May: I'm not yet dead! Soory for the HIATUS! It was due to college requirements which piled up as the days go by...and now it is the year 2017! Woohoo! Happy New Year! Sorry for the EXTREMELY late greeting.

Anyway, I do not in any means or form own the characters and their respective names from the anime HunterXHunter. And of course, I also do not dissuade in any form the information pertaining to the movie, Anastasia and of course, the Romanov Royal Family.

To my bestfriend, infamoustwinkie, this chapter is dedicated to you. (You will understand why) :)

Chapter 3 - A Plan

1928, St. Petersburg, Russia...

"Why are we here again?" a five foot girl with medium length brown hair and brown eyes asked as she shivered under the thick coat she was wearing as she looked up at her companion beside her who was looking at the people in the bazaar with an impassive look.

Eyes narrowed like the other was intending to read the secrets buried deep inside the peoples' souls.

"Hey, Hailey." the short girl called again as she waved a hand in front of the other's face. "Why-"

Hailey raised a hand to halt her friend's speech and pointed at the man selling what look like old portraits, and clothes. The man's smile was wide as he lightly shoved the fur cloak he was holding at a passing woman who barely gave him a look.

"This is a valuable piece!" the man cried out after the woman who shrugged off his attempts in negotiating. "This is said to be worn by the Czar himself."

He then grumbled momentarily to himself before returning the smile to his face as he turned to regale the other potential customers with his tales of the past before the revolution that happened over a decade ago.

"Everyone can see that the revolution only caused the country to delve further into depression," Hailey told her companion who nodded in agreement at the statement, her eyes roaming over at the various stands of the locality selling clothes, paintings, jewelry, and even furniture.

"But then..." the shorter girl frowned. "...are you still sure about it?"

Hailey turned to her companion. "About what?"

"Finding the missing Romanov heir?"

It was a long while before the taller girl answered as she began to walk, a hand in the pocket of her coat. "I don't know, Aaliyah."

"But that is why we are here, aren't we?" Aaliyah insisted as they passed by a slightly tall man, wearing a crisp business suit and tea glasses up his nose. "To find the Tsarevitch Kurapika."

"If he is really alive that is," one of the vendors spoke, her various jewels hanging from her wrists. "If it is true, imagine how much his dear grandmama will pay for his safe return."

"How much?" Aaliyah asked as she turned to the older woman, curious.

The older grinned as she leaned in close and was about to whisper the amount when Aaliyah was dragged away by her friend and towards the abandoned palace grounds.

"I was-"

"10 million ruples." the other replied as she let go of her arm and turned to face her. "We are not supposed to be lingering that much...the government have expressedly forbidden any information about the royal family to be spread about."

"How did you-?

Hailey shrugged, nonchalant as if she knew it already. "I could guess it that much. He is the only heir left to the Russian throne." she whispered the last part. "And the only grandson of the Dowager Empress."

They continued weaving through the crowd, and out into the cobblestone streets of St. Petersburg, their hands buried deep into their pockets to ward off the cold that weighs heavily in the air.

Away from the revelry of the marketplace that had formed in the palace courtyard, its occupants aware of the revolution and the end of the royal family, but oblivious to how their demise have been delivered unto them.

Only reveling in the glory of finding the last remaining Romanov, and the fortune that it could bring to alleviate one's family from its step into starvation and death.

"But still..." Aaliyah sighed as she looked them, at the man cleaning the windows on the highest building supported by just a scaffold, a man begging for alms near the train station and of the various citizens-some with the capacity to flaunt their family fortune as they enjoy their leisures under such a regime.

Most of the noble families have fallen under the might of the revolution and have ceased to exist, their lands, titles, and wealth ceded to the government. Some have fled the country before the dawn of the revolution have fallen while some have been gunned down in their defiance against the new regime.

All for the sake of establishing the might of the people in oppose to the established government.

For the price of their shackled freedom, all vestiges of the royal family have been expressedly forbidden to be uttered in public, or even be used as names for children in the national registry.

Fearing for the rise of the royalists and placing a claimant on the throne, signifying the return of the age where there were few people who have lives bathe in absolute luxury.

"How would you think it would feel like?" Aaliyah asked, her voice barely heard above the noise of the crowd, her eyes carefully watching the sentries standing guard, atop their horses, their guns and batons sheathed around their waists.

"Feel like what?" Hailey absentmindedly asked as she stopped in front of a stall selling jewelry and raised up a small round gold and sapphire wrought music box to inspect it.

And was examining the small lock at the side with a critical eye.

"If...the tsarevitch is alive?"

"I wouldn't know," the latter replied with an uniterested shrug as she held out the money to the vendor and placed the item in one of her deep pockets and resumed walking. "I didn't even grew up to feel loved."

"Not unlike other people." she added with a scoff. "I..." she shook her head and brushed off the thought. "His grandmama would be beyond exalted to see him alive moreso returned to her after a decade."

"That would no doubt shake the foundation of this country," Aaliyah commented with a frown.

Hailey just nodded her head and slowly took out the item she have purchased earlier. Her eyes trying to read the faded writings on the sides to no avail.

'Whoever he is,' she thought. 'must have been dreaming of this chance.'

May: This was actually my second story that is updated in months. Anyway, forgive this chapter for it seemed like it was made in a rush to satisfy the cravings for those who wished to see the development of this story.

I would like to point out that some would come based on the movie, some would be from historical sources(like the life in 20th century Russia, and the weather and of course, the rule of royalty.)

As a forewarning, the future chapters would deter from the happenings in the movie itself and would be written as accurate as possible.

And I would like to hear from all of you again. Please do leave a review for me to know what you think.

Good night, y'all!