The fall of the Romanovs is a story of arrogance, incompetence, and strife—but you can't lay any of that at young Alexei Romanov's feet. The golden son of the Russian royal family, Alexei's tainted royal blood doomed him to a life of caution and pain, but that was only the beginning. From his faltering father to his dark healer Rasputin, the world revolved around little Alexei Romanov, right up until his disturbing end.