Anastasia Romanov |Lesbian Story| (The Sequel)

Chapter 37

Inside the warm tearoom, I sat watching the frost frame the glass windows. Everywhere was under a thick sheet of snow. This winter seemed like it would go on forever, freezing the earth to its core.

Avery poured some hot chamomile tea into my cup.

"Sugar?" she said, but I shook my head.

"I like it as it is, thanks," I said.

She stirred the sweet-scented brew, letting hot steam drift into the air and disappeared. Then she put the silver spoon down and held the cup towards me. I accepted the drink with a smile.

Her fingers were as cold as mine when I touched them. Although I already expected to find some changes in her, this still overwhelmed me. Avery didn't seem to notice my surprise. She took a sip from her teacup then put it down on the table again. I did the same and let the gentle ambiance of the room enveloped us.

After another silent moment, Avery cleared her throat and looked up at me. Her steady gaze was deep. Those jewel-like violet eyes made it hard for me to stare back at them. They were no longer the soft liquid brown I was used to. They had a slight feverish clarity that all predators possessed.

"How are you, Anastasia?" Avery's words, however, still held the same caring sweetness in them.

"Pretty much as you can see," I said with a weak shrug. She smiled back. Her hand went to stir her tea again.

"We didn't get a chance to talk in private," she said. "Everyone is busy preparing for the war."

"You said you wanted to talk to me about my sister," I reminded her. Avery sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Alex is fine," she said. "I just wanted to have a time alone with you before we leave Kremlin."

I looked at her in the eyes.

"You're leaving with my sister?" I asked.

"Where else would I be?" she chuckled. "I won't let her go without me. I can't risk that again."

What happened three years ago had scared us all. I understood how she must have felt. I felt the same way towards Valerina.

"And what did my sister say about that?"

"She can't stop me," Avery said with a dry smile. "I have decided that I will follow her to the end of the world if it comes to that."

"I wish we had another choice," I said and let out a heavy breath.

"You must be worried about her, too," Avery said. "And I'm talking about the girl."

I looked out the window again. The Moscow sky began to darken. The snow began to fall like white rain outside the palace.

"I would never let anything happen to her," I said, more to myself.

"I can tell that you're in love, Anastasia, and so is she."

My head turned back to my former lover. She smiled at me. I blinked and lowered my gaze from hers. It was confronting to acknowledge it in front of her. She knew when I felt helpless. Avery hadn't changed that much after all.

"Valerina saved me from myself," I told her straightforwardly. "She saved me from all the darkness that surrounded my life for all those years."

When I looked up again, I saw Avery's bright eyes glisten with remorse. She leaned over and reached her cold hand forward to take mine. She was apologetic about what happened in the past. But our past had long been a ghost that no longer haunted me. I had made friends with it.

"Anastasia..."

"You don't have to say anything, Avery," I told her. "It's nobody's fault. I did not regret a thing between us, and we both have already moved on."

I patted her hand, and slowly, she pulled away with a smile.

"You deserve the same happiness you gave to others, Ana," she said. "I am utterly happy for you. We all are."

"I know." I returned her smile.

Then her face grew sad again.

"I don't know what would happen to us in the future." Her eyes looked out the window as if to search for the answer. "The war is a terrible thing. I had lived through it myself. I lost everyone I ever loved, and I never wish to face it again. Alex is all I have."

I wanted to tell her I understood exactly how it felt, but she already knew.

"You also have me," I said, causing her to turn back to me. A familiar lovely smile reappeared on her lips.

"Don't let your huntress hear that," she teased, which made me laugh. Then she leaned closer and whispered to me. "I'm so grateful she found you, Anastasia. She found you when no one else could."