A Princess, Lost

Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any associated characters/plot lines, nor do I own the idea of Anastasia. I own this story and my original characters only. (I also used the LOTR scene maker to make the Antipin family picture, which I also do not own).

April 1909- Antipin Palace, Lyushi, Drachma

A dark haired little girl was playing on her bed, looking up when her door opened. Her face lit up. "Deda!" She jumped off the bed and threw herself at her grandfather, Maxim Leonidovich Antipin.

The old man grinned at her, catching her and placing her back on the bed. He sat down next to her. "You've got to be careful there, Kapitolina. I'm not as young as I used to be. That's why I have to leave."

Kapitolina pouted. "Why do you have to go? Isn't Lyushi better than boring old Central?"

Her grandfather chuckled. "Lyushi is indeed more splendid, and I'm going to miss all of you-"

"Me most of all, right?" Kapitolina interrupted.

He laughed, stroking her hair. "Indeed. But don't tell your siblings that, Lord knows your parents don't need you five to be fighting about anything else."

Kapitolina giggled, then froze as if she'd just realized something. "Wait! Deda, you're going to miss my birthday!"

"I know, ditja, I'm sorry," her grandfather said, reaching into his pocket. "But luckily..." He pulled out a small box tied with a purple bow. "I already brought you a present."

Kapitolina squealed, taking the box and undoing the ribbon. She opened the box and murmured, "Wow... Deda, it's beautiful!" She pulled out the ornate gold locket and let it dangle from her finger, looking up to her grandfather. Her eyes shone as she held it reverently in her hands. She looked at the locket, observing it from all angles. "How do you open it?"

Deda chuckled. He reached under his shirt and pulled out a matching locket. He pressed the rose in the middle and Kapitolina heard a click as the locket opened. She grinned, copying what her grandfather did on her locket. The locket contained a picture of Kapitolina and her grandfather in the palace garden flying kites. Kapitolina smiled, flinging her arms around him. "Thank you, Deda! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"What is going on in here?" Kapitolina's father, Tsar Pavel Maximovich, opened the door and smiled at his youngest daughter. "It's late, Kapitolina. Time for you to be getting to bed."

"I was saying goodbye to Deda, Papa," Kapitolina defended herself. "Look what he got for my birthday!"

The tsar bent down, observing the locket. "Very nice," he remarked, nodding exaggeratedly. Kapitolina laughed and he swept her up. "But it's time for Deda to go so he doesn't miss his train."

Kapitolina frowned, still hanging in her father's arms. Maxim smiled gently, kissing her forehead. "You and your siblings can visit me soon, I promise."

Kapitolina's father hoisted her onto his hip so she could peer over his shoulder. She waved to her grandfather until he finally shut the door and Pavel laid his daughter in her bed. Kapitolina was already starting to drift off as her father kissed her goodnight. "Goodnight, Kapuska," he whispered, turning off the lights.

"Goodnight, Papa. Tell Mama goodnight too."

She could see her father's smile as he said, "Will do, ditja."

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May 1909- Anitpin Palace, Lyushi, Drachma

"Mama, Kapitolina won't let me see her presents!"