Chapter 1: The Rumors Never Die

The year was 1927, it had been thirteen years since the Tsar's St. Petersburg had become the people's Leningrad. New faces were emerging every year, and every day the skies had stayed the same, grey and cloudy. The walls appeared to be listening, and rightly so, with the rumors of the Grand Duchess, Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov, being alive, certain precautions had to be made. Bolshevik spies were on every street corner, always patrolling and trying to dispel any trouble that would occur. There was something different about one particular Bolshevik, there was always a woman beside him, similar in age, a notepad and pen always in hand. The girl sighed as she continued to follow the man around, pale blue eyes wandering, somehow looking up from the pad and still having the ability to know what she was writing. It had been the same thing for the past twelve years, it never changed. The girl, who had been silent for a while, spoke up, "It's been four hours, are you certain that there will be trouble now? I know it seems foolish of me to ask you, but I just need to know."

"Do not fret, Minka," the Bolshevik sighed, glancing at her. "I'm certain there will be trouble soon." Minka raised a brow and jammed her hands inside her coat pocket. The man stole another glance at her, sighing again. "Minka, may I see your pad?" She nodded, passing the pad of paper to him. His eyes scanned each word on the paper.

Minka glared at him, getting concerned. Her mind began to wander, remembering the days when she served the Romanovs. She felt she had betrayed them, each word she wrote down made her stomach churn. The very core of her being began to twist in a way that she didn't wish it to. It was painful. "Gleb," Minka sighed, "I just don't know about this. My wrist is cramped, I don't know if I'm... you know, able to do something like this. I know what you're about to say, so save your speak of this revolution. You said it would be simple, but we are living it now, and it's not what you promised at all." Tears fell from her eyes, the emotions she had bottled up for so long.

    Gleb's eyes met Minka's. "What do you mean by that?" His voice was barely above a whisper. Gleb inched closer to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

    Minka turned away, moving her shoulder out from underneath his hand, she was terrified for a brief moment. Despite being the older twin, she was scared of her younger brother, just two inches taller than she. She didn't dare look at him, nor did she respond. Her hands covered her mouth, shaking from the fear. She thought of Alexei, the child she had watched grow, then of Anastasia, the young girl who had found her outside of Peterhof Palace. Minka choked out, "I can't... I don't want to answer." Minka sighed heavily, "I guess I'm just hurting on the inside."

     Gleb's brows furrowed at his sister's odd behavior. He couldn't help but feel as though he had something to do with it. He knew he seemed intimidating to some degree, based on how many people avoided him when they saw him in the streets, but he never thought his twin sister would be afraid of him. Hurt flashed through his hazel eyes as he watched her shrink back. "What are you so afraid of?"

    Minka turned towards him, tears in her pale eyes, "I just thought things would be different. I thought things would be normal, we'd be just like a normal family. We would be home together and we wouldn't have to worry about a revolution, though it is a simple thing." She didn't want to tell Gleb what her life was prior to being a Bolshevik, if she had, there would be a lot more to worry about. "So, are those notes I took up to your expectations?" she wondered, trying to get back to what he originally had intended.

Gleb nodded. He passed the pad back to her, watching her as she snatched it out of his hand. He watched her as she stuffed it back in her coat pocket. Minka shuffled from foot to foot, biting her lower lip. Gleb shook his head. "Minka, tell me what's wrong."

    Minka shook her head, she refused to tell him. "Minka Viktoriya Vaganov, as your brother you need to tell me the truth," Gleb said to her. Minka gulped, hearing her full name made her heart sink. She became even more hesitant to tell him what was going through her head. Her mind wandered still. She began to miss the people who had found her. They were always in her heart. She could hear Alexei's voice, feel his arms around her legs, hear him beg for her to carry him when he couldn't walk. She heard Anastasia's voice echoing as well, she was hurting. How could her own family do this? How could they end the lives of those she cared for?

"You would despise me if I did," Minka whispered, shaking her head. "I can't tell you, don't you understand that?" A tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, sniffing. She blinked the tears away. Minka hugged herself and took a deep breath. Gleb stepped closer to her. "Please... don't make me tell you."

    "What are you hiding?" Gleb asked, prying for her answers. "And how could I despise you, you are my sister, older by merely four hours, however in this situation I am the one who needs to to tell me. I do not care what it is, answers... now." Minka sniffled, terrified, she heard the tone in Gleb's voice, knowing it was one that she couldn't hide her past from.

She watched her brother's solemn expression draw closer to her. "I worked at the Peterhof Palace when we were younger," she whispered quickly. "I knew all of them. Every single member of the Romanov family, I knew all of them. They weren't bad people, Gleb." Minka's voice quivered as she spoke. Her eyes hesitantly met Gleb's.

