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So it was agreed that they would travel up to Paris together by train. Dimitri had managed to procure some blintzes for breakfast. Belle couldn’t remember the last time they had eaten those at the palace, and she enjoyed her breakfast and the company of friends. It was nice to be themselves around normal people for a change, even though Belle felt an inward twinge of guilt about having to lie about her and her sister’s names. She was also worried about finding their way to their Grandmother’s home when they got to Paris; she wasn’t entirely sure that Anya knew whereabouts in the French capital Grandmama lived. After they had eaten, the boys went to pack up and Belle decided to bring up the subject with her sister.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” replied Anya, airily. “Now stop being such a worryguts and let’s get our stuff together.”

“What about the horses?” Belle bit her lip. “We’ll have to leave them behind.”

Anya hadn’t thought of that. “Well...” Her shoulders slumped. “We’ll have to set them free. It’s their only chance to live. If we leave them here without food and water, they’ll die.”

Belle knew she was right, but in her heart of hearts she didn’t want to let Philippe go. She had had him ever since she was old enough to ride; and he was more than just a noble steed and beloved pet. He was a confidante; a friend. She loved him as much as she loved anyone else in her family.

“Find me,” she whispered as she said goodbye to him. “Come back and find me.”

Philippe pricked up his ears and snorted, as if he understood. She hoped he did. She wanted to find him again; when all the confusion of the revolution had died down again. She gave him a hug, tears in her eyes and then began to remove his tack. “Go on, now, go,” she said, thickly, patting his neck. “You’re free.”

Philippe immediately trotted off; Nightshade close in tow. Maybe they’d stick together; animals in close circumstances often developed family feelings, didn’t they? Hadn’t she once read that in a book or something?

Beside her, Anya glanced at her, stony-faced. “Stop crying. The boys’ll think it’s weird.” But the wobbliness of her own voice told Belle that she too was distraught at letting her beloved pet go.

Pulling herself together, Belle took a deep breath. “Come on, let’s get going,” she said, shakily.

Anya nodded and together the two made their way back into the theatre. Adam, busy fastening the leather straps of an enormous rucksack, looked up and grinned at them. “Ready to go?”

“Ready!” Anya replied, in a tone of freshness that suggested she hadn’t just been almost in tears saying goodbye to her much-loved pet.

Belle nodded, suddenly shy. Adam was nice and she felt a little awkward being in his presence, knowing who she was, and feeling kind of...attracted to him. Was she attracted to him? He was a nice man and quite nice looking; maybe she was.

But how could anything ever happen between them? She was a princess, and much as it pained her to say it, he was what a lot of royal people would call “a commoner.” A relationship between them just couldn’t be.

Dimitri came downstairs then, bundled up in his coat. “Getting cold out there again,” he muttered, handing Adam a long, thick scarf.

“Well, it is December,” Adam quipped back, taking it with a grateful nod. “I hope you girls have got warm clothing.”

Anya laughed. “We’ll be just fine, thanks, Adam!”

Belle nodded, not trusting her voice.

“Besides,” Dimitri grinned. “You’ll warm up as we run for the train; it’ll be leaving without us if we don’t hurry.”

Thankfully they were able to catch the train. Neither Anya nor Belle had actually travelled by train before, that they could remember. It felt so rattling compared to a carriage. A surly looking guard came along and stamped their tickets without a word. Belle wondered whether he couldn’t talk or if he were simply having a bad day.

Dimitri gave a yawn. “Well, I’m off to stretch my legs. Anyone want to join me?”

Anya smiled and sat up straighter. “Well, I wouldn’t mind. You coming, Rose?”

Belle shook her head. “I’m ok here, thanks,” she smiled.

“I’ll stay here too,” Adam said. “Don’t want someone else nicking your seats while you’re gone.”

“Suit yourself,” Dimitri said, and Anya followed him out of the carriage. Belle hunched up, with her feet on the seat and her knees up to her chin. “You alright?” Adam asked, gently.

She nodded. “I’ve never been on a train before, I don’t think.”

Adam stared. “Never?”

“No.”

“You must lead a very sheltered life,” he said.

Belle shrugged. “I guess you could say that. What about you? What about your life?”

It was Adam’s turn to shrug. “Well, there’s not a lot to tell there. My parents died when I was very young and Dimitri’s parents took me in but then they died when we were in our early teens. After that, we sort of had to make our own way in the world.”

“And do you travel around? A lot?”

“Well, our work takes us to all sorts of places, so, yes.”

Belle looked out of the window. Suddenly more than anything she wanted to see Grandmama again. “I can’t wait to get there,” she murmured. “I miss Grandmama.”

