I loved dancing at the ball! I had the best time, and Grandmama even got me a jewelry box that plays our special lullaby! Could that night get anymore perfect? But then the evil Rasputin returned to my father's court...what would his evil spells do to us?
Music, laughter, joy - all was present at the Romanov's 300th Anniversary
party! The wine was wonderful, the food delicious, and the people...well, the cream of Russian society was there! What better way to celebrate the long rule of one
of Europe's most illustrious Imperial families? All of the Romanovs were present, of course, but the sparkle of the group was the youngest Romanov daughter, Anastasia. Fiery, quick-witted, and playful, Anastasia was easily the favorite of the noble family, winning admirers everywhere she went, drawing crowds in with her large blue eyes and mischeivous manner. The Dowager Empress Marie, mother of Czar Nicholas II, had a very special gift with her tonight for her favorite granddaughter that she knew
Anastasia would love and cherish when Marie returned to Paris after the ball. She held a delicately jeweled
musicbox, complete with golden key, out to her granddaughter. Inserting the key gently it, a charming lullaby began to play. "It plays our lullaby!" Anastasia whispered in awe. Marie smiled warmly. "You can play it at night before you go to sleep and pretend it's me singing." She held the key closer out to Anastasia. "Read what it says." "Together in Paris...oh really, Grandmama?!". Hugging her grandmother tightly around the neck,
Anastasia knew that tonight would be the perfect night. A chill blew through the ballroom. A woman screamed. People were scurrying aside, making room for a bearded, dark-cloaked mystic man - Rasputin.
Nicholas had long ago banned the traitor from the court, but here he stood with his awful reliquary and annoying white bat. "You tink you can banish the great Rasputin?!" the man said in an evil voice. "I will not rest until I see the end of the Romanov line FOREVER!". A huge chandelier came crashing down, echoing Rasputin's words throughout the ballroom. Anastasia gripped her Grandmother in fright. That night, the revolution broke out.
Marie hurried after Anastasia, who was going back to her room to get her precious musicbox. They were trapped inside the room, with the revolutionaries coming in on all sides! Suddenly, the servant's
quarters tunnel opened, and out popped a young boy of ten, a simple kitchen boy. He pushed them both quickly into the tunnels. Anastasia's musicbox fell out of her hands but there was no time to stop for it now. Soon, he was alone in the room.An angry mob came rushing into the room. "Where are they, boy?!" the leader roared. Dimitri through a vase at them, and was soon answered with a swift
butt to the head by a rifle. Groaning, he fell to the floor, the musicbox laying by his hand. Anastasia followed her grandmother out across the royal lawns, through the streets, and over across the frozen river. Suddenly, from nowhere, Rasputin appeared, pulling Anastasia down. "You'll never escape me, Child," he cried as he started to sink into the cracked ice, "NEVER!" "LET ME GO!" Anastasia said as she sharply kicked him, sending him sprawling
deep into the ice and letting her go. Bartok, Rasputin's bat, picked up the remaining reliquary. When Marie and Anastasia arrived at the St. Petersburg Train Station, the trains were pulling out. Marie and Anastasia ran alongside the train, and finally Marie was
pulled up. Grasping Anastasia's hand, the old woman tried to pull her up, but it was too late. Anastasia fell, hitting the cold wooden platform, and disappearing into the frantic mob.
Visit St. Petersburg to find out what happened:
10 YEARS LATER.Back to Anya's Journey
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