    "My sister a Romanov servant. Loyal to those who starved out thousands. How could you? I should've seen this sooner, and yet I looked up to you when we were children. Now knowing this I am not letting you out of my sight. Consider yourself lucky I haven't killed you upon hearing this," Gleb spoke, trying not to intimidate his sister and yet somehow he had. "You must be a loyal comrade from now on, no more talk of those who had blue as their favorite color. Forget it, you must be good and loyal, your favorite color...red."

Minka gulped and nodded. How could she deny him? She had kept the secret from him from the time they were ten years of age. After a few moments of silence, she murmured, "Gleb?"

"Save your breath. How can I trust you when you kept a secret from me for twelve years?" Gleb started, "We asked you your previous affiliations, you had said none. I cannot trust you. You're playing with fire. I think it's best you go. Get out of my sight. When I feel I can even speak to you again, I will look for you," Gleb told her in a bitter tone. "I didn't mean to not tell you," Minka choked out. She reached her hand out, seeing that Gleb was leaving, "Don't go..." but it was too late. She knew her brother and knew that she would not be getting a second chance, and if she were to get a second chance, it would be when Gleb was ready to give it.

    Gleb felt his anger pounding in his veins. His twin sister had worked for the people that caused poverty in his beloved Russia. He walked to his office, where he slammed the door when he entered. He sat down at the desk and rubbed his temples frustratedly. His chest heaved up and down as he tried to calm himself. He shook his head and closed his eyes, biting his lower lip. How had he not caught on? His fist slammed on the desk and he closed his eyes, trying to focus on something else.

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    Minka walked about Russia, she had never before felt like she wasn't tied down to something. How could she have known the consequences, she and Gleb were once just two kids from the Volga District, living in Ufa, and now they were living in Petersburg...Leningrad. She looked about, making sure that there were no Bolsheviks around. She saw a man who she had recognized many years ago, a con man she had eyes for. Minka, of course, was a clutz and had bumped into him. "I am so sorry, I swear I have two left feet at times," she said in a frantic tone.

He turned and looked down at her. Minka stared up at him, rubbing the back of her neck. "Don't be so nervous. It's not like I'm going to call the Bolshevik's on you." He joked, gently elbowing her. Minka forced a chuckle. "Don't tell me you're one of them," he groaned. Minka laughed, "I'm a note taker, actually. I follow my brother around and write down anything he tells me to."

    "So your job is to be obedient to someone who is always listening?" the man asked her. "What were you before something unfortunate happened to you." Minka had her eyes water, "I was a servant to the..." she cut herself off. She wasn't going to let herself cry in front of a stranger. It was hurting her. She had so many memories of that family. She heard the voice of Alexei again, asking her to sing to him when he was tired. It felt like everything was slipping away. "Miss, are you alright?" he asked. Minka spoke, "Yes, Alexei..." His eyes widened, "Alexei? You knew Alexei Romanov?" She nodded, tears falling.

The man's brows furrowed. "So... you were a servant for the Romanov family?" Minka nodded. He leaned against the wall of the run-down building beside them. "What's your name? Mine's Dmitry." She murmured, "I'm Minka." He raised a brow. "You don't want to know my surname," she laughed. Dmitry shrugged.

    Minka looked around at the buildings, they looked so familiar. "I remember passing these when I was heading to the Peterhof Palace. I remember I walked for two months. My feet ached, but I kept going. I was near frostbitten, it was when I was ten, so the year was 1906. I knew Petersbu---Leningrad---had eyes, but I didn't know that the palace above the alleyways would have eyes. I didn't know who was watching me, and yet I felt more comfortable with those eyes staring me down than my own father's."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1906, Peterhof Palace~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ten-year-old Minka Vaganov walked through the snowy streets of Petersburg, shivering as she walked past the buildings that lined the streets. She looked up at the Peterhof Palace, huffing a sigh of relief. She had secretly gotten hired as a servant, and the Romanovs had agreed not to say a word about it to her father. Well, Tsarina Alexandra had. She wasn't completely sure if the Tsar knew about her yet or not, but she had to report to him and the Tsarina.

    Her face stung from the cold, nose red from the start of frostbite. Her frame was small, appearing as though she had been starved, which was not far from the truth. She was one of the thousands of Russians that had fallen victim to famine. She continued to walk the streets, approaching the palace with what little strength she had left. Anastasia, who should've been asleep at the late hour, was staring out the window, and had seen the starved Minka. She cried out, "Mama! Papa!" Her eyes never left the window that showed the new servant who had crumpled to the ground.

