"You can come in now!" Anastasia yelled over the constant buzzing coming from the button. She sat at her desk, tapping her finger.

The buzzer rang again.

"I said come in!"

The doors swung open, and there came in her mother Mary, whose arms were full of photographs and a paper. She condescendingly grinned as she walked over to Anastasia's desk, before reaching her hand out and taking the cigarette from her daughters mouth.

"Oh, how I wish you wouldn't smoke."

Mary bent down and pushed the end of the used cigarette against the green-tinted ash tray, her lips curled lightly upward.

"I thought that for your joint birthday party, it may be a nice thing to have a fine gentleman with you. It is time to move on dear, hm? It has been over two weeks. You've had plenty of time to grieve."

"We weren't in a relationship. I don't need to move on."

Anastasia coldly looked her into her mother's eyes,

"And I'm not grieving."

Mary laid out the photographs and the list onto Anastasia's desk, pointing at the list, "I'm sure you didn't need the photographs, considering you know most of them. My lunch club thought up the best possible suitors." The thought of Mary's lunch club made Anastasia's stomach turn. All they did was sit around and gossip about their children's lives, then act as if it had any meaning. "I don't know if you'd be keen on this idea, but they even suggested Richard." Anastasia stared in confusion,

"Why, why Richard?"

Her mother laid her hand out on the photo of Richard as she spoke, "Well, he's a good man. His family is somewhat aristocratic, but not extremely wealthy. I'd prefer you do marry other royalty though, to help people reminiscence of the older days. Everyone desperately wants to return to the era before the war." She slid the photo off of the desk and held it up for Anastasia to grab as she thought out loud, "Though, we could always give him a dukedom."

"I know a particular prince from Greece who's single."

"Anastasia."

She pulled out another cigarette to light as she stared up at her mother.

"You've drained out all of my happiness."

Mary scoffed, "He did not return your affection. Dickie informed me he's proposed to a girl. A commoner." Anastasia pulled the cigarette out from her mouth, "You're lying, he wouldn't do such a thing."

"Dickie didn't even have anything to do with the match. Be grateful this happened, this is the one good thing that boy has done for you."

She continued, spreading out photos of the eligible bachelors as she resumed, "Of course, if they marry into the family, they'll have to renounce their foreign titles."

Anastasia blocked her mother out as though she wasn't there, not keen on listening to her courtship advice. She glared over to her desk drawer, that had been left pulled out. In that drawer, a portrait of Alexander sat, hidden by clutter.

"Would you call for a driver?" Anastasia asked the servant at the door, who nodded his head and walked off. Her mother scowled, realizing her daughter had been daydreaming and ignoring her, "Ann! A driver? Whatever for?"

"I need a drive to clear my mind. I'll think about the offers you've given me on the drive." Ann turned, pushing around the photos as she looked at them.

———

Anastasia stood at the door, dragging her foot back and forth as she waited. The box under her arm was weighing her down heavily, and she wanted to get this over with. Alexander opened the door, and froze as he saw Anastasia's face. He began to whisper, "Anastasia..."

"I've come to congratulate you and Sophia on your engagement."

Alexander grabbed Anastasia's arm as he pulled her into the apartment. He continued to pull her through the dimly-lit hallway to his bedroom as she protested, pushing her in and shutting the door after them. He continued to stand there for just a second as Anastasia stared back, confused, "What is wrong with you? What are you doing? Have you brought me back here to kill me?" He walked past her to his dresser, before looking back at her. She stared at him in confusion before he walked over, placing his hands on her waist and pushing her on the door. Alexander continued to stay silent, entwining his hands with hers. Anastasia stared into his blank eyes as she asked, "Did you lie to Eleanor? Was all she said a lie? Was it drunken thoughts? Lust?"

He shook his head as she continued, "Then why are you doing this? Is this all a game? Are my feelings a pawn in some vicious drama?" Once again, he shook his head. This time, he whispered, "Dickie gave me an ultimatum, you wouldn't understand. Everytime I see you, my mind wanders. I promise, it's not a lie. I can't explain what you've done to me. The passion I feel for you overwhelms my mind and consumes my heart. My heart burns for you."

