“Perfect,” Mikhail smiled, clapping his hands together and looking at Anastasia. “Isn’t that a lovely offer,Your Grace?”
Anastasia stared up at him, and he watched her, seeing the anger rolling under her skin like a storm about to break. He knew that he had to break her of this fear of living, of existing — she had so much more in her life than her family, if only she would stop being afraid of who she was.
If it happened to work out that they had more time outside of the Winter Palace now, then it would only be good for her. Once she got over being mad at him, of course.
“Yes,” Anastasia forced a grin and turned back to the innkeeper. “I would be touched to stay at your home.” The woman smiled and grabbed Anastasia, pulling her into a warm embrace.
Anastasia froze, her eyes going wide. Mikhail watched with a smirk on his face — until he realized that Anastasia was likely so unaccustomed to warmth and affection that she was overwhelmed by that simple gesture.
The innkeeper released her and encouraged the both of them to spend the rest of the day with the neighbors, and she would have dinner ready for them at nightfall.
The pair thanked her again and stepped outside, making their way up the street. The word of Anastasia’s gift had spread quickly and people were waiting for her in the streets.
She felt overwhelmed, seeing how many people were here for her, but Mikhail kept his hand on her back in reassurance, afraid that she was going to use up too much of her energy.
Anastasia didn’t seem concerned, grabbing the hand of the nearest person and listening to their worries as she’d done a hundred times before.
Mikhail was struck by how gracefully she stepped into the role of a public servant; how eager she was tohelp.She didn’t feel like a Romanov once she left the palace walls; she came alive as Mikhail had never seen her within them.
Would her family even come to this street?Mikhail was unable to keep his eyes off of her.Probably not. They’d destroy the whole block if they wanted to put new stables in.
He shook himself from his thoughts, following Anastasia down the street as she disappeared into another home.
The rest of the day proceeded like that, with the Grand Duchess following the crowd from house to house. She went into homes, filled pantries, and amplified jars of oil for gas lanterns.
Mikhail stood quietly beside her, watching as her eyes filled with warmth and her shell started to crack. She didn’t seem like the woman who was afraid of her own gifts anymore.
Anastasia walked into every home with an eagerness about her magic, ready to use it and ready to help.
She has no idea how powerful she is,Mikhail thought.Her family could never contain her if she sets herself free.
Every time that he found himself thinking something about Anastasia, a cold sensation ran down the back of his spine, and thoughts of his mother crept into his mind.
She had killed the one woman who could have spent her whole life teaching her how to use her magic better than Mikhail ever could.
It was the reason that when he lost himself in her, even only for a moment, and his pride left a sick taste in his mouth. He couldn’t seem to let go of his mother’s death, no matter how it happened.
Because as soon as you let that go, you’d be open to her.His mother’s voice seemed to be in his head again.How do you think that would go? Do you think she could love a man like you? You can barely look at each other for a few hours without fighting.
Mikhail was pulled from his thoughts by Anastasia’s voice — cutting through the noise of the crowd like a bell, clear and resonant, a honing beacon that his body reacted to even as his mind protested.
“Mikhail,” her voice was tired, and she walked away from where she had been fixing some broken tools. “Can we go now?” Her voice was sheepish, embarrassed.
Without thinking, Mikhail put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently.
“Are you alright?” He scanned her face and looked at her to confirm that she wasn’t injured.
“I’m tired,” her voice was quiet, and he noticed how withdrawn she looked. Using that much magic all day must have drained her completely — he cursed himself for not noticing sooner. “I don’t want to tell anyone no…”
“You’re no good to anyone if you hurt yourself and can’t helpanyone.”
“I’m no good to anyone if I can’t —“
“Stop,” Mikhail’s voice was firm as he ducked down to her eye level. “Your worth isn’t defined by what you can do for others, either. You arenota weapon or a tool. You want to help. So we will. We’ll help everyone. We can’t do it all today.”
Anastasia’s eyes got wide as she listened to Mikhail, his impassioned words making her skin flush. He had never talked to her that way before, and she had to bite her lip to fight the tension it created in her body.
She nodded, and Mikhail straightened up, smiling gently at the crowd. He excused them both — Anastasia was too far gone, staring at his profile to hear what he said. He put his hand on her back, gently directing her towards the boarding house.