The Tsar and his wife had rushed to Anastasia's side, looking at what the girl had been staring at. The Tsar – Nicholas – dashed out of the palace and brought the girl inside, cradling her thin figure in his arms. He took her to a guest room, where he laid her on the bed and called for Alexandra and several servants. Anastasia had taken it upon herself to run inside the room, refusing to leave the unconscious Minka's side.

Anastasia stared at the thin unconscious girl. "She looks hungry," Anastasia remarked, not really understanding what Minka had gone through, not knowing how long it had taken to get to Petersburg. "She is, my precious Anastasia, she came victim to a famine," Alexandra explained. Anastasia looked at her mother, seeming confused, "What's a famine?" Alexandra sighed, "A famine is where there is little to no food. Anything and anyone can fall victim, and sadly she has. Everyone in the Volga District has suffered this, and I learned she was from Ufa, one of the cities in that district. It's a two month walk, I thought she would've at least taken a bus, or a train, that takes less time. For some reason, I feel she can't afford either, and seeing the look on her face, she couldn't even afford food, and if her family could, they certainly didn't share with her."

Anastasia gazed at Minka's face and slowly reached out and touched it. "She's as cold as ice!" Anastasia drew her hand back quickly. Alexandra murmured something inaudible to one of the servants. The woman nodded and hurried off. She returned seconds later with a bowl filled with hot water and a cloth. "We'll try to warm her up," Alexandra smiled down at her youngest daughter.

Anastasia smiled at her mother and asked, "Might I stay? I thought she might want company when she wakes up." Alexandra looked at one of the servants, she knew that Minka was going to be like them when she recovered, always working. "We'll have to see if she'll want you at her side. I originally had her come here to help care for your brother, Alexei. She has a brother as well, she briefly mentioned that in the letter she sent months ago."

Anastasia nodded, turning her attention back to the unconscious girl. Alexandra watched her daughter as she brushed the single strand of hair off of Minka's pale forehead and smiled. The servants hurried to make Minka warm, covering her with two thick blankets and placing the cloth that had been dipped in hot water on her head. Minka groaned and stirred, causing their eyes to flick up to her face.

Minka blinked, focus starting to return, eyes soon opening. Minka stammered, "Wh-what happened? Where am I?" Her eyes began to wander, seeing Anastasia and smiled. Anastasia smiled back and looked at her mother, whispering, "She's awake." Alexandra saw the expression on her daughter's face, "I am aware, I can see she is awake." Anastasia looked to Minka and asked, "What happened to you?" Minka, not hesitant to respond, told her, "If you know what neglect looks like then there is your answer. Four years of neglect, two of feeling like I didn't matter. So I was cast aside for six years. I was four years of age and wishing I wasn't born, yet there was one thing that kept me going, my little brother, just by four hours. He was everything, and I guess that's why I promise I'll do everything I need to just to keep Alexei out of harm's way."

Alexandra moved closer to her. "That's very sweet of you, dear. Tell me, did you walk here from Ufa?" Minka nodded. Anastasia sat down on the edge of the bed, smiling softly at Minka. "Hullo," Minka mumbled. Anastasia giggled and spoke, "Hello! I'm Anastasia. Do you mind if I stay with you?" Minka shook her head in response. "See, Mama, she doesn't mind!" Alexandra chuckled at Anastasia's excitement. "Alright. Don't bother her too much, Anastasia. I will return in a few moments," Alexandra spoke softly. The two girls nodded, watching the Tsarina walk out of the room.

"So, looks like you're the lucky one, living in Petersburg compared to Ufa... let's see, in Ufa you have people dying on the streets nearly every day, here, you don't have that," Minka spoke under her breath. "What do you mean?" Anastasia asked Minka. Minka sighed, "Ufa is, well, one of the poorest towns in Russia, and when we were struck with famine, first the animals went, then we had people die in the streets, getting ill off the scent of decay. I lost so much, I had my family tell me that I was nothing, my brother was sneaking food and giving it to me. He got scolded, I got shut in a closet for a year... or four... and during that time my father never bothered to comfort me. I just sat there, eating scraps and wishing that I could leave everything behind. Tell me, is that a way to live?" Minka had let her guard down, showing the first ounce of emotions that ever dared to come through.

Anastasia placed her hand on Minka's trembling shoulder. "I... I am so sorry you had to live like that." A tear slid down the young Anastasia's cheek, to which she quickly wiped it away. Minka sniffed, pushing herself up to a sitting position. "Tell me about yourself, Your Highness," Minka murmured.