“What about your parents?”

Belle flinched. “They, um, I don’t really know. In the heat of the revolution and stuff, we lost them. I mean, we think they’re dead, they might not be, we don’t know. Our father always said we were to go and find Grandmama in Paris if anything ever happened to them.”

“Well, I hope you find her.”

Belle looked at him. His words were sincere and his smile was genuine and warm. “Thanks,” she returned. “What will you do when you get to Paris?”

“Find somewhere to stay, preferably somewhere cheap, go about our business and then move on.” Adam folded his arms and leaned back in his seat. “We usually tend to wing it.”

“That must be nice,” Belle said, softly. “Not having to worry about things.”

“Well, we do; things like where our next meal comes from, where we’ll stay, where we go next, but, yeah, it’s pretty carefree.”

Belle thought about the way her life had always been planned out so carefully, days following schedules and plans, and tried to imagine it differently. “But you don’t feel trapped by rules and regulations and what’s done and what isn’t done, right?”

Adam glanced at her, bemused. “You sound like a princess in a story.”

Belle blushed. “Well, I...”

“It’s ok.” Adam smiled. “I’m teasing.”

“Oh!” She laughed, weak with relief. “Right!”

“Hey!” Dimitri and Anya were back. “You want to come and choose something from the dining cart, Adam?” He jerked a thumb at Anya and grinned at Belle. “She knows what you two want.”

Anya grinned, broadly, wondering what had caused her sister to blush so much. “Yeah, I’ll come,” Adam said, getting to his feet. “Back in a bit,” he said to Belle, who nodded.

Ah! Now it all made sense, Anya thought, as she settled back into her seat. The second the boys were out of earshot, she glanced at Belle. “You know nothing can happen with you two, right? Given our blood status?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Belle stammered, her blushes only rising.

“Please. You like Adam. That much is obvious.”

“He’s just a nice man.”

“And that’s all?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I hope it is,” Anya replied. “We’re princesses on the run, remember; falling in love with someone like Adam is forbidden.”

“I didn’t say anything about love,” Belle stammered. “Anyway, I thought you weren’t a snob.”

“I’m not, Belle, I’m just pointing out the facts.”

Facts, Belle thought as she leaned her head against the window pane and stared out at the snow passing by, for once can’t we just get rid of the facts?

Description
So it was agreed that they would travel up to Paris together by train. Dimitri had managed to procure some blintzes for breakfast. Belle couldn’t remember the last time they had eaten those at the palace, and she enjoyed her breakfast and the company of friends. It was nice to be themselves around normal people for a change, even though Belle felt an inward twinge of guilt about having to lie about her and her sister’s names. She was also worried about finding their way to their Grandmother’s home when they got to Paris; she wasn’t entirely sure that Anya knew whereabouts in the French capital Grandmama lived. After they had eaten, the boys went to pack up and Belle decided to bring up the subject with her sister.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” replied Anya, airily. “Now stop being such a worryguts and let’s get our stuff together.”

“What about the horses?” Belle bit her lip. “We’ll have to leave them behind.”

Anya hadn’t thought of that. “Well...” Her shoulders slumped. “We’ll have to set them free. It’s their only chance to live. If we leave them here without food and water, they’ll die.”

Belle knew she was right, but in her heart of hearts she didn’t want to let Philippe go. She had had him ever since she was old enough to ride; and he was more than just a noble steed and beloved pet. He was a confidante; a friend. She loved him as much as she loved anyone else in her family.

“Find me,” she whispered as she said goodbye to him. “Come back and find me.”

Philippe pricked up his ears and snorted, as if he understood. She hoped he did. She wanted to find him again; when all the confusion of the revolution had died down again. She gave him a hug, tears in her eyes and then began to remove his tack. “Go on, now, go,” she said, thickly, patting his neck. “You’re free.”

Philippe immediately trotted off; Nightshade close in tow. Maybe they’d stick together; animals in close circumstances often developed family feelings, didn’t they? Hadn’t she once read that in a book or something?

Beside her, Anya glanced at her, stony-faced. “Stop crying. The boys’ll think it’s weird.” But the wobbliness of her own voice told Belle that she too was distraught at letting her beloved pet go.

Pulling herself together, Belle took a deep breath. “Come on, let’s get going,” she said, shakily.

Anya nodded and together the two made their way back into the theatre. Adam, busy fastening the leather straps of an enormous rucksack, looked up and grinned at them. “Ready to go?”

“Ready!” Anya replied, in a tone of freshness that suggested she hadn’t just been almost in tears saying goodbye to her much-loved pet.

