Chapter 1

RPOV

Oh my god. I am awaiting trial for murder. Not just any murder. Queen Tatiana was murdered with my silver stake the night before last. Yesterday I had my hearing and now I am sitting in a cell.

I can protest I am innocent but it would do me no good. I have had too many public outbursts at the queen lately and I am not sure many royals would believe me but some would.

Abe was representing me in court yesterday. I realised that Adrian had pulled in some favours to get some relative to represent me but sometimes you just need your dad.

Tomas came to see me and said he had requested prison detail for a while. Hans had realised we had bonded and had guessed the reasons behind both of our unplanned vacations previously. Now he saw Dimitri back to being dhampir he had bigger problems with what to do with him. Apparently he had been assigned both mine and Tomas's filing duties.

Guardians fell into two camps. There were some, and thankfully only a handful that believed I had in fact murdered the queen. Then the others refused to believe. They had seen me fight when Lissa and Christian had been kidnapped by a then Strigoi dimitri but knew my battles with the queen were likely to be verbal.

I believed that my friends fell into the disbelievers. Trouble was my boyfriend is the queen's nephew. He was the only person I wanted to see right now and I could not see him. It would not be good if he was seen near the prison that held his aunt's alleged killer.

Tomas announced that I had a visitor.

"Who is it?" I asked

"Mr Dimitri Belikov" he stated rather nervously. People were still a little nervous around him.

"Tomas, stay please, Dimitri is not strigoi now. There is nothing to be afraid of."

"As you wish" he replied as he walked off to collect the visitor.

"Rose" Dimitri called out

"Comrade" I responded

Dimitri chuckled to himself. He touched the bars and then pulled back.

"Spit it out" I cried

"It is nice to hear that again. I just wish it was in other circumstances." He replied solemnly.

"You know I did not kill her, don't you?" I asked, hoping he did.

"Of course Roza." He had slipped up and he realised it. "You would not have done anything physically to the queen. Viciously attacked her with your tongue maybe but certainly not stabbed her."

The guardians around the room laughed and even I did. This banter was much like the good old days and I missed it.

"They all wanted to come but there was too many and I requested I came alone." He said. "Why did you choose Abe yesterday to represent you? I told you to stay away from him."

"Because he was not indirectly involved with the royal family and I know he would do whatever he could to help me. Ask Janine Hathaway why I chose him. She knows" I replied.

"He is bad news I promise you that." Dimitri responded.

"He has done nothing but help me and your sister Victoria. Whilst searching for you to fulfil that stupid promise we made I was attacked by strigoi. I was with an alchemist wwho was escorting me to Baia. Another thing that he made happen. After killing them both I collapsed. Sydney called Abe, who in the middle of the night drove us to Baia. I was saying 'Belikov' over and over so they took me to your mother. He stayed to ensure I was alright and then told me to leave Baia, and that your family were not mine, but I stayed. I became friends with Victoria and on the final night before returning to school she attended a club. She met a moroi boy Rolan, and was going to be with him. I begged her not to but she would not. Abe was there and in exchange for me leaving he would get Rolan to leave her alone. After all Rolan was already the father of Sonya's baby. I left for Novoibirsk to find you. After the events on the bridge he took me to Oksana to heal. He then packed me up home with his scarf and told St. Vladimir's they had to take me back."

"I never realised all that had happened." Dimitri said. It was clear he resented not being there for his family. I could not blame him. "Why did you do that for Victoria?"

"She was a sister and best friend to me." I replied

"Why would Abe do that for you?" He asked

"That is not important" I replied. "Just realise I would do anything for him and him likewise for me."

"Abe is having a meeting tonight. Lissa, Christian, Adrian, Tasha, Mia and I shall be there. He would like you to attend."

The guardians started laughing; one responded "she does not have quite the same freedom as you mate".

"I know what you mean. What time?" I responded

"7.00pm and Adrian wants to visit you later after the meeting so we can get your views" Dimitri stated.

My heart picked up "I shall be there at 7. Tell Adrian I would not dream of missing a visit from him. Tell them I love them all."

Tomas stepped forward "Rose I shall be off duty then may I attend?"

Dimitri looked at him, and nodded.

"Oh Dimitri and Tomas realise this fall foul of Abe you will have Janine Hathaway on your hands. He is my father after all."