the head of the room and had Genri remove the podium in which the Priest would give his sermons, and in its place was a wooden chair.
Standing up to the chair and surveying the hall full of guardsmen, I see many have a look of either neutrality or a look expectation.
'Take a deep breath. I can't fail their expectations now can I'
"I hope I find you all at a good time members of the guard. Some of you may know me, some don't even have the faintest of clues of who I am. I am Crown Prince Paul, Son of Peter the Third, Grandson of Elizabeth the First, and Great Grandson of Peter the First, the one who is responsible for you being here." I introduced myself to the assembly.
"I have heard of rumors, rumors of plotting to overthrow my father, the Tsar", I paused, scanning my surroundings I noticed some of their faces darkened and many had looks of confusion that showed 'Wait a damn minute, isn't that plot to make you Tsar? Why are you saying it out loud in front of the others who aren't in it?'
Well, this makes my life easier, it seems Andrey had lured many officers either still loyal to my father and the ones who are supporting my mom. Although we haven't identified a lot of my mom's supporters, so Andrey lured anybody who just wasn't friendly or neutral to the prospect of me rising to the throne, the latter were the most numerous on this occasion.
Well, time to silence their fears before they do something hasty.
"I have no problem with dethroning my father, for your information. However, I do have a problem with who you plan to replace him with. I stand before you not only as your Crown Prince but also as the great-grandson of Peter the Great and the grandson of my beloved grandmother. My great-grandfather brought Russia to greatness. Before him, the Swedes ruled this very city where we stand. Now? It belongs to us—the great city of Saint Petersburg, our capital, not far from the very Swedes we took it from. Which other man dares to have his capital so close to enemy lines? No one but my great-grandfather. He had the audacity because he knew he had loyal men to hold such a grand capital."
"Some of you, the very men standing here, helped my grandmother secure the throne, and in return, you were rewarded with titles, honor, and great privileges. But the greatest reward was the chance to serve a Tsar worthy of your loyalty. She led Russia against the Prussians—the very same Prussians who terrified the Hapsburgs. We crushed Frederick, and we would have ended his dream of Prussian greatness if it weren't for my father.
What I'm saying is that the House of Romanov has done great things not only for the Guard but for Russia. Who here believes the Guard has done more for Russia than my family? Well, answer me! Or do you think that my father's betrayal is enough to release you from your oaths? To replace my father with an outsider or my mother? Well then, go! Go support my mother or whoever paid you more, but when you die and reach the afterlife, I want you to explain to my great-grandfather why you supported them. Explain to my grandmother, who doted on you, why you bypassed me for your pretender."
After that, I looked each of them in the eyes. Whoever I made eye contact with immediately looked down in shame.
The Quietness sparked with tension, This was the decisive moment that decided whether or not my plan would succeed. I thought my plan would fail since the guard didn't react more than silence...then the silence ended.
"Forgive us, Your Highness. Forgive Us, we have failed not only you but also our oaths" A guard stood up and shouted.
"You idiot, why are you saying Your Highness? It's Your Majesty. Forgive him Your Majesty, but this guy is a bit slow in the head. You have my sword, Your Majesty!" The Older Guard member who stood up and slapped the back of the head of the first guy unsheathed his saber. I looked around to see if anybody else would follow his lead.
"You too have my sword Your Majesty!", another guard member proclaimed.
"Aye, you have my Loyalty Your Majesty!" followed by another and another, till the entire room was full of shouts of guard members proclaiming their loyalty.
"Well then, marshall your men! For today we are getting rid of a German spy that sits upon the throne" I shouted, mastering all the might my young body could muster and it seemed to work as a cacophony of cheers were raised.
The men lifted me up and out of the hall and I saw Alexei waiting outside the door, but something was different about him.
I told the guardsmen to settle me down and approached Alexei.
"I heard everything from outside, and judging from those cheers I heard I'm guessing that you got the guard regiment officers on your side?" Alexei asked while rubbing his arm
"What's wrong Alexei?" I asked.
