Anastasia Romanov

by Svetlana Ivanova

  Looking at the whole place, I realized we now lived the lives which hardly bore semblance to the grandeur of our mortal heyday. Perhaps the disappearance of my sister had brought back all these unsettling memories. Perhaps, it was a sense of loss that caused me feeling blue. My coronation was just three days away. Soon, I would be pronounced the Empress of Russia.

  With a sigh, I turned away from the great empty seats.

  "Your Highness," Victor's voice said beside me. "We have arranged the items of regalia for the royal parade. I guess you might like to have a look."

  I gave him a small nod. He led me to a wide table beside the dais. It displayed all the important regalia handed down from the previous dynasties.

  My eyes moved over them one by one. There was the Chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First, First Call of the Czarina, the Sword of States, the Banner of States, the State Seal, the Purple Robe for the Czar, the Orb, the Scepter, and the Great Imperial Crown—all arranged in a strict order.

  "We still don't know whether you would prefer the royal gown like Czarina Catherine the Great or..."

  "No, I will have the formal arrangement similar to my father's," I said. "The purple cloak would be enough. Russia had tasted the Golden Age before, but that’s not likely to happen again during my reign."

  Victor glanced at me with a troubled look on his pale face. He was clearly disturbed by the ominous tone in my voice but didn’t say anything. He then proceeded to report to me about the people who would be joining the morning procession.

  "That will be held by thirty-two generals from all parts of the empires," he said. "Ministers of the War Office and the Imperial Court. The Commander of the Imperial Residence, and the Commander of the Vanguards. Also, the royalties from the other Allied Nations will send their messengers to congratulate you during your coronation."

  "Did you get any messenger from the Kaiser?" I asked with a hint of sarcasm. Victor shook his head. The German Empire had squirmed a little when I ordered the mobilization of our forces. My Uncle knew I was preparing for the worst. That old vampire would never let a child like me defy him.

  "Our spies sent back coded telegrams about their advancement with the new army," Victor said as if reading my mind. "It looks like the Kaiser is not fooling around anymore. Some of the European nations have already pledged their alliances to him."

  "They say it's less dangerous to battle with a young lion than with an old, dying lion," I said. "The Kaiser is by no mean 'dying' of course, but he was like an old lion with his claws and fangs still sharp—a fine military leader far better than my own father."

  "The Czar had a good heart," the man said. "He just...had a lot of bad lucks."

  "A few bad lucks and bad decisions are enough to call for a tragedy," I said and absentmindedly picked up the golden orb. The polished beaten gold shone in my hand.

  "Grand Duchess, if there’s anything you would like to request before the Coronation Day, please let me know," Victor was deliberately trying to change to a lighter subject. "I’ll make sure to complete the task.”

  It brought a thought to me. I put the orb down and turned away from the table.

  "Well, when the crowning begins, I would like to place Avery on the dais beside my throne."

  Victor looked at me with his surprised violet eyes.

  "But Your Highness, according to the tradition, only the members of the Imperial family is allowed..."

  "Avery is the only family I have left...besides my sister," I said in a heavy tone. "I have no one else in this dead cold world, Victor."

  The man let out a soft sigh before he bowed.

  "As you wish, Grand Duchess."

  A moment later, a troop of guards entered the grand hall. They bowed at me with their fists against their hearts. One of them was General Konstantin. He came forward with an air of urgency.

  "Good news, Your Highness." The black-coated General saluted me.

  "What is it?" I said.

  "We have located the whereabouts of the Hunter Circle, " he said. "They hide behind a mountain range south of Siberia."

  "Is my sister still alive?"

  "There's a high chance that she is still alive and with them," the General said.

  My eyes flashed with relief. Wasting no time to figure it all out, my protective instincts took over.

  "You must bring her back to me," I said. "Take all the skilled soldiers you need, but you have to get Anastasia out of there unharmed."

  "Yes, Grand Duchess,” Konstantin said. “I will plan the rescue at once."

