Anastasia Romanov: The Last Grand Duchess #10 by Ann Hood

awe, and to only say
amazing
when one was truly amazed. He decided this was the kind of thing that earned both awesome and amazing.
    From the mantel, the top of another egg flew open and a bejeweled rooster emerged on a platform, flapping its wings and crowing.
    Felix stared at it.
    â€œAwesome!” he said.
    As he watched the rooster sink back down into the egg, his eye caught sight of something familiar.
    There on the mantel, with all the other Fabergé eggs, sat the one he and Maisie had brought with them.
    Now that he had found it, he just had to figure out how to get it back.

    â€œWhat’s your problem?” Alex Andropov asked Maisie.
    His nose was peeling and his cheeks were pink from sunburn.
    â€œI don’t remember inviting you into my room,” Maisie said. “In fact, I don’t remember inviting you to Russia!”
    Rather than getting angry or offended, Alex smiled at Maisie.
    â€œEaster begins tonight,” he said. “It’s the most important celebration of the year.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œSo you have to get out of bed and celebrate,” Alex said patiently. “Aunt Alex—”
    â€œShe’s your aunt now? The Empress?”
    â€œShe’s always been my aunt,” he reminded Maisie. “And she’s worked tirelessly to prepare for Easter here, and you need to show up.”
    Maisie sighed. “I know,” she mumbled.
    Alex sat on the edge of her bed, looking worried.
    â€œWhat’s wrong? I mean, other than your arm?”
    â€œMy arm is actually better,” Maisie admitted.
    â€œThen what?”
    â€œFor some reason, I always get left out,” Maisie said. “And now if I show up, everyone will have private jokes and know things I don’t know and . . . they even have memories together already that I’ll never share.”
    Saying it out loud made her worries seem dumb.
    â€œI know it’s dumb,” Maisie said.
    Alex laughed softly.
    â€œI don’t think it’s dumb at all,” he said. “I feel that way all the time. I miss so much school, and when I’m there I never know what anyone’s talking about or what’s going on in class. That’s why I got so excited when you said you were interested in Imperial Russia,” he added, his cheeks growing pinker. “I thought,
Finally someone who likes something I like.
”
    Alex had been looking down at the floor as he spoke. But now he looked at Maisie.
    â€œNow
that
sounds dumb,” he said.
    â€œNo!” Maisie said. “No! I get it! I do!”
    â€œWill you come to the Easter celebration if I promise to stick by your side? I’ll be sure you won’t feel left out,” Alex said.
    Maisie couldn’t say no.
    â€œAll right,” she said. “But if you go off with a Grand Duchess or two and leave me behind, you’ll be sorry.”
    â€œThe festivities start at midnight,” Alex said, heading toward the door.
    â€œMidnight?” Maisie repeated to herself.

    Alex stayed true to his word. He even explained all the traditions to her.
    â€œImagine,” he said, his eyes shining, “all across Russia everyone is doing these very things.”
    Maisie thought of how big Russia was, spreading across the wall in the Map Room at Elm Medona.
It’s impressive
, she thought,
that cathedrals and houses everywhere in this enormous country are saying the same prayers and eating these same foods
.
    Eating seemed to be a very important part of Easter here. All night and the next morning, the Tsar and Tsarina hosted hundreds of people, serving food from enormous tables and giving their guests three kisses.
    â€œOne for blessing,” Alex explained, “one for welcome, and one for joy.”
    He brought Maisie extra helpings of the creamy dessert she liked, and also made sure she tasted the Easter cake topped with white frosting. He even tried to teach her a Russian dance that