"There isn't time to explain now, we have to move fast otherwise the plan may fail, it's a miracle that we haven't been caught yet but we shouldn't try our luck", Alexei explained. "It's prudent that we march with the men that are already ready to move, the other ones can catch up later" he added while escorting me with the guardsmen already at hand.
When we were outside Alexei whispered, "It would do much to His Majesty's image if he were to ride a horse leading the men instead of a carriage, the officers know who you look like, and some of the regulars know His Majesty from his intruding of their training, but most do not know of you, and I know you know how to ride a horse, but be careful, we don't need a Barbarossa incident."
"Luckily I prepared a congratulatory present for His Majesty", after Alexei said that the two men that had escorted us here presented a pony. "A thoroughbred Polish heavy horse, it might be a pony and young now but when it grows up it will be a fine steed, perfect for a young Tsar eh?"
With the help of the two men I saddled the pony, I turned the pony around to see that some men of the regiments were behind me.
After a few more minutes what stood before me were members of the guard, well part of them, others were posted around the city and it would take time for them to assemble and by that point, the jig would be up.
It looks super cool, the green uniforms with the red sachets and the rows of men and bayonets looked impressive, and I was to lead a column to our destination, the final one of today if everything went well.
Genri came up to me, "The men at hand are ready, Your Majesty, we may begin the match to the palace".
"You heard him, boys. Match!" Alexei shouted.
********************************************************
It's cold, so cold, the cold air is biting at my face, walking down the cobblestone roads of Saint Petersburg we either subdue the patrolling guards or convince them to join our side, most resisted and were taken down.
It's also quite hard to disguise a column of marching men, the townspeople shutting their windows after seeing the column can attest to that.
Luckily, I can see the Winter Palace from here, and now that have I thought about it, seeing it from here truly shows how large it is.
Making our way to the palace gates, Genri splits off from me to arrange the men, and Alexei approaches me.
"It would be better that we seize control of the palace without bloodshed," Alexei said, his voice low. "You and I have been at the palace for a long time, and I've interacted with the head of security a bit. He's a stoic guy, what others would call an 'ass,' but I think he's just disciplined. He kinda has to be since his life is on the line if a person of royalty gets hurt." Just as Alexei finished speaking, the head of security appeared at the palace gates.
"Your Highness, what are you doing outside your room? We were worried about where you were. This is a grave negligence on your maid's part. I know you favor her, but she will need to be punished. Luckily, you were escorted back by the guards, although that's quite a number of them. Now come in. Thank you, men, for guarding His Highness. I will take it from here," the head guard said, bowing in thanks to the guards behind me. It was time to snap him back to reality.
"Oh, don't worry, I'm back safe and sound. But about me entering without these guards, that I cannot allow. You see, they are here for a reason," I responded.
It took a moment, but the realization dawned on his face, shock replacing his stern expression.
"You don't mean?" he inquired, his voice barely a whisper.
"Yes, I'm here for that reason, and I'd prefer if you stepped out of the way," I advised, my tone firm.
"Your Highness, you are but nine years old. You don't know how to rule a realm, let alone how to hold onto it. While His Majesty may not be the best, he is still your father and the Tsar. I have sworn an oath to him; I can't just betray it," he pleaded.
"I may be but nine, but if there is one thing I can promise you, it is that I will keep to my oaths—not only to Russia but to the Russian people, something my father has not done. He has betrayed both Russia and his people. Do you care to keep your oath to such a man? A man who sold the country he rules to some German prince in Berlin? And even if you wanted to keep your oath, you'd have to fight me and the men behind me. Do you really want to risk the men under your command for a futile struggle, for an incompetent Tsar? Pick wisely. This is my last mercy to you," I told him.
There we stood, a little boy prince trying to depose his father, and a conflicted man wondering whether to betray his oaths for his men and his life. In the end, the conflicted man sighed and stepped aside.
"Welcome back, Your Majesty. The ball has been waiting for you. I can lead you and your men there, but can I ask one thing?" he asked, his voice resigned.
"If it is within my power, then yes. What is it?" I replied.
