A/N: Greetings, all lovely readers! I looked back at all my other stories and realized that this time around I wanted to write something more laid-back and FUN! Something that included a glimpse into actual Planeteer work, as well (yeah, so what do they do all day besides flirting? LOL) So I drew inspiration from my favorite animated movies OF ALL TIME: Disney's Aladdin and 20th Century Fox's Anastasia (yeah, this was before computer animation took over the world and cartoons were just drawings on paper! LOL, sounding like grandma, I know! Hee hee!). I coupled this with tiny bits of actual Russian history (I am fascinated by Russian people, they are AWESOME!) and... TA-DA! Hope you enjoy! :)

BE MY PRINCESS

CHAPTER 1

The sunlight generously poured in through the windows of Linka's hut, highlighting her recent cleaning job. The sun was as if congratulating her efforts. The young girl felt satisfied, almost revitalized by the physical labor. She had managed to dust the shelves and vacuum the floor. Given that she had never used a vacuum in her life before coming to Hope Island, Linka was downright proud of herself. She glanced at the piles of clean clothes folded neatly on the chair. Even the bed had been made, and she smiled at the freshly laundered smell the sheets emanated.

The last few months as a Planeteer were teaching her things she had not learned in the last eighteen years of her life. It was well-known that teenagers usually ran away from mundane things like chores, but Linka took pleasure in these daily rituals. Making the bed, for example, had been a thing beyond her competencies, like going into outer space. It had always been Maria and Tanya, the maids, who had taken care of her room and her things back in Russia. They were appointed exclusively to serve her and her older brother, Mishka. Linka had witnessed them growing older with their years of service, and she considered them a part of her family. Perhaps it was because she had never grown up with a motherly figure, as she'd lost her mother in the early years of childhood. Linka could not remember the blonde woman who had given her life, but Mishka did, and at times he would talk to her about their mother. He remembered most her good looks and loving smile, along with the exquisite fragrance of roses that had always accompanied her. Linka often glanced upon her portrait in the West wing of the Palace, trying to guess at what the woman had been like. Her eyes seemed very kind and there was a fragile, ethereal beauty to her face.

Viktor, Linka's father, spoke very little of her, and if he did, it was to remind Linka that she was the copy of her mother. He had remarried when Linka was ten years old. Elizabeth was an English princess, very pretty, very young and very empty-headed. She liked the finer things in life and mostly ignored Viktor's children. She lived in a reality of her own that did not include 'commoners', and mingled exclusively with royalty. Linka did not understand what tied her father to this woman (who had even refused to learn Russian after all these years, forcing them all to speak English in her presence), but her father seemed to be taken by her youthful beauty. Linka could never have a meaningful conversation with the woman and as a result, their relationship was very superficial.

Linka's family lived at Alexander Palace, thirty minutes outside of St. Petersburg. Her father was the only living blood descendant of the Romanovs, Russia's last Imperial Family. Her great-uncle, Nicholas II, had given over the throne to his brother, Mikhail, Linka's grandfather. Nicholas' family had been brutally murdered by the Revolutionaries, and Linka's grandfather had never had the chance to actually rule as the Tsar of all Russia, as his brother had. In actuality, Mikhail had feared that the same fate would befall on his own family, so he had deserted the Grand Winter Palace to live out their days in the smaller palace, praying for peace. When Linka's grandfather had died, her grandmother, Anna, had retained her title as the Dowager Empress, but no actual ruling power.

The telephone rang and Linka was shaken out of her familiar reveries. It was her grandmother, as if sensing that the young girl was thinking about her.

"Grandma-Ma!" Linka smiled fondly in the receiver, cradling it close to her ear.

Her grandmother was a true lady in every sense of the word, full of class, wisdom and savoir-faire. Not only that, she was kind and generous; no jewel she owned was more precious than her heart. Linka had a special connection with her and loved her best, with Mishka as a close runner-up.

"How are you? Are you well? How I miss you!" Linka let out all in one breath, speaking in Russian, her beloved language that bubbled out of her like fresh spring water.

