It hadn't taken long for the court guardians to catch up with me. I didn't think that little man stealing bitch was smart enough to figure out I had killed the Queen and framed her for it. But she had and she outed me in front of all of court.

I just lost it she was making me look bad in front of my Dimka. Why was she trying to make him hate me? We were meant to be together. He wanted a family, lots of children we had talked about it once. I was the only one who could do that for him. Rose fucking Hathaway sure as hell couldn't.

I didn't think before I grabbed the gun, I just needed to get away. I knocked one of the guardians over and just grabbed it off of his belt. I grabbed the first person in my path not really seeing who it was. Lissa stepped forward, I knew she would she always had to try and fix every bad situation.

It all happened so fast, my hostage broke free, I saw someone move towards me and I shot before thinking. The next thing anyone knew Rose was on the ground where she landed after taking the bullets that would have hit the princess. And I tried to get away in the mayhem.

Now oddly enough I'm sitting in the same damn cell she had been thrown in for my crime. No one would say anything to me. I was going insane. I had to find a way out of this mess. I was Royal no way they would hurt me. Right?

I sat down on the tiny cot they supplied as a bed. There was no way I was sleeping on this revolting thing, I would just complain until I received a new bed. I fucking deserved it. Hopefully Dimka would come and keep me company soon, now that he wasn't off babysitting.

I had been sitting in this cell for a while when I heard a door close, the guardians at my cell looked up all color draining from there faces. That must be my Dimka, they'd all treated him like he was poison since he'd returned from being strigoi. Didn't they understand none of that was his fault? He was protecting that school.

I ran my fingers through my hair so it would look nice, but as soon as I turned around the color drained from my own face. Because there stood Abe Mazur.

" Open this cell!"

He growled out at the two guardians standing there. This whole time I'd forgotten that Rose was his daughter, and only child. Shit this man was terrifying on a good day. They wouldn't let him in here would they? I got my answer when the guardian to the left of my cell pulled the key out, unlocked the door, and swung it open. Fuck!

" Stand up Natasha. Now!"

I did as I was told. I was seriously regretting my decisions right now. But then I remembered he couldn't really do anything to me, certainly not with his element the cells were charmed so you couldn't use any of them. And with that thought I stood up as tall as I could. But than he smirked, and just stood there completely silent. What was he waiting for? Then I heard the door click shut again, maybe this was my Dimka coming for me.

Wrong! It was Guardian Hathaway Sr.

" Ibraham I'm glad to see you waited for me!"

He nodded once not taking his eyes off of me. The guardians outside my cell weren't even looking our way, weren't they sworn to protect Royals like me?

" I'm going to tell you this once, and only once. If my daughter dies I will come down here and kill you. Janine here will help me. You better spend your time hoping she lives. I already have a few plans for you over framing her to take the fall for what you did."

I let his words sink in and I knew I should be scared right now, but I just knew Dimitri and Christian would come to my rescue. Which is exactly what I told him.

" My Dimka and Christian would never let you do anything to me."

I was feeling pretty good again, until he said his next words.

" Oh Natasha I'm pretty sure if Rose dies Dimitri will be the first one down here to kill you. He might or might not beat Janine and I down here. And as for your nephew he may not hurt you but he is sitting there with the rest of us hoping she lives."

How could he betray me like that? I raised him, made sure he was safe. My face was fucked up because I'd saved him. How ungrateful. But what Abe had said about Dimitri wasn't true at all. The man couldn't hurt anyone.

" Dimka would never hurt me. He loves me."

Guardian Hathaway gave me an ' are you stupid' look, while Abe had the audacity to laugh at me. I would not be laughed at. He did love me. He was the only one who looked past my marred face and what my family had done, and saw me.

" Why the in the hell are you laughing at me? The only reason he ever looked at Rose was because she was the biggest slut at the Academy. Anyone could fuck her."

Abe stopped laughing and had a dangerous look in his eyes. But what I never saw coming was the punch that Guardian Hathaway threw right at my face. I fell backwards right on my ass, and when I looked back up Abe Mazur was towering over me looking every bit as terrifying as all the stories I'd heard about him. Maybe worse than the stories, yes definitely worse.

" If she dies, I will fucking kill you. You will never see your trial."

