The Key to the Music Box

The Bridge

            "It was more a change of heart." The words Dimitri said to the Dowager rang in his head. He was embarrassed when she brought up him working in the palace, knowing he was a peasant. he couldn't take the money. Not after everything that had happened. Anastasia was now with her only living relative. He never stopped loving her. He couldn't. Even after she slapped him, he could not, would not stop. Dimitri ached to talk to her alone to explain everything. She probably wouldn't listen. 'And why should she? Just because I love her and the chance she may feel the same is now obliterated?' Dimitri shook his head. Ridiculous. A ridiculous request to ask of her. He was walking down the steps when he saw her. Anaya was wearing a ball gown with a sparkling crown. 'Princesses don't marry kitchen boys.'

"Hello Dimitri," Anastasia greeted.

'I love you.' "Hello," Dimitri said instead.

"Did you collect your reward?" He could hear the taunting in her voice. Dimitri clenched his jaw.

"My business is complete," he did not feel like arguing. His heart already ached. Finding the next train to God knows where was his next task. He refused to stay here knowing his life would ever be complete.

"Uh... Young man," an old man addressed him. "You will bow, and address the princess as 'your highness.'"

"No, that's not necessary-,"

Dimitri put up his hand to keep her from talking, "Please. Your highness." He bowed. 'Princesses don't marry kitchen boys.' "I'm glad you found what you were looking for." 'It obviously wasn't me.'

"Yes. I'm glad you did too." Anaya said. Dimitri almost laughed out loud. 'Yeah. Sure.'

"Well then. Good-bye, your highness," He bowed once more, for added effort, and just like many other times in his life, walked away from what caused him pain and heartache.

XXX

Dimitri walked into Vlad's room and saw Pooka dressed up in some kind of armor. He cleared his throat to get Vlad's attention since he could never seem to put the damn dog down. "Well, if you're ever in St. Petersburg again, look me up," he couldn't keep the sadness out of his voice. "So long, Vlad," he said and reached out to shake his hand. Vlad took it, and pulled him in for a short hug.

"Ah, my boy... You're making a mistake," Vlad accused.

"Trust me, this is the one thing I'm doing right," Dimitri said confidently. 'Why did the right thing have to hurt so much?' He surprised himself by walking over to the mutt and saying goodbye. He walked back to his room and packed his stuff, not looking back as he walked to the train station.

XXX

The line for the train was so long. So long in fact, he questioned if he was really going to leave her behind. What happened to him? Dimitri was always stubborn, why was he giving up so easily? This was unlike him. Then again, Anaya eventually made him this way. He took out the rose she gave him that night they went shopping in Paris. His fingers stroked the petals of the rose. Dimitri smiled. Anaya and him hated each other in the beginning, but once they boarded the Tasha, something changed. "You're next," the woman behind him patted him on the shoulder. He couldn't do this. If he left for St. Petersburg, Anastasia would no doubt marry some old man in an arranged marriage. She would be miserable. 'I'm doing this for her, not for me,' he tried to reason with himself, as he ran back towards the party. He sprinted as fast as he could. Dimitri was so relieved he was in shape, or else this would be way worse. All that was on his mind was her. He had to get back to her so he could let her know how he felt. No more waiting. He was tired of this back and forth between them. Dimitri refused to be a coward this time, and tell Anastasia how he felt. He was running towards the bridge when he saw them. 'Rasputin,' and suddenly the reason why everything kept going wrong with the train and Anaya almost throwing herself off the boat, clicked.