8 It was Right, After All

'Thought'

"Speech."

..............

Anna came to acknowledge that she was now Anastasia, it wasn't that different from her original name. The uneasiness grew as the weeks bled in, she may have grew up steadily but her knowledge was close to non-existent. Mary was still as unpleasant as ever, she wouldn't indulge her with baby talk. There was no information about the emperor, her father that is. Nor, about the twins .

So, she took it upon her self to discover the unknown! Chasing the horizon, or where crawling would ever take her too.

By the time night had fallen, she crawled over the edge of the crib, she rolled her eyes at the unprotected crib, it was low key made in a way she can kill herself by rolling over thanks to the fenceless design.

Crawling over to the edge of the bed, she pondered on how to get down, Anna gave up on thinking, she risked a safe landing by simply rolling over the edge. Somehow, she ended up on her bum. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt, her booty was...fleshy.

Anna wriggled her eyebrow, a string of chuckle left her wobbly lips, she snapped her mouth shut, looking right and left, observing her surrounding, nobody heard her, right? Her hand sunk in the expensive wine dipped carpet. Her blue eyes sparkled with wonder, "Oooh" Her fingers dug into the thick material, "Sooffu" (Sooooo soft!)

Her sapphire orbs scanned the room once again, gulping hesitantly, before diving into the carpet, rubbing her face into the silky texture of the carpet. She couldn't resist the urge to nuzzle her face against the softness.

Giggles erupted shaking her unstable posture, she fell on her side, stretching her limbs personating a cat that was basking under the sun.

Oops, she strayed away from her mission. Sheesh, babies have short span of attention. Anna made her way towards the gigantic door that was left ajar. How can they keep the door open? What if somebody came in and assassinate her? She maybe an illegitimate child, but Anastasia was still a princess for god's sake!

"...."

'Ah, they want me dead.'

Anna nodded her head in understanding. She squeezed her squishy body out of the room, now she contemplated about the direction she should take, Anastasia was sitting in the middle of the hallway which was poorly lit, shouldn't there be candles on the walls? It was dark in a creepy way, her stomach knotted tight at the notion something popping out any second now.

"..."

'Let's go back to my lovely carpet,' She nodded to her self, she turned her head to the door that was closed shut.

"HMMM?" She could swear that it was open a moment ago. What could have closed it? Her fist that was banging against the door shook with the thought that someone was actually in the room with her.

Paranoid, she was getting paranoid, she slowly placed her ear against the wood, trying to hear any voice or movement from within the room. Anna strained her hearing to pick up anything, that'd be really creepy to know that there was someone in her room plotting her death.

Thankfully, Anastsia could only hear the wind sound crashing against the furniture within the room, fluttering the curtains softly. It was a windy night, but still was it strong enough to close the door?

The brunette looked back at the hallway, so which direction should she take? It was a sign from god that Anna is to venture alone on this dang night. So, the only way way to decide her way is by letting Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, decide her for her.

Her index finally fell to her right, she nodded to herself, 'Then left it is' Take the opposite was always her motto in life, her choices were often ridden with bad luck, so she's not gonna risk it again and end her life.

Anna gulped down at the never-ending darkness that engulfed the heavily gold decorative hallway. Here goes nothing. She marched to where her little feet took her.

.......

Anastasia crawled, crawled and once again crawled. She could feel her knees bruising. Just where does this hallway connects, fear be damned; the petite body was boiling with anger.

'Don't tell me that I crawled all this way for nothing,' She grumbled, cursing the stars above her head. Anna bristled and hissed at her shitty fate, looking like a kitten that was angered because of a vet's visit.

And finally, as if her prayers were answered she found herself at a dead end, it was a heavily adorned door with silver snakes swimming up the metal door.

Anastasia reached for a snake that was up to her eye level. She shivered at the amber crystals embedded in the snake's eye sockets. What kind of creepy hobby does the king have? She never heard about snakes being mentioned in the book. Was there such a place in the concubine palace? She was curious, from the looks of it, the room that was behind the enormous door must be a really important one, judging from how it is protected from the outside.

Anna dragged her fingers over the detailed scales, it looked handmade from how delicate the scales were chiseled, the moon light reflecting perfectly against the jewel-like moldings. Her eyes fell on the amber orbs, it was creepy how those pearls shone with life.

Snakes, she pondered Anna wrecked her brain what could they mean? She thought carefully while absentmindedly rubbing her fingers against the cool object. The coldness that seeped through her fingers was comforting, Anna weirdly felt at peace.

Her sea blue eyes fell on the snake, Anastasia flinches as the one of the amber eyes fell off their sockets.

She hesitantly reached for the jewel, examining it between her chubby fingers. Then back at the snake that was now suffering from a missing eye. That was creepy, she ignored it for a second. Now her curiosity was onto the gold colored object, she brought it to her mouth, giving it an experimental bite to check for its authenticity. She didn't have teeth yet, but she still did it.Her eyes sparkled at the extremely cold object, it felt refreshing, now she gets why babies stick every single thing into their mouthes.

Anna didn't notice that a small part of the door had started melting, freeing the snake that was now adorning a missing eye, pumping it back to life as it slithered down the metallic door.

Anastasia was still in her own little world, now fully sucking on the yellowish round eye. Not noticing the silver-ish black creature that straightened into its actual height ready to attack the unaware child.

It hissed ready to attack; thankfully, Anastasia might be absent minded at times, but she was attentive at the same time; and noticed the serpent that was now stretched to her height.

Crystalline blues eyes grew like saucers, gulping in fear; which was the most stupid thing that she ever did. The amber orb that was rolling on her tongue was pushed down her esophagus. Anastasia's hands flied to her throat, she opened her mouth in fright, but the only thing left her plump lips were hiccups.

An unfamiliar, distraught voice popped out of the blue, scaring Anastasia to her wits

"YOU STINKY POOPER DID YOU JUST EAT MY PRECIOUS EYE!"