He growled out and this time I knew he meant every word of it. I was truly scared now. Abe and Guardian Hathaway walked out of my cell and the guardians outside slammed the door back shut so hard I flinched and crawled back towards my bed. Even that was comforting to me right in this moment.

What the hell had I done? I had let jealousy rule my life. I had liked Rose when I'd first met her, she had reminded me of myself before my brother and his wife had ruined my life. I could now see I was the one who had ruined my own life.

Now looking back I should have known Dimitri and Rose had loved each other then, I never should have asked him to be my guardian. I should have just let us stay friends. I could have found someone else. But I turned into this crazy, jealous, insane person.

Then what all I had done really hit me. I had killed the Queen. That was treason! I would have that same fate Rose had been looking at. And I doubt anyone would put forth the effort to save me. Oh shit, what the fuck have I done?

The last few days had passed slowly, and every time I heard that door open and close my blood ran cold. I was terrified it would be Abe and Guardian Hathaway coming to kill me because their daughter had died. But it was only ever meals, and new guardians.

The guardians would switch off every shift and none of them would ever speak to me. Hell they wouldn't even look at me directly. Just a quick glance to see I was still here and alive. No one had come to see me. I was losing my mind, but I deserved all of this. It was after all, my fault. I needed to see my nephew, I needed to explain myself to him. He needed to know everything.

" Hey can you please get someone to send my nephew to come and see me?"

I asked the guardian who had turned to me when I'd walked to the bars. He grunted in response and I didn't have high hopes that he would actually do it. I went and sat back on my cot. I had nothing but time to think about all that I'd messed up now.

The shift change came and the two guardians were replaced by two more. I laid down and turned towards the wall. I hadn't been sleeping well and tonight I was tired and it didn't take me long for me to fall asleep.

I was sitting in an academy car with Dimitri, we were on our way to the mall in Missoula. It was the closest shopping center to the academy. I was trying to get the nerve up to ask him the question I'd already asked a few times before. Here goes nothing.

" So Dimka, since you found the princess and she is safe at the school would you reconsider coming to be my guardian? You know it would be so much easier and maybe we could start a family."

He stiffened up and then sighed. He had said no before but I was hopeful he would say yes this time.

" Tasha I can't, I have to stay and train Rose. She has caught up to her classmates in the short time she's been back, but there is so much more to teach her."

" Oh Dimka anyone can teach her that. They are all trained the same."

He looked at me and said he'd think about it.

I heard my cell door open and I jerked up out of my sleep, but they were just bringing in some sort of slop. Shift change hadn't happened yet.

Now thinking about my dream I knew, I saw it in his eyes. The way he lit up when he talked about her, it was obvious. And the way he all but fell apart when she went missing from the ski lodge.

And when Christian called me with the news that Dimitri had been killed/turned in those caves I nearly died. I cried for days, but eighteen year old Rose went after him and found a way to turn him back. I suppose that's true love.

A week had gone by since I'd asked to see Christian and he still hadn't come to see me. I couldn't even ask if that guardian had asked him because he hadn't been placed back here. I assumed Rose was still alive because I was still alive. I hadn't seen or heard from Abe since that day thank god.

" Natasha Ozera"

I looked up to see the head of the Guardians standing there. I hadn't heard him come in. I stood up and walked towards the bars, but he held his hands up stopping my advance.

" Your trial has been set a week from today. A lawyer will come see you before then."

He didn't wait for me to utter a single word, he just turned around and left. I guess they'd finally elected a new King or Queen. I wonder if someone would tell me who it was, I doubted it. I'd only had two people speak to me in the time I'd been here. Neither times had been pleasant

It was the morning before my trial and I still hadn't seen the lawyer I'd been promised. And still no Christian. I couldn't really blame him. I'm sure people were treating him badly, just like they had after him mom and dad turned Strigoi. Another crazy Ozera, they were probably saying he was next. I'd raised him to keep his head up and not care what other people said, and I'd tried to shield him from the worst of it but their words really hurt.

I heard that outside door again and looked at my cell door waiting for whoever would come down that corridor.

It was some scrawny Moroi in a cheap suit. This must be my lawyer, I would be better off representing myself. This guy didn't look like he could manage to defend anyone. His whole being screamed I'm terrified of my job.