"I have heard of the results of coups that succeed, and what happens to the one who gets couped. It's not a pretty ending. I'm asking for you to be lenient on your father. Spare his life," he implored.
"That is up to my father, but I promise you that I will not send him to meet my grandmother if everything goes to plan," I assured him.
"I thank His Majesty," he said, his relief evident as he bowed once more.
********************************************************
Making our way through the hallways of the Winter Palace, we encountered patrols of guards. Each encounter was filled with confusion, followed by hostility, and then the head of security would explain the situation, leading to their defection. So far, we had locked down seventy percent of the palace. The last bastion was the ballroom and the rooms surrounding it.
As we approached the ballroom, filled with laughter, we moved closer to the room. No one suspected anything. We quickly subdued the guards stationed at the large doors.
"Well, now or never," I whispered before the guards beside me opened the large door.
Guardsmen flooded the room and spread out. Nobles gasped, and dances were halted. While I felt sorry they got caught in the crossfire, if they complied, they wouldn't get hurt.
Walking to the center of the ballroom, I beckoned Alexei to grab a nearby nobleman's glass, and the other two guards to bring me a chair.
Many nobles glanced at me, many of them only knew me from my grandmother's funeral.
The guards set up the chair in the center of the ballroom, and as I was climbing it, Alexei rang the glass with a spoon to gather the attention of all the guests.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Sorry to ruin your gathering, but I have an important announcement to make. Some of you may already know me; I am your Tsarevich, and I'm here to rid our country of a blight not only to me but to many of you. My dear father, who is our Tsar, has made some unfortunate decisions that I cannot accept. Actually, I'm understating it. That damned treaty is no treaty. Countless Russian lives were lost to crush that damned Frederick, and we were so close—so close to ending any hope of Prussian victory. But my father, the Tsar, decided to sign away any hope of ending that dream. He disregarded not only the countless resources we invested but also the countless lives we sacrificed. The one mistake that I believe my grandmother made was enabling that sorry excuse of a Tsar to sit on the throne. Luckily, there is a silver lining. I, as your Tsarevich, have a claim to the throne, and unlike my father, I'll live up to your expectations of a Tsar, loyal not only to Russia but to the people of Russia," I proclaimed loudly so everyone in the ballroom could hear.
A nobleman raised his voice.
"Pardon me, Your Highness, but you are but a child who has not seen the world. It is cruel and unforgiving, and I don't think a child like you is ready for it."
"That is where you are wrong," I retorted. "This little child is not here alone. This little child has convinced the guardsmen under not only my father's nose but many of you as well. And if this world is cruel and unforgiving, so what? I too will be more cruel and more unforgiving, and that I promise. So if you would like a first-hand demonstration of how cruel I can be—" At the mention of my last phrase, the two guardsmen beside me raised their guns and aimed at him. "Would you like me to continue?"
"...No, I think I'm fine," the nobleman replied, clearly shaken.
"Now, to further continue. I will be your Tsar, and I will need a regent. Who better than my mother? I have heard that my mother loves the motherland so much that she would face death head-on just to learn our beautiful language. What more could I ask from a regent?"
An officer came up to Alexei and whispered something in his ears, Alexei nodded and dismissed the man, after which he turned to me and whispered "We have found His Majesty's father, he was caught trying to sleek away from the ballroom, it was easy to spot him as he wore german clothing, stuck out like a sore thumb. He is at the wing bordering the ballroom".
"Let's not keep him waiting then" I responded after jumping off the chair.
"Sorry ladies and gentlemen, I have an urgent matter to attend to, you can keep yourself company and party, of course, you aren't allowed to leave."
Following Alexei out of the ballroom I spot two guardsmen blocking the entry to the room. They let me and Alexei pass.
"Man, this room is dark" I told Alexei.
"It's okay, Your Majesty, there is a lamp lighted ahead, although the lamp isn't alone," Alexei replied.
