Vinnie and Mikhail rode down the streets of St. Petersburg.
The buildings were grand but old, and birds had built nests in the stone cracks.
Vinnie saw that many people were poor.
Children with sad, hungry eyes were in the streets.
The old people sitting in front of the buildings looked tired and sick.
"People don't look very happy," Vinnie said to Mikhail.
Mikhail nodded sadly.
"Many people are angry at the royal family.
The czar does not know how people really live."
"Mikhail," his father said, sharply. "Keep silent."
"But, Papa, even you said that change must happen!" Mikhail cried.
"We do not speak of these matters in the street,"
Mikhail's father said nervously.
"The czar's spies are everywhere."
Inside the palace, Mandy was in trouble.
The ruffle of Anna's dress was muddy and stained.
"Clean this up now!" said Anna.
She pulled the ruffle off her dress and handed it to Mandy.
Then a servant led the ballerina down a hallway.
As she walked off, Anna's dress looked shorter and very plain.
Another servant motioned to Mandy:
"Come to the kitchen!
We'll clean it there."
In the halls and rooms of the palace, everything shone.
It was as if gold had been poured on the walls.
The furniture was covered in thick purple and red velvet.
Crystal lights sparkled.
"First time in the Winter Palace?" asked the servant.
"Yes, it's beautiful," Mandy exclaimed.
"The royal family is usually here only in winter.
But this year, the Romanovs are staying longer," explained the servant.
"Romanov . . . that name sounds familiar," Mandy thought.
Outside the kitchen, they passed delivery men carrying baskets of flowers.
A little while earlier, Vinnie had arrived at the palace.
In the square outside, he unloaded baskets of flowers from a wagon.
"Wow! Look at how big the palace is!" he cried, staring.
"Come, we have work to do," said Mikhail's father.
Inside, Vinnie passed a servant and a little girl carrying some wrinkled fabric.
The tall basket of flowers blocked his vision, and he didn't see that it was Mandy.
Mandy cleaned the ruffle as best as she could.
Then she left the kitchen to take it to Miss Pavlova.
She paused in a hall to look at a royal family portrait.
In the painting, there were five children—four girls and a young boy.
"Romanov . . . ," Mandy said aloud, looking more closely at the picture.
"Awful, isn't it?"
said a girl a bit older than Mandy who was standing nearby.
She wore a pink dress with matching ribbons in her hair.
"I think it's a fine picture," Mandy said nervously.
"It doesn't look like me at all,"
the girl complained playfully.
Mandy looked at the picture again.
This girl must be the one sitting to the right of the boy.
"You do look better in real life," admitted Mandy.
The girl looked curiously at Mandy.
Then she said, "I like you.
You're very honest."
Mandy smiled. "I'm Mandy.
I need to find Miss Pavlova.
Do you know where she is?"
"Yes. She is with my parents," replied the girl.
"My name is Anastasia."