Belle nodded, suddenly shy. Adam was nice and she felt a little awkward being in his presence, knowing who she was, and feeling kind of...attracted to him. Was she attracted to him? He was a nice man and quite nice looking; maybe she was.

But how could anything ever happen between them? She was a princess, and much as it pained her to say it, he was what a lot of royal people would call “a commoner.” A relationship between them just couldn’t be.

Dimitri came downstairs then, bundled up in his coat. “Getting cold out there again,” he muttered, handing Adam a long, thick scarf.

“Well, it is December,” Adam quipped back, taking it with a grateful nod. “I hope you girls have got warm clothing.”

Anya laughed. “We’ll be just fine, thanks, Adam!”

Belle nodded, not trusting her voice.

“Besides,” Dimitri grinned. “You’ll warm up as we run for the train; it’ll be leaving without us if we don’t hurry.”

Thankfully they were able to catch the train. Neither Anya nor Belle had actually travelled by train before, that they could remember. It felt so rattling compared to a carriage. A surly looking guard came along and stamped their tickets without a word. Belle wondered whether he couldn’t talk or if he were simply having a bad day.

Dimitri gave a yawn. “Well, I’m off to stretch my legs. Anyone want to join me?”

Anya smiled and sat up straighter. “Well, I wouldn’t mind. You coming, Rose?”

Belle shook her head. “I’m ok here, thanks,” she smiled.

“I’ll stay here too,” Adam said. “Don’t want someone else nicking your seats while you’re gone.”

“Suit yourself,” Dimitri said, and Anya followed him out of the carriage. Belle hunched up, with her feet on the seat and her knees up to her chin. “You alright?” Adam asked, gently.

She nodded. “I’ve never been on a train before, I don’t think.”

Adam stared. “Never?”

“No.”

“You must lead a very sheltered life,” he said.

Belle shrugged. “I guess you could say that. What about you? What about your life?”

It was Adam’s turn to shrug. “Well, there’s not a lot to tell there. My parents died when I was very young and Dimitri’s parents took me in but then they died when we were in our early teens. After that, we sort of had to make our own way in the world.”

“And do you travel around? A lot?”

“Well, our work takes us to all sorts of places, so, yes.”

Belle looked out of the window. Suddenly more than anything she wanted to see Grandmama again. “I can’t wait to get there,” she murmured. “I miss Grandmama.”

“What about your parents?”

Belle flinched. “They, um, I don’t really know. In the heat of the revolution and stuff, we lost them. I mean, we think they’re dead, they might not be, we don’t know. Our father always said we were to go and find Grandmama in Paris if anything ever happened to them.”

“Well, I hope you find her.”

Belle looked at him. His words were sincere and his smile was genuine and warm. “Thanks,” she returned. “What will you do when you get to Paris?”

“Find somewhere to stay, preferably somewhere cheap, go about our business and then move on.” Adam folded his arms and leaned back in his seat. “We usually tend to wing it.”

“That must be nice,” Belle said, softly. “Not having to worry about things.”

“Well, we do; things like where our next meal comes from, where we’ll stay, where we go next, but, yeah, it’s pretty carefree.”

Belle thought about the way her life had always been planned out so carefully, days following schedules and plans, and tried to imagine it differently. “But you don’t feel trapped by rules and regulations and what’s done and what isn’t done, right?”

Adam glanced at her, bemused. “You sound like a princess in a story.”

Belle blushed. “Well, I...”

“It’s ok.” Adam smiled. “I’m teasing.”

“Oh!” She laughed, weak with relief. “Right!”

“Hey!” Dimitri and Anya were back. “You want to come and choose something from the dining cart, Adam?” He jerked a thumb at Anya and grinned at Belle. “She knows what you two want.”

Anya grinned, broadly, wondering what had caused her sister to blush so much. “Yeah, I’ll come,” Adam said, getting to his feet. “Back in a bit,” he said to Belle, who nodded.

Ah! Now it all made sense, Anya thought, as she settled back into her seat. The second the boys were out of earshot, she glanced at Belle. “You know nothing can happen with you two, right? Given our blood status?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Belle stammered, her blushes only rising.

“Please. You like Adam. That much is obvious.”

“He’s just a nice man.”

“And that’s all?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I hope it is,” Anya replied. “We’re princesses on the run, remember; falling in love with someone like Adam is forbidden.”

“I didn’t say anything about love,” Belle stammered. “Anyway, I thought you weren’t a snob.”

“I’m not, Belle, I’m just pointing out the facts.”

Facts, Belle thought as she leaned her head against the window pane and stared out at the snow passing by, for once can’t we just get rid of the facts?