"My darling, I'm most definitely lonely without my favorite granddaughter to keep me company," stated Grandmother in her elegant voice, causing Linka to grin.

"Grandma-Ma, I'm your only granddaughter!"

"All the more reason to never leave my side," said the Empress with what sounded like a smile in her voice. "You were supposed to come visit on Monday, nyet? I was very worried when I did not see you, you know."

"I tried to call you as soon as I could, but there was an oil spill in Mexico and we had quite an emergency on our hands, as you can imagine."

There was a brief silence on the other end and Linka bit her lip, already anticipating what was coming.

"Linka, my little angel, I am starting to seriously doubt my good sense in letting you carry on with this Planeteers group. You are putting yourself at great risk and your father would never forgive me if he knew I was contributing to you being on the front lines of an ecological war. We cannot keep this from him forever, sweetheart. You know he's already giving me a hard time with you being out of the Palace, sometimes for weeks! I can tell you like what this experience has been offering you, but the time has come for you to step back into this world, your world, as the Grand Duchess Linka Romanov. You cannot escape who you are, darling."

Linka blinked several times and took a seat on her bed, her movements slow and mechanical. She knew what her grandmother was preaching was true, her heart agreed, but a large part of her did not want to listen. She had fallen in love with normalcy, with being an anonymous person among many, and feeling needed. It was wonderful to wake up and have terrible instant coffee somewhere, to wear ripped jeans, to watch silly comedies in the Commons Room with the rest of the group. Why, she had never even had actual friends before! It was as if palace life had dulled her senses and she was only now beginning to feel rainbows of emotions rippling through her.

"Please, do not tell Father yet," Linka begged, her tone more desperate than she liked to show. She and her grandmother had concocted a story about Linka attending environmental seminars on an island off the coast of Japan somewhere, and even though her father had profusely refused at first, he had eventually given in at his mother's request to let the young girl participate, if only for a limited time. He had other plans for Linka, which mainly included marrying into royalty. On his command, Mishka was already engaged to a Spanish princess and was soon to wed. Linka had had many talks with her big brother out in the labyrinth-like gardens, asking him if their fate was a blessing or a curse. Mishka always shrugged his big shoulders, reminding her to be thankful for all they had. He was used to his father's orders, to obeying him, as he was the first-born and would one day inherit the Palace. He had learned to succumb to destiny. Fortunately, his bride-to-be was very beautiful and he seemed to be content with that.

"Your father is concerned about the lack of time you are spending with Daniil. He's worried the young man may take offense."

Linka let out a small groan and let herself collapse on the bed. Her father's matchmaking ploys never went on vacation, apparently. He had made it very clear to Linka that she should take a special interest in Daniil, a Duke in the royal court. Tall and dark-featured, Daniil was as good-looking as he was vain. Linka found his personality uninspiring and his company tedious, proving that the physical side of things only went so far in relationships. It made her secretly worry about Mishka and his acceptance of the loveless marriage proposed by their father.

Linka found interesting, almost ironic, that she criticized in Daniil the things that she recognized in herself; for example, her aloofness and apparent detachment. Many times, she stood impassive while a tumultuous rush of emotions exploded inside her being. She was a bit like her father in that regard, what Mishka jokingly called their 'poker face'. It was a sort of mask in place to prevent others from guessing too much. Although, for Linka, her emotions more readily showed when she felt safe, with Mishka or her grandmother, for example.

"You do not like Daniil, sweetheart."

Grandmother's tone was not alluding at a question, it was more of a statement. Her warm voice caused something inside Linka to bubble over.

"Did you love Grandfather when you married him, Grandma-Ma?"

Linka felt more like asking a question than giving an answer. Sometimes, it took the pressure off defining her own emotions.

"We were basically strangers when we married, my little one. In our world, marriage is a strategic alliance. I know it's not very romantic, surely it's not what a girl your age wants to hear, but I learned to love your Grandfather. He was a good man and I never regretted marrying him."