"Why don't we wait until you're well," Anastasia told Minka. "I shouldn't have told you what I went through. I'm sorry if that upset you," Minka told Anastasia. "Your highness, you look so tired, you should rest," she added, seeing the look on the Grand Duchess's face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1927 Leningrad~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

       Minka shook her head and looked up at Dmitry, who gazed at her with concern. "Are you alright, Minka?" Minka laughed and nodded. "I'm alright. Not the best, but alright." She leaned against the wall as well, watching the people of Leningrad scurry through the streets. "You're a con man, aren't you?" she questioned. Dmitry nodded. "I thought I recognized you." His brows furrowed as he turned to look at her. "I mean I've seen you before," Minka quickly corrected herself, her cheeks flushed crimson.

    She began to laugh nervously, "If my brother were here he'd most likely say 'Minka, what are you doing? Why are you talking to him? Why aren't you taking notes? You need to obey your orders.' To which I'd respond, 'Are you kidding me? Can't I stop writing for once?' In which he would say, 'Pen against your paper... now.'" Minka stared at him, "Sorry, I'm rambling. So, uh... what's this I hear about Anastasia auditions?"

      Dmitry laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Just what they are. Auditions to see who in this crummy town can pass as the Grand Duchess. Unfortunately, from what I've seen, we're doomed." Minka laughed. "Most everyone in this town is a gossip, Dmitry. Bolsheviks are no different. We take the rumors and investigate them. Well, my brother does. I tag along and take notes." Minka stared at the pavement. Dmitry shifted to where he could see her better, crossing his arms over his chest. "You know, you look like the Grand Duchess."

    Minka glared at him, "Will you shut up?" She then sighed, singing a tune that mimicked the song of the revolution, "Be very careful what you say upon these streets, you never never know who'll overhear. I'm telling you there's danger everywhere, and the Bolsheviks don't care. The Neva flows, a new wind blows, and soon it will  be spring. What you just told could let more unfold, and revolutions are such simple things..."

    Dmitry raised his brows, not knowing what to say. Minka ran her hand through her hair, her eyes meeting his. "I'm warning you, Dmitry. You'll end up getting yourself killed." Minka walked off, continuing to walk through the streets. She felt the pad of paper in her pocket and decided to take it to Gleb's office, since it was unlikely he'd be there and it was unlikely he'd be speaking to her any time soon.

"Gleb, can we talk? I know you probably despise me and you aren't even listening, but I really wanted to apologize and give you my notes for this week. It's sort of urgent," Minka sighed again, and spoke to herself, "I'm not some stubborn child, nor a waif who needs protection, he needs me even more than he'll allow. He wants information that I get, is that a fair depiction. None of this is fiction, he'll see it now. He is nothing but a man, with nothing but orders to fulfil... He says that I lied, but then he'll see his mother's eyes in mine, and still... still... he's just my little brother."

       She couldn't help the sinking feeling in her chest that seemed to travel to her stomach as she went inside the building. She walked to the door that led to his office, and took a deep breath before pushing it open. She was shocked to see him sitting at his desk, his head propped up on his arms, sleeping. Minka quietly chuckled and pulled the pad and paper out of her pocket, leaving it beside him. She turned to leave when the back of her coat was grabbed. "Sit down, Minka."

    "Am I in trouble? Please tell me I'm not in trouble. I did everything you asked. I'm loyal. I love the color red. I'm glad the Romanovs burned more than a lantern. What do you want me to say?" Minka spoke, getting nervous as she sat down in front of him. If it weren't for the fact that she was one of them, a Bolshevik notetaker, she would be shaking in that seat, fearing for her life.

       Gleb sighed as he stood and walked around the desk, leaning on the front of it. He noticed she squirmed in her seat. "Calm down, Minka. You're not in trouble. All I want to know is why you didn't tell me. You've had plenty of opportunities over the past twelve years."

    "Gleb, I would've told you if I weren't so loyal to Leningrad. If I told you then, you wouldn't have looked at me. You would've had me put in front of a firing squad and I would've been killed. You have no idea what it was like for me to make the decisions that I did. I care for you. You're my little brother," Minka explained to him. She tried so hard to not break her expression, serious. "Of anything, you would know what it's like to keep secrets from people. You were the one who was giving me the food you never ate when we were just two kids living in Ufa," Minka spoke, her voice becoming serious with every word that she had said.

       Gleb stared at his sister. "You're right. I would have put you in front of a firing squad. But now? I might throw a bucket of water on you and lock you outside." Minka let out a frustrated groan. "Gleb, I'm serious!" Gleb chuckled. "So am I. I know what I did. You don't have to tell me. Papa wasn't very kind to you, but that's alright. I tried to make sure you were fed. You're my sister, after all. I didn't want the one person I've been with since birth to die."

