Disclaimer: I don't own dead people! The cover image is public use from Wikipedia!

A.N: If you are a history buff, I hope you enjoy this! This is an experimental story.

October 24, 1903

Wolfsgarten Lodge, Darmstadt, German Empire

For the past month, the little Hessian princess felt the happiest she had ever been so far. Only a few months after her eighth birthday in 1903, her parents and her relatives had decided to have a family gathering and vacation at the Wolfsgarten lodge. The eight-year-old princess knew that her cousin, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was getting married to Prince Andrew of Greece. From the few sights of the wedding ceremony, the young princess already wondered if she would find a prince charming. If so, she would find more happiness in her life with someone to love her. Especially considering the unhappy marriage of her parents which ended in divorce around a year ago.

She often felt troubled and saddened at home as the lone daughter of an unhappy couple. Her mother was the emotional, almost vain English Princess- Victoria Melita. Her much more adored father was the Hessian Grand Duke Ernst Louis. Despite having little to no attraction to women, he did adore his daughter very much. The Grand Duke could never imagine what his life would have been without his headstrong and kind daughter.

The little princess did not know that her parents had been forced together in a disastrous arranged marriage. Small brushes and billiard balls were not the only things thrown around. Cross words flung around like daggers. For the best, the parents never told their daughter. The painful truth would only ruin her.

But that did not matter to their little daughter at the moment. Out of sight, out of mind, they often said.

Now the two oldest of her Russian cousins, Olga and Tatiana, were chasing her through the edges of the forest near her family lodge. They claimed to invent the game of "Double Tag". If one of the girls were tagged, she would be it. But she would have to choose a "helper" to continue the chase. The grown-ups including her father were lounging on their picnic blankets outside in the sunlit clearing around Wolfsgarten Lodge. They were oblivious of the accident that would soon occur...

Elizabeth ran a little faster, with her cousin Olga catching up. Olga was so close that Elizabeth felt the rushing air from her swipes at her, panting.

"You did not get me!" the young Hessian princess teased back, smiling.

"Not yet, Ella!" Olga called out.

Elizabeth turned a corner around a tree, and she did not notice something approaching fast. A small log on the rocky dirt ground. She widened her eyes in surprise, but it was too late. Her right leg caught on the log, and down she fell. Hard.

She hit the ground, thudding her left leg on a small rock. She felt a sharp pain driving through her left leg like a spike. She rolled aside, and could no longer hold back, screaming in agony. A glance down at her left leg gave the gruesome sight of an already bloody break...

Her two older cousins Olga and Tatiana rushed over to kneel down beside her. They hugged Ella, and the realization soon set in for them. They made Ella run too fast. Then, Ella fell and hurt herself.

"I- I'm sorry, Ella!" Olga said, whimpering.

Her eyes brimmed with tears of sorrow. And she began to cry. Her sister Tatiana was still from the fright and unfamiliarity of the situation. She needed to find some grownup to help them.

"Do not worry. It's an accident, Olishka. Let me get somebody to help!"

Tatiana ran off to the clearing. Soon, her figure shrank into the distance, where she could barely be seen with her mother Alexandra and Uncle Ernie...

"Please don't cry. Just wait and see, Tatya is getting someone to bring you home."

"Oww... Oww... My leg!"

All Olga could do was hold her dear cousin Ella. They were more than just faraway cousins, but the best of friends. Whether German, Russian, or British, royalty were all family, friends, or even good accomplices. At least during the peaceful times, they could get along and help each other, tied stronger than before with ties of blood and soul.

Olga never liked the sight of shed blood or seeing people hurt. But as her mother taught her, it was her duty to help those in need like Jesus Christ. She kept whispering to Ella, telling her that she would be alright.

They came soon enough. Her father gasped, becoming paler in his face from shock! Four servants carrying a stretcher had come along too.

"Papa is here, Ella. How are you?" Ernst whispered, kneeling down near his daughter.

"My leg... it hurts more than a hundred bad words."

"I'm sorry, my dear Ella," Ernst said, taking his daughter up.

He placed her on the stretcher, and nodded to the four house servants to take her home. Then he looked at Olga, who was sniffling. He felt sorry for her. The hapless Russian Grand Duchess must have thought it was her fault.

"Come, Olga. Let us return home to your mother."

He led Olga back out of the clearing. Alexandra almost jumped up from her picnicking blanket, fearing the worst. Her heart beat faster. The ache of seeing her niece hurt... it was almost unbearable for her aching heart. Poor Ella, she thought. Then, she looked at Olga. Perhaps the girls had run too fast and had not been so careful as they promised to.

She would lecture Olga and Tatiana. She got up, striding to them.

For now, all she could do was pray for the wellbeing of her niece. It was all in God's hands, she trusted.

Little did the Romanovs and Hessian royalty know that their world would change in many ways from this accident. What would the future bring?

(Line Break)

Elizabeth groaned. She was stuck in her bedroom, lying in bed. Her left leg was now cased in a wrapped cast that would have to be taken off every now and then for washing her leg. And what was more annoying was that it would be impossible to scratch itches on her lower left leg.

"If only I looked before I ran," she thought, looking out of her window, seeing birds flying free through the skies.

How unfortunate it was. Well, at least God was watching over her, she knew.

She turned back to the story book in her bed. She picked it up. Before she continued reading it, she heard the staccato of a few knocks. Her cousins!

"Come in!"

The door creaked open. Yes, her four cousins were there!

Olga went forward. "Sorry."

"Don't feel sorry. I did not look, it's my mistake."

Olga looked back at her sisters, who were still silent. Only Tatiana nodded.

"Ella?"

"Yes, Olga?"

"Will you write to me?"

"Of course! You're my best friend!"

"Thank you. I won't forget. I promise with my pinky," Olga said, holding out her right hand.

Ella reached out, wrapping her pinky around Olga's. As children, they were taught not to take the Lord's name in vain, but a pinky promise would be serious enough for their oath. Whether by letter or in person, they would keep in contact. It was no matter if they were thousands of miles apart or from rival empires. They would stick together.

Both girls released their pinkies, giggling for a brief moment.

"Oh! I wish you a happy, early eighth birthday!"

"Thank you again. I'll see you tomorrow, and good night."

Her cousins all wished her a speedy recovery, and off they went to bed. On such a good note, she enjoyed reading The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, imagining herself as a grown up princess saved by the brave knights of King Arthur. She dozed off into a dreamy slumber, still envisioning herself as a great princess of her people. One that made everyone cooperate and get along like friends...