"Monsters?" I interrupted in disgust. "So the Germans are creating a new kind of monsters, and here we are trying to do the same thing?"
"Grand Duchess Anastasia," Konstantin said. "This action is necessary in order to ensure the future of our nation. No other countries dare to object the Kaiser..."
"That doesn't mean we should exploit the humans more than we already have," I said.
"But Your Highness, the Kaiser's ambition is not the only problem now," the vampire said. "The Hunters are also our other main worry. In case you haven't been informed, our government has been in a serious struggle with their growing movement for many years. Therefore, I highly recommend this test study since it will definitely help us a great deal."
"Shut down the experiment," I said sternly, causing all the men around the table to look at me in surprise.
"But Your Highness..."
"Don't make me repeat myself, Konstantin," I said slowly, staring intensely at the council member. A long suffering silence hung in the air.
Then with a loud sigh, Konstantin lowered his head. "Much obliged, Grand Duchess."
As everyone was still in deep bewilderment at my order, I stood up from my seat and walked out of the meeting without another word. Several other royal guards followed closely behind.
My heels clicked against the marble floor after I got out of the room through the enormous doors. Yet as I was leaving, I could still hear the disappointment inside.
"I can't believe she throws this away," one of them said in exasperation.
"Yes, it would have been better if Grand Duchess Alexandra were here instead," the other jumped in.
My hands balled into fists as I walked down the empty hall.
Chapter 9
Strolling along the hallway of the Kremlin Palace, I could remember vividly all the events that took place in its five enormous reception halls. My family used to host elegant banquets and official ceremonies numerous times in here. Terem Palace could also be seen from one of the arched windows.
Among the seven hundred rooms, one of them I recognized by heart. My hands pushed open its grand double door and then I stepped inside. The richly sculpted antique desk was set by the window. It had a large globe on one end and was usually littered with maps and papers.
Behind it was a great curve-legged chair made of dark wood and painted in gold. I walked around my father's large office, taking in the unforgettable surroundings and recalling the day when I had burst into this room with my brand new China doll and asked my father to come and play.
There was a tall portrait of him on one of the walls. He was dressed in a handsome military uniform with gold medals hanging from his breast pocket. His hands were placed over the hilt of a golden sword in a military fashion, his eyes were dark and shiny, and his mustache was groomed and curved. Beneath the frame of the portrait was a golden plaque, which read: 'Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov'.
I tore my eyes away from it then walked towards the wide desk and sat down on the heavily crested chair. I picked up a fountain pen and a blank piece of fine paper, which had the emblem of Russia printed at the top of the stationery. Taking a deep breath, I set out to write a letter that addressed to the Kaiser, Wilhelm II of Germany.
After the Great War, a number of monarchs was resurrected and they were back to rule their former empires. It was little to no surprise that the Kaiser also reclaimed his power. He was one of those who were driven by greed and vengeance. For a moment, I wondered why I was brought back along with those unsatisfied deceased.
The Kaiser and my father were second cousins. Fully aware that I still had German blood in me, it was best to steer clear of any future conflict. With this family tie, I aimed to draw my uncle's attention by asking him to stop pursuing the unimaginable. Although I had an inkling that the Kaiser would laugh at the petty piece of negotiation I was writing, I still had to acknowledge the merit of proper diplomacy.
Once the letter was finished and precisely stated, I folded the paper up and put it inside an official envelope before sealing it with the Russian crest on the molten wax.
I pressed a button on the intercom and asked for Victor to come and see me. A moment later, the vampire secretary appeared. He walked up to the desk and bowed.
"Grand Duchess," he greeted. I held out the envelope to him.
"Send this to Berlin," I said.
"Grand Duchess, what about the Council?" Victor asked in concern.
"I dismissed it," I said. "They think they have found the solution, but they don't know the consequence that goes with it."
"So how are you going to deal with the matter at hand?" he asked. "Currently, we cannot afford to have more than one problem at a time. The Hunters are growing strong and one of the most powerful nation is cultivating mischief. Japan is also backing the German Empire now. I'm afraid that we can't prevent this in time if we don't take action soon."
"I know," I said. "That's why I wrote to the Kaiser to ask him to reconsider his stand as our Allied."
"What if he doesn't listen, Anastasiya?"
"I have my other plans," I said and took out another piece of blank paper. My hand expertly formed the first cursive letterhead. Victor stood by, watching me work on the statement patiently. A long while later, I produced two similar sealed envelopes and handed them to Victor again.
"If the Kaiser doesn't respond, then you send these to Versailles and Buckingham," I said. Victor gave me a slightly puzzled look, but then he nodded, taking the letters from me. I stood up from the desk.
"And if all else fails, Russia will take her stand."
WHEN I RETURNED TO my chamber, Claire practically threw herself at me. Her shirt was undone, her hair looked wild and her body glowed.
"Your Highness!" she coaxed and kissed my neck. "Where have you been? I was waiting for you."
"What are you doing here?" I asked and pried her tangled hands off me. Walking further into the room, I found Lyra laying on the couch, completely naked. She looked exhausted and dazed as if she was high. When the girl saw me, she tried to cover herself with a duvet. Her face blushed bright crimson.
