Oxana woke up in the middle of the night. She looked over at the clock. From what she knew of telling time, the clock had said 19:12 (really 12:19). She got up an walked down to the kitchen to get some water. On her way back upstairs, her eye caught sight of the sixth picture that her mother had pulled out of the box. She picked it p and realized that the girl in the photo had looked just liked a picture on the mantel of her on the fireplace. The picture Oxana was holding showed a girl who was smiling, she might have been the same age as Oxana. She was wearing a large headband, a fluffy dress and socks. Oxana looked at the picture of her on the mantel. She had the same smile as the girl in the picture and the same kind of hair. Oxana was so confused by the picture and didn't hear her mother coming down.
Anya: That would be me.
Oxana gasped and put the picture down.
Oxana: I'm sorry, Mama. I just came down to get a drink of water. I didn't mean to wake you.
Anya: It's okay. You didn't wake me up. And it wasn't so loud if you didn't wake your father.
Oxana: Then why did you come down?
Anya: Same reason you did. I was thirsty.
Anya sat down on the couch and Oxana sat down next to her holding the box of pictures.
Oxana: Mama, how come you used to be a princess and now you're not?
Anya: I hit my head and forget my memory.
Oxana: How does losing your memory make you not a princess?
Anya started to think about how she could tell her daughter the truth without scaring her for life.
Anya: I got separated from my family.
Oxana: Our family.
Anya giggled.
Anya: Yes, our family.
Oxana: Did you ever find them?
Anya: Well, yes. But I couldn't get back to them.
Oxana: Why not?
Anya: They were gone.
Oxana: Where did they go?
Anya: They went away?
Oxana: Where to?
Anya: It's hard to say. I'll tell you when you're older.
Oxana: Tell me now.
Anya: I can't. It's very late. You need to go upstairs, to bed. We are going to the ballet tonight and you are going to be up late.
Oxana: The ballet? We are going to the ballet?
Most children would hate to have been dragged to the ballet, but Oxana loved going.
Anya: Yes. I shouldn't have told you that. Now go to bed.
Oxana: Really?
Oxana would never sleep if she was going to the ballet, that's how much she loved it. Her parents stopped telling her a couple days in advance to telling her the day of.
Oxana: But, I'm not tiered.
And then she yawned.
Anya: Yes, you are.
Anya picked her daughter and carried her up to bed.
Oxana: Goodnight, Mama.
Anya: Goodnight, Oxana.
Anya looked over at the bat and could have sworn she saw it breathing, but then she remembered what he husband had told her and decided not to worry, and figured that it was just her imagination and she was just tiered.
X
The next morning, Oxana woke up to find she had a headache and all of her sheets were ruffled. Bartok was sitting on her dresser.
Oxana: Good morning, Bartok.
Bartok: Rough night?
Oxana: I guess. I have a headache.
Anya walked in to see if Oxana was awake. She saw Oxana holding her head.
Anya: Good morning, darling. Are you feeling alright?
Oxana: Just a headache. Good morning, Mama.
Anya: Are you sure? Do you need to go to the doctors? Do you need some medicine?
Oxana: I'm sure, Mama. I'm fine.
Anya: Okay. Would you like to go down for some breakfast?
Oxana: Yes, Mama. I'll be down in a minute.
Anya: Okay.
Anya gave to a kiss to Oxana on her forehead, and then she left. Oxana quickly got on her black tights and red lace dress, and then turned to Bartok.
Oxana: Okay Bartok, you can look.
Oxana was about leave, when she turned to Bartok.
Oxana: Hey Bartok, I'll sneak you up some food.
Bartok: Thank you.
And then he tripped over some over some of Oxanas' jewelry box.
Bartok: Whoa! `
Oxana: SHHHHH!
Bartok: Oh! Sorry!
Oxana: SH!
Oxana ran down stairs and into her fathers arms and he spun her around.
Dimitri: Good morning, angel.
Oxana: Good morning, Papa!
Dimitri: Did you sleep well?
Oxana: Yes, Papa.
Anya: How's the headache.
Dimitri: Headache?
Dimitri was always a bit to over protective of his daughters well being. He always got concerned if she was just a minute later than she said she would be, or if she tripped and she only had a tiny scratch on her knee.
Oxana: It's better now, Mama.
Dimitri started to feel her forehead.
Dimitri: Are you sure you're alright? Are you sure you don't need bed rest?
Oxana giggled.
Oxana: I'm ok, Papa.
Dimitri: Are you-
Anya: I think she's fine.
Dimitri turned to Oxana.
Oxana: I'm fine, Papa.
Dimitri still looked a bit worried. Despite him knowing that everything was fine, he was just a but unsettled at the fact that she had a headache. He looked at Anya whose look said 'She's fine, you can stop worrying'. Dimitri decided that she was right and decided that it was best for him to change the subject.
Dimitri: Oxana, do want some waffles?
Oxana: Yes, Papa!
Dimitri carried her over the shoulder into the kitchen.
Oxana: Wee!
He sat her down and put two waffles on her plate.
Dimitri: Oxana, did you hear we are going to the-
Oxana: Ballet Tonight? Yes, Papa.
Dimitri turned to Anya.
Dimitri: How did you know?
Anya: Slipped out during our conversation lat night.
Oxana: Mama, he asked me.
Anya: Oh, then tell him how you know, dear.
Oxana: Mama told me last night.
Dimitri was looking at Anya again.
Dimitri: When was this?
Oxana: At 19:12
Her parents looked at her knowing what she had meant.
Anya: I think it was 12:19.
Oxana: Yeah, that's what time it was.
Anya smoothed over her daughters long red hair when Oxana looked outside to see Augustine, wearing a puffy white coat and muffs, walking towards her house and Oxana ran over to go talk to her.
Oxana: Mama! Papa! I'll be outside.
And she ran outside what the 'Pretty Witch' wanted.
Augustine: Good morning, Oxana.
Oxana: Good morning, Augustine.
Augustine: Oxana, my family and I are going to attend the ballet tonight. We were wondering if you would like to join us.
Oxana shrieked. She realized she wasn't wearing any shoes or a coat. Augustine turned around.
Augustine: A simple 'no' would have been fine.
Oxana: No, no, it's not that. It's very cold out this morning.
Augustine turned back to face her.
Augustine: Yes, yes it is. So would you like to attend the opera tonight?
Oxana could barley understand what Augustine said. She assumed she was being invited to the ballet.
Oxana: I'm already going.
Augustine: And you didn't invite me?
Oxana: It's with my family.
Augustine: And there is no room in your family for me?
Oxana: I'll be sitting where I always sit. With Mama, Papa, Uncle Vlad, and Great-Grandmama.
Once Oxana had said Great-Grandmama, Augustine had realized why she couldn't sit with her.
Augustine: Of course. I could never invite myself to sit with the Dowager Empress.
Oxana had never understood why people had called her Great-Grandmother that. All she understood was king, queen, princess, and prince.