Family (Part 1)

A young man strolled through the woods looking for wood for the fire. Three elder girls sat knitting sweaters for winter at the dining table. An elderly woman stood over the stove, tasting the dinner she was making, and an old man sat on the sofa, absent minded, staring out the window. They all knew who they were, and they were tired of playing a charade. Of hiding who they were, and just barely making do on the things they managed to find in the woods.

Their story was rather tragic, born of nobility, brought down by a curse. In fact, if not for some impressive planning, they would not be alive right now. Their escape though, with the danger of being found, meant living in isolation in the middle of the Russian woods.

Alexis, formerly the Tsarevich of Russia, often ventured out looking for supplies. Over time he had come to recognize the various plants, herbs, mushrooms, and berries that were edible. He had also become quite good at working with wood, and had made their tables and chairs, as well as their beds. Using straw to make mattresses. Yes the former Tsarevich had done quite well in the woods, growing from a young 14 year old boy, to a 24 man. He had crystal clear blue eyes, strong muscles, and a broad chest. His hair was so blond it was almost white, and he had grown to be quite tall, standing at about 6' 4".

Alexis was not the only member of the family though. There were also three girls. Olga, who had been 23, and was now 33. Tatiana, 21 at the time, and now 31. Finally there was Maria, 19 when the tragedy occurred, and now she was 29. The girls had grown and matured a lot over the years. From 3 carefree girls, whose heads were full of stories of romance and love, to 3 young women, concerned for the wellbeing of their family. Of course, they still dreamt of the day where they could escape, return to society, and eventually fall in love. But this was further from their mind. Now they spent their days sewing, knitting, cooking, baking, cleaning. All sorts of chores to keep the household running smoothly. Especially as their mother had grown quite old and frail and was not able to do as much anymore. Yes, the girls had developed a lot over the years, in maturity and in beauty. Olga, had fair skin, pure green eyes, and beautiful reddish brown hair that fell halfway down her back. Tatiana had very light brown hair that fell just below her shoulders, almost blonde but not quite, and much like her brother crystal clear blue eyes, however, unlike her brother, when you looked closely her eyes had flecks of gold amidst the blue. Maria though, Maria had some of the most defined features of all the girls. A strong jawline, defined cheekbones, not a round face like her sisters at all. Her dark red hair fell almost to her waist, and her hazel eyes sparkled like flecks of gold in the sunlight. The girls were all a valuable part of the family, but no one could deny the absence of one of the girls, the youngest of all four. Anastasia.

Finally there was the elderly couple, the parents, Alexandra and Nicholas. Formerly they were Empress Alexandra, and Tsar Nicholas, the rulers of all of Russia. Their old age had not been favorable to them, the Romanov curse and the loss of their youngest daughter had done wonders on them. Their hair had grayed, wrinkles could be seen on their faces, and their eyes once sparkling with joy, now remained a murky depth of sadness and despair. The former Tsar often sat alone, on a chair by the window, just staring into space. As for the former Empress, if she wasn't aiding her daughters with the housework she was often lying in bed, trying to forget about the tragedy the last ten years had brought.

All of them, believed Anastasia to be dead. They knew about the Dowager Empress as well as a few other members of their family who had escaped the curse unscathed. However, none of this did anything to ease their minds. Anastasia was gone, they all knew that, the hope was gone, so what was the point. The fact that they all decided to take a walk in the woods together, was almost unheard of, and the timing was impeccable. For what did they hear but that Anastasia was alive? Rasputin was dead? The family couldn't figure it out. Assuming they were rumors they returned to their small cabin where they stayed for another week.

Soon though, they found out they weren't rumours, and a whole new adventure began.

So this will be a two-shot. Also this is not canon, it is just something that has been on my mind since watching Anastasia. I have grown very interested in the mystery of Anastasia, and have looked at a lot of the history. The movie is quite different from her real life. Anyways, getting sidetracked. This story is completely unrelated to any part of Anastasia's life, movie or not. In reality her whole family was killed, and no one really knows if the real Anastasia was killed or not. Anyways hope you enjoyed, should have the next part up tomorrow at the latest. Also if anyone has an idea for a short story let me know! I don't have any and am interested in what you guys want to hear. If you have any ideas just leave me a review and I will see if I can write it. Have a great weekend everyone!