  Then he bowed away and left.

  At last, I had some good news to tell Avery. She was waiting for my return at the palace and would be so pleased to hear this.

  I trusted that the rescue plan would not fail under the command of a ruthless general like Konstantin. He'd been loathing the Hunters all along. My sister would be brought back to us in no time, and we would see her again after years of being apart.

  But then there was a small jab of foreign feeling. It was like the point of a cold needle in my heart. I couldn't tell where this sudden pang of unease came from.

  Avery would be seeing my sister again. Considering they had shared each other's passion in the past, I wondered how they would feel, and how I would feel.

  Giving a slight shake of my head to dissipate the thought, I told the others I wanted to leave the cathedral immediately.

  AS SOON AS I GOT BACK to the palace, the first thing I did was looking for her. She wasn't in the chamber where I had left her this morning. Avery was probably out somewhere with the selected human maids. It must have bored her closer to insanity to be kept in an enormous empty place with nothing to do. Obviously, she couldn’t just sit there and wait for me all day.

  I sighed, feeling sorry for my lovely princess. Then I decided to take a long bath. After the maids had drawn it for me, I waved them away. Taking off my clothes and boots, I stood in front of a full-length mirror next to the copper tub. Looking at my reflection with tired eyes, I realized something for the first time.

  Where had the last hundred years gone? I was just a little girl the other day. Now I couldn’t deny the fatigue in those blazing golden eyes that stared back at me.

  The question seemed to whisper into my ears out of nowhere.

  Why am I still here? What do I possibly want from this broken world?

  It was a dark scary whisper of my depressed conscience. I heaved another sigh and proceeded to slip into the lukewarm bath.

  Relief spread through my body, and I let my thoughts cease for the time being. I concentrated on the unwinding sensation in my stiff muscles. The matter of the coronation had exhausted me. But I knew that being a Czarina would give me complete power over my states. I could exercise the right to declare war without consulting the members of the Allied Nation. It also meant that I would be the target of all sorts of trouble in the future.

  Submerged to my neck in the nice warm water, I breathed in the scented bath and closed my eyes. Peace at last. I had to make the most of the moments I had to myself.

  Suddenly, my ears detected the faintest sound—the door opening and closing, the parting of heavy tapestries. I pried open eyes again, alert like that of a wild animal in the forest. In one fluid motion, I turned and stood from the tub.

  "Oh for god’s sake, Alex!" the melodious ringing voice gasped. Avery covered her eyes as if shielding them from the bright sun. I let out a laugh.

  "Well," I said with a shrug. "Nothing you haven't seen and liked."

  "Nothing I'm used to seeing," she scoffed and looked at me at last.

  "I hope it's a compliment." I smiled and sank back down into the water.

  "I heard you have arrived, so I hurried back from the garden." Avery took a few graceful steps closer to the tub. "How is everything?"

  Her voice was of genuine concern, but I could still detect a special tone in it. She was hoping to hear about my sister.

  "I think we can talk quite easier if you come and join me
." I held out my hand to her.

  "Must you always do that?" Avery said, but she was smiling.

  “I’m waiting,” I said.

  She smiled wider and turned around to unfasten the laces of her dress. Her dark brown lock flowed around her elegant frame like a silk curtain as she bent over. Seconds later, she came to me, stark naked the way I liked it.

  I practically lifted her into the tub, unable to wait any longer. Our lips soon joined one another, and our naked limbs entwined.

  "You have the advantage over me. Now, tell me," Avery said after we broke off to catch our breaths. She was straddling me. Her hands placed comfortably on my breasts, stroking them as if out of habit. I caressed her smooth small back and nicely shaped buttock.

  "I have good news," I said at last, hands still roaming and squeezing earnestly.

  "About Ana?" she asked. The light that I hadn't seen for the past few weeks had returned in her crystalline violet eyes.

