Little Natasha sat on her father's lap listening to the story he was telling. There was no safer place then her parents' arms so she didn't mind hearing all about the mean evil witch who kept the handsome prince from his true love, because she knew that her brave strong Papa would keep her safe. He would protect her and Mama always.
"The evil witch used the young boys to keep the Prince in her clutches." Mikkos said as he looked down into his daughter's dark eyes. "She poisoned the mind and corrupted the heart of the older boy, and even at a tender age the Prince could tell his son was the mirror image of the witch. Any flicker of goodness in him was buried deep inside his young soul, if any remained at all. The Prince hoped that someday his son would meet his perfect love and she would be able to find that glimmer and bring it to life, so that it would burn away the vile poison."
Natasha shivered at the thought of the evil woman in her father's stories. She hoped that she was not real, that her father was just the wonderful storyteller she thought he was, because it would be very sad and scary to think that a woman like that lived in the real world. "What of the younger son, Papa? Did she turn him too?"
Mikkos sighed dramatically. "The younger son fought. He fought with all his might to keep the witch's darkness from his soul, but only time will tell if he will succeed, or if he too will become dark and twisted."
"Why doesn't the Prince just sly the witch, Papa?" The little girl asked as she played with the medallion that hung from his neck. "Then he could be with his one true love and she could be Mama to his sons."
"Ahh my little princess." Mikkos said as he cuddled her. "It is not so easy to slay a witch."
"Another memory?" Kristina asked her sister as they sat on a large leather couch in a huge study. The look in Alexis' eyes when they'd come into the room to find a place for her to rest had told Kristina that the room had once been their father's. It was just as she'd imagined a room of Mikkos' would look, lots of heavy dark woods, lots of leather, lots of books, and treasures. What she wasn't expecting, nor had Alexis expected, were the framed pictures set around the room. Up to date pictures of them, their family; it was more then a little unsettling.
Alexis nodded. "We would sit in here, on this couch, and he would tell me stories about the Witch." Alexis couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her lips. "I had no idea then but now I understand that the Witch in his stories was Helena. The idea of that Witch being real use to terrify me to the point where Mama would yell at him for telling me the stories."
"He was warning you." Kristina said.
Again Alexis nodded and then put her head in her hands. They tried speaking to some of the staff but no one would tell them anything more then to tell them they were there to make them comfortable and make sure they had everything they needed. Alexis was getting angry, frustrated, and tired. She finally had to give in and find a place to rest. Within minutes of them settling into the room several servants came in and set up lunch. Alexis had been leery to allow anyone to eat but then a very old man came into the room.
"Mein Gott." The elderly man said with wide, bright eyes. "It is you. Natasha, little Natasha, dear Princess you have finally come home."
He was a lot older then she remembered him to be. It had been twenty years give or take since she'd seen him. Alexis stood as he approached her. He had been head of the household staff, this house's version of Alfred, his wife it's Mrs. Lansbury. "Johann?"
The old man smiled brightly. "Yes Princess." He took her hand and bowed as he kissed it. "Welcome home."
Johann had been the one who reassured her that it was all right for them to eat. He'd also explained that there was a reason for them being there and that no one meant any harm. His son Sergei had been the one who organized their travel arrangements, and he apologized for the manner in which they were all obtained. He also apologized for any distress they were suffering, for he would never mean any harm to her and hers. The old man was absolutely enthralled by Kristina who reminded him so very much of his beloved Mistress. He had been and always would be loyal to Kristin, and mourned her loss everyday.
But even Johann refused to tell them who had them brought here, he would only say that they would find out soon, and that there was a reason. He reassured them that they would be reunited with their loved ones, and that they would be allowed to go home when all was said and done.
"This makes no sense." Alexis said quietly to Kristina as she watched Nikolas and Sam explore the room. "No one knew about this estate, I'm sure of it, no one lived here but us. Mama's gone, Mikkos is gone, and yet it's like life never stopped here."
"Perhaps Grandfather set up a trust for the estate." Nikolas offered as he came over and sat in the chair nearest his aunt.
Kristina nodded. "Nikolas could be right. You said it yourself, Alexis, this was home."
Alexis thought about it for a while and then nodded. "A trust would have kept the estate up and running. Mikkos was good at hiding such things. I mean the man had an entire island off Venezuela turned into a bunker complete with weather machine and no one was the wiser."
Sam snickered. "Luke said it was all kinda cheesy and he kept expecting Wonder Woman to show up."
Alexis rolled her eyes and continued. "I just don't understand who would bring us here and why."
"Well," Kristina said carefully. "It doesn't seem like we're in any danger, and Johann said we'd find out soon enough. There's no point is stressing over it, Alexis, that's not good for you or the baby. Besides, I'd…"
"You'd what?" Alexis asked when she noticed her sister's hesitation.
"I'd kind of like a chance to get to know our father." Kristina said softly and without meeting her sister's eyes. She wasn't sure how Alexis would take to that. "The one you're remembering."
Alexis sighed as she sat back and leaned her head against the back of the couch. She felt Sam sit beside her and snuggle close, offering her comfort. "The man I'm remembering seems like a dream. The man I knew as Natasha was not the man I knew as Alexandra. The man who lived in this house died when the witch killed the prince's beautiful songbird."
