Hello! It is I, Lydia the Bard, come once again to turn a princess evil and destroy your sweet childhood memories of them, you're welcome.

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✨ANASTASIA'S VILLAIN STORY✨

Welcome to Russia in the 1900’s! Our story follows a similar trajectory to the original film we all know and love, the Tsar and his family were overthrown leaving one lost, lonely little girl, Anya.

Jump forward 10 or so years and Anya has been on a whirlwind journey to discover who she really is, culminating in her meeting with her Grandma for the first time to tell her that she is the lost princess Anastasia. Full of hope and relief to finally have the family she dreamed of, Anya’s heart races with anticipation, ready to take on her new life. But unlike the original story, where Anya presents the music box and is welcomed back with open arms, her Grandma rejects her claim. Even the music box and pendant can't convince her of Anya’s Legitimacy. She accuses Anya of lying, telling her that she was conned into believing she was the lost princess Anastasia by Dimitri and has now come to harass an old grieving woman. Anya takes a step closer and her Grandma calls the guards. Anya races outside, but as she exits the house all she sees are police lining the streets. Desperately, she looks around for Dimitri, surely he didn't lie to her? Surely he didn't leave her? Only to find that he has abandoned her in her time of need, betraying her just as she was always afraid he would. Heartbroken and furious, Anya races through the streets of Paris.

Eventually, after what feels like hours of running, Anya finds a quiet spot to hide away from any threat. In this moment she finally has time to collect her thoughts, she has lost the one person she believed to be her family, she has lost the man that she thought she loved and she has lost all hope. Dimitri was lying this whole time, he didn't care for her, he saw a vulnerable person to make a quick buck from and ran when it was his neck on the line. Her Grandmother, cruel and callous, refused to even consider what Anya had told her and would rather lock her away than have a discussion. But Anya knows who she is, she is the lost princess Anastasia, heir to the throne. She felt it in her bones, she finally had her identity and wouldn't give up that easily.

As she slips silently through the streets her mind turns towards the family and life she could’ve had if things had gone differently, sure she can blame Dimitri, she can blame her Grandmother, but those truly at fault were those that killed her family and stole her birthright. The people that celebrated her family's demise. And so, as she wanders, Anastasia plots another path to the throne, if she couldn’t convince her grandmother of her legitimacy she would have to force her way there. She had never desired the throne, but she had been too powerless for too long and refused to allow anyone to have the opportunity to determine her fate ever again.

And so Anastasia’s plan begins, the Romanov curse is still alive and well and Rasputin is coming for her and so she sets a trap on a snowy bridge.

‘Little Anya finally come to give up this foolish game’ exclaims Rasputin from across the frost covered divide.

‘There is no point anymore’ says Anya as she creeps closer, ‘They abandoned me, my grandmother, dimitri, my family, I have nothing left’ Crocodile tears fall and her eyes zone in on the reliquary tied to Rasputins belt.

Rasputin's guard is down, feeling he has finally won his prize; he gloats as Anastasia creeps again closer.

‘Yes I suppose that is true, oh I always saw it ending like this, you crawling in defeat to finally end this charade. Smart really, it would’ve been exhausting to con-’

Anya grabs for the reliquary, snatching it from off of Rasputin's belt and makes a run for it. She runs and runs until she finally feels safe enough to stop. For a second she is perplexed, surely the reliquary’s spirits should have attacked her by now? But nothing, if anything they seem perfectly calm within her grasp. And so she speaks to the demons inside.

‘I don't know if you can hear me, but I have a deal for you’ She whispers into the night.

‘Make me the most powerful person in all Russia, so that no one can ever take what is mine from me ever again, and I will rise up as empress and allow you the true power you deserve, over an entire empire’

And the rest, as they say, is history.

✨CREDITS✨

Vocals/Lyrics/Story - Lydia the Bard and Alex

Arrangement - Ben Tomalin - www.instagram.com/bentomalin/

Animatic - Shrubbug - www.instagram.com/shrubbuggish_/

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