  "I have ordered men to rescue her," I told her. "I hope she would be alright and that no harms have touched her."

  Avery looked worried again at the bad possibility.

  "I really wish the same," she said with a heavy sigh.

  "Don't worry, we have a strong army and the Hunters must have understood her importance to me. They won't make irrational decisions."

  "Will there be a bloodshed?"

  "It's inevitable, Avery," I said. "Konstantin might be a bit rash with his thinking at times, but he is good at what he does, and we need him for this task."

  Avery nodded.

  "Let's think about the matter later," I said and went to devour her soft plum lips again. "We both need some relief."

  She smiled at me and we kissed passionately again. We did not linger long in the bath.

  Soon we found ourselves lying naked. Our heated bodies tangled up in pleasure and wants. I suckled Avery's small but perfect breasts. They perked like they were not affected by gravity. The two globes of fine flesh and the honey-dripping mound between her spread thighs were all mine.

  As we had sex, Avery fell asleep. My body still retained a trace of that special tingling feeling after an intense climax. I inhaled Avery’s sweet scent, which had been driving me wild all these years. I still marveled at the way she came violently in my mouth every time, watching her tremble and lose herself in a bliss. If there was one thing I wanted in this world, I wanted this— forever.

  But later in the deep winter night, I awoke from a nightmare. It was about my sister. Anastasia was covered in blood. Her skin felt ice cold to the touch. I had hardly dreamed. It made my heart race. Avery had rolled away from me, and I took her in my arms again. She nestled into me without waking. I kissed her forehead and wondered about Anastasia.

  Chapter 27

  Valerina

  BACK AT THE CASTLE, I sat in a corner of the hospital wing, waiting. Twilight had already faded. The nurses started lighting the torches and placing candles into the lamps to dispel the darkness. But the gloom still lingered like shadows on the walls. The silence taunted me even more as the hours dragged on.

  Trotsky had ordered men to transport us back to the castle with our aircraft. Anastasia was severely wounded and unconscious ever since. At the moment, Arkady was doing his best to save her. The man was an excellent physician, just as his nephew was an excellent inventor, but I still felt anxious and disoriented by what had happened.

  I would have been dead if Anastasia hadn't saved me. She had sacrificed herself for me. Though our relationship had been on a rough patch leading to a dead end, my heart still felt an indescribable pain when she was hurt.

  "Vale, are you alright?" Damir asked me softly. He had been by my side after the accident. I was too dazed to answer him. The only person I was thinking of was lying listlessly behind those closed doors.

  My sister had gone back to manage the orders of the hunters. The two Generals were inside with Ark. I hoped they could save Anastasia with the mysterious power of their vampire blood. How long was it going to last? It seemed like one hundred years had passed. Just a while ago, Anastasia was walking beside me. I noticed she had withdrawn herself. Her lack of attention brought me an unexpected sadness. I knew deep down there were feelings she hid from me. But now we were separated even farther away by a greater distance that I was powerless to close. It made me sick at the thought that she might die.

  No, I need her in my life.

  I couldn’t deny the truth anymore.

  A while later, a distraught-looking Lyra came running down the hall towards us. Although Trotsky had warned others to keep it a secret, the news of Anastasia Romanov being injured must have spread throughout the castle.

  When Lyra saw me and Damir, she stopped.

  "Please tell me what happened to her," she said, her eyes glistened with lingering tears.

  "There was an accident at the camp," Damir answered for me. "The princess is wounded by an explosive device."

  Damir tried to minimize the details to spare me the blame, but I wasn't afraid of the accusation. I was only guilty of being the cause of it.

  "How did it happen?" Lyra asked.

  "She saved my life," I told her in a scratchy voice. "The bomb could have killed me if she wasn't there."

  “It was an accident,” Damir tried to remind me.

  Lyra put her hands to her mouth and looked at the closed doors. She turned to face me again. Surely, she could resent me for putting her lover in such a state. But I saw a flash of jealousy in her eyes.

