Chapter 2: The Letter that started it all

Stumbling out of bed at God knows what hour; I start to make some coffee. Damn this stupid backward way of living. I miss the sun and humans! You would not believe how funny humans can be and the kind of parties they throw. But that is the past and this is my horrible future. I will be heading back to the academy to finish off the rest of my high school education.

Looking outside I see the sun starting to set which marks the start of the vampiric day. There was a time when I would have welcomed in this change. There was a time where I would have been happy to move back with The Queen and start anew. But all that went up in flames the day I got her first and only letter.

Dear Jillian,

I am working hard to get the new law passed but to no avail. The Riyals in Court are just stuck on tradition and they think it will cause too many changes. Whatever. But speaking of Court and Royals, I hope you remember that you are a Dragomir now and with that comes a higher level of responsibility. I want you to be studying everything Moroi related. You need to know who are the power players and you need a game plan if you will survive all their political games. I will be there – to a degree- but you really need to stand on your own two feet. I can't coddle you through this. I learned it and so will you.

I will write you if anything changes and I got ALL of your letters. But don't write back to this one. I am extremely busy trying to help you and I will write if anything changes. You have a duty to uphold. Welcome to the family.

From,

Queen Vasilisa Sabina Rhea Dragomir- Ozera

That letter is forever ingrained into my memory. It marked the point in which everything about my life changed. The letter came about six months into our stay in Palm Springs. A few months after Sydney and Adrian decided to get together and the evil Zoe came into town. Okay Zoe isn't evil; she just isn't like her sister.

At that point I had been sending The Queen a letter every few days or so in hopes she would respond and accept me as a sister. That didn't happen. She wrote a very short letter telling me that she only saw me as a necessary part of her rule. She did not see me as a sister nor would she never see me that way. That day I spent and I think the next four after that balling my eyes out. I didn't talk to anyone expect for Sydney. She was the one to wash my clothes and bring me food and talked to me when no one else could. Those days of complete hell I wasn't Jill Dragomir the princess in hiding or Jill Dragomir the girl whose sister hates her; no I was and from then on Jill Melrose just a girl.

Thinking of Sydney and how we really started to get close made me want to break down all over again. But if I did, there would be no one to help me pick up the pieces and make sense of my crazy life. So I push down my tears and emotions and put on mask and walk out the door to meet up with The Queen and her people so they can try and pull information out of me.

"Jill all we want to know is where Sydney learned magic from." The Queen says in a soothing tone like I am five. Yeah like that is all what you want to know. We have been going at this for three hours now. The Queen will ask me a question and will say I don't know and then she will rephrase her question and blah blah blah. I have gotten so sick of this.

"I don't know, your Highness." I say in an equally soothing yet belittling voice. I promised I wouldn't yell at her anymore but I ever said I would be nice to her.

"Look" Rose starts obviously getting tired with this whole game as I am "We are trying to help you. You have been around her for so long you can't see what she has become. At one point she was my friend but not anymore. She has killed people with her magic and she isn't who she was. Now you can either give us this information and have a private tutor her at Court where no one will bother you or you can stay in denial and we send you back to the academy where no doubt the Royals will skin you alive." Wow, I am touched by the amount of passion she put into her deal. She has been spending too much time with her father but so have I. Abe – for whatever reason- saw Sydney as another daughter to him and in recent months has spent a great deal of time in Palm Springs. He taught me how to make deals and how to blackmail. It was fun. So I am not fazed by this deal hell I thought Rose would have said it a long time ago and I never thought that they would actually keep me here at Court where I can cause problems. It is much easier to keep me away from Court. They have proven that to be true the last two years.

"Someone has been spending too much time with Daddy dearest." I say in a sing song voice. "Look, I know you guys aren't going to keep me her at Court no matter what you say so let's call a spade a spade. I am going back to the academy whether I want to or not, you guys just want my information and let me put it plainly to you. I will not tell you anything when it comes to Palm Springs. Period, end of discussion. Now" I say turning to face Rose head on "You might think you know how making deals goes and you might think you spend a good amount of time with your father to know that but here is a news flash: He likes Sydney more. He was always in Palm Springs for whatever reason and because Sydney is my sister I got to hang around him more than you. He taught me the ends of outs of everything he does and how to do it. Your deal is a piece of shit and everything I have told you – while true- has been to hurt you. Everything I just said was to make sure you doubt how much your father loves you and to get you back for every mean thing you have ever said about my sister because you will act like it means nothing but my words will eat you alive at night. You're welcome. Now if you will excuse me I have to repack so I can go to hell."

Walking out of the room I am fuming. I didn't yell or cause a scene but what I did was much worse. I shattered every picture she had about her family and while it wasn't nice and you probably can call me a bitch – hell I am a bitch – Rose and the Queen ruined my life. They stole everything away from me so if they wanted to talk to me be ready for two years of bent up hurt, anger, and abandonment issues to be flung at your face. I am not the same little naïve girl I had been once upon a time. I have changed and I like to think I am a nice person but if you cross my family shit will hit the fan.