"I can smell the alcohol on you, you're lying again. You don't know what you're saying."

He leaned his head forward, parting his lips for a kiss. Anastasia quickly turned her cheek the other way, staring towards the wall.

"Just this once, Ann."

"No, you don't love me."

"I don't love Sophia either."

Anastasia pushed his hands off of her, reaching down and grabbing the dropped gift. She forcefully pushed it into his chest, "I hope you and Sophia are very happy, and I won't be apart of your adultery. If you'd like, I'll happily attend the wedding and I'll invite you to my own when the day comes."

"Ann, come on." He pushed the gifts back.

"No!" Anastasia's smile dropped, shoving the gift back into his chest, "If you gave a shit about me or my feelings, you would have never dared to propose to Sophia. I don't believe you for one second that Dickie set this match up with you taking no part in it. Do you not understand he is my family too? You think I don't know about his avarice? Do you think that everyone in my family is stupid?"

She reached for the door behind her before swinging it out and turning away on her heel. As she stomped through the hallway, Alexander pulled her arm back.

"Don't touch me!"

Anastasia shoved his arm off of her, and quickened her pace to make it to the door. Alexander ran after her, both of them in a race to make it to the door. She swung the door as she ran out of the apartment building, hurriedly getting into her car.

"Go, go!"

She watched as Alexander ran through the front door of the complex, holding onto the door as he watched the car drive away.

———

He shut the door behind him, and walked back to his bedroom. Alexander looked down once he reached the door to his bedroom, before crouching down and picking up the crumbled tan box. He carried it over to his dresser,  setting it down amongst the cluttered photographs of family. He moved over to the nightstand sitting beside the dresser, quickly dialing a number on the telephone. He rested the receiver under his ear, listening to the rings.

As Alexander waited for the recipient to answer, he returned to the creased box idly sitting on the dresser. Finally, the phones ringing ceased and Alexander spoke, "Dickie, how are you?"

"Business as usual. The better question is, how are you my boy?"

Alexander snickered as he opened the box, tearing out the paper stuffing and dropping it to the ground. At the bottom of the box, a copy of a painting of Anastasia sat, encased in a gold frame with matching ornaments decorating the sides.

"Well, you know how Ann tends to be. Such a sharp wit."

"Don't give her too much accolade."

"I still think we have a chance. Think about it, all future king's with the name Mountbatten."

Dickie lightly chuckled at the thought, smoking his cigarette.

"Great minds think alike, don't they?"

Alexander agreed as he sat the copy of the painting up beside his mirror, "Very much so."

———

Anastasia crashed through the front doors of the palace, pushing past servants and exclaiming, "Where is my mother?!"

Martin, the queen's private secretary, appeared as he hastily made his way down the steps. He approached Anastasia hesitantly, bowing his head as she once again exclaimed, "Where is my mother?"

"She's in a car, on her way back to the palace, ma'am."

"Send her to my room." She pushed past Martin as she yelled, "Now!"

She crashed through the doors of her room, walking over to her desk and pulling out the drawer. She grabbed a small postcard size photo of Alexander, grabbing the ends of it with her fingers and tearing it down the middle. She dropped the scraps of the photograph onto the floor under her, before picking up her right heel and digging her heel into the photographs.

Mid-dig, the doors opened and her mother stepped into the room. Anastasia didn't look up, instead continuing to stomp the photo into pieces.

"Ann, what's wrong dear?"

She mumbled under her breath, "Dickie did this."

"What?" she asked, as she clasped her hands together and walked over to her daughter. She stood in front of the desk, looking over and grumbling, "Oh, stop that." She said as she grabbed her daughters arm and pulled her from the photo.

"Dickie did this, he set this up!"

"Don't be irrational."

"I'm not!" Anastasia exclaimed, before looking down at the ground and mumbling an apology.

"He was the one who wanted Alexander to court me in the first place. Mama, you know how he is. I think he wants the house name."

Mary sighed as she smiled and rubbed her daughters arm, "That's non-sense darling. The house name will remain Windsor, and your last name will remain Windsor too. Your grandfather made sure of it."

