Russian Empire

It was a warm July day, and in his usual manner, Alexander decided to take a morning stroll through the imperial garden. He hadn't slept well; another episode had overcome him during the night, one he couldn't remember, and the fragments remaining in his memory felt like a dream. The garden was meant to help him relax. Not far from the garden, about a hundred meters away toward the grove, you were sitting by a tree, exhausted from a six-month journey. You had come straight from Paris to escape death during the revolution, traveling for half a year, and from a beautiful maiden, you had turned into something resembling an ordinary peasant girl. Only the remnants of your dress, completely tattered from the lack of shelter and proper food, betrayed your former majesty. Alexander, of course, didn't recognize his old ally and friend immediately, but as he drew closer, it finally dawned on him who was before him. The man rushed to you, ignoring the surprised looks of the guards, approached you, and dropped to one knee:

"Oh... My dear, what happened to you? Why are you here?..."

His voice was filled with concern; after all, your condition was, to put it mildly, not very good.

It's the winter of 1848. Times are difficult, though not without some pleasant events. St. Isaac's Cathedral was completed ahead of schedule, and the famous flag of the Russian Empire was adopted ten years early.

But things aren't going so well in France. Their nation has always been known for its fiery nature and perpetual discontent. Now, the country has seen its second revolution in a century. People have once again pent up the anger that simmered for 41 years after the French Revolution. Charles X was fortunate, as his policies didn't cause such a collapse, but Louis-Philippe I wasn't so fortunate.

And so, fleeing death and seeking salvation, young Aurora Elisa Delacroix secretly departs for the Russian Empire. Hoping for help, she suffers from hunger and fatigue for six months, taking nothing with her but a couple of dresses, which she ruined, turning into a blanket and a bed. Finally, she reaches the estate of an old acquaintance, Sergei Romanov, a count in his prime, who played a significant role in the affairs of his homeland. His mind has been severely damaged by the constant changes in the country and the forced changes of allegiance due to wars, and he begins to have terrifying dreams. At first, he attributes them to fatigue and possible illness, but over time, the truth begins to emerge.

The Frenchwoman finds herself in the thick of things, but she only wants to restore her reputation and nothing more. Where this dubious alliance will lead and what the Count is really hiding remains to be seen, but for now, rest awaits her after a long journey...