    "You wouldn't dare. Gleb, you're treating this like a complete and utter joke and I do not appreciate it," Minka said to him. Gleb looked at his sister, "You're so cute when you try to be serious." Minka glared at him, "I'm not trying, I really am serious. Why do you think this is some petty joke?"

       "I don't," he responded, "but I do think you're cute when you're trying to be serious." He tapped her nose playfully.  Minka glared at him again. "Stop glaring at me, Minka Viktoriya." Minka held her glare and uttered, "No." Gleb rolled his eyes. "Minka, I don't want to think about what they'd have me do to you if they found out," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "They would make me kill you, Minka. I couldn't do that. You're my twin sister."

    "May I go now? My legs are falling asleep," Minka told him. "And next time, don't mention my past in this office, if someone overheard then that would be on your shoulders, and I don't want my own brother, no matter the pest he may be, to feel like everything is crashing down and you to feel like you've failed not only me, but Russia herself. Gleb, you are your father's son, and I my mother's daughter. I care so much about you, so please, for the both of us, may I go?"

      Gleb reluctantly nodded. Minka stood and hurried to the door. "Minka!" He hung his head. "Go to my place. You'll be safer there." Minka nodded and scurried out of the office. Gleb sighed and gazed out the window. He watched Minka enter the building his apartment was in and heaved another sigh, though this time, it was one of relief.

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    A day had passed, Minka had left the apartment early to roam around Leningrad with no orders to fulfil, no one to listen to except for her heart. She saw the con artist known as Dmitry, as well as someone else at his side. She slowly approached, rather shy at first. She spoke up, "Fancy seeing you around, Dmitry. I thought you would have given up your search, but I did think about what you said yesterday, and I will gladly help you out, as well as your friend. I want to get out of Russia more than anything. That Bolshevik that patrols may say that he hears us, that the revolution hears us, but it doesn't. He's cooking an empty promise in an empty pot."

       Dmitry was startled and had jumped at the sound of Minka's voice. "Do you always sneak up on people?" Dmitry asked, raising a brow. His friend laughed. "Not always. Just those who aren't aware of my presence. It's never intentional, I assure you." His friend took a step closer to see her better. "You're one of the Vaganov twins! I remember you! Minka, wasn't it?" Minka squinted, scanning the man's face. "Count Vlad Popov?" she whispered. "What's happened to you?"

    "Age, and so much more. But I should be asking, what happened to you?" Vlad asked Minka. Minka sighed, "You try being a notetaker for someone who can be a bit harsh and doesn't listen." Dmitry looked to Vlad, "You know her? How? I thought you only knew the Romanov family."

      "I knew all of the servants," Vlad laughed. "Minka was the one who took care of little Alexei. She and Anastasia were close."

    "And did it ever cross your mind that she looks like the Grand Duchess herself?" Dmitry asked Vlad. Minka became very uncomfortable with what was being said. Yes, she was aware that she was a doppelganger, but did that mean she wanted to play the part of a princess. Sure, everyone has wanted that, but her? If her brother found out she would be doomed.

      "Well... she does look like her," Vlad scratched the back of his head. "Think you could play her?" Minka shook her head. "Oh, come now, Minka!" Minka again shook her head, "I don't want to lie to an old woman, Vlad. For all we know, the real Anastasia is out there somewhere."

    "But it's your one way out of Russia," Dmitry said to Minka, remembering how she wanted to leave. Minka sighed, "I do want to leave this place, but lie to an old woman and pretend to be someone who is still out there, maybe in Cleveland, wherever that may be." Dmitry looked at Vlad, then back to Minka, "Then if you don't want to pretend, why don't you just stay with us? It might put an end to your nerves." Minka groaned and said to herself, "Why must con men be so polite?" She looked to them and said, "Fine, I'll do it, but I want a third of the reward money for returning her to her nana." She gulped, making sure no one was listening, making sure there weren't any spies around. "Meet us at the Yusapov Palace in an hour, no longer," Vlad told the girl, seeing as she was getting nervous. "Got it, Yusapov Palace... one hour. I won't forget,"  Minka said.     

Minka hurried back to Gleb's apartment and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw he hadn't noticed she had left. "Minka! Are you here?" Gleb walked around the corner, pulling his coat on. "Listen, I've got to go to one of the old palaces today, I can't remember which one it is."

"Peterhof, Gleb, it was Peterhof," Minka spoke, playing with her thumbs. "You have to go to Peterhof to see if anyone is hiding away in there." Gleb looked at her, "Peterhof was today? I thought that was tomorrow." Minka smoothly spoke, "Nope, it was Peterhof today. Yusapov Palace isn't on your list at all."

