The Key to Her Heart

3: Learn to Do It

"Alright," said Dmitri, waling into the room with an armful of dusty books. "Are you ready to become the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov?

Anya frowned at him. "I'm ready to find out who I am, but I'm not going to lie to do it."

"It won't be a lie. We're going to help you remember the truth." He handed her a book.

"I wish I had your confidence," she mumbled, taking the book reluctantly.

"Let us begin!" Vlad said excitedly.

"How do you become the person you've forgotten you ever were?" Anya asked.

Vlad and Dmitri shared a grin. "Close your eyes," Vlad said, taking her hands. "Take a deep breath, and imagine another time, another world."

Anya did as instructed, closing her eyes and trying to remember what life would have been like for Anastasia. "No." She opened her eyes. "I can't. I don't remember anything about the Romanovs!"

"Are you even trying?" Dmitri snarked.

"Oh I'm sorry, maybe you should try imagining yourself as royalty when all you've ever slept on is a damp floor!"

Dmitri groaned. This was going to take a lot of work if they wanted to even have a chance at convincing the Dowager Empress. "Fine then. We'll go from the top." He pulled out a book, showing her a colourless photo of a beautiful palace, surrounded by rows of neat trees and magnificent fountains. "You were born in the Peterhof Palace, by the sea."

"Really?" Anya asked in disbelief. It was hard to believe that she had even been to somewhere so gorgeous.

Vlad nodded. "You rode horseback when you three!"

Anya snorted. "Horseback riding? Me? I've never seen a horse, except from a  distance!"

"Well, you did." Dmitri sat next to her. "The horse's name was Romeo."

Vlad sat on Anya's other side. "You would throw all sorts of tantrums, and you loved to play jokes on the cook."

"He put mushrooms in the soup after you scared him with a pretend mouse. You hated mushrooms."

Vlad frowned at Dmitri, trying to decipher where he had learnt that.

"I was wild!" Anya laughed, interrupting Vlad's thoughts. 

"Wrote the book!" he said with a smile. "But you would always behave when your father gave the look," he added, looking at Anya sternly over his glasses. She giggled.

Dmitri took her arm. "Imagine how it was!"

"My long-forgotten past," she replied, a wistful look in her eyes.

"We've lots and lots to teach you and the time is going fast!" Vlad took her hands and pulled her out of the chair. "Let's see you walk. Head up. Regal bearing."

Anya lifted her chin and walked across the room. Dmitri raised an eyebrow. Vlad nodded. "Pull your shoulders back like so, and pull up nice and tall, as though someone is pulling a string from your chest to the ceiling." Anya adjusted her posture and Vlad nodded approvingly. "Good! Now, do not walk but try to float," he said as Dmitri placed a book on her head.

Anya tried. "I feel a little foolish. Am I floating?"

"Like a sinking boat," Dmitri snarked. Anya glared at him out of the corner of her eyes. The book slipped and landed with a crash on the floor. Anya let out an impatient noise.

"It's alright," Vlad reassured, glaring at Dmitri. "Try again."

Anya did. She made it halfway before the book fell again. "Ugh!"

A chuckle came from the corner. "You are so bad at this," Dmitri snorted.

Anya death-stared him. "I'd like to see you try," she said, handing him the book. He took it and placed it on his head, walking a lap of the room with ease. 

"Here you go, your highness," he said mockingly, handing her the book. She snatched it from his hand, sticking her tongue out at him. He returned the gesture. Anya bit her thumb at him.

"Alright that's enough bickering," Vlad said hurriedly, pulling Anya's hand from her face. "He's not going to understand that," he whispered in her ear. "He's never read Shakespeare."

Anya nodded and tried again. She had barely taken three steps when the book fell. Dmitri howled again, his laughter bouncing off the walls. Anya's eye twitched and she bit he tongue. There were several things she wanted to say to him, but she wasn't willing to say it in Vlad's vicinity. "You're the ones who don't stand straight," she huffed, gesturing to Vlad's hunched form.

"It's all his years of bowing and kowtowing at court," Dmitri replied, giving Anya a mocking curtsey.

Vlad sniffed, offended. "Bowing is a sign of respect!"

"So I assume Dmitri's never bowed? Since he clearly doesn't know the definition of respect," Anya said innocently, giving Dmitri a smile.

Vlad bit back a laugh as Dmitri glared at the girl. "I will have you know," he said hotly, jabbing a finger in her direction, "that I have bowed to someone."

"There! You admit it!" Vlad said.

"I was a boy," Dmitri replied. "I didn't know any better."

Vlad wasn't listening. He was too busy watching Anya as she pulled out a flawless curtesy with a swish of her torn skirt. "Where... where did you learn that?"

Anya straightened, bewildered. "I don't know."

"She's a natural!" Vlad spun her around and danced her around the room. "You're doing wonderfully, Anya!"

Anya beamed.

"She still can't walk straight," Dmitri remarked.

Anya shot him a glare and picked up the discarded book. Then, out of pure spite for Dmitri and a stubbornness to prove him wrong, she walked slowly around the room, her chin high. When she reached Dmitri again, she slammed the book against his chest with a smirk. "There. I did it."

Dmitri scowled, trying to think of a comeback. His mind was blank.

Vlad applauded. "Wonderful! Again, for practice."

She did. She walked around the room for ages, balancing the book on her head. The more she did it, the easier it became, until she was almost jogging in circles. Dmitri watched, refusing to admit that he was impressed with how fast she was learning. Vlad was right: she was a natural. 

But would it be enough to get past the Dowager Empress?