Ella had left the pavilion house earlier than the others that morning. Being in the same room as Jane was making Beauty antsy, and Ella was completely amenable to going out and exploring (which really meant looking for Helena and Daniel.) She told Vlad she was stepping out, but that she'd be right back, and she'd walked out into the cold, morning sun.
They were on a small island, she realized in the daylight, and the snow and forests were beautiful in their untouched way. Beauty liked the area, and her calm made Ella feel calmer too. It was one of the good things about Ella's relationship with Beauty; it was peaceful, and so Beauty helped Ella be calm (where she would normally panic). She'd wrapped the warm coat, which dragged along the snow, closer to her, and she'd crossed the tiny bridge into the forest beyond. She intentionally headed in the direction that they'd been in the night before, wanting to ensure their four clothing-donors had gotten home safely, when she was stopped by two men she couldn't understand.
Ella, with her pale skin and hair that was unconventionally log in 2010 fit in perfectly well in 1917 Russia, and the two men were almost respectful as they led her toward the palace.
They took her to an older man who called himself a vracha and pointed to himself and said he was 'Botkin.' Ella couldn't understand a word the man was saying, and she said as much (in English). Français, the voice in her mind said, but Ella ignored it. Beauty could speak as much French as she liked; Ella didn't understand a word of it.
The good doctor, however, had spoken English. Ella didn't tell him about Bellum, or about time travel, or about anything strange at all. "I'm lost, and I don't remember anything," she'd told him, and she'd intentionally given him a sweet and warm smile, and he'd fallen for it hook, line and sinker (she thought).
He'd checked her over physically; she was in perfect health, and then he'd found a long black skirt and white blouse for her, along with black boots and black stockings. He'd walked her to the Empress' rooms personally, and he'd told the woman that she was a cousin of his, and he'd very much appreciate her being allowed to serve her. The Empress, who was worried about the upcoming formal dinner that was scheduled and her husband's recent abdication, barely looked Ella's way before she agreed.
Botkin had squeezed her fingers, told her he knew where she was from, and then he'd left her in the Empress' empty dressing room without even giving her a chance to ask what he meant. She wandered into the next room, where Rosalie was fighting sleep on the couch, and she didn't notice the blonde at first.