Ahead of us was a tied-up man shouting, "Get me out of here. Guards! Do your job and get me out of here, I'll have your head after this. You hear me! Your head! Don't leave me in this dark room"
His shouting subsided when I and Alexei appeared before him
"Paul...? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in bed? Did that guardsman beside you wake you up? Hey guardsman! What are you doing? Let us go"
Oh well, guess I have to bust his bubble.
"You see Father, I brought the guards here for a specific purpose, I'll give you a hint, the purpose is exactly what grandma did to get power, can you guess it?"
"A coup? But you aren't even an adult, how did you even manage this?" He questioned.
"Correct! As for your last question, you don't need to know"
"You don't have to play with your food Your Majesty, I don't remember you ever learning this from Her Previous Majesty", Alexei cut.
"Yeah, I guess you're right-" I agreed, "-Let's get straight to the point, Father, I want you to abdicate and relinquish all your claims to the Russian throne and whatever claims you have. Alexei you have some parchment of paper right?"
"I do, I brought quite a stack so His Majesty's father ever makes a mistake he can just retry".
"Excellent, hand it to him", to which Alexei handed it to him and untied the man. "Don't think of running, we wouldn't want you to get hurt now would we?" I teased
"N-No"
"Good, and just like grandma, I won't spill blood. Ah, that reminds me, you love the German culture right? You can live there after I exile you." I said absent-mindedly.
"Although look on the bright side, your son will inherit your throne," I chirped.
Peter finished writing his abdication and a piece of paper on why he was such a terrible Tsar and that he is unfit to rule and that I will inherit the throne as his legitimate son and with his wife being the regent.
"Well it was nice knowing you, even though we didn't meet often, but I have one more request, you see all the guests you invited? I want you to tell them the news, you have to treat your guests with generosity, right Alexei?"
"You are right Your Majesty" Alexei nodded his head.
To which Alexei indicated to the two guards outside to come in and escort my father outside. We followed closely behind and once we reached the same area, I readied up to make my announcement, the difference is I didn't have to get anybody's attention, it's a miracle how much people pay attention when you have guns.
"Thank you everybody for waiting patiently, I'm back to make another announcement, this is quite important, so the people who didn't pay attention the first time I suggest you do. Now, you have the attention of the crowd Father".
"Thank you, everybody, for coming to my party everybody, I hope you enjoyed yourself despite the unexpected change in schedule-" He awkwardly laughed, "-I have something important to say, as of now, I will not be your Tsar, in fact, I will not be able to visit Russia for the rest of my lifetime. For the people who may be sad, don't be, for I have left the throne to my son, and the person in charge of ruling till he comes to adulthood will be my wife, Catherine. I'm happy I leave the country to capable hands and I thank you for allowing my reign to be smooth" Peter said for all to hear.
That will be the last hard huddle to overcome, now it should be smooth sailing from here out.
I take over from my father to make my own little speech.
"As my father said, I will now be your Tsar and as such I will live up to the best of my abilities, not only for Russia but for you, the people of Russia who will be crucial for the future. I ask for your help to make Russia greater than it is. Thank you", I bowed before the crowd.
"I know it has been a long day and thus I'm allowing anybody that feels like taking a rest a good evening, I will be with you at the door shortly. However, there are some people I would like to remain with me if possible-" At the mention of the last phrase I saw many people's faces darken, "-My dear mother Catherine."
********************************************************
I quickly bid the guests goodbye. I was in a hurry, still on borrowed time, and I didn't know if many nobles realized that. Andrey might be distracting the officers who aren't loyal to me, but they could figure out what's happening and decide to counter-coup. One thing I learned from my grandmother is that bloodshed during a coup should be a last resort. It creates friction for the incoming government, and if the coup fails, it almost always leads to a harsher reprisal.
Genri should be apprehending those unloyal men right now with the other guard units, but unexpected situations always arise. The faster I dealt with this last obstacle, the faster I could secure the throne.
As we made our way to the same secluded spot where I had a 'conversation' with my father, I turned to Alexei, trusting him with something crucial.