I turned to look at Claire who grinned black sheepishly.
"Your sister just fed on her earlier this morning." I scowled at Claire. She simply came over to hug me from the side and leaned in to kiss my cheek.
"I didn't feed on her," she said. "I was just having fun with her. You can't blame me, Anastasia, since you took so long to return."
"I had a meeting," I grunted and turned to walk towards the bedroom. I didn’t know why I was annoyed at such a mundane thing now.
It was like a need to protect those weaker than me had returned, if not completely but piece by piece. But I didn't want that anymore. I didn't want to feel anything again.
For years, I had trained myself to shut off my emotions and detach my heart from people. Yet now, not only had I defended the human's rights against the Council but I was also irritated by Clair's abusive behavior towards a human girl I just met.
Coming back here was a mistake. All the stress started to collect around my temples. I rubbed my forehead and went to pour myself a glass of wine. I emptied the drink in one swoop and exhaled.
"Forgive me for enjoying her without your permission, Your Highness," Claire's voice spoke softly in my ear. Then she wrapped her arms around my body from behind and stroke my stomach sensually. Her nose buried into my neck again.
"Why are you here, Claire?" I said.
"You said Estella and I can go to see a play with you tonight, no?"
I shrugged, feeling her hands wander further down my belly. A rising heat began to stir up from within my core. Claire nipped softly on my neck as she unbuttoned my pants and slipped her nimble hand inside. I let out a sigh as she caressed the area between my legs.
"Estella has picked out the best dress for herself," she said. "But I don't have anything to choose from."
I chuckled.
"So you want a party dress?"
“
No, not just a party dress,” Claire whined. “I also want to look good for you."
"You want to look good for people," I pointed out, which caused her to squeeze me a little.
"But you wouldn't want your friend to dress in rags, would you?" she said.
I took her hand out of my pants and turned her around.
"Alright, what do you want?" I said, still holding on to her waist. Claire's face lit up. She smiled and leaned in to kiss my lips.
"May I borrow some of your royal attire?" she said with pleading eyes. "I hardly see you wear them anyway, and I've heard the Russian imperial gowns were beautifully made by the best tailors in all of Europe."
I pursed my lips as if to consider her request.
"Please, Anastasia, please?" Claire coaxed as she kissed my chest and collar bone pleadingly. I giggled and pulled her onto the bed with me.
"If you can make me come more than once, then you're free to choose any dress you want along with some of the jewelry to go with it," I said as I rolled on top of her. Claire dropped her jaw in delight.
"Oh my god! Really?" she said gleefully. "Oh, thank you!" Then she pushed me off of her and got back on top of me. I smirked as she proceeded to take off her clothes and mine. I watched her round breasts bounced out of her black lace lingerie.
"And you won't be disappointed," she said in a sultry voice and leaned in to kiss me on the mouth. Our tongues wrestled against each other. Claire started rocking faintly into mine.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw a small slender figure standing by the door. I turned my head to find Lyra looking at us from the living room. Claire followed my gaze and when she saw Lyra, Claire sat up but didn't stop riding me.
"Would you mind closing the door for us, slave girl?" she said with a slight smirk dancing on her lips. Lyra obediently nodded. Her face flushed as she stole a glance at me before she pulled the door close.
Chapter 10
Ostankino Palace was one of the most beautiful places outside the Kremlin Walls. Many stone mansions were made of white marbles and plaster-covered woods. It belonged to a count named Sheremetev back in the day. His servants performed plays for his wealthy friends in his beautiful Theater Hall. Obviously, the count was into classical music and dances. And that was what I was here for.
After we stepped out of the car, I looked around the frozen manicured garden. Everywhere I turned was covered in deep white snow. The whiteness almost blinded me. Turning to a royal guard, I requested for a pair of sunglasses.
"Are you well?" Estella asked as I adjusted the shade on the bridge of my nose. Claire looked on with concerns but I just waved them off.
"You shouldn't let yourself weaken so much, Your Highness," Claire said. "You must feed. I haven't seen you drinking a single drop of blood since we left Paris."
"Good thing that we brought Lyra along," Estella chimed in.
I turned to Lyra, who had accompanied us. She looked down on her joined hands. I just figured that she could perhaps find someone she could befriend with and enjoy the night with me rather than be stuck in my chamber. I was pretty sure that there was going to be humans at the event. The vampires always had them ready to serve their guests. They were considered as our entertainment as well as our feast. But that wasn't why I brought Lyra along.
A bunch of suited men came over to us and gave a low bow. We were instantly escorted by these guards, who then led us through the grand entrance of the palace. A tall red-headed man, who was waiting in the hall, quickly came over and bowed at the waist with his palm over his chest.
"My greatest honor that you are attending this event, Your Highness!" he said and bowed again. "I have been eager to meet you in person. My name is Yury Sheremetev. On behalf of my father, I would like to have the honor of escorting you to our reception hall."
It was hilarious because the whole time he was talking to Claire. I bit back a smile when Claire turned to look at me with a funny face. I raised my index finger to my lips as a sign that she should entertain the confused vampire. Suddenly, the awkward situation just presented me with an amusing game. Claire couldn't seem to refuse the opportunity to play a princess and accepted it with a guilty-pleasure look in her eyes. I smiled to myself and didn't say anything.
