Pairings: No set Parings. Eventual Bucky Barnes x Reader
Word Count: 4.7K
Warnings: Nothing that I can think of. However if you find something that should be warned about, please let me know.
Series’ Note: This fic is a reader insert throughout the majority of the story. It’s not until towards the end, besides the first chapter, that an actual name is placed onto the reader. As always I try to keep all descriptions and such very vague and open to the reader to feel included. None of the physical descriptions of Anastasia will be used in this. Details from both the animated movie and Broadway show were used as reference material to go with the several twists and personal touches that I’ve added.
Author’s Note: I’m so excited for this to be posted! I couldn't wait any longer, so here is my early birthday gift to you guys and I hope that you enjoy my take on this story with these characters. I’ve been stuck with this idea in my head since seeing a tiktok and well, here is the result. I can’t wait for you guys to read all the twist and turns I’ve added. Happy reading! The beautiful divider is by @firefly-graphics ♥
I do not and will not ever give permission for my fics to be copied and posted on other sites. Don’t do it. Don’t be that person that ruins it for me and everyone else.
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<< Series Masterlist || Marvel Masterlist || Chapter 2 >>
“Wait for me!” Anastasia called out as she ran down the hall after her older sisters.
The two girls had been giggling away as they had some plans they wished to go and do without their younger sister’s presence. Hearing Anastasia’s voice only causes them to run a little bit faster to get to their destination. By the time Anastasia had made it half way down the hall, her sisters were no longer in sight.
A sigh passed her lips as she kicked her shoe against the tile of the halls. It wasn’t always like that between the siblings. Some days all of them would be together enjoying their time. The laughter between them would be contagious as they played games that were both physical or even the imaginary ones. Today just happened to not be one of those days.
Anastasia was about to turn back the way she came when she heard voices coming up the adjacent hall. One of them she recognized right away as her father. It was the way his voice held authority that she could easily pick up on. However it was the other voice that had responded to her father that she didn’t recognize.
Down that particular hall, Anastasia knew her father’s office had been stationed right there. A place where the family knew her father conducted most of his private business affairs behind those closed doors. Only this time the conversation had begun before they even reached that office.
Taking careful steps to prevent the sound of her shoes hitting the tile to echo within the hall, Anastasia moved as close to the corner of the hall so she could listen in on the conversation. While she knew she shouldn’t have, she had never heard the second voice before and she was curious as ever to know who it belonged to.
The way he spoke didn’t bring ease like many of the people Anastasia had heard speak. There was no comfort in the tone of his voice. If anything, it caused a chill to run up the young girl’s spine as she listened to him speak.
“The L/N family has ruled for a handful of centuries. What difference is it this time around?” Anastasia could hear her father ask as they came to a stop just outside of his office.
“I believe a deal between the L/N family and Hydra would be beneficial to both parties.” The man said a moment later. “You have the resources I need to find a particular item of interest. In return, I have the numbers of men should the need ever arise.”
“What is the item in question?” Her father answered as they walked into his office before closing the door behind them.
Anastasia could still hear the echo of their voices, but nothing being said could be made out completely. Her nose scrunched up slightly as she relaxed her stance against the wall. But even then, there was an unsettling feeling that grew in the pit of her stomach.
She knew nothing about the deals her father made or how this man currently believed the two would be able to help each other out. She just knew something wasn’t right about it. And she hoped that her father had picked up on the feeling just as she did.
“You know it’s considered rude to eavesdrop on a conversation.”
The voice alone had caused Anastasia to jump as she turned to face whoever had snuck up on her. For as long as she had been standing in that spot, she hadn’t even thought to take in her surroundings. And for someone to sneak up on her like that, she must have really been into listening to the details she heard.
Her hand rested above her heart as she turned, taking in how fast it had been beating within her ribcage. Her eyes landed on the boy before her. “And it’s rude to sneak up on people and startle them as you have.”
The glare Anastasia had given the boy as she said the words had caused him to chuckle. As he did, he took a few steps back, hoping to give her the space she needed to calm her rapidly beating heart. And as he did, Anastasia had taken who the boy really was for the first time.
From first appearances, Anastasia knew he must have been the son of someone who worked in the palace or he worked there. Unlike the clothing that had been tailored and pressed for the family, the boy’s clothing were much baggier and in some places, Anastasia could pick up on the tattered ends from wear and tear. Something her clothing never saw.
