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Scanning the crowd with her blue eyes, a frown crossed her face. She had been standing behind the burgundy velvet curtain for over an hour now, but still, she stood there in the shadows. There were so many faces out there in the crowd: dancing, laughing, gossiping, eating..., being happy.

“If there are so many people here who can have a good time, why can’t I? I thought this was what I was looking for,?thought Anastasia. She put a hand to her forehead and let the curtain fall in front of her, shutting out the happiness and the brilliant lights of the room, leaving her in the shadows of the curtain...and the shadows of her own thoughts.

Wringing her fingers, she walked back and forth behind the curtain, the sound of her heels against the waxed floor was muffled by the joyful music outside. Speaking to herself out loud, “C’mon, Anya...?Catching herself, “Wait, you’re not Anya the Orphan anymore. You’re the Grand Duchess Anastasia. This is your life. This is what you went in search for, and you’ve found it... Then why does it feel like I lost it??#060;br>

Closing her eyes and breathing slowly, she sighed. A sigh that was heavy and sorrowful. “Where are you? Why didn’t you come tonight? Did you already leave? Is it too late...?Though she knew that she would be disappointed, she peered out of the curtain once again, looking vainly for the one thing she found on her journey but foolishly lost.

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