Anya awoke the next morning to a sharp rap at the door. Trying to shake the drowsiness off of her, she promptly got up and pushed it open.

"Nana," she exclaimed.

Maria enveloped Anya in her arms.

"I didn't mean to wake you," the old woman told her, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"It's alright, I would've been awake soon anyway," Anya replied.

The Dowager gripped Anya's shoulders and stared into her eyes.

"Last night. Tell me what happened," she instructed.

There was a brief silence as Anya hesitated. "Nana, I was sleep-deprived and paranoid…" she enunciated carefully, as if the words were fragile. "I can barely remember anything about the rest of the night. It could have just been my imagination."

"And if it wasn't?" Maria asked. Anya slowly nodded, letting her eyes drop to the wooden floor.

"I never actually saw anything, but I thought… I thought I felt someone watching me," she uttered.

Maria's face melted into stone that Anya could not read.

"I moved from where I was, to somewhere different," Anya continued, "But anywhere I went, I still felt it. Like they were following me…"

Maria gripped Anya's hands, and Anya was struck by their warmth. "Then we have to do something about it," the Dowager insisted.

"Nana, if I was sure about it, then I would. But I never saw anything. Dmitry was with me, and he didn't either. He didn't feel like anything was wrong at all."

The Dowager opened her mouth to speak, but Anya interrupted her before she could start.

"If it happens again, I will, I promise. But for now, with so little to go on… Nana, let's just enjoy today for what it is."

The Dowager's face tightened, and she gazed into Anya's eyes, searching. Anya could tell she wanted to argue, but after Anya gave her a pleading look, she sighed and gave in.

"If you say so," she said, brushing her hand across Anya's cheek.

Anya looked up at her. "I do say so. Today is our day, Nana. I won't let a bad night's rest ruin it."

Nana gave Anya's hands a comforting squeeze and pressed them to her mouth, giving them a kiss. "Stubborn," she teased.

"Your favorite," Anya replied, returning her smile.

"Strong. Not afraid of anything," the Dowager finished.

"I'll get dressed, and then I'll meet you outside, Nana," Anya promised.

"Shall we get breakfast on the way, or would you rather eat here?" the Dowager questioned.

Anya let the silence linger again for a moment as she considered. "Here is fine," she decided.

The Dowager gave a single nod and left her to change. Anya sucked in a deep breath, and slowly released it.

She was calmer today, more well-rested. But last night still lingered on her, taking its toll. It was all such a blur now. Her fear had made it hard to differentiate what had been real. She could still see Dmitry's brown eyes, creased in confusion.

He thinks you're crazy.

She sighed, shaking her head and stumbling out of her thoughts. 'Dmitry doesn't think you're crazy,' she told herself, picking up the soft blue dress that lay on the foot of the bed.

He does and you know it, the voice in her head countered.

Anya clenched her jaw and undid her nightgown, letting it slide to the floor. Letting the voice go unanswered was like letting it win, but continuing to fight with it was an endless argument. She ignored it for now, slipping on her new dress and buttoning it up. "Today is going to be a good day," she instructed herself.

Taking the silence from the voice as a good thing, she pulled up her hair and exited the room. The smell of breakfast flooded the halls, and she followed its trail to the dining room.

Dmitry was sitting at the table when she walked in, and for a brief moment she wondered why he'd left without her.

It's because hates you, the voice said.

'Dmitry can have his own life without hating me,' she snapped back.

He gave her a nervous smile as she sat next to him.

"Morning, Anya," he started hesitantly.

"Good morning, Dmitry," she replied. Her heart sunk suddenly as she realized that her words had come out sharp and cold, instead of soft like she'd intended. To make up for it, she shot him a smile as warm as sunshine.

Vlad came in and sat down next to her. He patted her hand and leaned into her.

"I heard what happened," he whispered, giving her a pitiful smile.

Pity.

They all pitied her, babied her. Like she was fragile. Like she could break at any moment. True, the last… month had been difficult, but she was still the same.

I'm not a child, she thought.