After deciding she couldn't handle being in her father's old study any more Alexis took everyone back upstairs to her bedroom. When they arrived there was a dress bag hanging on the wardrobe. Alexis walked over and unzipped the bag and blinked.
"Wow, that's really pretty." Sam said as she ducked her head under her mom's arm so she could see what was inside. "That's even more fancy than Nurses' Ball fancy."
Kristina slipped out of the room to check her own. When she got back she announced, "There's formal wear in all our rooms."
"Why would there be fancy stuff in our rooms?" Sam asked.
"Because we're expected to dress for dinner." Alexis answered. She moved over to the bed and carefully lowered herself onto it.
"Mom." Sam said with some concern. "You look really tired. Maybe you should take a nap."
Kristina nodded her head in agreement. "I'll stay with Sammie and Niky."
Alexis laid back and smiled when Sam lay beside her. "We can't stay here." She sighed. "We have to find a way to contact someone."
"We tried the phones." Nikolas reminded her. "None of them are working."
"We could try and find a car or something." Sam offered. "If we can find a car I can hotwire it."
Alexis opened her eyes and looked down at her daughter.
"What?" Sam asked. "This is an extreme circumstance. If we don't get home who's going to feed Artemis?"
"We've been kidnapped and are currently being held captive and you're worried about your cat?" Nikolas asked his cousin in disbelief.
Sam lifted her head so she could look at her cousin over her mother. "We're in an Austrian palace, my Mom grew up here, its not like we're in a cell or dungeon or anything."
"But we don't know who's brought us here or why." Nikolas argued. "This isn't an adventure Samantha."
"Sure it is, and we'll find out who's behind this. The villain always shows himself and then gives some big speech as to why he's done what he's done." Sam replied. It was a lot easier for her to believe this was simply an adventure. It was less scary that way. "Quit trying to make this more stressful Nikolas. My Mom's knocked up remember?"
"Sam." Alexis groaned. She hated it when Sam referred to her as knocked up.
Sam sighed. "Sorry, she's pregnant, remember? And getting stressed out isn't good for her or the baby."
"Alright you two knock it off." Alexis warned. She would have said more but there was a knock on the door. She sat up and looked at each face before looking towards the door. "Come in."
A young woman stepped just inside the door and curtseyed. "Princess, I've been sent to tell you that dinner will be at seven-thirty. Please let me know if you need anything. My mother will come to help you dress. I am to help Princess Kristina and Princess Samantha. Yuri will help Prince Nikolas."
"Will we be meeting our host at dinner?" Alexis asked. It was kind of freaking her out that she could slip back into the role of the noble so easily.
The young woman nodded. "Yes Princess. He will be there and is looking forward to seeing you again."
He? Again? Well, that was something. "Thank you… What is your name?"
"Anya." The girl replied.
Alexis gave a warm smile. "Thank you Anya."
Alexis did in fact take a nap and while she did so Kristina and Nikolas went exploring while Sam stayed by her mom. The girl wouldn't admit it around Kristina or Nikolas but she was scared, and she was worried. She knew that her mom would keep her as safe as she could, and that Sam would protect her mom just as fiercely, and she also knew that Jax was back home looking for them. But she was still in a strange place with so much unknown, and her mom was still very pregnant, and she was really missing her Dad. Sam was just a bundle of emotions. They had to get out of here and get home before the baby came. As Sam snuggled into her mom's side she put her hand on her mom's belly.
"Don't worry." She whispered. "Mommy will take care of us until Daddy fines us. You just gotta do your part and stay put and don't spaz."
Elsa, Johann's wife, came to help Alexis dress for dinner. Nikolas' idea about a trust was making more sense. Why else would this place have stood still in time? As they were shown into the dinning room, Alexis took note of how many places were set. There was only one extra setting, which had to be for their host. Who knew about this place? For who were her parents most trusted servants working for? All these new people she couldn't say one way or the other, but Johann and Elsa? Elsa had come with her mother from Sweden. She couldn't imagine either of them working for someone who meant them harm. Like Johann, Elsa had been startled and pleased to see how much Kristina looked liked their mother, and she gushed over her little Natasha all grown up. If she hadn't been kidnapped and brought here under such nefarious means she'd feel as if she were coming home again.
"Mom?" Sam said softly. "Are you ok?"
Alexis gave her baby a warm smile as she gently caressed her cheek. "I'm a little overwhelmed." She admitted honestly. "Being here is a little much on me. All these memories coming back to the surface, and to be honest baby, I'm really starting to miss your grandmother. We were all so happy here, Mama, me, and Mikkos."
"Yes, my little princess, we were very happy here."
Alexis's whole body froze. Her heart stopped, her breathing stopped, and then just as quickly as she'd frozen at the sound of that voice, her body spun to look at where it came from. Standing in the doorway dressed in a tux was a man, no, a ghost, she hadn't seen since the day he took her back to boarding school after Sam was born.
It came out of her mouth before she could stop it. "Papa?"
The man smiled at her as he came towards her, his arms open as if to embrace her. "My beautiful Natasha."
"You're dead." Alexis whispered.
"I defrosted and got better." Mikkos Cassadine teased gently.
The last thought Alexis had before she passed out was that she finally understood where Sam got her sense of humor.