Anya

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

   "Anya! What do you mean we have to go to the palace?" Darya questioned as she grabbed hold of Anya's upper arms to keep her still so she could properly converse with her instead of letting her mumble a few incoherent sentences as she rushed about picking things up.

   Anya's eyes were brimmed over with tears and Darya instantly knew it was bad and her worry increased tenfold. "What is it Anya?" She repeated more forcefully.

   "Dimitri... going to palace... kill family..." She breathed out as her chest rose and fell rapidly like she had just done a 100m sprint. She did not know if it was true or if she was jumping to conclusions or what but that is what she got out of the letter after she read about how he loved her.

   She could hardly think straight, she thought she could trust Dimitri. She wanted to trust him and hope that he would turn around and run straight into her arms and say that it was all rubbish and that he changed his mind but she knew he would not.

   He had similar morals to herself, in some respects anyway. She would always put family first, way before anyone else even now with the present circumstances just like he would and is.

   She missed the way her mother smelled like strawberries and she missed how her father would always embrace her when she had a bad day and he would make it better like any father should. She even missed Lara. Before recent events took hold, when she threatened to tell their mother about her affair she never would have. She would never betray her sister like that.

   Being a big sister was her favourite role, she was always there for Lara if she needed it. They did almost everything together and Lara supported her when she started up her causes and Anya helped Lara from the beginning, when she was learning to walk straight up to helping position her tiara before a ball only two weeks before she ran away.

   It was, she believed, why she took to Darya so easily because she reminded her of Lara and she loved it.

   "Dimitri? He would never do that," Darya gasped as she directed Anya to a chair and with a little force sat her down. 

   "I thought you did not like Dimitri?" Anya frowned. If even she thought Dimitri was not capable then why does she?

   She shook her head, "I did not like who he was, but he saved my life - and yours - and that means a hell of a lot to me. He made you happy and as we walked to the cabin before he went for you, all he did was speak about you and it was endearing as a friend to hear." 

   Anya was left speechless, her brain that was scattered suddenly became empty as she thought about her friend's words. Dimitri had done nothing to suggest that he would kill her parents, not even in the letter but she knew that if her grandfather and father rejected his proposal - which she knew they would - then he might get angry and possibly kill them.

   "I have only known him for a week, and in the letter he told me his last name was Kanatova." She gulped. That name alone now shot fear into her heart.

   "Kanatova? Is that a famous name..?" 

      Anya nodded her head vigorously, "Have I never told you about them? Goodness. They are the most powerful sorcering family that have ever lived in Daighte. Their family is nearly as old as mine."

   "Then how come they are not in Anceps?" Darya frowned.

      "They are." Anya rectified. Darya went to open her mouth to ask another question so Anya carried on, explaining it more. "Dimitri escaped from there. His father was the first known man to kill a fairy. When they were sent to Anceps, Nikolai and his wife had four children and none of them had magical abilities and my grandfather thought that their dynasty had finally ended but Dimitri said in the letter that he was the first human born in Anceps which means his birth was not recorded and therefore nobody knows he exists but it also means that the Kanatova name carries on.