.

.

"So this is the famous Valkyrie." Anya looked up at the modest ship, the straw brim of her hat giving way to her Romanov-blue eyes.

"Yep. She's not much to look at, but she'll get you from A to B in record time."

Anya turned to him with a skeptical look on her face, and a strand of her fiery hair whipped across her cheek.

"She will!"

Anya raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

"She will. Just---just come on," Dimitri insisted, and led Anya by the hand toward the gangplank.

"Ahoy, comerades!" came a voice from on deck. Leo didn't hesitate to thunder down the gangplank to welcome his cargo. Dimitri relaxed a little---so far, Seydinov was true to his word.

"Dimitri! Long time no see," he crowed.

"Thanks for the lift, Leo."

"The lift? Please, thanks for getting the feds off my back in '23. Now we're even." Leo then turned his attention to Anya, and took her hand. "And this must be the ravishing Grand Duchess Anastasia," he said, and bowed.

"Oh, no---you don't have to..." Anya began, but Leo was already up. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Leo," she supplied instead. "Dimitri's told me nothing good about you." Dimitri elbowed her in the ribs, and she realized her mistake. "Nothing but good about you," she corrected quickly. Thankfully, Leo was oblivious to all this.

"Wonderful! Now, would Her Highness like to see her cabin?" Seydinov offered.

Anya started to speak, but Dimitri's voice answered instead. "I'm sure Her Highness would." Anya shot him a look, which he ignored.

"Right this way, honored guests," Leo said, and the two of them followed him onto the deck.