Gleb nodded, murmuring, "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you." Minka chuckled. "I've got to go if I'm going to get there before noon. Goodbye, Minka. I'll see you this evening." Gleb kissed her cheek swiftly, practically running to get out the door after he did so. "Gleb Vaganov!" Minka shouted. She could hear him laugh in the hallway.

"Thank Christ he bought it," Minka said under her breath and waited for him to leave so she could head to the true place Gleb was supposed to head to, the Yusapov Palace, which the con and the former Count were using as a hideaway. She wandered down the hallways, leaving the door and running down the streets, heading to the palace she was needed at. "I'm here," Minka panted, "I had to run so I wouldn't be caught, and my feet are killing me. Running in boots is not ideal." She looked at the two. Vlad chuckled, "Why don't you take them off? If those are Bolshevik boots then those on a feminine foot would be torture." Minka sighed, taking the boots off of her feet, leaving only her socks to create a barrier, "Still being polite as always, Count Popov. I should've expected that."

Dmitry stifled a laugh at Minka's statement. Both Minka and Vlad shot him a glare. "Anyway, I sent my brother in the wrong direction today, so you better be grateful. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been here at all." Vlad's eyes widened. "Where'd you send him?" Minka grinned and muttered, "To Peterhof." Vlad burst into a fit of laughter and slapped Dmitry's shoulder. Dmitry flinched.

"He may be a Bolshevik, but he can be an idiot at times," Minka spoke, gritting her teeth. "You sent your brother to Peterhof, that is genius," Vlad smiled, his laughter starting to end. Minka winced again, finding herself in pain due to her running in boots, even when they were off. It was never ending. She sighed, "May I please sit down? I feel like my feet are going to fall off if I keep standing." Vlad nodded and pulled out a chair, allowing the girl who was once a servant to sit. "Dmitry, why don't you check to make sure she's alright? She was running in boots and she did tell you how painful it was for her,"

Dmitry rolled his eyes and walked over to her. He bent down in front of her and tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ears. It was then he noticed that Minka was beautiful. He shook his head and chuckled, "Exactly how long did you run in those boots?"

Minka stared at him, "I ran for an hour." She didn't look away, she was being serious and didn't even hide the pain she was in. She was now in tears, it felt as though her feet were on fire. "And why are you laughing? I'm in pain," Minka told him, looking into his gentle chocolate colored eyes.

"I thought of something that I found ridiculous," he mumbled. "I apologize. I'm not laughing at your pain, I swear." Dmitry stared into her sapphire colored eyes. "Alright..." Her mind seemed to be elsewhere. Not that Dmitry blamed her, the Bolshevik boots were definitely not designed for running. "I can't get you anything but a glass of water," Dmitry nervously laughed. Minka chuckled through her pain. "That's alright. Water would be nice."

"Funny, I thought a woman like yourself would prefer tea than a simple glass of water," Dmitry chuckled. "I'm not a tea drinker, never had been and I never will be," Minka told him. Vlad looked at the two, something in him made him think of the conversation Minka and Alexei had years ago. "And that is how I know you are Minka," Vlad grinned, seeing how Minka felt disgust at the very thought of tea. "Don't worry, we won't make you drink anything you don't like," Vlad assured. Minka nodded, "Thank you."

Dmitry stood and left the room, leaving her and Vlad alone for a few moments. "How's Gleb?" Vlad asked, pulling a chair up and sitting down beside her. "Loyal to Leningrad, as usual," she mumbled. "He didn't know that you worked there, did he?" Minka shook her head. "Here you go," Dmitry handed the glass to her. Minka mumbled, "Thank you," and took a sip of the water.

"You seem stressed, what's on your mind?" Vlad asked, noticing the look on Minka's face and how she was mumbling instead of speaking clearly. Minka didn't answer, how could she? She had so much going through her mind that she couldn't put it into words. She didn't want to say anything more. "What happened?" Dmitry pondered. Minka whispered, just so the two could hear, "It's not of import, please, no more questions of my brother or my current life. I don't want to talk about it."

The men nodded. Minka took another sip of water. Dmitry and Vlad glanced at each other and shrugged. Minka leaned back in the chair, losing the graceful posture she had been taught. "Minka, my dear, are you sure you want to do this?" She nodded in response. "Alright. Dmitry's the mastermind behind this plot."