She took a roll from the table and savagely split it in half, then took a knife and buttered it. Both Dmitry and Vlad were watching her carefully. She tried to ignore this.

Lily entered the room gracefully, and to Anya's relief, she gave her a grin full of life and did not mention the previous night.

"I heard you and her majesty are going shopping today, Anya," Lily said brightly, sitting down across from her.

"Yes! Are you coming?" Anya asked.

"Me?" Lily asked, tilting her head. "Would you want me to?"

Anya nodded. "Will you?"

"I would never miss an opportunity to buy something," Lily answered.

Anya could feel the room relaxing, but she could still barely glance at Dmitry.

You need to tell him about Gleb.

This time, she agreed with the voice. But how?

Interrupting Anya's thoughts, the Dowager entered at a brisk pace and sat next to Lily.

"Nana," Anya purled. "Lily will be joining us today, is that alright?"

Nana's eyes twinkled as she gazed at her granddaughter. "Of course."

Breakfast was finished quickly, and the girls stood to set off.

As Dmitry took a step towards them, Vlad gripped his arm and pulled him back.

"Let's let them bond, shall we?" Vlad suggested under his breath.

"But Anya's-"

"-in good company," Vlad insisted, cutting him off.

Dmitry nodded, his jaw tightening. "We haven't had a day apart since… we left," he finished dumbly.

"She'll be fine, and it'll do both of you good," Vlad agreed.

Sighing, Dmitry sat back down at the table. Knitting his fingers together, he looked up at Vlad.

"I miss home," he said abruptly.

Vlad sat next to him with a groan. "Don't we all?"

"I guess, but…"

Vlad raised his eyebrows. "But?"

Dmitry swallowed hard and dropped his head. "But, it's like I've tried so hard to get away from Russia for as long as I can remember, and now I miss it more than I ever thought I could."

Vlad nodded solemnly. "Homesickness is an illness with no cure," he said wisely. "It will never go away, but it will lessen, eventually. Paris will grow on you."

Dmitry gave Vlad a half-hearted smile. "You think so?"

"I know so. One day Paris will be your home, and all of this will seem far away," Vlad said, as if remembering something.

"Doesn't stop me from missing Russia now," Dmitry laughed bitterly.

Vlad stood up and ran his hands down his coat, straightening it out.

"Then I have something to show you."

…

Anya looked up from the lavender fabric at the sound of her grandmother's voice.

"What did you say, Nana?" she asked.

"I said, have you told your young man yet?" The Dowager repeated, appearing from behind a rack of dresses.

Anya dropped her eyes to the tiled floors. "Not yet," she said softly.

The old woman pursed her lips but did not respond.

Lily walked up to them, holding a glittering red gown.

"Aren't we going to the ballet next week?" she asked.

The Dowager and Anya nodded simultaneously, and Lily raised her eyebrows and quickly disappeared with the dress.

"I won't rush you," Nana started. "But it isn't going to get better without doing anything."

Anya gave a nod and did not respond.

Failure, the voice said.

She stiffened. 'I am not a failure,' she thought to herself.

She could almost feel the smugness in its silence. Trembling with anger, she shoved the dress back on the rack.

…

"Are we there yet?" Dmitry panted, struggling to follow Vlad up the steep slope. Life in Paris was proving to be a bit too luxurious, the evidence was in how hard he was breathing. He'd have to get out more. The view around him was stunning, green fields and blue sky, but he still could not understand what on earth this could possibly have to do with Russia. "Almost there," Vlad called.

"Right," Dmitry huffed.

Finally, Vlad stopped at the top of a hill, and Dmitry joined him, taking in a grateful breath of the cool air.

"Well?" Dmitry asked, shrugging. "What did you bring me all the way out here for?"

Vlad gave him a mischievous grin. "You don't recognize it?"

Dmitry caught his breath and looked around.

"It's…" he began.

"That's right. This is where we were when we very first saw Paris," Vlad concluded for him.

Dmitry inhaled, turning his head to see the full view of the lights of the city below, the Eiffel Tower in sight.

