A.V. Nikitenko: “The main failing of the reign of Nicholas Pavlovich was that it was all a mistake.”
ANYTHING BUT A MISTAKE: A 19TH-CENTURY RUSSIAN EMPIRE TIMELINE
30 March 1801
The blood had barely begun to cool upon his father’s body, Alexander thought, and already von der Pahlen, Panin and Ribas had retreated back into the ranks of the nobility, glowering at him from the shadows. He knew what they wanted him to be: an orderly Tsar, an illiberal Tsar, repressing the masses through bayonet and blood. Grimacing, he sat back in his chair and laced his fingers together. The winter chill had begun to bleed from St Petersburg.
He would not be a conservative Tsar. (Frankly, he hadn’t even wished to be the Tsar, not from the start; why not Constantine? Constantine always got the better lot.) The nobility would resist; of course they would, what else? -but he would push back. The serfs had to be freed, sooner or later. And there was that business with France to worry about, as well as enforcing control over the Polish corpse. Constantine was drifting away from him, too- but where would he find the time for family in the midst of all this ruling? Alexander removed his eyeglasses and groaned quietly.
There was a knock on his door. “Enter!”
The door opened, but there was no one there. Curious. Alexander stood up- ah! There- wandering on the carpet- his brother, Nicholas. Truth be told, sometimes Alexander thought of Nicholas more as his own son than a brother, being nearly two decades older than him- when he thought of him, that is. But the boy was crying now, genuinely crying, great wet teardrops leaking from his eyes and staining the fine fabric of his clothing. Alexander suddenly felt a stirring of feeling in his chest. Granted, it was by no means an avalanche of emotion, but it was something. Not paternal- of course not! –but, perhaps, familial.
“What’s the matter, Nicholas?” Alexander went down on one knee upon the carpet to examine his brother at eye level, but kept his distance. He knew next to nothing about children. The boy was struggling to keep himself under control, and succeeding. Strange thing- when Alexander was young, he took a while to calm down when he cried. Nicholas was rather large for his age, too- oh, yes. Hadn’t grandmother called him “the colossus”?
He was roused from his reminisces by Nicholas. “Con- constant- erm- Constantine,” and here Nicholas paused to take in a deep breath, “Constantine told me that Father’s never coming back. Never coming back.” He paused, grey eyes filling again with tears. Alexander blinked. Constantine was in the Winter Palace? “He left me in my quarters. But Father can’t be not coming back, can he?”
Nicholas’ eyes were huge, Alexander realized. He was starting to see his father in the young boy, and at this realization he shifted uncomfortably. Abruptly, he straightened up and adjusted his coat. “Well. I don’t really- that’s a-” He looked away, eyes shifting from one portrait to another. Generations of Romanovs past glared at him. How do you tell a young boy that his father was killed? Alexander sighed, and got down again.
“He’s not coming back, Nicholas.”
Nicholas stared at nothing for a while, and then he stared at Alexander. “I- I see,” the boy forced out, hoarsely, and then ran from the room, footsteps echoing. The Winter Palace suddenly seemed so very empty.
Alexander stood up again, somewhat slower, and went to sit heavily on his chair again. He didn’t think that he’d get any work done today. On the other hand- he supposed it was time to take a closer look at his younger brother’s education. If he thought about it, he and Constantine had had a blessed childhood. And there was another boy too, wasn’t there? Michael. Yes. He would have to give Nicholas and- what was his name again? –Michael the education that he and Constantine had received. After all, they were family too.
Hello! Austria and Westeros sort of hit a dead end, so I decided to try a different POD. Haven't been able to find a POD where Nicholas I was different- in my personal opinion, scenarios where Constantine becomes Emperor are improbable. So here this is. Please provide your input! The POD here is that Alexander and Constantine's relationship is a bit more strained, and of course the above scene in his study. Hence, Nicholas is given a similar education to Alexander's, and, well, we'll see what this does to his personality and character.
ANYTHING BUT A MISTAKE: A 19TH-CENTURY RUSSIAN EMPIRE TIMELINE
30 March 1801
The blood had barely begun to cool upon his father’s body, Alexander thought, and already von der Pahlen, Panin and Ribas had retreated back into the ranks of the nobility, glowering at him from the shadows. He knew what they wanted him to be: an orderly Tsar, an illiberal Tsar, repressing the masses through bayonet and blood. Grimacing, he sat back in his chair and laced his fingers together. The winter chill had begun to bleed from St Petersburg.
He would not be a conservative Tsar. (Frankly, he hadn’t even wished to be the Tsar, not from the start; why not Constantine? Constantine always got the better lot.) The nobility would resist; of course they would, what else? -but he would push back. The serfs had to be freed, sooner or later. And there was that business with France to worry about, as well as enforcing control over the Polish corpse. Constantine was drifting away from him, too- but where would he find the time for family in the midst of all this ruling? Alexander removed his eyeglasses and groaned quietly.
There was a knock on his door. “Enter!”
The door opened, but there was no one there. Curious. Alexander stood up- ah! There- wandering on the carpet- his brother, Nicholas. Truth be told, sometimes Alexander thought of Nicholas more as his own son than a brother, being nearly two decades older than him- when he thought of him, that is. But the boy was crying now, genuinely crying, great wet teardrops leaking from his eyes and staining the fine fabric of his clothing. Alexander suddenly felt a stirring of feeling in his chest. Granted, it was by no means an avalanche of emotion, but it was something. Not paternal- of course not! –but, perhaps, familial.
“What’s the matter, Nicholas?” Alexander went down on one knee upon the carpet to examine his brother at eye level, but kept his distance. He knew next to nothing about children. The boy was struggling to keep himself under control, and succeeding. Strange thing- when Alexander was young, he took a while to calm down when he cried. Nicholas was rather large for his age, too- oh, yes. Hadn’t grandmother called him “the colossus”?
He was roused from his reminisces by Nicholas. “Con- constant- erm- Constantine,” and here Nicholas paused to take in a deep breath, “Constantine told me that Father’s never coming back. Never coming back.” He paused, grey eyes filling again with tears. Alexander blinked. Constantine was in the Winter Palace? “He left me in my quarters. But Father can’t be not coming back, can he?”
Nicholas’ eyes were huge, Alexander realized. He was starting to see his father in the young boy, and at this realization he shifted uncomfortably. Abruptly, he straightened up and adjusted his coat. “Well. I don’t really- that’s a-” He looked away, eyes shifting from one portrait to another. Generations of Romanovs past glared at him. How do you tell a young boy that his father was killed? Alexander sighed, and got down again.
“He’s not coming back, Nicholas.”
Nicholas stared at nothing for a while, and then he stared at Alexander. “I- I see,” the boy forced out, hoarsely, and then ran from the room, footsteps echoing. The Winter Palace suddenly seemed so very empty.
Alexander stood up again, somewhat slower, and went to sit heavily on his chair again. He didn’t think that he’d get any work done today. On the other hand- he supposed it was time to take a closer look at his younger brother’s education. If he thought about it, he and Constantine had had a blessed childhood. And there was another boy too, wasn’t there? Michael. Yes. He would have to give Nicholas and- what was his name again? –Michael the education that he and Constantine had received. After all, they were family too.
Hello! Austria and Westeros sort of hit a dead end, so I decided to try a different POD. Haven't been able to find a POD where Nicholas I was different- in my personal opinion, scenarios where Constantine becomes Emperor are improbable. So here this is. Please provide your input! The POD here is that Alexander and Constantine's relationship is a bit more strained, and of course the above scene in his study. Hence, Nicholas is given a similar education to Alexander's, and, well, we'll see what this does to his personality and character.
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