Leningrad, 1927

Ten years had passed since the revolution and yet, nothing had changed. The Bolsheviks promised a better life than what the Tsar gave them but, it was the very same place. There was still poverty, hunger and homelessness… still, the rumours and gossiping immediately brightened up their dull lives.

"Hey, did you hear about the rumours, Vlad?" Dmitri asked his friend as they walked to the trading centre, a plan beginning to form in his head.

"No, tell me. Today was already bad enough as another border closed!"

"The Grand Duchess Anastasia may be still alive and the Dowager is paying a royal sum!"

Vlad sighed at the rumour that went on for ten years "Not you too, Dmitri!"

"Think of it this way Vlad, you could get your ticket out of here! I get to be rich! And a girl gets to live in royalty, wealth and fame! Then we all live happily ever after!" Dmitri responded nonchalantly "We'll find a girl to play the part and teach her what to say to the Dowager. Dress her up and take her to Paris, and it's easy!"

Vlad immediately thought of the reward money "Imagine the reward her dear old grandmamma would pay"

Although the Grand Duchess Anastasia might have been killed, Dmitri still hoped that he could find his beautiful Natsya.


Gleb was on patrol today, satisfied with his promotion; after all, it was hard to get promoted if you were the son of a murderer…

"No!" He heard a female voice cry. Gleb turned around to see a girl who collapsed to the floor when she heard a loud noise, dropping her broom.

"It was a truck backfiring, comrade. That's all it was." Gleb comforted the street-sweeper who fell on the road, helping her up and returning her broomstick "Those days are over, neighbour against neighbour. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore…" He couldn't help but be smitten by her fragile beauty; different to the robust, loud women he met in Leningrad… Gleb noticed she began to quiver in fear.

"You're shaking. There's a tea shop just steps from here, let me…"

"Thank you," The woman said softly as she deftly took her broomstick from him.

"What's the hurry?" He asked a little too flirtatiously.

"I can't lose this job. They're not easy to come by. But thank you" Soon after, the street-sweeper ran away from him.

"I'm here every day!"


Oh, shoot, the cliffhanger again. Next up: the auditions and the return of Vladstasia (those who saw Royal Misfits know what I mean)