Linka sat up in bed and crossed her legs while straightening her spine. Her mind was blank as she looked at the crooked edges of her nails, noting that her hands had never looked more rough. She needed a manicure before going home; imperfection was not tolerated in that world.

"Now, tell me all about this mission in Mexico," her grandmother was saying with a lighter tone, sensing that the young girl's mind was processing many things. "And you'll talk to me about these new friends you've made? Perhaps they would like to join us at the Palace for dinner upon your return."

Linka bit the inside of her cheek and let her mind wander. She still found it impossible to conceive how the Spirit of the Earth, beautiful Gaia, had chosen such diverse characters for her mission. It was true, none of them had much in common, but she felt the most like an outsider. It was like looking at one of those posters for children, one that announced 'one of these things doesn't belong', her being the misfit item.

Although from different continents, Kwame and Ma-Ti had the most in common. Both belonged to tribes and lived in villages. Both the African and Indigenous boy were nature-oriented and unsophisticated. Their physical reflexes, however, were specifically advanced as they were used to guarding off predators and attacks. They knew nothing of riches, had lived off the land for all their basic needs. Just thinking about the dinnerware set at the never-ending table in the Dining Hall of the Palace filled Linka with a sense of shame. Silver cutlery and crystal chalices, fine silk napkins and gold-rimmed plates. It was unbelievable how unevenly wealth was distributed in the world.

Linka was fascinated by the stories of tribal life. She had never imagined people could live in such a simple, uncomplicated way. There was an absence of structure that surely brought about the freedom she often envisioned in daydreams.

The Russian girl felt closest to Gi, the young Asian female who was always quick to smile. Gi's parents were doctors, and had offered their daughter a comfortable life. She had grown up in a two-storey house in a fine neighborhood and attended private schools, but Gi was neither snobby or spoiled. She tended to view things in a positive light and definitely enjoyed their free time as teenagers.

Linka had saved the American boy for last, for he was the most difficult to define. Wheeler was a mystery in itself, starting from his nickname. Apparently, his given name was off-limits and she did not feel like investigating. I should not care, anyway, she scolded herself, waves of irritation fully bathing her. It was typical when she thought about him. From their very first encounter, Linka had felt her defenses strangely high around him.

"You're a babe!" Had been his very first comment to her, accompanied by a sly smile.

"How rude," Linka had rebutted, more indignant than she had ever felt in her life. It annoyed her that his glance had traveled over her body without the need to mask his approval. Linka did not know what to make of such boldness. All the men she had ever met had greeted her with a curtsy and a light kiss on the hand. Contrarily, Wheeler had gotten into the habit of slinging an arm around her shoulders and nearing her all too casually. And he'd taken to calling her 'babe' permanently! He was the most insolent person she had ever met!

Even though he did not like to talk much about himself, Linka had found out bits and pieces of his life. He was from the slums in Brooklyn, a troublesome neighborhood in New York. She understood his parents had many issues; apparently, his father liked to drink too much, thus driving a wedge between him and Wheeler. As a result, Wheeler was nonchalant, or at least, that was how he'd hoped to come off most of the time.

Linka had taken to secretly studying him, discovering he was passionate about justice, unfair suffering, and helping out. He was strong, Linka decided, admiring his tall and well-defined physique. His blue eyes were lovely and sincere, his unruly red hair endearing, not to mention his utterly contagious smile. She read something else in his eyes she could not quite decipher, but it was a flash that crossed his eyes whenever he looked at her. A warm shiver ran up her spine and Linka pinched her arm to punish her involuntary reaction to the Yankee. She and Wheeler could not be any different and if he were to find out her real identity, he would never take her seriously. She would humiliate him, all of them, and this had never been her intent when she'd decided to remain in the group.

There had to be something about her they needed, although Linka did not really know what it was just yet. She was slower to react than the others, inexperienced, but she learned extremely quickly and fed off the others' energy. Her problem-solving skills were becoming more sharp with each passing day, and she was a little wiser at the end of every mission. It was the Palace walls that had blinded her sight from taking in all different shades of what life could offer. And she needed to be rid of those walls, if only temporarily, to find out her true self.