Ngaphezulu kweminyaka engamakhulu amathathu, iRomanovs yawulawula iRussia i-tsars kuqala kwaye kamva phantsi kwehlelo labo kamva njengabalawuli. Kodwa ngenene yonke into yayifana, ikukunyaniseka okujikeleze i-servile aristocracy. Ngokuchanekileyo kule meko icinezelayo kude kube ligazi lokugqibela eliguqukayo lowe-1917, kukwanomdla wokujonga imeko yabasetyhini kwimbali. Kungekude kudala ukuba u-Espido Freire wabhala inoveli enomdla «Nditsalele umnxeba Alejandra»Kwaye ngoku sinelinye iqhinga lombhali wase-Bhritane u-Imogen Edwards-Jones, onika umdla njengalowo sele ekhankanyiwe malunga nabanye abachasi baloo mihla bokwenene njengo-Alejandra, kuphela xa ejikelezwe yincula engaqhelekanga ejikeleze i-esoteric, umlingo omnyama kunye nezinye obunye ubugcisa be-enigmatic ...
Phambi kokuba uqhubeke naba baphambili, kufuneka iqatshelwe into yokuba kule noveli sifumana indawo enesidima esihloniphekileyo kwimisitho ekwaziswa ngayo ibali. Kwaye ngokuchanekileyo useto olusebenzayo lusisebenzisela olo faniso olukhulu lwazo zonke iintsomi zembali. Kuphela, phakathi kokuqhekeka kwelo lalisakuba yiRashiya, kancinci kancinci, siqhubela phambili isenzo sokungakhathali ezandleni zonxantathu wabasetyhini. Endaweni yokuqala oodade u-Anastasia noMilitza, amanumzana enkundla yaseRussia ngokutshata ngokulula kunye neemboni ngobizo, njengoko kwamkelwe yiMbali.
Ngaba bafazi babini kwinkundla yaseRussia kunye nobunzima buka-Alejandra uqobo, inkosi yokugqibela, sonwabele iyelenqe eliphazamisayo, kummango wentlalo apho ubungqongqo bungcwatyelweyo kwimvukelo ekufutshane. Aba bantu babini basebukhosini bafika bevela eMontenegro bazothatha indawo yamandla bawafumene kwiminyango yabo emnyama, ngemixube kunye nemimangaliso.
Kuze kube ngumnye wabalinganiswa abamnyama kwimbali yaseRashiya kubonakala ngathi bavuthela yonke into ekucwangcisweni kwabafundi bezobugqirha. Imalunga neRasputin, ekuphakameni kwemilingo iMerlin, kuphela ngesiseko esikhulu sembali kunye namaxwebhu emizobo. Xa ujonga ifoto kaRasputin, ukujonga kwakhe kubonakala ngathi kuhamba ixesha.
Ngamandla afanayo ekubukeni kwakhe, ukuhlangana kwabafazi babini noRasputin kuya kugqiba ukubhala ibali elinomdla kakhulu kule minyaka yokugqibela yeRomanovs.
Ungayithenga inoveli Abathakathi baseSaint Petersburg, nguImogen Edwards-Jones, apha: