The Hotel Lafayette is one of Paris's most luxurious hotels. 12 stories tall, it is also a recognizable landmark in the Parisian skyline. Adding to that fact are the large neon letters on the top of the building spelling out the building's name. Built at the turn of the century, it was modernized after the Great War and redesigned with an art deco theme. Despite the modern décor, the hotel served as a tribute to the friendship between France and United States. In the lobby and through out the building hang portraits of Washington, Lafayette, Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and other dignitaries that contributed to the countries' relationship. In addition to the buildings fine rooms and suites, there's a ballroom, pool and baths, palm court and greenhouse, tennis courts, and fine restaurants. Adjoining the hotel is the Eagle Club, an American style nightclub and bar. A less formal affair than the ballroom, it was open to non-hotel guests in addition those who booked rooms. A feature of the Eagle Club is the private rooms that are available. Private parties or discussions could be held away from the public. One such room, the Lincoln room, was now occupied a dozen or so well-dressed men, some of which in uniform. Some were at the bar shooting the breeze and taking advantage of the lack-of-prohibition in France. Others were playing darts, reading, or playing cards. One man stood at the window looking out. At the poker table, the stakes were high.

"I'll call," says a British gentleman, placing his chips in the pot, "and raise a 100."

"Reckon you would, so I see your bet, and raise it even further to 200," said a slick Texan, complete with a ten-gallon hat and thin mustache.

"I fold," said a Frenchman. The remaining player, and young man, stays silent.

"I raise even further, to 300," he says with no emotion.

"I'm out," says the Brit. The Texan and the young man show their cards.

"A strait," the Texan says.

"A full house," replies the young man. Wide eyes appear on the Frenchman and the Brit.

"Dangit Oliver, how are you so good at this? A youngin' like you shouldn't even know how to play this."

"How do you think the Crosses make their fortune, we gamble," Oliver says smugly but in jest.

"Yeah but with investments," says a man from the bar.

"Same thing," replies Oliver. This draws a chuckle from the man at the window. Suddenly, the bar telephone rings. The room goes silent. The bartender picks up the phone.

"Hello. … Yes. … Yes, we're all waiting here. … Good, we're ready." He hangs up. "Her majesty is her, she just pulled up. She has her fiancée with her." The men in the room start cleaning and making themselves look presentable. Tables were cleared and papers were pulled out. They were about to come to face to face with Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova.

Anya and Dmitri's car pulls pass the Hotel. Anya looks up at it with a bit of awe. If she were in a better mood, she would appreciate this unique building. She never really saw it before in Paris. The car pulls under the portico overhang. A valet walks to the driver's window. He points down the driveway and right. Dimitri starts to get out, when the car starts moving again.

"We're not going through the lobby?" Dimitri wonders aloud. "I don't like this."

"I don't think we're being conned, if that is what you're thinking. Grandmama most likely had a hand in the arrangements, so we should be safe," Anya attempts to reassure him. Dimitri still stays on guard. The car rolls by the entrance to the Eagle Club, and parks in a driveway near a side door. The door opens and out steps man in a black suit. He walks up to the driver's window, which is rolled down.

"Are you the Grand Duchess Anastasia?" he says to the red head.

She nods and slowly says, "Yes."

"Please get out and follow me. Your fiancée can come too." Anya and Dimitri look at each other. How the man knew this was a mystery. It wasn't supposed to be known. The couple gets out and walks into the building following the man. He leads them down a service corridor and through the kitchen of the club, to an employee elevator. There, another man joins them, with both men flanking the couple in the elevator. Dimitri was on edge, ready to swing at one of them if need be. The elevator doors open, and the two men lead the couple down a wood paneled hallway to a set of double doors with the words "Lincoln Room" above them. The two open the doors and Anya and Dimitri walk in. The men follow and close the doors behind them. There is a moment of awkward silence. Then the man standing at the window walks over and bows, as do the rest of the men.

"Grand Duchess Anastasia, it is a great honor to have you here. And forgive me for this informal gathering, but it is important."

"Yes, so I have been told," says Anya receiving the bow. She eyes up the man in front of her. He was of slight slender build, and his eyes were ones that belonged to a person who knew the true nature of the world. Of its glories and tragedies, and how funny fate can be. Yet, he looked familiar. "Have we met before?"

"As a matter of fact yes. My name is Benjamin Cross, we sat at the same table at the ball the other night. My younger brother Oliver was also there." Ben motions to him, and Oliver nods in recognition.

"Ah yes, I remember." But why they were here now, had Anya searching for answers. Dimitri wasn't better off either. "May I ask what this is all about? I was told this meeting was of great importance but so far we've only greeted each other."

"Well your highness, my brother and I, as well as everyman in this room, are agents of the International Secret Service. In short, we're secret agents." Anya and Dimitri were shocked. They weren't expecting this. Now Anya felt she was in over her head.

"Why- why would I be of interest to the International Secret Service?" asks Anya, trembling a bit. Not necessarily for herself, but rather for Dimitri. Dimitri too was breaking out into a cold sweat. Perhaps his criminal days had caught up to him. He starts eyeing up escape plans. How he was going to accomplish said plans in a room full of spies who most likely knew numerous ways of killing was unknown to him. But he stood fast, taking Anya's hand, who squeezed it support.

"Well, it's a complicated situation that is hard to introduce, so we're going let someone else do the talking." He pulls out a piece of paper. Anya could see Russian was written on it. "A few weeks ago, this letter was received at the royal residence of the King of England. We held it in our possession until we learned of your return to Paris. Then we notified your grandmother, who read it. And now, we would like you to read it." He hands the letter to her, and Anya begins to read. Her eyes go wide at the first line.

Dearest Sister,

It has been ten years since we have last seen each other. That has been too long of a time to endure. Living in our motherland that has been butchered and abused by the Bolsheviks in power that have destroyed our family and our lives has not made it any easier. It pains me to see what has happened. Our empire is no more. The Communists have destroyed everything that our family had built. 300 years gone in 10. Excuse my bitterness. I hope you are well. I thought the worse for the longest time, but when I heard that you were alive I was and continue to be overjoyed. How is Mother and Father? Tatiana, Olga, Maria? Grandmama? I can't wait to see you all again. Tell father I forgive him for throwing me from the train, I have been able to survive thanks to him. I would've died in the snow had it not been for a loyal citizen. I've been with his family for the last ten years. I thought I had to be a peasant the rest of my life. I've seen first hand what the communists have done to our once proud nation. But since you are alive, our empire can be reborn. I'm sure our allies in the war will help us reclaim the throne. Maybe even America will help. We can take back what is right fully ours. Your survival has inspired me to reunite with you. This letter I am writing, there will be four Russian copies, each accompanied by an English copy, a French copy, and a German copy. Each letter will be sent to the respective country. One I will keep. I hope our relatives on the English throne can help as well. I will be moving south toward the Ottoman Empire, and I will cross over the border. I want our allies to meet me there. If not, I will walk to Paris if I have too. I hope and pray that our allies meet me there. I hope and pray the Bolsheviks do not find this. I hope and pray to see you again. To be a family again fills me with tremendous joy. I set out after sending these letters. I cannot wait to see you again.

Sincerely and with great affection from your loving brother,

Alexei Romanov

Alyosha

Anastasia's eyes swelled with tears as she read the letter. She reread it three times. She couldn't believe it, standing there in stunned silence. Her brother was alive. Her sweet little Alyosha was alive. She felt overjoyed, yet saddened at her brother's naïve optimism. 'Oh brother,' she thinks, 'it's not that simple. Our family is gone. We can't have what once was.' She was angry that no one told him the truth, but her happiness overwhelmed her. Anya turns to hug Dimitri and buries her face in his shoulder. Dimitri hugs her back, supporting her. He had questions about what she read, but he was going to wait until Anya was ready.

"He's alive, he's alive," Anya kept whispering over and over. She stood there in Dimitri's arms for a few minuets, sobbing happily. When she regained her composure, she turned back to Benjamin. "Thank you, thank you so much. I don't feel as alone anymore." She hands the letter to Dimitri, who reads it but reacts angrily.

"Are you sure this letter is genuine? This could be a fraud."

"Dimitri, how could you say that? This is my brother!"

"Or it could be someone posing as your brother to get close to you. Or get a reward." Anya swallowed her anger. Even though she couldn't believe what her husband, he had a point. After all, an imposter scam is how they met. Dimitri continued, "You better make sure this person is who he say he is. My wife and her grandmother do not need anymore heartbreak." The agents in the room let the emotional tide recede, then Benjamin speaks.

"We understand your concern. When we contacted your grandmother, we asked for a handwriting sample. We have verified it is Alexei's handwriting. And, we can also verify he survived. 10 years ago, when your family was held hostage towards the end of the war, my father worked with the American and British governments to orchestrate a rescue mission called Operation Royal Retrieval. My older brother Jonathan, and some of the men in this room, was on the mission. The plan was to sneak in, rescue your family and then escape back to America."

