I've never heard of marriage being suggested, except perhaps on the part of newspapers who 'married off'' various royals willy-nilly. According to Romanovs: Love, Power and Tragedy, the 'puppy love' romance between Nicholas and Toria was over the summer holidays of 1883 when both cousins were visiting Fredensborg. He wrote in his diary that 'I am in love with Victoria, and she seems to be with me, but I don't care. Yes, it is still more pleasant if she loves me....' He continued that I 'awfully enjoy being with her and I feel dull without her.' He mentioned her almost daily in the diary and on Aug 25 wrote 'My evening game with Victoria is that she hides and I seek. When I find her too soon, she gets cross and starts chasing me. If she catches me, she tries to knock me down, but she fails. Then she beats me with her firsts, and I bear it as the Lamb of God.' 'Two days later he wrote that 'It seemed to me that Victoria despised me, but luckily I was very much mistaken. The less I cared for her, the more she followed me, and I secretly rejoiced. In the evening I tried to be alone with her and kiss her: she is so lovely.' Just the next day he wrote 'The more Victoria torments and teases her prey, the more the prey loves her. The prey is ME.' Over the weeks, they took walks, played games, read together and just generally enjoyed each other's company. There were games of hide & seek, tickling sessions, playing cards and even smoking! In late September, as the idyll began to wrap up he wrote 'Still more and more I love Victoria, awfully sorry we'll have to leave soon. There'll be no playing and romping with her in the small corner room. ' In the following weeks, he anxiously awaited her letters which he would spread on his desk and re-read them.
The book doesn't record how long the letters came and when the fanciful feelings died out but the authors chalk it up to a 'lovely, childish affection'.