"Once we grab our princess, we'll cross the border and be through. I know it's risky, but not more than usual," Dmitry spoke. Minka looked at him, seeming to know his plan, "Yes it's risky." Vlad added, "A lot, more than usual." Minka sighed, "You've got a servant, someone who knows what the girl acted like. I also tended to the horses, mainly Anastasia's, and when the girl was ill, I was the one who took the horse out for a ride. Romeo was the horse's name. I had Alexei beside me, he would watch. It calmed him most of the time when he needed to get his illness of of his mind. When I finished riding, I went back to Anastasia, just to make sure she was alright. I then would put Alexei down for a nap when he grew tired. It was a sporadic schedule for me when I was there, some days I would exclusively care for Alexei, others I would be treated the same as them. It was a balance." She went back to wincing in pain, it was hard for her to focus on something like this when she was on the verge of tears.

Dmitry raised his brows. "Treated like a Romanov, you say?" Minka nodded and forced her tears back. "Then I'm sure you'll be great help with these auditions," he smiled, gently patting her shoulder. He stood and grabbed Vlad's arm, dragging him over to the other side of the room. "How and why was she treated like a Romanov?" Dmitry whispered. Vlad sighed. "When she first came to the palace, she was one of the victims of the famine. She lived in Ufa, and walked the entire way to Peterhof Palace. Before she got the chance to get through the gates, she collapsed. Nicholas ran out and got her, only because Anastasia saw her. They treated her as one of them until she got well, then agreed to allow her to go back home every so often. Once she was well, she mainly took care of Alexei, since he had that illness. They still loved her, especially Anastasia and Alexandra." Dmitry's eyes widened. "The Tsarina favored her?" Vlad nodded. Dmitry scratched his head and bit his lip, glancing over at the young woman who was swinging her legs. "I can see why, she looks like royalty."

"That's why Nicholas allowed her to attend each ball of the Winter season, up until their exile in 1914. They had extended the girl's first name for a time, while I was there they called her 'Minkalina'. I had more interaction with her than any of the other servants," Vlad spoke, only to hear Minka speak, "Je peux t'entendre. J'espère que tu le sais(I can hear you. I hope you know that)." Vlad apologetically said, "Désolé, je ne voulais pas que vous m'entendiez parler de votre passé(Sorry, I didn't mean for you to hear me mention your past)." Dmitry groaned, "Can you please speak the common man's language?" Minka sighed, "Sorry, I just wanted an excuse to speak French. Only aristocrats spoke the language, but since they taught me I am also able to speak it, and it will be the true test of which girl is truly Anastasia."

Vlad chuckled at Dmitry's frustration. Minka took a gulp of her water and shook her head after doing so. "The common man only knows Russian, I presume?" She looked over at him. "Yes," he muttered, drawing closer to her. "You won't survive in Paris," Minka laughed, swirling the water in her glass. Vlad stifled a laugh and mumbled, "She's right."

"Minka, might I just make a small suggestion if we do manage to find an Anastasia?" Dmitry asked the girl who was swirling her water. Minka looked at him and nodded. "Please, don't speak French until we get to Paris. You can speak another language, particularly closer to where we are." Minka sighed, "Gut, ich werde es tun. Ärgere mich nicht darüber (Fine, I'll do it. Just don't pester me about it)." Dmitry groaned, "I didn't mean now. Stick with the common man's language." Minka complained, "But I don't want to. If you're going to help out Anastasia by bringing her home, you'll have to know more than just Russian. You'll have to know French and German, maybe Macedonian, which not even I have mastered and I was a servant for eight years and learning it. I can't even say hello in Macedonian."

Dmitry sighed and grumbled, "How I hate girls who speak different languages fluently." Minka laughed and shook her head. "Anastasia was multilingual, Dmitry. You've got to at least know French."

Vlad looked at Dmitry and tried to bring the attention back to the pain that was most likely shooting through Minka's feet, "Dmitry, you might want to help her out. I've seen her in pain and she can't focus that well when she's ignoring what's hurting." Minka rolled her ankles around, trying to keep her feet off the ground so pain wouldn't shoot up her leg. She knew that if she returned home to her brother's apartment that night in pain there would be questions and possibly babying. "I'm fine," Minka lied, but was clearly not doing that well at hiding silent screams.

"Minka, let me help you up," Dmitry took her hands and pulled her to her feet. Minka clenched her teeth as Dmitry swept her off her feet. "You're extremely light." Minka let out a quiet laugh. She bit her lower lip and sighed, shaking her head. "Put me down, I'm alright." Dmitry raised his brow, but did as she said. She painfully walked over to the window and peeked through the curtain in the room.

She saw that Gleb was leaving Peterhof. Had it really been close to evening already? "I'm sorry, I have to go," Minka spoke as she grabbed the boots that she had taken off and put them back on, rushing out of the Yusapov Palace and racing to the apartment, heading to the flat number Gleb was residing in. She sat down in a chair, awaiting his return. She took the boots she was given off once again, trying to walk around, only to be met by gasps of pain. "Christ, why did I think it was a good idea to run?" Minka asked herself and held herself up, hand on the window cill. "Okay, standing is not a good idea right now," Minka whispered to herself.