  A moment later, Arkady came out with the Generals. They were talking in a hushed tone. Lyra and I went over to them at the same time.

  "How is she?" I asked.

  They looked at our expectant faces for a minute before Arkady cleared his throat.

  "She's still alive," he said to my relief. "We gave her blood transfusion and did a number of surgeries to remove the metal shrapnel. Now her condition is stable but she needs more rest in order to recover fully. If she was an ordinary vampire, the bomb would have killed her instantly. Luckily, the quick-silver hadn't reached her heart yet. Her wounds healed remarkably fast, so there's nothing to worry about for now."

  "Can I see her?" Lyra asked before I could say it.

  "Yes, but you have to be very careful," the man said.

  By the tone of his voice, I knew he had meant it for Lyra's safety. Anastasia, after all, was a vampire. At this critical state she was in, her survival instinct would kick in. She would have an uncontrollable urge to feed. That we'd always been warned about her kind.

  But all I wanted was to see her face again and be assured that she was still there. She was still in my life. I was about to go inside with Lyra, but the General stopped me.

  "Wait a minute, Valerina," Trotsky said to me before turning to Damir. "You stay here with the human girl while the Beta and I talk in private."

  "Yes sir."

  Damir turned to me with a perplexed look. Lyra had already gone inside the chamber. I looked between the open doors and the Generals then reluctantly nodded.

  IN THE MEETING ROOM, Krasnoff stood by the giant chimney piece while the General took his seat on the long table. Behind him was our red Phoenix flag which hung solemnly, absorbing the glowing light from the chandelier.

  Hidden behind the chimney was a concealed door that swung open to reveal a hidden tunnel. The secret tunnel was about half a mile between the Hunter Castle and the Cossack Camp. Arkady and my sister were already there.

  "Sit down, Beta," Trotsky spoke and I did as I was told. The atmosphere was tense and mysterious, but I waited until someone was ready to speak.

  "We're lucky that she didn't die," the General said at last. "My plan would have been for nothing."

  "General, I think it's about time you tell us what you want to do with the princess," my sister said. The two leaders glanced at one another before turning back to us again.

  "Our forces are still weak despite all the training and preparation over the years," Trotsky admitted. "
General Krasnoff and I had discussed this after the arrival of the Grand Duchess. Our spies in Kremlin reported that Alexandra Romanov is going to be crowned as the new Czarina. Sooner or later, she would send a large army of highly trained soldiers our way."

  "Then we must plan an attack before it happens," my sister said fiercely. "We can't just sit here and do nothing!"

  "We have a better plan, my dear Alpha," Krasnoff said with a wry smile. "We don't have to lose our brothers and sisters in the battle because Valerina will be a great asset to our cause."

  "Me?" I said in surprise, looking at each faces in the room.

  "That's right, daughter," Trotsky said softly, almost with an apologetic tone. "By helping us, you will not only be making progress for our mission, but you will be taking a stand against the forces of evil in the future."

  "And how am I going to do that, General?" I asked, still unable to grasp the idea.

  "I know Anastasia fancies you... almost more than I had expected." Trotsky spoke to my embarrassment. "It's already proven so this morning. And if I’m not wrong, you feel the same way about her."

  The power of speech just left me. I sat gazing down at my hands. My face flushed and I could feel my sister's eyes hot on me.

  "Don't be embarrassed, my girl," the General said. "I believe you can be the bridge that links us and her world."

  The Alpha turned to look at him. It was easy to see that all her doubts had been confirmed.

  "That's disgusting!" she said, her words pierced me like needles. "She's a vampire. This is like throwing a lamb into a lion's den. What do you expect, father? Vale and the vampire princess being together happily ever after?"

  "Listen, Alpha, the cause is not without some sort of sacrifices," Trotsky said. "It's the only best solution to avoid the mayhem. Anastasia Romanov can help us break down the wall of this global tyranny. If there's a chance, why not take it?"