Because the man couldn't recognize who I was and didn't even dare to look at eye level when he spoke to us, I assumed it might take him a while to realize he was making a fool of himself. Yet I knew it wasn't his fault since not many people actually knew what I really looked like. I had also enjoyed the anonymity once in a while during my traveling. Besides, the sisters dressed more splendidly than me!
The young vampire led us into another hall. He kept talking about the upcoming play, how he had prepared and organized it to suit my arrival for the whole nation knew that I was coming back. He told us about his family's glory and how he and his father suffered through the Revolution, as did the rest of the aristocrats and the Romanov dynasty.
I listened without much interest while Claire nodded, pretending to look majestic and charming as a princess should be. Every so often, Yury would steal a flirty glance at me, and I would roll my eyes behind my sunglasses.
"There is my father, Count Nikolay Sheremetev, Your Highness," Yury said to Claire.
Then we saw another tall man in his white tuxedo and a golden cane walked urgently towards us. He was an older version of the young man. His violet eyes sparkled as he recognized me from the distance.
"Oh Grand Duchess!" he cried as he walked up to me before bowing in respect.
"But father, the princess is here."
Nikolay almost looked like he was having a heart attack as he looked at his son in disbelief.
"My sincere apology, Your Highness!" the Count turned to bow to me again. "My stupid son is blind!"
I burst out laughing and took off my sunglasses. Yury's jaw dropped as he finally looked at me.
"That's alright, Count," I spoke and waved my hand off. "My apology, too, for playing with him a little."
"Your kindness is greatly appreciated. I should have greeted you myself. Please forgive me and thank you for honoring us by attending tonight's event, Grand Duchess," the old vampire said. "I would make sure that your visit is worthwhile."
"Then do me a favor, Count Nikolay," I said. "Just pretend that I'm not here."
"I beg your pardon?" he looked at me in confusion.
"I quite enjoy my little role play earlier," I told him. "I want you to pretend that my friend here is me. Can you do that?"
The man scratched his salt and pepper hair as he frowned for a minute then he nodded.
"Of...of course! Your High..."
"Good," I cut him off. "You may go on introducing the Grand Duchess to your other guests."
I gestured to Claire, who blushed with embarrassment and pride. She smiled at me then straightened her gown, holding her party mask to hide her eyes before excitedly following the count. The old man glared daggers at his son, who gave me an awkward bow. His face looked paler. I shook my head in amusement and continued to walk again.
We were standing in another large beautiful ballroom. Lyra and Estella were ahead of me as we walked through the crowd while Claire was busy being my imposter.
A small gallery of the live orchestra was performed by human musicians at one end of the hall. A large wooden table filled with fruits and a two-feet ice-sculpture of a jumping horse was set in the middle of the dance floor.
Vampires of the higher-class mingled around the hall. Once they saw us, each one fervently greeted us left and right. I looked around the place. The lofty ceiling was intricately carved and inlaid with gold, the arched windows and doorways were made of white marble, and along the walls, the paintings were hung and classical statues stood. The heavy red and golden curtains parted to show the outside view of the falling snow. Estella murmured that they had never seen a place of such splendor, except in Italy during their Renaissance time. I had to remind myself that although the two sisters weren't royalty, they
were way older than me.
Claire was wearing a golden mask and a beautiful golden velvety gown, the one my oldest sister, Ogla, used to wear at the masquerade ball. She never got to wear it again though. Estella wasn't that happy when she found out that her sister had beaten her to my royal wardrobe. But to compromise, I let her have a set of jewelry she had desired.
"You spoil her rotten." Estella pouted, looking at Claire.
"Every girl deserves to be a princess," I said, "If you're jealous, next time you can be me."
"I'm not jealous!" she said with a hiss, "I came to accompany the princess of Russia—not my sister!"
"I don't like people coming up to me just to kiss my ring," I said casually.
Estella groaned at my arrogant response and then she stormed off, leaving me and Lyra in the hall.
Lyra didn't say anything. We watched Claire being bowed at and talked to by a bunch of the high-class vampires. Then I turned to the human girl.
"You can go and enjoy the night, Lyra. There are a lot of humans here, so don’t be shy."
But she shook her head.
"I would rather be with you."
Lyra looked lovely in her navy blue gown with sheer embroidered sleeves which I gave her. Not that she had asked for any dress, but it was my intention to treat her special simply because I could.
When I came and place my hand on her small back, Lyra blushed bright pink at this tiny gesture. I pulled her towards the fruit table with me. We looked at the ice sculpture with various exotic fruits gathering around it. The cold vapor emitted from the ice onto the table surface like mist.
"It's beautiful," Lyra said softly. I looked at her with a smile and then picked a ripe cherry from a plate and put it between my teeth. I bit into the red cold fruit, causing a refreshing sweet and sour juice to burst inside my mouth. Lyra was observing me with an engrossed look on her face, her lips parted. I gave her a lopsided smile.
"You want one?" I asked.
Anastasia Romanov Page 4
