Hi everyone! IMPORTANT!!! Make sure you have read chapter 3!!! This chapter and the previous chapter were uploaded almost the same time!!!!!!! Read and review!!

Chapter 4

"Let me get this straight: you're here to kill a princess that has defeated you three times before, and you don't want my help?"

"This is no ordinary princess. She is the final part of my curse! She must die!!"

"You can't do it alone." She said.

"I don't want your help!" Rasputin demanded.

"If you go out there, you WILL be defeated!!" She argued. "What makes you sure you will win?"

"Because…"

"Master, you haven't planned anything yet." Bartok said.

"Shut it." Rasputin hissed.

"Like I said, Rasputin, you need help, and I know where to go and get it."

A few days later, a carriage made its way through the beautiful countryside of France. Its destination was a small village. "Where are we going?" Anastasia asked. She was wearing her plain blue dress.

"We're meeting Belle in her home village." Aurora said. She wore her peasant clothes that she wore when she and Philip first met.

"How far is it?" Dimitri asked. He was wearing black slacks, white shirt and a green vest.

"Not much further." Phillip said. He wore his brown tunic with black pants and brown boots. "In fact, we're here now." The carriage stopped at the gate of the town. When they entered, they immediately started looking for Belle.

"What does she look like?" Anastasia asked.

"She has brown hair, probably wearing a blue dress with a white apron." Aurora said.

"Where are we meeting her?" Dimitri asked.

"She told me by the fountain." Phillip said. "Its in the town square."

"This place is really big. Lets split up. We'll meet by the fountain." Aurora said. She and Anastasia went one way, and the boys went the other way."

"This really is a beautiful place." Anastasia said. "I would have done anything to have grown up here."

"Good morning." Said the baker. "Are you new to town?"

"We're visiting." Anastasia said.

"Well, have fun!" said the baker as he went back to stocking his shelves.

"That was a nice man." Aurora said. As they continued down the street, they approached the tavern, where a tall, muscular man was standing outside, talking to another person, this one small.

"Hey Gaston!" said the little man. He looked up at his friend. "Gaston, stop admiring yourself in the mirror! You've been doing it for hours!" (2)

"Sorry Lefou. What do you want?"

"Did you see those girls?"

"What girls?" Gaston asked. He immediately turned to see Anastasia and Aurora talking to some of the villagers. "Those?"

"Yep." Lefou said. " They sure are pretty."

"Yeah…the redhead really reminds me of Belle, except this one's a whole lot more beautiful, like me!"

"Sure…hey! They're coming this way." Lefou said. Anastasia and Aurora were walking towards the 2 men.

"Hello, ladies." Gaston said.

"Hello." The princesses said.

"Where would 2 lovely ladies such as yourselves be headed on this lovely day?"

"We're meeting a friend at the fountain." Aurora said.

"Really…do you need directions?" Gaston asked, not taking his eyes off Anastasia. She has the most beautiful blue eyes!…

"Thank you." Anastasia smiled. The girls and Gaston started walking.

"So, who are you meeting?"

"a girl named Belle. Do you know her?" Anastasia asked.

"She and I go way back. We were friends, you know." He said as he put his arm around the Russian princess. Anastasia looked at him with a weary smile. He retracted his arm. "Sorry." He whispered. When they approached the fountain, Gaston turned to the girls. "When you're available, would you like to come over to my place and the tavern and see my trophies?" He asked, still staring at Anastasia.

"Maybe some other time." Aurora said quickly."

"Thanks for your help." Anastasia said as she and Aurora walked off.

"I think he likes you." Aurora giggled. Anastasia rolled her eyes.

Gaston walked back to the Tavern and met up with Lefou.

"Well?" Lefou asked.

"They're meeting Belle at the fountain." Gaston said. "But still…that's some girl…

"The Belle????"

"Yeah, my Belle." Gaston said.

"We could follow them, see what's going on?" Lefou suggested.

"Good plan. Lets go."

Back at the fountain, Phillip and Dimitri were talking when a young woman walked up to them; she was wearing a blue dress with a white apron.

"Belle?" Phillip asked.

"Yes! Good to see you could come. You must be Dimitri?"

"Yes." Dimitri did a quick bow.

"Welcome, but where are the girls?" Belle asked.

"They're coming now."

"HI Belle!" Aurora said, hugging her friend.

"Aurora, nice to see you. You must be Anastasia." Belle smiled. "Welcome to my home."

"Thanks." Anastasia smiled. " Its so beautiful here."

"Yeah-just wait till you see the castle." She said. She and the royals went to the town entrance where a bunch of horses were waiting.

"Your carriage arrived at the castle already. Your things were put into bedrooms for when you arrive."

They got on the horses and began their journey to the castle, unaware that they were being followed.

The Royal palace in St. Petersburg has been boarded up for 10 years. It had once been the home for the royal family for 300 years. Now, there was a new government in Russia. A 'dictatorship' led by Leon Karrakevich. His new government was run in type of capitol building on the other side of the city. In this new government, his first order of 'business' was to erase the way of the Romanovs for good. In his office, his large desk was littered with arrest warrants of rebels to the new government, who were in favor of the Czar. Most of these people were relatives of Czar Nikolas and his family. They had already been hunted down and killed.