"Alexei, I want your regiment to watch over my father's... stay, before he leaves for whatever country he can go to."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I have already accommodated your father at his lodging while you were bidding the guests goodbye. And would you be surprised that my guard unit is responsible for the protection of His Majesty's father?"
So this is what Grandmother meant when she said to get capable subordinates to do the job for you, I thought as Alexei opened the door.
Waiting there was my mother, Catherine. She was dressed extravagantly; pearls adorned both her ears and neck, and she wore a large dress for a woman of her build. The pearls and rubies plastered on the dress distracted from its size.
"Well, Paul, you invited me to stay and take up my time. That's no way to treat a guest, much less your mother," she said, staring at me with an unwavering gaze. "Or would you prefer I referred to you as Tsar? A mother should be happy that her son is rising up the social ladder—from Tsarevich to Tsar. Although, I would have preferred to have known about it sooner; a son keeping secrets from his mother at this age...." she lamented.
I walked up to her. "Well, I still would have been Tsarevich if you hadn't waited for Father to do his expedition to coup him," I offered, noting the slight widening of her eyes.
She stared at me for a couple of moments. Man, that gaze is intrusive, if you ask me. But after I looked back with no visible change, she sighed.
"Oh? Then what would you have preferred? For me to wait for your father to make more blunders?" she countered. "Any more of his decisions would have cost our entire family any right to rule Russia. The nobles or military would have supported some other distant cousin in our family tree and couped us. And I don't know if you know what happens to families that lose power—they get eradicated. Every man, woman, and child—not even babies are spared. I had to get rid of your father before his mistakes got us killed."
Moving close to my mother, I spotted a flaw in her reasoning. "And how does that relate to you becoming Tsarina and not me being Tsar?"
"Paul, how many child rulers successfully hold onto their thrones until adulthood? And how many of those child rulers successfully live to adulthood? Most child rulers who even live to adulthood and manage to hold onto their throne tend to be screwed in the head," she paused. "What I'm saying is that most child rulers tend to enter their graves before they even realize the danger they were in. And while I'm happy that my little boy has the brains to pull off a coup, I don't think you are ready to lead a nation," she advised.
Moving even closer to her, I readied my secret weapon.
"That's why I am asking for your help, Mother. I have very few people I can ask for help in my situation. I am but a poor son asking his mother for help to keep his throne, a mother to help scare away the vultures that think I am easy prey."
We stood there in silence. I held my breath, knowing that my reign would be more stable if my mother helped me keep the throne. Sure, I could hold onto the throne without her support, and many nobles would ditch her cause to support me. Even though I was a child, I was the child of the previous Tsar, and that brought me a lot of legitimacy—something my mother doesn't have.
She continuously eyed me for a few seconds, sizing me up and down. Finally, she spoke.
"Fine! I'll help you, what type of mother would I be if I couldn't even help my son keep his throne?" I released all the stress I had, "—However, I have some conditions. First, as your regent, I am responsible for ensuring you grow up into a competent Tsar, and that is something I want to uphold. Meaning I will hold you accountable for every action you take and propose. Secondly, I want you to promise me one thing."
I paused. I can't agree to something if I don't know how it will affect me. "That depends on what I am promising, Mother. You know I can't promise without knowing what it entails."
"Paul, do you know what a Tsar must do?" she asked.
"To rule and make decisions for the better of his people and country?" I replied.
"While that is not wrong, it is a simplified way of putting it. A Tsar must rule and make decisions to better his people and country by any means necessary. A Tsar will be forced to commit acts against humanity and will be forced to burden the responsibility of all his actions. Even then, a Tsar will be at a crossroads where he might have to sacrifice the needs of the few for the needs of the many. Are you ready to do what is necessary?" she told me.
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Looking at my son's face, I studied his expressions. I commend him for schooling his face, but this isn't enough to keep a country together. Hopefully, he will get cold feet and relinquish the throne. It's not like I am harming Paul in any way. In fact, one can see it as me helping my son. He is too young to truly learn the art of ruling, and people will take advantage of that. It is my job as a mother to ensure he doesn't get hurt. Convincing everyone that Paul misspoke will be a hassle, but he hasn't been crowned yet, and Peter is under custody. Peter can just say he was pressured by the guards and meant for me to become Tsarina.