Minka sat down again, sighing. The door swung open, revealing Gleb. "Surely that's not what you've done all day," he chuckled. Minka laughed, shaking her head. "No, I went for a long walk." Gleb nodded. "Come here, I want to show you something I found in the Peterhof Palace."

Minka painfully stood and walked over to him. He pulled a journal out of his pocket.  "What did you find?" Tears fell down her cheeks as memories flooded her mind, she shook them aside. Gleb pulled out something that was all too familiar to Minka, something that she saw nearly every time Vlad went to Peterhof. "This belonged to a former Count, I thought you might like to read it," Gleb told his sister, then saw the pain in her eyes. "You ran, didn't you?" Gleb inquired. Minka nodded and felt a twinge of guilt. "Next time when you aren't with me don't wear those boots. Might I suggest trying to wear flats?" Minka jokingly asked him, "When did you become mother?"

"When you started running in those boots," he responded, handing the journal to her. "Come on." He picked her up and carried her to his room, setting her on his bed. "Hang on," he mumbled, hurrying over to his dresser and pulling the bottom drawer open. He tossed her a pair of socks. "You're sleeping in here tonight." Minka opened her mouth to protest, but Gleb beat her to speaking. "Don't. You're sleeping here, end of story."

Minka, who so desperately wanted to say something, shut her mouth. Gleb may have been younger than her, but when it came to employment, she had no other choice but to be obedient, the notetaker she was expected to be. She took off the socks that she had been wearing all day, revealing the state of her feet, red and somewhat bruised. She hoped Gleb wasn't looking. Much to her chagrin, he had been. She had known what this meant. Of course she knew. She looked like the baby of the twins, is that all Gleb would treat her like when she was hurting on both the inside and the outside?

Gleb sighed and left the room, retrieving a bowl of hot water and a cloth. He returned a moment later, to Minka's dismay, and sat down on the end of the bed. "What possessed you to walk that far in those blasted boots?" Minka shrugged. "I was thinking. I didn't mean to walk as far as I did." He rolled his eyes and wiped the cloth on her right foot, making her flinch. "Sorry," Gleb mumbled, grabbing the pair of socks from his sister's hands.

"Gleb, it hurts," Minka whined. She didn't like it when Gleb started to baby her, it made her feel younger than she was. "I know it does, that's why I don't want you wearing those anymore," Gleb told his sister, wiping the cloth now on her left foot. She flinched again, tears plaguing her eyes. "Will you stop? If you keep flinching it will hurt even worse."

"Ouch! Gleb," she groaned as he lifted her foot and slid the sock on it. He shot her a look and she closed her mouth. "I should've known this would happen," he mumbled under his breath, standing and setting the bowl on the dresser. "Have you eaten?" He turned and faced her. Minka shook her head.

"I should've known you haven't eaten. I could see it in your eyes. You need to take care of yourself while you're on your own. You aren't that starving child anymore, you aren't helpless," Gleb tsked. Minka looked up at him. "I suppose you're right," she sighed.

"I might be younger than you, but I'm still protective over you." Gleb spoke as he left the room. Minka huffed and glanced around the room, yawning. "Gleb, come here," Minka called. Gleb walked back into the room, his brows furrowed. "Did anyone overhear our conversation yesterday?"

"I looked out the door shortly after, no one heard, and if one had, I told them not to breathe a single word. A good note taker is an alive note taker," Gleb assured his sister. "Now, you get some rest, and you are eating tomorrow, no questions asked. We're patrolling the streets of Leningrad and I would rather have you take notes than someone with sloppy penmanship. You embody what the new Russia stands for, pride, equality, and patience. Yes, you do have a temper, but I can look past that."

"You're very kind, Gleb," Minka rolled her eyes playfully. He laughed. "I'll see you in the morning, then?" Gleb nodded. "Alright. Good night." Gleb chuckled and muttered, "Good night."

A/N: All even numbered paragraphs (2, 4, 6, 8...) were written by girlmeetsmusic all odd numbered paragraphs were written by me, tuesdayelevoraaddams. Enjoy this first chapter. One google docs, where the story is being written, there are currently 27 pages, pages 26-27 signify a new chapter which will be posted at a later time. Enjoy what has been written. We did some shout outs to the original material with the two songs that Minka sings, "The Neva Flows (1)" which can be known as "The Warning" and "Still (1)" which can be known as "Recollection". Characters mentioned in this chapter belong to the writer of Anastasia and the true history, except for Minka, who is an OC that had been created for this specific story.