Even after the sound of his chuckle had left the air that surrounded them, there was still a hint of a smile on his lips. And the mischievous glint within his blue eyes, that was almost covered by his rather unkempt hair, was something Anastasia had seen within her younger brother’s eyes.
But even as Anastasia had taken his appearance she realized she had never spoken to him before. A glance here and there from the distance as she watched him and the other workers’ children playing outside while she studied different subjects. How easy it was to allow envy to fill her all those times she used to look out the window, wanting a distraction from whatever her tutor was droning on about.
“I apologize, Princess.” He said a moment later. “I was on my way out to meet Sam and I couldn’t help myself.”
“Sam?” She questioned. A name that hadn’t held any familiarity to her. Not that she had a chance to mingle with the other children very often.
“A friend of mine.” His head nodded. The smile that had been on his face earlier had soon been replaced with a slight frown as something crossed his mind. “You don’t know any of our names do you?”
While any other time Anastasia might have felt embarrassed, something told her not to feel that way. She held her head up a bit higher as she shook her head. “I’m afraid not. It’s not like we spend a lot of time in the same common areas.”
A huff of a chuckle passed his lips as he shook his head. While the boy knew he could easily get into plenty of trouble simply speaking with Anastasia as he was, he hadn’t cared. For once he had gotten to see her as a normal person. Someone who could be scared easily and be curious as to what he may be doing.
“My name is James.” He offered. “My friends call me Bucky.”
A smile pulled at Anastasia’s lips. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, James. My name is -”
“Anastasia.” He finished for her. “I know.” A chuckle passed both their lips at his words.
Before Anastasia could say anything else, she could hear someone calling her from the opposite end of the hall. Her face fell at the sound of her name. The familiarity in the voice alerting her to her tutor.
“I have to go.” She said as she moved from her spot and began walking away from Bucky.
Bucky watched as she turned from him and disappeared around the corner. He waited there for a few moments more before he even began to move in the direction he had been heading earlier. And while part of him told him that was the only time he’d get to speak to her, there was another part that was willing to find ways to speak to her some more.
_____
Over the next several weeks Bucky had found ways to spend time with Anastasia. While the moments were brief, he managed to find a way. As Anastasia had been walking with her siblings down the hall, he’d make an appearance out of nowhere. A quick conversation was held before Anastasia had to run to catch up with her siblings who were now calling out to her.
Or there were those brief moments where Anastasia would be sitting with a book in her hand as she walked the palace grounds on a nice day. That had been the day Bucky had introduced her to Sam. And for the first time, Anastasia had friends that weren’t always so focused on the royal status she held.
And on one stormy day, Anastasia, Bucky and Sam had been standing off in a corner talking about exploring the levels under the palace that not many had gone into. While Anastasia was hesitant at first, Bucky had been trying not to only convince her but Sam as well that this would all be for fun.
“It’s just for a few minutes.” Bucky tried to convince her. “You’ll be back before they even know you left.”
“Isn’t this considered kidnapping?” Sam asked as he looked over at Bucky. “If they find she’s gone missing before we get back, I’d like to save my skin from the trouble we’d be in.”
“You mean the trouble I’d be in.” Bucky said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Your father is a member of the court. You’ll get a free pass while I’ll get stuck on dish duty for a month.”
Watching the two bicker back and forth caused a laugh to pass Anastasia’s lips. “The question to be asked is how sure are you that you’d be in trouble?” She watched as their eyebrows raised in confusion. “If you happened to have found a wandering princess and tried to get her to go back to where she needed to be, I’m sure this princess would be in more trouble than the two that helped her. Isn’t that right, Bucky?”
Sam leaned closer to Bucky. “It’s scary when she does that.”
It wasn’t the first time that Anastasia had given them a plan that worked a hundred times better than the one they had come up with. She would question things before she ever agreed to anything. With her agreement, there was always a better plan in place that ensured she’d get the blame if it ever came down to it. But like many of the times before, Anastasia was always back where she needed to be before anyone noticed she had been gone.
Bucky shook his head, a grin pulling at his lips. “You have no idea.”
However as it came closer to the three hundred year celebration, they saw less and less of each other. While Bucky was helping with the million chores that needed to be done in preparation of the guests arrival, Anastasia had been getting fitted for her dress along with several more hours of studying that she had fallen behind on.
