His nephew Nicky, the Tsesarevich, was almost sixteen. Once he and Ella were married and living in St Petersburg, Sergei was going to ensure Alicky visited them frequently and that she and Nicky spent as much time together as possible. His plan was that in four years’ time, and with the right encouragement, Nicky would propose to Alicky, be accepted and that when Nicky inherited the throne, his mother’s prophecy would be fulfilled and Alicky would be Her Imperial Majesty The Empress of all the Russias. Best of all, when she was, she would be bound to him by the closest of family ties, and his influence over both her and Nicky would be total.

Despite the press of family thronging around her in the main drawing room, the Queen gave Alicky her undivided attention for far longer than she gave it to anyone else. Yet there was a tension in the air and, when it was suggested that the children should leave the room, Alicky had no choice but to go with them.

‘What’s the matter?’ she asked Ella, as Ella shepherded her from the room. ‘Why is everyone so on edge?’

‘People are always edgy before a wedding, Alicky. Wedding nerves are nothing to get worried about.’

Alicky wasn’t convinced. A familiar knot of anxiety began growing in her tummy. Her father was nowhere to be seen – which was most odd, under the circumstances. Adult cousins, aunts and uncles were also now leaving the drawing room in an undignified hurry. As far as Alicky could tell, only Vicky, Irène and Ernie now remained with the Queen.

As Ella headed straight back to the drawing room, closing the door firmly behind her, Alicky frowned. If her three sisters and her brother were now closeted in privacy with Granny Queen, why wasn’t she? Had Granny Queen decided she didn’t want Vicky to marry nice Louis of Battenberg? Or had nice Louis of Battenberg decided he didn’t want to marry Vicky? What was going on?

Judging by the buzz of conversation and the expressions on people’s faces, her relations were all as much in the dark as she was. She thought possibly Sergei might know, but he was nowhere to be seen. The only other person she could think of who might know was Madame de Kolémine. Pretty, kind-hearted Alexandrine de Kolémine was her father’s special friend and for the past few years had become part of their household. No one had minded, for everyone liked her, and their father was far better-tempered when Alexandrine was around than when she wasn’t.

She went in search of Madgie, her governess. Away from the palace, Madgie was Miss Margaret Jackson, but within it she was the much friendlier-sounding ‘Madgie’. Madgie sent monthly reports on Alicky’s schoolwork to the Queen, who responded by taking a deep interest in Alicky’s impressive scholastic progress.