"My children won't." She mumbled, sitting down in her desk chair, "They have to take their fathers last name. That's how it is. When grandfather declared, it declared the male line of descendants to have the last name Windsor. Dickie wants the house name. He wants Alexander and I to marry, so that all future kings won't be Windsors, they'll be-"

Mary cut off her daughter, finishing the sentence herself as she spat, "Mountbatten."

She turned around and began a quick walk to the door, yelling back to her daughter, "I'm speaking to David about this!" The doors shut after her, and there Anastasia sat alone. She reached over to the phone, telling the operator to connect her to Doris. After a few minutes, a secure line was found and the phone rang. She was close to hanging up but someone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Asquith, is Doris there?"

Doris's mother replied, "Yes, she's packing for your upcoming trip. I'll call for her."

"Thank you."

Anastasia twisted the cord around her pointer finger as she looked down at the ground, staring at the crumbled photo of Alexander. The phone on the other end picked up, and Doris' voice came through the other end, "Hello, do you need something?"

"Well, yes. In fact I do. It's about Alexander."

Doris sharply inhaled, mumbling, "Go on."

"He lied. He was never in it for affection or anything of the sort, he wants the titles."

"Alexander or Dickie?"

"Both of them." She snickered, "House of Mountbatten."

"So, what advice do you need?"

"Do I still let him join us at Sandringham? Dickie will be there, it'll be... odd if only he comes."

"I say you invite him still, then embarrass him at any waking moment."

Anastasia laughed under her breath, "God, this is why I love you. You're the sister I wished I had."

"So, that settles it." Doris sighed, "I need to finish up. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

Mary stepped into the room, and a step behind her was Edward.

"Oh no." Anastasia muttered. Doris tensely replied, "What?"

"Good day."

Anastasia hung up the telephone as she leaned back into her chair, crossing her leg over the other, "David." She nodded, "Mary."

"It's pronounced mummy and papa." Her father said, placing his hands behind his back.

"I assume this has something to do with a certain uncle."

"Quite."

Mary leaned onto the desk, picking up a photo that displayed all the royal children as she said, "We've decided we won't interfere until we find a moment alone with Dickie while at Sandringham. Then, we'll ask him if any of it's true."

"I can answer that. It's all true."

"Try to behave on this trip, please. We did this so all of you could find time to enjoy with your friends, away from the reporters."

Anastasia cringed, "I don't want to see Louis' friends, can't we uninvite them?

Edward smiled and nodded at his daughter, "Deal with it." He turned away and walked out of the room, with Mary following after.

———

Anastasia stood outside of the train, smoking her cigarette as she watched the cart of luggage wheel away.

"Ann, Ann!" Mary yelled from behind and grabbed the cigarette, whispering as she berated her, "There are people watching!" Anastasia looked past her to the hoards of people cheering and watching the family gather into the train.

"We should've drove." She said, locking eye contact with her mother.

"This makes us seem more approachable, makes our family see more put together." Mary smiled as she waved to the crowds, before stepping into the train. Anastasia made her way into the cart, sitting alone in a booth. She lit another cigarette, looking up and yelling to her father, "Louis and Edwin running late?"

"They'll be here soon." He mumbled from behind her.

Catherine slid into the seat in front of her as she whispered, "Pour some whiskey for me." Anastasia shot Catherine a look as she grabbed the bottle and poured it into a glass, sliding it to her sister and pouring her own glass.

"Ann, darling, what are you doing?" Mary stood in front of their booth with her hand on her hips. Anastasia looked down at her cigarette, before placing it in her mouth and inhaling, she exhaled as she said, "Taking part in my afternoon delight." The cart shook as Louis and Edwin paraded into the train, knocking over silverware and decor in the train as they argued.  Mary's eyes quickly averted to the chaotic scene unfolding to the left of her, exclaiming as she walked over to the two, "Boys, boys! What is the matter with you both?"

Edwin pushed past his mother as he exclaimed, "You'll never guess what your perfect child decided to do to me. While I was in the bloody lavatory, Louis took one of my suitcases and tossed it out of the window, and my clothes landed in horse shit! Horse shit mummy!"