" I'm your court appointed representative, your trial starts promptly at eight p.m. They will show the evidence, listen to statements, and ask questions. Then they'll make a decision. They want a ruling before the day is out tomorrow. Any questions? No, good."

And he turned around and left, not giving me time to respond to anything he'd said. Did people think I couldn't speak now?

The next morning they came to take me for a shower. I hadn't slept at all and I was scared of the outcome this trial would bring for me. Although, I guess I already knew what it would be. Death. But how I would die would be anyone's guess.

Six guardians led me to the shower, but they let the female guardian come in with me so I wouldn't be surrounded by men. It was probably the most thoughtful thing they'd done for me since I'd been arrested.

The only thing about it was the guardian that was standing in here with me was Janine Hathaway. I was a little hesitant to turn my back on her. I didn't know if this was some kind of ploy to take out revenge for Rose, since I still didn't know where her life stood. But Janine never made a move to harm me.

After my very short shower all six guardians put me in shackles and led me to the court room. People were lined up to watch the murderer get what she deserved. They yelled and gave disgusted looks. I heard one woman say ' figures it was her just look what her brother and his wife did.' That bothered me the most out of everything said, because they would be looking at Christian to lose it next. But he wasn't like us, he was a good man despite the family he was born into.

If I thought my walk of shame was bad the courtroom was worse. There were no seats available, it looked like it had during the nominations of the next King or Queen. Maybe worse. People may not have liked Tatiana but they hated me for what I'd done to her.

The guardians sat me at the table in front and Janine walked back out the side door we'd come in. Never saying a word to me. Not that I blamed her, I'd framed her daughter for treason and than shot her. She handled it pretty gracefully, the punch to my face included in that. I would have probably done worse.

It didn't take long for the council to take their seats, we were just waiting on whoever the new monarch was. I had never been so out of the loop before. My complete idiot of a lawyer came and sat by me. Did I really need him? I was just going to plead guilty anyway. I couldn't get out of this one. There would be no point in trying even the alchemists had evidence against me.

The side door opened again and Guardian Castile came through it.

" All rise for Queen Vasalisa"

I'll be damned she actually won. Everyone who wasn't already on their feet were quick to get there. I stood up as fast as my chains would let me.

In walked Lissa with Christian at her side, following them was Rose, Dimitri, Janine, and Eddie. I guess Rose was alright. Dimitri wouldn't even look at me. And that stung a lot.

" Please sit"

Lissa's voice rang out. When everyone who had a seat had taken it Lissa looked directly at me. She reached out and grabbed Christians hand and asked me the questions I would answer honestly. Because I'd always told Christian to be honest in everything he did.

" Natasha Ozera, you are charged with treason and the murder of our late Queen Tatiana Ivashkov, you are charged with framing Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway, and you are charged with the attempted murder of Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway. How do you plead?"

My weasel of a lawyer opened his mouth to answer with a not guilty, but only because that was the job he'd been given. I stood back up and answered for myself shocking everyone.

" Guilty, I plead guilty."

There were gasps throughout the courtroom, were they all really that surprised? Even Rose was looking at me now, probably trying to figure out what I was doing. I'll admit I deserved that. But this wasn't a game to me anymore.

Nathan Ivashkov stood up getting everyone's attention.

" Since this is practically a family member to her majesty, she has decided to let the council lay down the punishment for the crimes. And since she's plead guilty we can go ahead with that."

The council talked amongst themselves for what seemed like forever and then they handed Nathan a paper, which he immediately took to Lissa. She opened it and the color -or what color she had- drained from her face. She handed it back to Nathan with a shaky hand, who stood back where everyone could hear him. It was so quiet in this room I think he could whisper and everyone would hear him.

" Natasha Ozera please stand for your sentencing."

I stood up on shaky legs for whatever they had decided my fate should be. Sucking in a deep breath I held it and waited for what he would say.

" Natasha Ozera for the crimes you have committed you have been sentenced to death. Tomorrow at promptly ten p.m. you will receive the same death you gave our late Queen."

The air I'd held in my lungs whooshed out. I never expected this. A stake to the heart. Who would they have do it? I felt like I would fall over this was too much for me to process. I looked at Christian as a tear slid down his cheek, and even Rose seemed horrified at what the council had decided. But this also could have been her still in this situation.

" You may take the prisoner back to her cell."

