winteriron oneshots

Anastasia

"There was a time, not very long ago when we lived in an enchanted world of elegant palaces and grand parties.

The year was 1916 and my son, Howard, was the King of imperial Russia.

We were celebrating the 300th anniversary of our family rule.

And that night, no star burned bright than that of our sweet Toni; my youngest granddaughter.

She begged me not to return to Paris so I had a very special gift made for her to make the separation easier for both of us."

"For me?" Toni gasped as she looked at the gift curiously.

"Is it a jewelry box?"

"James! You belong in the kitchen!" One of the butlers grabbed the young kid who had wandered off and away from his post.

"Look." The grandmother smiled then picked up a locket just to use it as a key for the box and started to turn it as you do with keys.

Toni watched carefully then gasped when she heard a song playing then looked at her grandmother immediately.

"It plays our song."

"You can play it at night before you go to sleep and pretend it is me, singing." The grandmother smiled at her.

"On the wind,
'Cross the sea,
Hear this song and remember." She sang softly.

"Soon you'll be home with me
Once upon a December." They both sang together.

"Read what it says." The grandmother spoke softly to her youngest grandchild and only from this side of the family.

"Together in Paris." Toni read the inscription on the locket then gasped as she looked at her grandmother.

"Really? Oh, grandma!" She beamed then hugged her immediately.

"But we would never be together in Paris, for a dark shadow had descended upon the house of the Starks." The grandmother went back to narrating everything.

"His name was Obadiah Stane." She hissed.

"We thought he was a holy man, but he was a fraud; power-mad and dangerous."

"How dare you return to the palace!" Howard spat at his used-to-be most trusted friend.

"But I am your confidant." Obadiah gasped at him.

"Confidant? Ha! You are a traitor! Get out!"

"You think you can banish the great Obadiah Stane but the unholy powers vested in me, I banish you with a curse." Obadiah hissed as he raised a tube that had a skull at the top and was glowing green with evil lurking inside of it.

"Mark my words." He spoke as he turned around to look at the others in the palace then faced the man again.

"You and your family will die within a fortnight!" He declared as he pointed at him accusingly which made the guests gasp and murmur about what this meant.

"I will not rest until I see the end of the Stark line forever!" He shouted then raised the tube towards the chandelier which then collapsed to the floor and shattered as the guests circled the broken pieces with fear.

"Consumed by his hatred for Howard and his family, Obadiah sold his soul for the power to destroy them." She commentated.

"Go." Obadiah purred as he was speaking to the tube and ushering it away.