TSAR'S DAUGHTER MARIE（19）

EXT. RAILROAD STATION -- TYUMEN -- NIGHT

A contingent of heavily armed soldiers guards along the two side of a train with a locomotive, a first-class passenger coach and three second-class cars.

Vasily supervises the Romanovs and their four retainers entrain. Nicholas and Alexandra are settled in one compartment, and Marie and Anna in the other. Victor stands on the platform, watching.

Before steaming out of the railroad station, the train is halted and surrounded by a group of Red Guards from the Ural Regional Soviet.

INT TRAIN -- DAY

Victor rushes to Vasily and punches him on the shoulder.

VICTOR

Hey, what happened? How come those Urals don't listen to you?

VASILY

It's out of control. I've just got a telegram from Moscow that I must take the family to Ekaterinburg.

VICTOR

Ekaterinburg? Damned.  I won't go there. Let me confess, I'm plotting to help the girl escape.

VASILY

Marie? I know.

VICTOR

Yes, Marie. How do you know?

VASILY

I saw you guys rendezvous.

VICTOR

(angrily)

Damned. You've been spying on me?

VASILY

(sighing)

I've been worried about you. As you fall for the former Grand Duchess, you've betrayed the proletarian revolution. You're no longer a resolute Bolshevist. You'll be treated as a rat. You can be killed any time. Your life is full of danger.

VICTOR

I don't mind. I need your help.

VASILY

How? How can I help you? The train's been surrounded by the Ural Red Guards. You need to have wings to fly out of here.

VICTOR

Just distract the Ural Red Guards for me. I've got my own way to do the rest.

Before Victor walking away, Vasily fishes in his vest pocket and takes out some money.

VASILY

Take it.

VICTOR

Thanks.

INT. DINING CAR -- DAY

Passing the dining car, Victor takes loaves of bread, some meat and a bottle of wine. He stuffs the food in his pockets and runs away.

INT. TRAIN -- DAY

Nicholas looks out of his compartment window and notices the sign on the road. He rises, becoming agitated.

NICHOLAS

Where will you take us, to Moscow or Vladivostok?

VASILY

To Ekaterinburg.

NICHOLAS

Oh, no. I would've gone anywhere but to the Urals. The workers there are bitterly hostile to me. They're harsh against me.

Vasily follows the guards from Ural and leaves Nicholas alone.

MARIE

Papa, how come they ignore your protest?

NICHOLAS

Marie, go to ask them. Request them to give me an explanation.

MARIE

Okay, Papa, I'll go and ask.

Marie runs away. At a corner, Marie bumps into Victor who carries a bundle of clothes.

VICTOR

Marie, hurry up, put on the guard's uniform and hat.

MARIE

Oh, what's going on? Why should I be in a guard's uniform?

VICTOR

Don't ask too much. Just disguise yourself as a guard, so we can flee together, now.

MARIE

No, Victor, I can't.  Papa asked me to go on an errand. I need to talk to the Commissar to know why they should take us to Ekaterinburg.

VICTOR

Why? You'd like to know why? Well, I can tell you the reason.  They want to destroy your family. They want you to die.

MARIE

Oh, God, they want us to die? How come?

VICTOR

So, just listen to me and follow me. I won't let you be a victim. I won't let you be sacrificed. I won't let anyone to hurt you.

MARIE

(crying bitterly)

But I can't, I can't. I'm so sorry to disappoint you. I can't.

Marie buries her face in Victor's shoulder and sobs loudly.