As I nodded to myself, my thoughts were disrupted by a voice.
"Yes, I know that." What? Why did he just admit that? I guess he is more childish than I thought, even more reason why he isn't ready to rule.
"I know that I may not be ready to rule such a large nation," I looked down at my nine-year-old son. He was pressing his lips as thin as possible, and his fists were tight. "I know that, but I want to change this country. It's not fair; four-fifths of my people are glorified slaves, treated like livestock, either beaten or sold to another noble. It's not fair; we who are supposed to care for them ignore it. I want to change that."
A silence descended on the room. I looked back at my son, and he had lowered his head. What does a nine-year-old know about morality? That damn old hag Elizabeth, what were you teaching him? But at least he hasn't taken after his father. Best of both worlds: the looks of his father and the competence from me.
"Listen, Paul, look at me." I snapped my fingers in front of him, but he didn't obey. "I said, look at me." I saw my poor boy's teary-eyed face.
I pulled out my handkerchief and crouched down, the gown trying its best to obstruct me, but I managed. I was at the same level as my son.
"Paul, you are not only a Romanov but also a Tsar. A Tsar must be strong in the face of adversity, especially if they want to end serfdom," I said while wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes.
"Can I tell you something, Paul? I'm not Russian. I hail from Germany, just like your useless father," I said with venom in the last sentence. "Unlike your father, when I came to Russia, a land so different from what I knew, I fell in love with it. I converted to the Orthodox faith and learned the language. This country has a way of enrapturing people's hearts. So, I won't blame you for wanting to improve it. But my point still stands. If you want to be a good Tsar, you must be greedy and ruthless to your enemies. You will need to commit actions that the devil himself would be proud of. Are you ready for that?" I asked.
My son looked at me, and for a moment, he was quiet, but only for a moment.
"How will I know that I'm ready?" he said, looking into my eyes.
"Ah," I sighed as I stood up. "Isn't it simple? I'll teach you all the ways of ruling, and if worst comes to worst, at least you can use the opportunity to put the blame on me for failing as a regent with no consequences for you. But until then, just rely on your mother to help you secure that throne. After a few days, everybody in Russia will love you."
I turned to the bodyguard behind Paul, his name was Alexei if I remembered correctly.
"Please escort His Majesty to his quarters. He's had a tiring day, and I think it would do him good to rest."
My boy left with his companion. That reminds me, I should do more research into the man. Maybe Grigory would know more about him—they are brothers, after all.
As for me, my work is cut out for me. I have to talk to many people, and I don't think I will be sleeping anytime soon.
Looking on the positive side, at least I can be a glorified queen for a few years.
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Standing near the door, I witnessed a conversation between mother and son.
At the beginning, it wasn't hostile, but it wasn't exactly friendly either. That makes sense, considering His Majesty has never interacted with his mother except at the funeral.
One thing I wish Her Previous Majesty had done better was fostering a relationship between them. Perhaps if mother and son had been in each other's lives, there would have been a more friendly atmosphere. However, His Majesty never showed much interest in knowing his mother. Or maybe he did, and he's just good at hiding his thoughts.
That line of thinking truly frightened me. If that were the case, Russia could be propelled to great heights. But that would only be possible if His Majesty survived to adulthood, and it was my duty to ensure that. That was the last mission Her Previous Majesty gave me, and I will fulfill it.
Speaking of my duty, when I left the room, I whispered to the two guards outside the door. These men are part of my guard unit, and I had an important and secretive task for them.
"Tail His Majesty's mother. I want to know wherever she goes, whoever she talks to, and whatever she does. Keep your eyes on her, no matter what."
I heard the conversation His Majesty had with his mother. While His Majesty believed her, it is my job as a guardian to be suspicious of everything and anything.
I still hope that His Majesty's mother is on His Majesty's side, not for his sake, but for hers.