And just like that six guardians stepped forward and stared leading me out. I couldn't form a single thought now. I was petrified of what was coming.

Back in my cell I couldn't stop crying. But I'd done this to myself. All of a sudden I heard the main door open and shut and light foot steps coming down the corridor. Maybe they'd sent someone to kill me now instead of waiting for tomorrow.

" Let me in there."

I looked up to see Rose standing outside my cell. Honestly the last person I'd expected to see standing there. The guardians unlocked the door and let her in. She looked irate no that's not the right word I don't think there was a word for her anger.

" Why did you do all of this Tasha?"

I just looked at her, what did she want me to say? That I'd done it all so she would be out of the picture, because she already knew that.

" Do you know what all of this is doing to Christian? Hell even Dimitri is upset, you were his closest friend after Ivan died. And now we all have to live with the stupid choices you made, because Dimitri couldn't love you as anything other than a friend. And you couldn't even be a good friend and step aside when he'd found love."

I felt like each one of her words were a slap to the face.

" I'm sorry."

It was the only thing that would come out of my mouth. Rose looked at me with hatred.

" You're sorry? What the fuck Tasha that's all you can say?"

No there was so much I wanted to say all of a sudden.

" No! Please take care of Christian for me. He acts like all these Royals don't bother him but they do. Make sure he grows up and asks Lissa to marry him, make sure they have children and that he knows he is not his father and that he will do an amazing job. Make sure he knows he won't make the mistakes we all did.

Please tell Dimitri I'm sorry I wasn't a very good friend. I'm glad he found love and I'm glad it was you. Someone who will keep him out of the shell he hides in."

She stared at me then nodded her head as if to say ' ok done!'

" One more thing Rose?"

She gave me a skeptical look. But I wanted or needed I'm not sure, but either way I asked the question.

" Will you do it? Will you kill me?"

Her eyes widened and she clamped her jaw shut. She stood there just staring at me until finally she relaxed her jaw and opened her mouth to speak.

" No I can't do that Tasha! Not to Christian or Dimitri. I'm sorry I can't."

I knew she wouldn't, she was too good of a person to do it. I knew she would take care of my nephew and my friend. I would die knowing that much.

After Rose had left I asked the guardians for some paper and a pencil, I wrote Christian a letter telling him everything. I also wrote Dimitri a letter apologizing. It was all I could do.

Now it was time for my execution. As they walked me to the room it would happen in I thought about a few things. Before and right after I'd been arrested I'd been a bitter woman, now I was just terrified of the death that awaited me and the people I was leaving. I felt very remorseful for what I had done. I wished I could go back and change it all. But this is where jealousy had led me.

The guardians led me into a room a lot like my cell. Everything seemed sterile. They sat me in a chair like you would see at a dentists office. A silver stake lay on a tray beside me. My heart was pounding in my ears.

In front of me was a huge picture window, and there sat the council, Lissa, Christian, Rose, and Dimitri. The four of them looked like they wanted to be anywhere but here. I had given my letters to one of the guardians who'd brought me here. Hopefully he would give them to Christian and Dimitri.

A guardian I didn't know stepped forward and picked up the stake. Just then the door opened and in walked Nathan. He whispered something to one of the guardians by the door, then walked closer to me.

" Natasha Ozera do you have anything you wish to say before we proceed?"

Did I? Did I want to bare my soul in front of the council? There was one thing I did want to say.

" Yes, I want to say I'm sorry for everything I did."

There at least if they never saw my letters they would know that I was truly sorry for it all.

" Very well if that's all we will proceed with your execution."

I sucked in a lung full of air and blew it out nodding my head. The guardian with the stake stepped forward and placing both hands around it raised it above his head. He was short so I guess he needed the momentum.

" Please forgive me."

I said to anyone who would listen. One more breath was all I had time for before he plunged downward. When the silver pierced through my chest it burned and then it pierced my heart. The thumping in my ears slowed as I took a few shallow, shaky breaths.

And then everything went black...

A/N: Have you ever had a sentence pop into your head and you right it down so you don't forget, but then you just continue writing. And before you know it you have a short story. Well that's what this was a sentence that popped into my head. I hope you enjoyed it, and I promise the story I have been talking about is getting there. Thanks for sticking with me. Night all!