The Romanov sisters had made themselves quite at home at Buckingham Palace.

The girls had become close friends to Elizabeth and Margaret. The four would ride bikes, paint, ride horses, play with corgis, make-home-movies, take photographs, and watch films.

The family eagerly awaited Christmas. Elizabeth always said that the holiday at Buckingham Palace was a sight to behold.

-

December 24th, 1940

It was Christmas Eve and Maria had just come back to the palace after picking up last-minute gifts from town.

It wasn't the best Christmas since the air-raids had returned and Andrei and Valentin were away, but the night was still filled with joy and love.

Maria was taking her coat off in her and Anastasia's bedroom when something fluttered out of her pocket. It was a folded card of paper. Maria saw that it was Marcell's photo he had given her last year at the train station.

She hadn't thought about her husband in a long time. She feared he was dead.

As she approached the door to the white-drawing room where the family was, Bing Crosby's 'I'll Be Home For Christmas' played on the radio from inside.

Maria's heart sank. This song was meant for the soldiers who were away.

Something made her stop.

She couldn't go inside, not when she was close to tears. Maria couldn't let the children see her cry. She had to stay strong, if only for them.

As the song played on, she heard Anastasia sing very off pitch, which made everyone inside laugh. Maria leaned against the wall, holding Marcell's photo to her chest.

As a chorus sang part of the song, Maria felt something tap her shoulder. Scared, she ran from the wall. Maria turned around to see Marcell standing behind her, dressed in a suit.

"Marcell?" Maria whispered. "What are you doing here?"

With one swift movement, Marcell led his wife into a waltz. The hallway faded and they were in an extravagant ballroom. Although there was no gramophone in sight, the song still played. Maria was no longer in average clothing. She wore a dress of red tissue that shimmered with gold.

Maria didn't care about where she was or what she was wearing. All she cared about was Marcell. Maria couldn't stop smiling as her husband twirled her. Maria hoped this moment would never end.

Marcell suddenly stopped dancing and slowly started to fade away, becoming dust particles. The ballroom was fading around her. Her dress disappeared.

"No! No! Marcell!" Maria wailed, rushing to her husband. Marcell only smiled, unaffected by this.

Maria dropped to her knees.

The world went dark.

-

"Maria?" a voice called out.

Releasing from her fantasy, Maria leaned up from sitting to see Anastasia standing over her.

"Whatever are you doing out here alone?" Anastasia helped her from the ground. "It's Christmas Eve! Come on!"

"I'll be right in. Give me a moment."

Anastasia went back into the room while Maria spotted the photo laying in front of her.

She picked it up and brought the paper to her lips, giving it a tender kiss before holding it to her heart.

It may have looked stupid but this photo was one of the only things she had of Marcell. Maybe even the last.

Maria took a reassuring breath, looked over her shoulder at the deserted hallway behind and stepped into the room as the last line of the song played out.

'I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.'