Love where you least expect it.

There are many stories about what happened to Anastasia, the daughter of the last Tsar of Russia. This is one of them...

She had grown up in the most wonderful, loving family. And she had always known she was special. She was so beautiful, even as a young girl, and people doted on her. When she grew into a young girl, the young men would show off to her to get her attention. She wasn't interested. She was Anastasia, the most beautiful daughter of the Tsar, and she longed to fall in love.

Then, in a few short weeks, everything changed. Her family were arrested by the revolutionaries. A monk tried to save them, but in the end could only save her. She heard the shots of her family's execution while hidden in the chapel. 

The monk took Anastasia to wild and unknown places. She no longer had the attention of young men, dressed in rags to hide her true identity. No-one doted on her, and the monk was often more focussed on his prayers than her comfort. While they traveled, always on the move, she was lonely, cold, and no longer wished to fall in love. A warm bed, a full stomach, and perhaps a lighthearted mood from the caring monk became her deepest wishes.

The monk was never careful enough, with his thoughts always on his prayers. One day he slipped on a branch, and cracked the bones in his ankle. He leaned on Anastasia as they hobbled to the nearest village. She begged at different houses for someone to give shelter to her and 'her father.' A family with a small spare room let her stay, if she would help with the chores. 

The monk's injury became infected, septic, and he died within a few short days. The family took pity on the girl, and asked her to stay.

Anastasia had a new life. She grew older, and her hands and face showed the signs of hard work and a hard life. There was no-one who would ever again dote on her and think she was beautiful. She never thought of love anymore. But she had a warm bed, a full stomach, and the family were so grateful for her work. They shared many fun times.

A young man in the village watched her, this strange girl who spoke Russian so well but was obviously a peasant. He was enchanted by her voice, and how gracefully she walked. He began to dream of her, beautiful dreams, and one day he wrote down his dreams as poetry. He spent many days and weeks and months keeping his poems to himself. Finally, he could no longer keep it to himself. He took one of the poems, and gave it to Anastasia. 

He watched her eyes as she read his words. Finally she spoke. "It is very beautiful. You really do dote on this girl. Do you have more like this?" He ran to get her more, he had filled a whole book with his romantic dreams of her.

As Anastasia read the book, she began to realize who these poems were about. These were poems about a peasant girl, a mysterious girl who came from nowhere, who made a young poet dream of the wonders of the universe. She felt a feeling she had never felt before. A feeling that was richer that the riches of the Tsar, more beautiful than her most beautiful dresses, finer than the finest wines she had been served as a princess. She felt a feeling that glowed within her. 

Anastasia looked in his eyes and asked him a question. "You wrote this about me?"

He looked in her eyes when he answered. "Yes."

At that moment, Anastasia knew how it felt to fall in love.