1928
"Right, you're 18 now" a rough voice said to Nat "I have found a job for you down in the market."
"Do I have to go?" Nat replied "I don't want a job, I want to find my family in New York, and I want to dance."
"And I don't want to look after pathetic orphans like you but here we are. Now get out. You have been nothing but a pain since you arrived, claiming to remember nothing and acting like Cleopatra." The old woman scorned. While Nat thought about her other opportunities she realised that the woman was telling the truth. Nat didn't know her family, where they were, if they were still alive, she didn't even know her own name. But she knew that she was destined for greater.
The road to the market was old cobblestone, with jutting angles and was slippery from the surrounding snow. Rotting leaves clung to Nat's shoes as she walked further to the town where she would spend the rest of her life. Soon Nat reached cross-roads, an old wooden sign split in two read
"Market- 0.5 miles
St. Petersburg- 0.8 miles"
Nat knew she should go to the market, after all the people at the orphanage had been nothing but good to her. And yet there was something pulling Nat towards the right turn of the road, a strange feeling deep down inside of her. "What if my family is there?" Nat thought hopefully. She took out her necklace, the rubies shone in the bright sun, the silver was dented here and there but she had learned to defend herself when Nat owned something that valuable. Whenever Nat was in trouble or felt unable to cope, her necklace gave her a warm sense of comfort, it was almost how she imagined a hug from a loved one felt. "Please," Nat whispered "show me a sign, where should I go?"
At that moment a bright ray of light reflected off of Nat's necklace, a kaleidoscope of colours shone around the forest. However there seemed to be a direct pattern of light pointing towards the right side of the road. Accepting that as a sign Nat ran down the turning feeling free and one step closer to her missing past.
"I wonder where the princess is. Is she still alive Mamma?" a small voice behind Nat whispered.
"Do not say such things darling; do you want us to get thrown in jail?" The child's stern mother replied.
"Sorry Mamma."
Nat walked along the road passing groups of people surrounding red brick buildings and deserted alleyways. Eventually she found her way to the train station; it was an old building with employees who looked close to death, but then again so was most of Russia. Nat lined up in one of the booths and waited patiently until a haggard old voice called "Next."
"Hello," Nat began "I was wondering how to get to New York?"
"Well first you pay for a ticket to France, then you cross over to England and then you take a cruise ship to New York." The old woman said numbly. "First I will need your travel papers."
"My what?" Nat asked.
"Go get your travel papers then come see me." The woman murmured bitterly.
Nat walked away from the booth, she felt as though her heart had been crushed in two, how was she going to get to her family, she didn't even know what documents she needed.
"Psst." A disembodied voice called. Nat looked around until she saw a woman hunched by a magazine booth.
"What?" Nat questioned.
"About your travel papers, go see Clint, Steve and Bucky at the old palace… But you didn't hear it from me okay." The woman said rushed in hushed tones.
Nat walked towards the old building, fading blue and white painting flaked off of the outside walls and many of the windows were boarded up so as to stop thieves. Nat imagined that the palace was once beautiful. As she continued walking Nat was momentarily stopped by a blinding headache and an image of '…Carriages being pulled by horses, I could see them as far as the horizon, even through the window and thick snow. Music was carried throughout the palace and I wore a gold dress, I was waiting for someone, someone very important to me…' Nat suddenly awoke leaning against one of the pillars of the palace.
Nat opened the door cautiously "Hello?" she called out. No one answered, she knew that she shouldn't have trusted that old woman instead she thought that it would be a somewhat dry and warm place to sleep for the night.
Nat walked the lengths of the corridors and eventually came upon an old ball room. There was a grand table at one end with cutlery still set out, although some had gone missing over the years because of looters. Nat made it to the middle of the ballroom where a large painting of the previous Tsar and his family hung on the wall. She looked at the faces; they were all looked so familiar. Nat gazed at the painting feeling a strange mix of nostalgia and longing, but she did not know these people, this was not her life. Nat was suddenly once again over come with that same headache that she felt in the yard…
'I'm dancing, dancing with princes, with dukes, I want to dance with the kitchen boy who keeps steeling apples from the table- he sounds fun. I keep walking around talking to people, they ask how my studies are going- I want to talk about ballet. I'm dancing.'
As Nat fell out of consciousness she fell down and stayed there until…
"Well boys that went awful, we'll never find a Princess Natasha," Clint began saying to his friends "We'll be stuck here forever at this rate."
"Don't be so pessimistic my friend." Bucky said with a soft kind voice "The auditions will go better tomorrow."
The three walked down the halls until they reached the ball room in the center of the palace. It was easier to find their rooms if they went this way. However when the group entered they saw a shock of red hair in the centre of the floor.
Slowly Nat started waking up she noticed three men around her, they were talking or were they whispering she couldn't tell. "I'm telling you she looks exactly like the Princess, like the old Queen." one said.
"That's impossible, the real princess is probably dead." Another stated as though it was obvious.
Finally the last of the men said "Either way, I'm sure she could be useful."
A/N- Hey I hope you enjoyed, I'll try to update as regularly as I can.
-Harley xx
