Of 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙨 & 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙨 (𝘿𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙧𝙞) - Anastasia Prequel

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What became of Dimitri Sudayev, 10, after the siege at the palace.
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Dimitri wakes in the destroyed palace after the attack on the Romanov family. He worries about the princess and what became of her. (As well as if he really did save her.)

After he explores the castle, looking for any survivors or items he can salvage, he can't bear to be in the palace any longer. He knows the kitchen staff and servants are long gone, either dead or out of St. Petersburg.

He ventures out to the street, very much alone. The mood is gloomy and news spreads that every member of the royal family but the Empress is pronounced dead. Dimitri looses hope that he will ever see Anastasia again.

He soon becomes a thief on the streets of St Petersburg, and dodging police men and merchants becomes his speciality. He hides out in an alleyway beneath a tavern's stairs. At first he promises himself he would only steal whatever he needs, but the charade quickly turns into too much fun not to 'borrow' a few trinkets here and there.

As he's making a run for it one morning, he encounters Vlad, who was in the middle of bargaining with a peddler. Seeing that the boy is in great trouble, he tells the officer that he is Dimitri's uncle. Dimitri wonders why Vlad would help him, and the man tells him that he is also struggling to get by. He shows him a display of fake expensive watches he uses to scam people. Dimitri laughs, remembering this man used to sit on the Imperial Court...

And so, two good-for-nothing thieves become friends and look out for one another, swindling their way through the chaos of St. Petersburg.

Through the years, they do become like family, and Dimitri calls Vlad 'uncle', to the man's delight.
In hearing the rumor that Anastasia is alive, Dimitri reclaims hope that he'll find her. Though the reward money doesn't sound half bad either...

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IN ENGLISH
RUSSIAN EDITION COMING -?-

Art credits to owner.