According to history, the facts are these:

A princess was born in a palace by the sea. She was beautiful and bright and vivacious, a trickster who played pranks and terrorized the staff--until her father cut a look that made her behave. She had a pet dog she adored and a horse she named Romeo. Her best friend was her little brother. She was--not so secretly--her grandmother's favorite.

Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, his four daughters and his son were killed in Yekaterinburg by the Cheka. Not one member of the Romanov family or their household survived. The princess died. A brighter day dawned for Russia: a better Russia, a fairer Russia. Hail our brave new land.

The facts are also these:

A bloodied, half-dead sixteen year old girl, found on the side of the road, woke up in a hospital with no memory of who she was, where she'd come from, how or why she'd been shot. She was tended to. She healed. She was given a name and a hat and a precious diamond that had been found sewn inside of her clothing, and she was sent on her way.

It was hard. She lived in a state of hunger, cold, and fear, but it made her stronger. She learned how to take care of herself, and she clung to the flickering shadows, dim snatches of memories that haunted her dreams. A light at the end of the hall. Shadowy figures in beautiful dresses that called out to her. A soft and loving voice telling her meet her on the bridge.

And on the worst nights--the echoes of screams. Flashes of fire. Harsh, angry pops of gunfire.

She--Anya--did what she had to do to survive in a nation torn by civil war. She worked when work could be found. She slept under bridges. She walked halfway across Russia, seeking something without ever knowing quite what it was, looking for a bridge in a city she'd never even seen.

I'll meet you right there, in Paris...

MBTI ( INFP; THE MEDIATOR )
Mediator personalities are true idealists, always looking for the hint of good in even the worst of people and events, searching for ways to make things better. While they may be perceived as calm, reserved, or even shy, Mediators have an inner flame and passion that can truly shine. Comprising just 4% of the population, the risk of feeling misunderstood is unfortunately high for the Mediator personality type – but when they find like-minded people to spend their time with, the harmony they feel will be a fountain of joy and inspiration.

They say Anastasia Romanov was quite the character, a precocious, rambunctious child who loved to play pranks on her siblings and terrorize the palace staff. While that spirit certainly lives on in the girl with no name, whose battered body was plucked off the side of a snowy road, her life since then has not lent itself to that of fun and whimsy.

A young girl on her own in such a turbulent time of civil war and chaos must become many things. She must be strong. She must be willing to work hard for every ruble. She must be careful, keep her head down, attract as little notice as possible, and follow the law--or, if she must break it to survive, be clever enough not to get caught.

Anya became all of these things, for what other choice did she have? Still, though her life was undeniably difficult, she did not let herself become hardened, or cynical, or unkind. She clung to the faith that things would get better, and to her pride in her own worth, and more than anything, to the belief that someday, someday she would remember who she is. Who she really is.

All of this would make it very easy to assume that Anya is shy and timid, when in fact she's more than happy to say exactly what's on her mind. It's just that, with the Bolsheviks in power, all the walls have ears--and a girl with no past has more secrets than anyone could guess.