Beatrice began to laugh hysterically, falling backwards into her booth and laying on her back.

"It's not funny!" He pointed at Beatrice before turning to Mary again, "Do something about him!" Mary sighed as she looked at Edwin and then Louis, "Boys, please. This trip is supposed to be a relaxing vacation, away from it all. Don't ruin this for your father and I."

"Louis, come sit with us!" Anastasia motioned with her hand over to the booth, "Edwin can sit with Alice or Beatrice."

"I'm not sitting with Alice, she'll talk both my ears off."

"As if you don't do the same!" Catherine yelled over.

Mary grabbed Louis' arm and walked him over to the booth where Anastasia and Catherine sat as she spoke tensely, "Then it's settled. Edwin sit with Beatrice and Louis sit with Catherine." She dropped his arm and walked over to the her booth with Edward and sighed, "Please, if I hear anymore bickering, there'll be consequences." Mary put her head in her hands as she muttered, "Why did we have so many?" Her husband responded in a mundane tone, "You insisted."

Once the train began moving, the tension in the room began to ease. Bickering turned into once in a blue moon chatters to eventually the whole family talking to eachother with no insults or teasing. Perhaps, they could even get through this whole trip without any minor scandals amongst the family.

The train arrived at the station about twenty miles away from Sandringham, so the rest of their traveling was to be spent in separate cars as they made their way to the remote building. Anastasia absolutely adored the Sandringham estate and once the car stopped outside the estate's doors, she was more than happy to practically jump out of the car into the threshold. The peers of the Windsor children would not be arriving until later in the day, perhaps closer to seven.

Anastasia remained in the common area until around six o'clock, the time her friends surprisingly arrived early. With the sound of a car slowly pulling up to the road in front of the house, Anastasia couldn't help but leap out of her chair and run out to the door to be reunited with her friends. Her grin spanned to ear to ear as she watched the car door open, seeing Doris and Eleanor exit the car. Giddily, she ran to the both of them and embraced them into a hug, "It's been too long."

"I think it hasn't been long enough." Richard said as he stood behind the group. She grinned as she left the girls embrace and hugged Richard and Andrew individually. After everyone said their greetings, Anastasia led everyone up the stairs of the house to their guest rooms. The boys would stay in one, the girls another. Though, the girls room connected to Edwin and Louis' room unfortunately. From there, the party moved into the large dining room and began to select seats. There, Edward stood in the doorway.

He stopped Anastasia from walking into the dining room, reaching his arm out.

"Dickie's here, I'd like you to join me in welcoming them."

She groaned as she begged her father, "Papa, please. I don't even want to look at either of them." Edward ignored her pleas, grabbing her by the arm and walking her out the front door. The driver opened the car door as they approached, bowing his head. There, Dickie stepped out of the car and bowed his head, an uneasy look in his eyes made a shiver run down Anastasia's spine. Behind him, Alexander tensely stood there.

"Dickie!" Edward smiled as he wrapped his favorite cousin in a hug, patting him on the back. Anastasia placed her hands behind her back, forcing a small smile as she nodded, "Dickie, Alexander." Her father turned to her as he pointed over to Alexander, "Show him to his room please."

"Papa." She gritted through her teeth, staring at him. He hit her on the arm as he repeated himself, "Show him to his room." Ann forced a light smile, staring into Alexander's eyes, "Follow me." She turned and walked off, her footsteps heavy with anger. As he followed her up the steps, he grumbled under his breath, "Mad at me, hm?"

Anastasia stopped, her eyes wide. Her right hand curled into a fist as she grabbed onto her pant leg, turning her head towards him, "Are you an imbecile?"

"Pardon?"

"Oh, you witless dunce! Are you acting as if you have no idea what you've done to me and my family?"

"I couldn't tell Dickie no!"

"You could have!" She yelled, stepping down the step towards him, "Grow a pair and tell him no!"

She turned and resumed her ascent up to his room, with him following blindly behind.

Anastasia couldn't sit still and enjoy her supper for the rest of the evening. Everything he did would annoy her. Any movement or word spoken was like a nail poking her skin.