"Wake up, your highness." A rough voice called, sounded far off and distant at first as the effects of the drugs began to fade away. Anya found herself on the cold floor of a basement, contrasting the warmth of her bed and Dmitry's arms around her that she last remembered.
"Where am I?" She muttered as she was lifted into a chair, her wrists pulled behind her and restrained with rope. "Who are you?"
"Maksim…I don't think your husband told you too much about me but we go back quite a ways." He explained vaguely, beginning to restrain her legs to the chair as well.
"He hasn't, I think I can understand why though." She said sighing, pulling slightly at the restraints. "What is this all about?"
"Well, the Anastasia plot was my idea, and Dmitry was the best of us. He was supposed to find the perfect girl, get the money, and bring it back. I couldn't believe it when I found out that he managed to get hold of the real deal. I eagerly awaited his return…but when I was informed that he didn't accept the money and ran off into the sunset with the girl…well I wasn't amused. Dmitry stole from me, and I'm getting what I'm owed. It took so much effort to get myself out of Russia and track you both down."
Anya rolled her eyes at him, pulling more at the restraints. "This won't work…the reward money was donated to a charity."
Maksim grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him grinning madly, her fierce glare reflecting back at her in his eyes. "Maybe so, but I'm certain there are some out there who would pay quite a sum to get their hands on a former grand duchess."
"I won't allow you or anyone at all to lay a single hand on me." She retorted, her gaze staring hard at him still, filled with fury and anger. "You are so selfish and cruel if you think any of this is okay!" She shouted up at him. "No one even knows that I exist! The rumors were hushed and confirmed to be untrue."
"Ah, but they were true, and there's many that still hold onto their hope. Now, open up wide, Princess."
"Why—" she started to ask before a gag was pulled between her teeth and tied behind her head as tight as possible. She violently shook her head and made an annoyed expression. Maksim grabbed a camera and positioned it in front of her.
"I really want to capture those Romanov eyes for your photo, all doe-eyed and desperate looking." Her eyes just remained full of annoyance and anger rather than fear, glaring sharply at him.
"I'm going to go grab some film for the camera, you just work on softening up that sourness." He said, patting her head before going upstairs.
Anya immediately started twisting and pulling at the bonds to try and get free, her wrists and ankles turning red from the ropes. She stopped struggling through at the sound of voices from above.
"Where is she? I know it was you!" A voice shouted. Dmitry.
"I don't have any idea what you're talking about. I have bigger concerns than you and some girl." Maksim responded with annoyance. "We're good friends Dmitry, I would never intentionally choose to harm you or your wife. I understand your reasons for abandoning the mission." Maksim said to him calmly, in a convincing and sympathetic tone. "If it helps, maybe we can work together again to look for her? I'm sure with our skills combined, you'll have her returned in no time."
"Fine. When can we start?" Dmitry asked him after a few moments of hushed discussion, causing Anya to groan beneath the gag.
"Tomorrow. I'll have everything we'll need ready." Maksim promised him.
"DMUH! MM MMPH!" She screamed, stomping on the floor and rocking the chair to get Dmitry's attention, looking towards the basement door eagerly as the handle moved for him to race down and save her. "Mmm mmph mm! Dmuh!" She called for him, groaning in frustration when Maksim was the one to walk down. He walked over to her and placed his finger underneath the gag, as if debating on taking it out.
"He already left I'm afraid. Without Vlad here to reason with him, he trusts my word completely. Not that it would've mattered. I could barely hear you and what I could sounded like mice or rats. If I take this off for now, do you promise to behave?" She nodded in response and he yanked the cloth out of her mouth, his thumb rested on her lips.
"Not a word. We have photos to take. I decided I want to capture your beauty in full after all." He said, placing the film into the camera and taking a couple of photos of her before moving the camera away.
"There, beautiful. Those will turn out lovely. I thank you for your cooperation, but of course, it's time for you to get some sleep." He said, pulling a syringe out and inserting it into her neck. "Sleep tight." He said to her as she drifted into darkness.