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"These people from this country truly are special to you aren't they?"

The dowager empress said as she stood to walk over to Anastasia.

"I can see it."

She added.

"The way he looks at you, and you at him."

She said as she hobbled to her granddaughter, fully relying on her cane.

"It is the same way that the Emperor Nicholas Romanov used to look at your Mother, Empress Alexandria Romanov."

She informed them both.

"As much as I want you here with me I can see your heart lies somewhere else."

She told her granddaughter.

"Our interests are no longer aligned like they once were, but as you have stated routinely you are not the same girl that you once were all those years ago."

Her grandmother continued.

"So you're letting me go?"

Anastasia asked.

"It means more to me that you are happy and well then knowing you are being forced to live a life that makes you terribly upset without end."

She said.

"I want you to be happy, Anastasia."

She added.

"But while you are off in a distant land, always remember that you are the daughter of Imperial Russia and wear it with pride."

She told her firmly.

"And you."

She turned to Bruno but surprisingly she smiled at him.

"Take care of my Anastasia. She's all I've got left."

She said.

"I will."

Bruno assured her.

"Then go."

"But what about the press?"

Anastasia asked.

"I'll have Sofie tell them something so witty they won't even be upset about the lack of a Princess."

She assured them.

"Now go, go!"

꧁•꧂

"MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!!"

Sofie shouted to the crowd of reporters.

"Attention, PLEASE!!"

She shouted again and the buzz of several people began to sizzle down to a whisper.

"As of today there will be no more young women who claim to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia."

She proclaimed to the curious crowd.

"There never was an Anastasia."

She continued.

"She was merely a dream, a beautiful dream forged out of a dying woman's hope of the return of her long gone family member."

There was an obvious note of let down among the crowd, people were obviously disappointed and Sofie knew she would have to continue talking quickly if she wanted to keep their attention.

"Only time will fade the reminisces of the beautiful dream of this 'Anastasia'. But I'm the meantime, no more talk of the Grand Duchess Anastasia, for the Dowager Empress' sake. Please, respect the wishes of a dying woman."

She continued and now the hums of the people shifted from disappointment of the lack of an Anastasia to concern for the dying woman.

"There is no need for fairytales at this hour. We ask that you all kindly respect our wishes and bid you all a good day."

꧁•꧂

A few days later

꧁•꧂

"What's that?"

Bruno asked as he noticed Stasia reading a letter that had just been delivered that morning.

"My grandmother,"

Stasia said.

"She's gone."

"What do you mean by 'gone'?"

He asked softly.

"She's dead, Bruno."

She replied.

"The last of my family is gone, they're all gone."

"Hey, hey!"

Bruno said as he put his hands on her shoulders.

"You're family is not all gone."

He told her.

"You are right here where you need to be with your family."

He said, his voice comforting her so sweetly.

"You are my future, Stasia."

He said.

"And it would mean the world to me if you became a part of the family too."

"But you just said-"

Stasia began in a reference to him stating that she was with "her family" already. Bruno gave her a look and she didn't need to see into the future and listen to what he said when she wasn't around to know what he meant.

"Oh oh!"

She said as realization took ahold of her like a gardener grabs a snake to remove it from the produce.

"You mean-"

"I do."

He told her.

"Really?"

She asked and he nodded.

"Do you?"

"Yes."

She said calmly at first but then excitement befell her.

"Yes!"

She shouted as she pulled him into a hug. But this hug was different. It didn't end with just a simple embrace. When Bruno pulled back Stasia took it a step further. She pushed herself up on her toes and surprised the man by pressing her lips to his. His eyes widened at first, not expecting this display of affection from her but he began to return it.

"I love you."

"I know."

꧁•꧂

THE END

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