"Rose, she didn't mean it." I say to my best friend trying to soothe her. We have been best friends all of our lives and sisters for the same amount of time. What Jill said to her was downright cruel. Adrian promised that she wouldn't yell at us anymore but I would take yelling over ruining people's lives. She doesn't think before she talks and she was right about one thing: there is no way she is staying at Court. She has to learn how to bite her tongue. Not everything she will say is magical and appropriate.

"Yes, she did and I have a feeling she I also right." Dimitri looks at me now. What else can I say to her? Her father loves her dearly; she is his only child. Abe and Jeanne have gotten back together and they go to family counseling sometimes. There is so much love in that family.

"I need to talk to him." Dimitri and I don't try to stop her. She needs to talk things out with her father; I just hope things don't end badly between them. I would hate for Jill's evil words to have ruined yet another person's life. God I will have to talk to her on that one!

Jill has always been such a quite girl who if you ever got to talk wouldn't shut up. She could ramble like no other and I know for a fact that Christian thought of her as a little sister. I just don't know why she I acting so mean. She wasn't that close to Sydney no matter she says. My source told me for a fact that Sydney wasn't close to any of them. Sydney if fact was pulling more and more away from the group. I will have to get Jill into therapy for her anger problem. It just won't do. She is a princess for Christ's sake!

"What do you need to talk to me about kiz?" Abe says walking into the room in all of his pop and flare. He had on a blood red suit and a black shirt underneath. The shirt had a white geometric design that matched his pocket square. He had on a lot of gold too today and was no sporting a ruby incrusted cane.

"How many times have you been to Palm Springs?" Rose asks deadpan. Abe's face changes into a hard mask and he looks like an extremely pissed off man.

"What happened to Sydney?" He answers back with a question.

"How do you know something happened to Sydney?" I pipe in. The alchemist assured me that no one other than me, Rose, Dimitri, and Christian would know about Sydney's removal.

"Because Your Highness, the only way my daughter would how if I was spending time in Palm Springs would be if she was talking to Jill and seeing as Jill hates Rose and yourself that would been whatever she said was out of spite because something happened to Sydney and Adrian by default. She wouldn't leave Palm Springs unless she was forced to so I ask again: What happened to Sydney."

"Sydney has been removed from Palm Springs and the new law passed a few weeks ago that made it possible for Jill to come home and now mine and Rose's question is why do you care what happened to Sydney?" I say in my most queenly voice.

Abe takes a sharp breath inward "take a seat you three this is one story you won't believe and do not think you know the story of the Sydney, Adrian, and Jill because it is not what you think. I was called six months after the crew went to Palm Springs by Eddie because Jill was held up in her room refusing to eat or talk or move and no one knew why. She had been like that for two days at that point and the group was pretty desperate. I really didn't know what could be going on in poor Jillian's head. Maybe too much darkness who knows. But Sydney started to go in and check on her. It is because of Sydney you have a sister your Highness."

"I have always had a sister Abe." I say proudly looking toward Rose. Abe just shakes his head and continues on

"Sydney got her to talk and eat and shower. It came to light that Jill realized her blood sister would never want anything to do with her. That she sent her a letter saying that she was no more than a pawn or a means to an end. She is Dragomir by blood but the Queen would never accept her as her sister. That tore Jill apart. But she had Adrian and Sydney to help put her back together. Soon those three became a family. They watched out for each other and talked to each other and new everything about each other. With everything Sydney had to fight against like: evil witches after her, warriors of light trying to ruin her life, and not to mention her little sister always snooping around for Sydney's weakness Sydney relied heavily on Jill and Adrian. Now let's not forget about Jill: Her parents sent her a letter telling her they wanted nothing to do with her, The Queen wants nothing to do with her, and everyone has mostly turned their back on her even Eddie. I started to visit because I wanted to know the mental health of the princess before anyone and what I saw shocked me. Sydney could do magic, was dating Adrian, and she was actually happy, Jill became outspoken, outgoing and making it to captain of the volleyball team, and Adrian had been going to college for an art degree and had made a name for himself in the Palm Springs Art world. Somehow these three people who the world decided didn't deserve a chance or happiness found happiness in each other and found a way to rise above. That is Jill's family right there and someone you not only took her away from her first family and turned them against her before she knew she was a Dragomir now you have torn her second family apart. You three have ruined her life twice now so it is understandable if she hates you." Then turning to Rose "But Kid I still love you and your mom very much and I don't like Sydney or Jill more than you. You are my first and only child and I love you dearly. But I think you all should give Jill time to put her life back together now that she is back and has no one." I was in complete and udder shock. How dare he say I ruined her life twice! I never asked for a sister or for my dad to cheat on my mom. I had Rose and all I needed in life was Rose. I feel bad that her parents gave up on her like that but I didn't ruin her life. Sydney ruined her life. If anything she should hate Sydney and one way or other I will show her that.

A/N: Like it? Hate it? Feel the need to slap Lissa? I decided to take a stab at writing more for this story. I have no clue how it will turn out and it will only continue if people want it too. So if you want to see more of this story then review! It's not blackmail or holding the story hostage it's just that I like the idea and could make a story but I don't want to waste my time if no one wants to read it. Review! :D Also have a great Easter.

DA