Authors Note: This is my first fanfic. I hope you like it.
I do not own anything. Richelle Mead owns everything.
Prologue
Six weeks ago I finally returned to Court and to all my friends after trying to find the person who was actually responsible for killing the Queen and framing me, and also searching for Lissa's sibling, which I realized was a sister.
Victor was caught about eight weeks ago and admitted to using compulsion on one of the Royal Guards, Guardian Kumell, to steal my steak and kill the Queen. He not only did it out of revenge for convicting him of a crime, kidnapping Lissa and torturing her, that he didn't feel he was guilty of, but he thought that getting Tatiana out of the picture would bring about change, allow Moroi to begin fighting alongside the guardians, and for some reason, he also believed it would put him back in power. He framed me for this because he wanted me out of the way so he could use Lissa to heal his body. Why he thought any of this would actually work for him is beyond me. He was sent to trial and this time they put him to death. He was executed shortly after court left out that day.
Knowing he was being sent to his death, he knew that Lissa needed to take her rightful place on the Royal Council. He admitted to everyone that Lissa had a sibling, a sister no less, and that he knew whom it was. Knowing that she would be able to start the changes he was so wanting to happen, he told us of a security box he had and that all the information we needed was in there. Shortly after the execution Lissa and I got the keys and went to the bank to get the information and begin our search. We weren't really expecting to find a birth certificate, bank documents, letters from Lissa's father, Eric, explaining what he wanted Victor to do. Eric had asked Victor to keep this entire secret until it absolutely had to come out. He also asked him to keep an eye on his daughter, and keep her and her mother comfortable in the event that anything would happen to him. He also asked that this secret be kept indefinitely or until Victor's death was coming due to his illness. He never expected Victor to be sent to death for treason.
After we got all the information we were shocked to find out that we knew this girl. She was a few years younger than us and was a friend. We set off to Detroit to inform Jill Mastrano that she was a royal and a Dragomir. We knew that we would not need all the information, her mother would know what was happening when we began our story, but we took it anyway, just to be sure. After we explained and got it all sorted out, we brought Jill and her mother back to Court and got them situated in housing and got Lissa her rightful spot on the council.
After all that we had the reading of Tatiana's will. Damon Tarus, the lawyer for the Ivashkovs, was doing the reading. Of course there were all the normal formalities, Adrian got the bulk of her estate, which meant he didn't need his fathers money anymore, and there was congratulations on Lissa getting her spot on the council. It was if Tatiana could see the future. The biggest shock was when my father, Abe Mazur was mentioned. She had actually appointed him her successor to the crown, and called him Prince Abe Mazur-Arcos. I was stunned to say the least. My father, a Royal? It was explained that he was the last of the first Royal line that had been forgotten over the years. It was stated that she wanted someone who would fight for change, fight for the rights of all Moroi and Dhampir, and would not back down from the controversy that would undoubtedly come up. She also wanted someone who would carry on the oldest Royal family, and allow him to take his rightful place in society.
There were collective murmurs among the Royals as this was read. I was just dumbfounded. There were so many questions in my head. What did this mean? I felt my fathers hand move over top of mine, and give it a little squeeze. I looked up at him and he leaned over and whispered, "I will explain it all to you soon." He knew this was coming! I just nodded and focused on the front again. Damon took an envelope out of his briefcase and said, "Prince Arcos, there is an envelope addressed to you from the Queen with instructions to read it in private along with Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway, Lord Adrian Ivashkov, Princess Vasilisa Dragomir, Lady Jill Mastrano-Dragomir, Lord Christian Ozera, and Guardian Dimitri Belikov."
Abe rose and answered, "Very well, we will meet in the room across the hall when the proceedings have concluded. Thank you." He sat down and I couldn't believe how royal he actually just sounded. I had never heard that out of him. There was shock written on everyone's face as I looked around the room.
Damon continued but I had tuned it all out. I am the child of a Royal. I wondered why my father had kept it from me. Did my mother know? Did he know? I had so many questions and I didn't know what to make of all it. And why would the private reading need to involve my friends? How would this revelation affect them?
I so did not need this right on top of everything else. There was drama with Lissa getting situated on he council, helping Jill become accustom to being a Royal, my relationships with Adrian and Dimitri, and now my father being a Royal and about to become King! What am I going to do?