Both had grown used to the little moments throughout the day where they’d see each other. Even if it was across the hall or even through the window. But as their schedules had become busy, the time they used to spend together was practically nonexistent.
When the day of the party arrived, there had been a lot running around on Bucky’s part. From helping to wash dishes, setting up the dinning hall, and even to getting the ball room polished for the guests that would start to pour in at any minute. The detailing leaves the young boy sweating alongside the others that worked within the palace.
And when he finally had a chance to take a break, sneaking away to find Anastasia just wasn’t possible. Not when she had been glued beside her parent’s the whole day. Even in passing, Anastasia’s attention had been on the things her mother had been saying that she hadn’t even had a chance to look around as she normally would have.
Instead, he simply leaned against the wall to the servant’s hall hidden within the wall and propped open the door in the slightest to give him a view of the ballroom. He could hear the orchestra play as the guests began to dance. While there weren't many in the ballroom at the moment, he knew as the night went on, plenty would be dancing, including Anastasia.
From his spot, Bucky could barely see the chairs that had been placed out for the royal family. He could see the farthest wall that had been lined with tables and chairs for the guests. And as he pushed the door open a little bit more, he could see the chairs for the royal family in their entirety. He could see the way Anastasia’s hand had been tapping along the armrest as she sat there.
A light chuckle passed Bucky’s lips as he watched as her head began to bob with the music. Her enjoyment for nights like these was evident in the way she had previously talked about the upcoming party. All the things she was looking forward to being able to do would soon be in the palm of her hands.
As Anastasia watched the guests begin to dance, a smile couldn’t help but form on her lips. If there was always one thing that Anastasia looked forward to, it was the beautiful parties that had been thrown in the palace. No matter what party had been thrown, Anastasia would end up talking about it for weeks if she could.
It wasn’t long after that Anastasia had found herself out on the ballroom floor with her family dancing to the music. The steps to every dance embedded into her memory that the movements came as easy as breathing. Even as she laughed and even made faces at her siblings to add to the enjoyment of the night, her mood was never dampened in any way.
Some time later, Bucky had found a moment to sneak back into the ballroom. While he stayed close to the back walls, he couldn’t help himself by taking a few steps closer to watch as Anastasia ran up the set of stairs to me with the Dowager Queen. A small smile pulled at his lips as he watched the smile grow on her face.
The Dowager had been visiting for the last week. And while several things had kept Bucky and Anastasia from being able to spend some time together, it was also because of the elderly woman. Anastasia had mentioned time and time again how much she enjoyed spending time with her grandma.
“Do you have to leave tomorrow?” Anastasia asked. There was a slight sadness to her voice as she asked the question.
The Dowager sighed, but allowed a smile to pull at her lips. “I’m afraid I do. And while our goodbyes are always hard, I do believe I have something that will help our time away from each other.”
The older woman reached into the small bag she had with her. Both Anastasia and Bucky watched with curiosity as she did. Anastasia and the Dowager hadn’t noticed Bucky standing nearby as they spoke. And if Anastasia had at any point, she didn’t let Bucky know she had.
Once the Dowager removed her hand from the bag, she held a small round music box. Beautiful gold and green designs covered the sides and top of it. White and red jewels were embedded into some of the engravings. And as she held it up towards Anastasia, the young girl’s eyes widened as she took it in.
“This is for me?” She asked as she slowly reached for the item in her grandmother’s hand. “It’s beautiful. Is it a jewelry box?” The moment she had it in her hands, she began taking in all of the details. The more she looked at it, the more she loved it and she didn’t even know what it was just yet.
The Dowager chuckled and reached for her bag once more, pulling out a necklace with a charm that matched the box in color and design. “Let me show you.” she began as she took the music box from Anastasia and placed the charm of the necklace into a spot on the box before she began winding it up.
Bucky continued to watch the two as the music box began to open within the Dowager’s hands. While from his spot he couldn’t hear the sound that came from it, he could see the way a large grin pulled at Anastasia’s lips. He could tell that Anastasia knew instantly what the small device had been playing. But before the lullaby had been finished, Bucky was literally being dragged back to his work station while being scolded about eavesdropping on royalty.
“Here,” The dowager placed the necklace into Anastasia’s hand. “Read what it says.”
