The Ring of the Queen (The Lost Tsar Trilogy Book 1)

by Terri Dixon

  Part XXXXVII

  It is up to us to live up to the legacy that was left for us, and to leave a legacy that is worthy of our children and of future generations.

  -Christine Gregoire

  I looked out the window of my plane as we took off from the airport. It would only be about nineteen hours before I landed at . It was over. I hadn’t decided if I’d won or lost, but my ring was in my pocket. I guess I won. I would never get to go back to . That was a shame. I had so much more to learn. I had an amazing family. I wanted to know all about them. I really wanted to know more about my namesake. I’d already learned that she was incredible. She’d been called the Queen of the World. How many people can say that?

  Tania and I had been at the consulate for nearly two weeks. There were issues with our Visas, which had originally been for three weeks in the country. It was a nice place, formal and political. It had been a mix of feelings during the duration, both gratitude for being rescued and a feeling of incarceration that came from not being allowed to leave the building.

  Tania had made the most of it. He was several years older than her, but she and the young Ambassador had hit it off. Howard and Tania joked around like they had known each other for years, and they had many in depth political discussions while we were waiting to depart. She told me that she was sad over Dr. Zemecki, but I wondered if she wasn't developing a relationship with Howard Van Zandt as well. She said that she wasn't.

  As we took off from Domodedovo Airport, I started to think about my mom. She was probably already waiting at the airport in Fort Wayne as we took off from . When I was able to tell her that I was coming home, she'd cried. When I called her and told her the time that my flight would come in, she'd cried some more. I couldn’t hold a conversation with her when she cried like that, so I told her what she needed to know. I would tell her the rest later.

  North Manchester would never feel the same after my trip. I wanted to do something with my life than sit in Indiana and be a teacher. I didn’t have the slightest idea what. I still wanted to study and its history. I still wanted my PhD in Russian history. I was destined to do something that involved . I wanted to immerse myself in it. I wanted to go someplace that felt Russian. I couldn’t go to . It would be my next project to find the place where I could learn the most about my ancestors.

  Tania sat quietly next to me on the flight back to the states. She barely said two words to me for a long time. “So, how are you?” I asked.

  “I’ve been better.” She feigned a smile at me.

  “I’m sorry if I ruined your trip to .”

  She smiled and slapped my leg. “Are you kidding? How many people can say that they’ve ever done anything like what we did? I got to hang out with the last Romanov. I got to meet a Tsarina. I got to make a great friend. It’s been a hell of an adventure. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Howard has the hots for me and I'll miss Steve, but it was amazing. I'm sorry I flipped out in the middle.”

  “I couldn't blame you for that. What do you mean 'Howard has the hots for you?'"

  "He slipped his numbers in my pocket at the airport. I'm flattered."

  "That's cool. I'll miss them all. Well, not that President, but everyone else. I hope that at least you and I can stay in touch.”

  “We will. I wish I felt that Steve and I would stay in touch, but I doubt that happens. That’s my one regret. I really liked him. I will never lose touch with you. We're connected for life. I think that we should look into finding a college that we can attend together, so we can hang out. What do you think?”

  “I would love that. I say we look into it. I think I've outgrown my college and the town as it is.”

  “Me too. Boston isn't the same after what I've seen out there in the world. Let’s find a good one and take off. I need to see a lot more of the world.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.”

  “It’s settled then. We’ll start looking this semester, so next fall we can start somewhere together.”

  “We can be roommates.”

  Tania laughed. “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about that one after what happened the last time.”

  I burst out laughing. It felt good to laugh. I was tired. I wanted to sleep, but the attendant brought us some cabbage stew. I was thrilled. I couldn’t get enough of cabbage. I gobbled it down like I hadn’t eaten in days.

  “I have no idea how you can be that crazy about cabbage,” Tania commented.

  "Maybe it's a Russian thing," I snickered.

  Things had ended well. I had the ring in my secret pocket, and Catherine’s uniform in my luggage. I had cabbage stew. I had a best friend for life. I was on my way home. Things were good.

  Suddenly, it happened again. “I have to get up.” I told Tania.

  She looked at me and got up so I could pass. “Are you sick again?”

  I ran to the lavatory and threw up. When I returned to my seat, Tania was still watching me. “What?”

  “Are you going to be all right? You should go see a doctor when you get home. You’ve been throwing up half of the trip.”

  “It’s probably just stress.”

  “Well, go see your doctor. Do it for me.”

  “Okay.”