The Russian Princess Doll

THE PERFECT LIFE

Looking over the rich green gardens, the Tsar of Russia couldn’t help but feel proud of his only daughter. Having three older sons, Rebecca was most welcome being the only daughter and the last child. With long, curly, raven-black hair, a very trim figure and pale complexion, Rebecca was the beauty of the Russian Court. Her mother, the Tsarina, loved her dearly and lavished attention on her only daughter. Being so much younger than her brothers, this beautiful seventeen year old felt completely safe, and her brothers almost fighting each other to protect her.

The Russian Palace was built high on a mountain, the Russian village down below seemed to expand every year. But Rebecca knew very little of life outside of her home, the Palace, as everything was there for her. Even Rebecca’s friends were carefully chosen from the daughters of the Russian Court.

The Princess’s world was full of love, laughter and happiness. She had, of course, her own governess and the best in the land. Rebecca’s talents were music and languages, soon becoming a skilled pianist and skilled, almost native-speaking, in French, English and Romanian, and extremely advanced in her own language, that of the Russian Court. Having ridden a pony and then a horse from the age of three, this was Rebecca’s true love of animals. Her own horse was black, an Arabian mare, the gentlest of creatures, with long flowing mane and tail. Rebecca cut an enchanting figure when riding across the vast forest at night, with her cloak flowing in the evening breeze.

The only blackness to cast a shadow over Rebecca’s sun-filled life, was an old witch who lived in the forest to the far east of the Palace gardens but to the west of the village. That part of the forest was always dark, with wolves howling and large black birds screeching. Rebecca was never allowed near this part of the forest and the old witch could never cross towards the Palace, as five over-sized black dogs with pointed ears and the sharpest of teeth, guarded both the innocent and the wicked from crossing. Rebecca never knew the reason why or when all of this started, her father, the Tsar, would never speak of it. During all of this time, the health of the Tsarina became gradually unsteady, starting with a great loss of blood through nose-bleeds, developing into infections which eventually lay on her lungs. There was nothing that could be done, but to watch over the Tsarina until she eventually died, thankfully peacefully in her sleep.

Rebecca was heartbroken, she loved her mother dearly. She found no comfort except in the arms of her father, who was beside himself with grief. After the Tsarina’s grand funeral, the Tsar busied himself in Courtly business. With her brothers away at war, Rebecca tried to handle her mother’s household, which was vast, not just in servants, but also in rooms, gardens, as well as preparing the grand dinners.

Riding out one warm evening, with a soldier behind her to make sure of her safety, Rebecca saw the old witch peering out of her cottage window. The old woman seemed nervous. Rebecca just caught sight of a shadow behind the old witch, someone who seemed rather grand. However, Rebecca’s attention was soon shattered when one of the black dogs started to bark. Coming to with a start, Rebecca turned her horse and headed for the Palace. She was tired and thought no more about the old witch or the shadow.

It was strange that the following evening the Tsar introduced his only daughter to a new Princess. Being only a little older than Rebecca, this new Princess was from Paris, with shoulder-length fair hair, a little on the chubby side but with piercing blue eyes. Something about this Princess seemed familiar to Rebecca. Was she the shadow behind the old woman?

A week or so later, the Tsar found his daughter lighting a candle for her mother, the dead Tsarina, in the Palace Cathedral. It was less than six months since her mother’s death and the smile of this woman, who loved Rebecca so much, was in her mind’s eye constantly. Kneeling down silently beside his daughter, the Tsar whispered  to his daughter. Being ever the obedient and loyal subject, Rebecca tried to smile and bowed her head. Then the Tsar disappeared into the Palace, leaving Rebecca secretly horrified.

Entering her room, Rebecca gently sat down by her dressing-table, and stared at her mother’s picture. Her father was going to marry this new Princess of Paris barely six months after her mother’s death. The King of Russia was enraptured by this new Princess and had seemed to have fallen in love with her. It was beyond Rebecca to even try to understand. The wedding was a grand affair. Heads of State from all over the globe were invited and Rebecca delighted in seeing her brothers again, However, even they could see that this new wife, their stepmother, who was younger than the youngest brother, was a danger. Her eyes were too piercing and her manners too perfect. But the aged Tsar could not see past her charm. The endless round of visiting other countries, with his new wife, soon ended and, on returning back to the Palace, life should have returned to normal. The Tsar soon found out that life would never be the same again.

(Look out for ch.2 "The Spell")