RICHMAINE

PALACE OF WINTER

A hushed silence spread out through the auditorium as the ballerina glided onto center stage...

She leaped high into the air... landing softly and gracefully as a feather...

The crowd erupted in applause...

Bravo, Bravo... and many raced for the stage, blossoms in arms.

One was a young man with stars in his eyes.

As he reached the stage he threw the bouquet up...

The ballerina caught it and their eyes met...

'Je taime', he laughed, speaking the language of love.

'Et je vous', she replied...

Just then the Soviet FSB agents grabbed the man and dragged him away.

The ballerina gasped and let out a cry of anguish. Her coach looked on disapprovingly from the wings.

Natascha watched from the frost-encased window of the carriage. The countryside was a picture of sparkling white. Dirty black smoke from the locomotive swirled passed the window, darkening the compartment and hiding the tears running down her pretty, porcelain face.

As she was affectionately known, Natta was on the long train journey from West to East, ending in Vladivostok, her destination...to join the Dance troupe of Young Soviets in the East.

But Natta knew she was being sent far from her lover.

Sergei lay on his bunk...bruised and cut from the beatings.

He was in Lubiyanka, the notorious prison just off Pravda Street...close to the newly named Red Square... part of the Kremlin district.

The tactics were the same... just the personnel were different.

Now a new kind of terror roamed the USSR...with slogans of Workers Control and Equality.

Natta looked out at the snow falling. WINTER was established...it would be a harsh one with all the turmoil in our nation. A TEAR MADE ITS SAD JOURNEY DOWN HER CHEEK.

She looked about her at the other dancers and knew her heart was not in it anymore.

1917 had changed that and she knew she had to find Sergei.

The train sped through the cold, dark countryside...

Natascha had slipped her minders, bought a ticket, and was now heading back west.

She kept to herself, not wanting to be recognized.

Finally, the endless journey came to a squealing halt at MOSKAWA CENTRAL.

Natta walked briskly out into the street... they would be looking for her now.

She fluttered her long eyelashes at the guard on desk duty in the Lubiyanka

He melted and told her Sergei was under house arrest in St Petersburg.

Natta was excited... maybe she could again be in Sergei's arms.

'But', said the guard with a supercilious smirk... that's until he is sent to Gulag 666...

The notorious camp near Patrakova in Siberia.

Natta was back on a train, this time to the newly named Leningrad

She knew not how she would approach the address which was given to her, where Sergei was serving house arrest

In fact, she was still undecided when deafening shouts began to emanate from an adjacent street.

Natta became fearful as the noise increased and now also included gunshots

Suddenly around the corner people were running towards her...Behind them was another large group. Both were firing weapons. Behind these groups came men on horseback They were using their swords on the first group.

Natta recognized the cavalrymen as the Royal Guard...she suddenly realized she was very close to the Palace.

Just then this whole crowd merged and the street fighting began. People were falling from gun,blade and horse. People were screaming when the house Sergei was being kept in came under attack.

The guards were assaulted and suddenly there was Sergei running stoopped along the street.

Natta screamed partly in fear and partly in delight.

Sergei knew that voice.

He turned and sought it out.

Their eyes met...He raced across the square...and they fell into each other's arms weeping, laughing.

Quickly he said..we need to get away from here.

By now the Bolsheviks were gathering reinforcements and gradually pushing the Royalists back

Sergei and Natta were caught between the two forces and ran with the crowd toward the WINTER PALACE

They ran into the courtyard. With them were the Palace guards... some on horseback... there was a panicked group of servants and some supporting civilians who like our Lovers ran into the Palace grounds.

Outside more shots and screams of injured, dying and outrage.

Sergei took Nata's hand and they ran into an open doorway. Soon they were amongst servants dashing around seemingly without purpose... with frantic expressions.

The two found a parlor and hid behind some exquisite lounging furniture.

Natta began shaking and sobbing, Sergei held her tightly...No words... they were both aghast at all that had happened so rapidly

Before long the shooting and the shouting ceased...

There was an eerie silence, then suddenly loud instructions in peasant Russian...The young lovers were very afraid.

A rough-looking, heavy-set woman carrying a rifle peered at Sergei and sneered at Natta when she saw her, she screamed at them, prodding them as they were herded into the great hall.

There were many there...servants, military, and some who looked like they didn't belong in the PALACE

Then a hush settled on the hall as Alexander and his family were brought in.

Some people bowed, and others wept...The Comisars shouted at the people that they were not to acknowledge the Royal family.

After some time, people were separated and many were taken outside...there was gunfire... screaming then silence... Alexander looked shocked but stoic.

The lovers were pushed into the royal family party's group... Sergei wanted to protest but the Tzar beckoned him to be silent and said...Young man, you will be safer with us. The Tzarina turned to Natascha and said with a smile...I do so enjoy your dancing

The party was taken by train and housed at various locations around the countryside. Sometimes there was comfort... sometimes food was scarce

One time the train stopped and the new despot Lenin strode through the carriages just glaring at everyone

What was to be done with them...

Then one cold morning Sergei and Natascha and the Royals were taken down to a cellar of the farmhouse they were staying in

They were huddled against the bitter cold...The lovers a little apart from the Tzar and his family

6 men and 5 women lined up opposite them...

THE FIRING BEGAN...

EPILOGUE

1994

The UN and local archaeologists were making good progress around the site of a broken down, disused farmhouse when one of the scientists called over to some of his colleagues.

There was evidence of more skeletons away from the now-assumed Tzar and his family...

3 weeks later Sergei and Natta were found...she was in his embrace as though protecting her

I wonder who these two were..

said one of the local workers

I guess we will never know...

PASSIONATE PEBBLES

The sun peaks over the line in its farewell...
Waves cascade reflecting silver streaks...
...like lightning, spotting the white sand.
A gentle breeze whispers a melodious a'mour and the sawgrass dances to the romance.

Anatomies are entwined as the campfire flickers on the faces of the group

A couple slink away between the dunes

They embrace...
She cries out in delight as he takes her in his arms, encompassing her...
They kiss long and lovingly...
Then gently they ease down onto the towel and slowly the passion builds to a crescendo before a moan of sheer ecstasy emits from them both ...and they fall exhausted to the sand still in embrace.
After a while the girl lifts her head...'eh op chuck... you're not the fella I was snogging 'round the fire' 🤣🤣