"Do you remember how you felt, Dmitry?" Vlad asked. "That rush of feeling? That fear, that excitement, that relief? I've kept that feeling with me the entire time I've been in this city."

He looked over at Dmitry, who was gazing around at the landscape in awe.

Dmitry did indeed remember, almost like it had been yesterday. But it also seemed a million years ago, in a way. He'd been different, even just a few short months ago. Paris had been filled with new opportunities, new promises, a new life. But none of that had had mattered. Anya had been a priority, even then. A new life without her? It had almost seemed pointless. At least, until he'd realized who Anya really was. What she'd deserved. A new life for him didn't matter, but it mattered for her.

"I remember, Vlad," he said.

Vlad nodded. "What stands out, Dmitry?"

"Jumping the train. Crossing the border," Dmitry lied.

Vlad chuckled. "Yes, illegally leaving the country does bring a certain amount of exhilaration."

Dmitry laughed with him.

"You know what, I do remember something else," Dmitry said.

"Oh?" Vlad inquired.

"You told me Anya would break my heart," Dmitry replied.

Vlad shrugged. "And at the time, I very much believed she would. You got lucky."

Dmitry scoffed. "Lucky?"

Vlad tilted his head. "Do you know the chances of a girl choosing a man over being a princess? If it had been any other girl, I would have been right."

"If it had been any other girl," Dmitry vowed, "I wouldn't have been in love with her."

Vlad nodded.

There was a silence for a while as they sat, looking down at the city.

"Well, I think we've spent enough time here," Vlad said eventually. "What do you say we go back to the city?"

"Alright," Dmitry said, and together they set off on the hike down to Paris.

…

Eavesdropping was not an unfamiliar thing to the Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevich. It had always come quite naturally, and had benefited her in many situations, including the current one.

From past sessions, she had gathered that Anya was having nightmares. Not only that, but that they were so bad they were preventing her from being able to enjoy life.

Now, she listened intently to the conversation the Dowager empress and her granddaughter were having.

"Anya," the old woman was saying, "I know how hard it must seem to tell him what happened. But your young man deserves to know what's been troubling you."

"I know, Nana, I do," Anya replied. "But whenever I try to tell him, I… can't."

There was a pause.

"The right time will come," the Dowager insisted. "I won't bother you any longer on the matter."

Lily stepped away from the two, her mind racing.

I see, she thought.

She could understand Dmitry's position, having been in his place, once. The Dowager's restless nights had troubled Lily as well. Eventually, she'd been fortunate enough to have the Dowager trust her with the visions that haunted her at night.

But Anya…

Anya had lived through so much more. And now, she was being followed. When the shaking girl had appeared at the palace, Lily hadn't had a doubt that Anya had been right- someone had been trailing her. The night had seemed… disturbed somehow. Lily had sat at the window for the rest of the night, searching for any sign of a figure. Nothing had shown. But Lily was confident that Anya had not simply been a paranoid, anxious girl. She had been right.

Suddenly, Lily's thoughts were startled by a jolt in her senses.

Looking up, she gazed around the store. Nothing was out of order.

Don't be paranoid, she reminded herself.

Joining Anya and the Dowager, she smiled at the two of them, holding her newly purchased dress.

Anya was holding a deep green gown, apparently ready to leave. The Dowager had grabbed a silver piece, a statement of pride and respect.

"Are we ready to go?" she asked patiently.

"Yes," Anya said. Maria nodded her agreement.

As the two women purchased their gowns, Lily felt a nag in her feelings again.

Inconspicuously, she looked over her shoulder.

Nothing.

Her uneasiness did not fade. Looking back at Anya, she noticed that Anya was also looking around. When their eyes met, Lily gave Anya a bright grin, and Anya returned it.

Let her think everything is fine, she thought. She's been through enough for now.

As they left the store, Lily once again glanced over her shoulder.

Try to make a move now, she dared the unseen figure viciously.

She'd be damned if anything were to happen to Anya when she was around.