After signing another paper, he sat back and relaxed. Finally, I have arranged the death of the final Romanov! Nothing can get in my way now!!!!

Suddenly, his office doors swung open and a man ran in with a newspaper. He was tall, fit, and was wearing a Commander's uniform.

"Sir! Sir!!"

"What is it now, Commander Borkoff?" Karrakevich asked.

"News from Paris! Anastasia Romanov is alive!"

"WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Karrakevich shouted. He grabbed the newspaper and read the top story. "How is this possible??"

"I'm not sure, sir." Borkoff lied. "When I carried out the executions 10 years ago, she was there!"

"Apparently not!" Karrakevich said. "And this story says she is going to be wed. Dimitri, eh? That name sounds familiar! Ah well. He is not my concern. We must find her. She is an outlaw and a criminal to the new Russia! When you find her, bring her here. Then, we shall kill her."

"Yes, my lord." Commander Borkoff said. He bowed, then turned and left the room. As he left the building, he stopped and looked up at the sky.

So, you did escape, eh? Thank goodness. I knew it wasn't you all along when I was forced to kill your family. It was only a measly servant girl. Wherever you are, I hope you are all right.

Flashback: 10 years ago at the Palace

"Stephan, Stella! Get out of here!" Nikolas said quickly to them as all the guests began to flee the palace. Rasputin's laughter filled everyone's mind with fear. Nikolas ran to find his family.

"Hurry children!" Nikolas shouted as he Alexandra, along with Aleix (Anya's little brother), Olga, Marie, and Alexia (1) fled through the palace to escape the revolutionaries. Chaos was everywhere. As the family passed a few rooms, a cloaked servant stepped into their path.

"Your Highnesses, in here, quickly."

With no time for questions, the royals quickly hid themselves from view as other members of their family raced in different directions to get out. There was another servant in the room. When the cloaked servant closed the doors, he removed his disguise to reveal himself to be Rasputin. Alexandra gasped.

"You!!" Czar Nikolas said. "How dare you!"

"Please, you fool. You cannot stop the great Rasputin! The other servant revealed himself to be an armed soldier with a uniform not familiar to the Czar. "Now, you and your family will die, ton-…not everyone is here!!!! Lieutenant, find the Dowager Empress and her granddaughter, Anastasia!"

"No!" Alexandra cried. "Please, leave her alone!"

"Silence, woman!" Borkoff said as he left the room.

Meanwhile, Anastasia and Empress Marie were in another end of the castle. Anastasia had forgotten her music box, and had risked her safety to get it. Just when they were about to leave the room, Dimitri opened a passageway in a wall and got them out just in time as Lieutenant Barkoff burst in.

"Where are they, boy?" He demanded. Dimitri threw a lamp at him, but missed as Borkoff knocked the boy unconscious. Seeing that the people he was looking for weren't there, he turned to leave when he saw something in the window. On the snow were Anastasia and the grandmother, fleeing for their lives. As they ran to catch a train, he saw Rasputin grab Anastasia's ankle. He ran back to where the Romanovs were being held.

Mama, what happens now?" Olga asked.

"Father, I'm afraid." Aleix whimpered as he limped to his father.

"Father, where is Anastasia??" Alexia asked.

"Hopefully, somewhere safe." Nikolas responded quietly as the doorknob began to turn. The door swung open as Borkoff re-entered holding a servant girl by the wrist. He flung her towards the Czar, then slammed and locked the door.

"Here's your beloved Anastasia!" He said. Obviously, the family looked at him with a strange look, for this wasn't the missing Romanov, and Barkoff knew that. The soldier walked to a far wall and banged on it, opening a passageway. He pointed his rifle at Olga! "Get in the passageway, or she dies right here." Quickly, the family moved down the steps from the room to a dungeon area. In the middle of the passage, he ordered the family to stop. "I know this sounds weird, but I'm sorry. I didn't expect this to happen. I am aware that this servant isn't Anastasia. She and the grandmother escaped outside. I'm sorry it ended this way, but a new order has come. Hopefully, when the time is right, Anastasia will claim her destiny and reclaim what is yours." When they reached the end of the passageway, they found another man there, waiting. It was Leon Karrakevich.

"Very good, Lieutenant. Face the wall, Romanovs!" he ordered. Nikolas, Alexandra, and the 4 children faced stonewall, knowing what was to come next. "We'll do it one at a time, to make this moment last as long as possible. Lieutenant, start with the Czar!"

"Yes, sir." Borkoff said. He raised the rifle…

…

"Lieutenant, for such an act of loyalty to the new Russia, I hereby promote you to Commander of the New Russia."

"Thank you, my lord." //I'm so sorry, your majesty…//

End flashback.

Please, Anastasia: reclaim your destiny...

(1): In the movie Anastasia, the only sibling named was Olga. Marie and Alexia are the names of the other 2 sisters. I don't really know if those were their real names or not. As for the brother, I'm not sure how to spell his name. I think my spelling is kind of similar to the real thing.

(2): In the story, Gaston didn't die. When he fell off the castle, he fell into a bunch of bushes and then made his way back to the village.