Quickly picking up the charm, she took in the details of it. On the back of the beautiful design had been an engraving with ‘Together in Paris’. The words had caused a gasp to pass Anastasia’s lips.
For months Anastasia had been begging and pleading to be able to spend time with her grandmother in Paris. While her parents had told her that once she was old enough, they’d consider it. The adults had spent many times talking about the arrangements to allow Anastasia to spend some time in Paris with the Dowager and an agreement had been made in two year’s time. The gift not only allowed them to make the separation easier, it gave Anastasia the confirmation that soon she’d be able to spend some time with her for longer than a period of a week at a time. The Dowager’s smile grew as she watched as Anastasia took in the words she had read.
“I really get to go?” Anastasia asked as she looked between the words and her grandmother.
“Of course.” The Dowager nodded. The simple response caused Anastasia to lunge at her grandmother with a tight hug. The both of them laughed as she had.
“Thank you!” Anastasia said as she pulled herself back and took the music box in her hand. Taking the charm, she repeated the movements her grandmother had made moments before in order to start up the music box. And as it started, a smile grew on both of their faces, taking in the beginning of the lullaby once more.
Gasps coming from the crowd caused both Anastasia and her grandmother to turn their attention from the music box and towards the entryway of the ballroom. The guests were quickly creating a pathway for whoever it was that was approaching them. And as they parted, Anastasia could see a man who carried his head held high, followed by several soldiers, make their way closer to her father.
Out of instinct, the Dowager stood from her seat and pulled Anastasia behind her. For even she knew the possible threat this man could be with how he walked in with armed soldiers. The Queen pulled the children closest to her behind her in almost the exact stance the Dowager had been in before pushing them further back, making them the same distance away as Anastasia and the Dowager. Both of the older women attempting to shield the younger ones from any of the harm that could happen within the next few minutes.
The sound of their boots echoed within the ballroom. The sound itself was almost deafening as the royal family waited with bated breath as they continued to walk closer to the King. Anastasia’s eyes watched as her father’s head lifted in preparation for the exchange that was about to begin.
Never once did he shrink as the men came to a stop before him. From where Anastasia stood, she could see the way her father’s fists had clenched by his side. A smirk pulled at the lips of the man before him as he came to a stop, the soldiers doing the same a heartbeat later.
It was the smirk alone that made the King snap as he took a step towards the man. “You have some nerve returning to the palace, Johann.”
“We had a deal, your Majesty.” The title used had come out as a mocking tone. One that had caused several murmurs from those around them to begin.
“I’ve held my end.” The King took a closer step. “It was you that didn’t heed the terms. Our deal was to find what it was you needed, I’ve never once agreed to my people procuring it and handing it over. Now get out!”
“I take my deals very seriously.” Johann never moved from his spot, even after the King told him to leave. “Breaking this deal won’t end well.”
“I will not feed the flames of the hunger you desire for power.” The King’s hand lifted, pointing a finger at Johann. “You will not only destroy this Kingdom, but others as well. If I knew the potential of the item you sought out, I never would have agreed to speak with you, let alone allow this to go on as long as I have. We are done here, and you will leave.”
A chuckle passed Johann’s lips. The sound of it easily sending a chill up the back of everyone present in the room. He ran his gloved hand along his mouth and chin before he nodded his head. “If that is what you wish, then so be it.” He began to turn before stopping mid turn. His hand moved to the back of his neck before pulling at the material that laid just beneath his collar. “However, if I do not get what I want by midday tomorrow,” As he turned he pulled the material away from his head, revealing a red, and disfigured face. “Your family will die.”
The gasps that followed could easily be heard within the ballroom. It had not only been for the words but also because of how Johann looked as a smirk pulled at his face once more. He no longer looked like a man, but a devil that stood before them. Further proving that he would do as he pleased and if he meant death, he’d gladly send it upon the L/N family.
The King’s eyes were wide as he tried to take in everything that had just happened. From the threat to what his eyes were still trying to take in. His eyes moved towards his family before quickly coming back to the man in front of him.
“Midday, your Majesty.” Johann said before turning to leave. “Your time is running out.”
_____
By the time morning arrived, none of the royals had slept. And if they attempted to, it was only moments later that they’d find themselves tossing and turning until they gave up. Fear had easily spread throughout the palace. The night of celebration now long forgotten as the thought of doom and death lurking in the shadows.