"And I was there," steps forward an Englishman in uniform. He salutes. "Major Gene Rossmount, of his majesty's secret service and military forces. I was a captain back then, and in charge of the mission. We were in Soviet uniforms, and arrived at the house too late. Just as they were carrying out the bodies. We served as your pallbearers so to speak." This joke was not received well. "But we noticed two crucial facts. Which have been classified for the past two decades. Two bodies were missing. Yours, as it turns out, and Alexei's. We can tell you without a doubt, your brother is alive. This letter is no forgery. The Tsarevich is alive."

"And our intelligence network has reason to believe that the Soviet Union believes he is the real deal. Your brother mentions he wrote and mailed three copies. One in English, French, and German. The German letter never arrived. It appears the Soviets have it. Our contacts have reported that a sizeable Soviet force is heading to the Turkish border, after your brother. And a scout plane in Turkey flew over the border. The Soviets burned a village south of Salsk. They're closing in on him. We have to get your brother out. Operation Royal Retrieval is back on." Anya and Dmitri listen intently. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Alexei, Anya's younger brother, the heir to the Romanov throne, the next Czar of Russia, is alive. And now, they are going to reunited. They are going to be reunited. They are going to be a family again. Grandmama was right for making her go. 'I have apologize to her later,' she thinks. Anya was thinking what to do next when Dimitri spoke.

"Ok, what do we have to do? Do we come along? I'm willing to serve if need be." Anya was surprised at her husband's volunteering.

"So very happy you asked. Nice to see you're eager." Ben motions over to a table covered with maps. "The plan you and the taskforce will travel to Ankara, Turkey's capital. The Turkish government has been alerted to the mission and is giving their full cooperation. When we leave Paris, there'll be a press release of how the Grand Duchess is going to Turkey, to reconcile relations between the Russian Empire and Turkey."

"Why so?" Anya asks.

"It'll be a sign to Alexei, to let him know we're coming. Once in Ankara, there will be symbolic peace ceremonies and a few speeches and the new era for both nations, supporting modernization, etc. It's all mainly smoke and mirrors. To distract the Soviets away from your brother and onto you, if you don't mind. Don't worry; there'll be agents and a double. You'll be safe." The idea of a double was surprising to Anya. She really was now in the thick of world politics. "While in Ankara, Maj. Rossmount will lead a special task to go get your brother. My brother will be accompanying them as well."

"The kid will coming along? Isn't he too young?" asks Dimitri.

"Hey, I can hold my own. I have the training, I'm ready, and I know what I'm doing. I'll be second in command with Maj. Rossmount. Besides your majesty, was I not the same age you were when you began your westward odyssey from St. Petersburg?" questions Oliver with a bit of smugness. Anya reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. Dimitri's face had a look of 'you're right, but I don't like it.'

"All in all your highness, we expect to be back here before June if all goes well. We just need your formal approval," Ben concludes. Anya is silent for a moment. She still has a lot to take in. But the agents seem to have a sound plan, and they know the situation better than her it seems.

"Alright gentlemen, you have my approval. Bring my brother back. When do we leave?"

"Before the end of the week. We'll be taking the Orient Express, while some of the other men will fly over first. God willing, everything will go off without a hitch." Ben grabs a champagne glass, one of many that have been prepared. "A toast to the mission, its success, and the reuniting of the Romanovs." The men and the couple take their glass and drink. Oliver just casually sips his.

"Is anything else needed of me gentlemen?" Anya asks with a royal air about her.

"No you're highness, you're free to leave. I hope you have a good night."

"Thank you so much for what you did today. I truly hope that I see my brother again. Good night to all of you." Dimitri and Anya are escorted out of the room and back to their car.

"I think it went well," says Oliver with a smile.

"It did. John can finally end his obsession now."

Back in the car, Anya and Dimitri were discussing what they just learned. They still couldn't believe it. Anya was still overjoyed at the fact her brother is alive. Dimitri was happy for his wife's happiness. But one issue did arise.

"Were you serious when you said you would volunteer?" Anya asks Dimitri, holding his hand.

"Absolutely. I would do anything for you, especially in this situation."

"Thank you. I wonder how Pooka is going to fit in to all this?"

"What about that mutt? We'll bring her along."

"Are you going to be ok on the train?"

"Like I said, for you I'll do anything." They kiss.

"Thank you Dima"

"You're welcome, Anya." They hug.

"It's going to be hard waiting for Alexei in Turkey. I wonder if there's a way to be closer?"

"Again, I'm willing to go."

"I know you mean well, but I don't think that's good enough."