The word quickly spread throughout the palace of the Red Skull, a name that had been given to Johann by the workers. For those that didn’t witness it had heard the details of the threats and the man’s reveal of his true self. There were even rumors that the mask he used to cover his face had been left on the ballroom floor.
The Dowager had spent hours trying to convince her son to take his family and leave until the Red Skull had been found and taken into custody. But the argument with her son had proved him to be stubborn and needed to hold his ground to ensure that no one else believed them to be weak or even vulnerable with the threat that had been handed. It ended with the Dowager leaving to go back to Paris with the hopes that her family would soon follow once her son came to his senses well before their time ran out.
On the opposite end of the palace, inside of Anastasia’s room, the young girl paced the length of the room. The music box played the comforting tune as she did. Her mind filled with worry, the dark images of the Red Skull’s face flashing within her mind as his threat played on repeat in her ears. But in the small breaks of those moments, the lullaby calmed her.
“Pacing like that is only going to make you dizzy.” Bucky’s voice carried into the room, causing Anastasia to jump and quickly turn and face him.
From the moment she had been sent to her room with a guard at her door, Anastasia didn’t have a chance to see Bucky or Sam. She had expected them to be with their own families as they waited for any kind of news just as she was. And with how high tensions were, she wasn’t sure when she’d see her friends again.
But much like her in that moment, Bucky just couldn’t sit still and with a bit of a distraction from some of the workers arguing, Bucky had been able to slip through a door and make his way into the servants' halls to Anastasia’s room.
Bucky had been in the ballroom the moment Johann had made his appearance. Much like the others that had witnessed it, fear spiked within Bucky at the threats that had been made. He was afraid for Anastasia and what this could do to her and her family. The thought alone made him wish he had been a few years older to be able to help the guards go looking for him.
“I’d rather be dizzy than sitting still.” She said as she closed the lid to the music box. “But I am glad to see you.”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He said as he took a few steps away from the wall. “I don’t think I’ve seen my parents as scared as they are now. I overheard them talking about leaving.”
“Everyone wants to leave.” She said with a slight nod. “I heard the guards at the door talking about their families wanting to leave as well. One of them said nothing would come from his threats.”
“We should believe him.” Bucky said hopeful. “Your father has the guards out there looking for him. Along with anyone else that was willing to help. The only thing we can do is wait.”
“I don’t like this.” Anastasia said as she turned and began making her way to the other side of the room. Her grip on the music box tightened slightly as she hand. “I don’t want to be scared of being in my own home. Or counting the time until midday arrives.”
Bucky looked down at the ground as he took in her words. While he had witnessed the same thing she had hours ago, it wasn’t his face that he was seeing, it was hers. It was how afraid she had been and the look on her face that had been embedded into his mind. He had seen the Princess startled, laughing, smiling and the occasional sadness that appeared on her face when any of her family left. But seeing her scared was something he had never seen before.
“Your father will figure something out.” Bucky said as he took a few steps towards her. “The Guard is out there looking for him. He won't be able to get very far.”
She shook her head slightly as she walked over to the dollhouse. It had been almost an exact replica of the palace they were currently in. Sighing she set the music box in the smaller version of her room and closed the backing of it up.
“What if they can’t?” Her fingers ran along the top of the dollhouse. Her mind goes back to that day in the hall when she first met Bucky. The conversation her father had been having when she started eavesdropping gave more information now that she understood the threat. “I know I wasn’t the only one eavesdropping.”
Bucky’s face fell as he looked towards the window. She wasn’t wrong. He had heard the conversation her father and the Red Skull had been having just as she had. The deal they had been discussing before it had been closed off to their ears from the end of the hall.
He understood her fear. How much he had been afraid of who was lurking in a rather perfect hiding place that no one could find him. How the slightest noise had made Anastasia jump or scream in fear at the possibility that the soldiers he had spoken about had come for them.
As Bucky was just about to explain that no one would try anything against their family, several rounds of gunshots echoed through the halls. And the screams that shortly followed told Bucky that everything he had been thinking was completely wrong.
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All WorksTag (The tag to be notified for everything I write):
I suddenly remembered that Marvel Mash-ups were a thing and now my whole search history is full but it was worth it because they can still make me laugh
