A/N: Hey guys! AriaBelikov and I would like to just say thank you for your incredible response to the first chapter! We're glad you are liking the story so far!

We've got some twists and surprises in store in the next couple chapters and we're excited to hear what you think of them!

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Ghosts

Dimitri's POV

In the last five years, it felt as if everything had changed. Lissa had become Queen and Rose was still MIA, but no one seemed to care about the latter. I had gotten to travel the world with Lissa as her personal guardian, attending functions and establishing connections so that she could better our world. So far, she was the most loved Queen in history. She had done amazing work with both the Moroi and the Dhampirs; the steady rise in our population was proof of it. Everyday, I thought about how proud Rose would be of our Queen if she was here.

Today, we were in Turkey at the Ottoman Court, which was located in the Dolmabahce Palace in the heart of Istanbul, for an important Council meeting with the Asian-European Moroi. It was my first time here, but Lissa had come over a few years ago to tend to some business. She had forced me to take vacation around then, which I had been quite sour about.

As I walked through the halls of the Palace looking for the Reception Room that was attached to the Council Room, I marveled at my surroundings. The historic beauty of the place rivaled that of St. Petersburg. I wasn't tasked with looking at that though, I had to find the Guest of Honor for the night's meeting. Normally, Lissa told me who I was to find, but when I had volunteered to inform the guest of her arrival she had looked slightly worried. I couldn't understand why, but it made me more eager to go.

As I approached the Reception room, I could hear the sound of a raised voice coming from down the hall. I quickened my approach, afraid there was a disturbance with our Guest. When I was right outside of the room, I recognized the voice and my heart pounded harder in my chest. The shouts increased in volume as I entered the room and I saw a tall man with a raised hand about to strike the much smaller woman in front of him. Without hesitation, I stepped forward and grabbed his arm.

My father, Nikolai Roman Badica, spun on me, his face filled with anger and surprise. I didn't look to see who the woman he was about to hit was because I was too fixated on the ghost that stood in front of me. I squeezed my hand tighter around his arm as recognition filled both of our faces.

The Royal glared at me after a moment and ripped his arm away. "You don't know what you're protecting. She may look like an innocent flower waiting to be plucked, but in reality she is a viper waiting to poison anything she touches." He said spitefully as he turned and left the room. I watched him walk away, my mind catching on his use of the word flower. Before I had time to contemplate it more though, I heard a soft voice speak behind me.

"Still protecting the innocent I see, Comrade." My heart froze in my chest at the old endearment. Slowly, I turned and faced my second ghost of the morning. Before me stood the woman I thought was gone forever.

"Rose." I exhaled.

My eyes roamed over her, taking in her changed appearance. She looked the same physically, but the air around her was different. She held herself like royalty and wore her hair in an elaborate bun instead of loose, but I could tell she hadn't cut it since I had last seen her. Her days of jeans and t-shirts were gone, instead she wore a tailored woman's pantsuit that still had the feel of a guardian's uniform. The ¾ sleeves showing her tanned arms, and the low fastening buttons accentuating her curves. The only reminiscence of her old self hung below her collarbone, her nazer.

"Long time no see, Comrade." She said with a warm smile. I was completely taken aback by her and I could feel the familiar pain from the past rising up inside of me.

"What are you doing here?" I wasn't able to process what was happening right now. I felt like I wanted to hold her and shake her all at once.

"I live here." She had an amused smile on her lips that made my blood boil. She didn't even bother to ask what I was doing here, somehow she already knew. Like a defense mechanism kicking into place, I assumed my guardian position.

"Where is the Guest of Honor?" I asked, fighting back the urge to reach out and touch her to see if she was real.

"Lissa didn't tell you?" She asked me, her signature smirk rising to her lips.

"Tell me what?" I was starting to feel annoyed and tense. That look never led to anything good.

Rose laughed softly and touched her nazer absentmindedly. "I'm her. I'm the Guest of Honor at tonight's meeting." I blanched, confusion running rampant through my mind.

Instead of questioning her like every fiber of being screamed out to do, I kept my closed off guardian persona in place. "I am to tell you that Queen Dragomir has arrived. She is to meet you here in a few minutes." She turned her necklace over in her fingers and smiled at me politely, nodding.

"I'll be here." She said.

I couldn't look at her face anymore. How could she be so nonchalant about seeing me? Didn't she feel the same way I felt? I turned on my heel and walked away, but as I did I murmured something barely audible in Russian.

I stopped just outside of the door and leaned my forehead against the wall, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart and the sick feeling rising inside of me. I needed to compose myself before I faced the Queen, she couldn't know how much seeing Rose affected me. Rose was different, she had surpassed everything I had taught her, but that wasn't what bothered me. Hell, I was even proud she had grown up so well. No, I was bothered by the fact that she hadn't bothered to contact me. I could handle not hearing from her when I thought she was off in some remote part of the world fighting Strigoi, but knowing that she was living in the lap of luxury and still hadn't bothered to contact me was like being staked.

Relief and betrayal warred inside of me as I thought of her standing there. The rejection of five years ago felt as fresh as the day she had left. There was a large hole in my chest as I thought about my Roza. She was gone now, leaving a stranger in her place.

Rose's POV

I sunk unsteadily into the overstuffed ornate chair behind me as I watched him walk away. His Russian words a slap in the face. "Are you sure?" He had said spitefully. He had no way of knowing that I spoke Russian now, no way of knowing that I understood every word he had murmured.

I took deep breaths to try to steady myself. I had known he was coming today with Lissa as part of her Queen's escort, but I wasn't prepared to face him. I thought I could handle it, but the cold demeanor he had shown me in Oregon when he collected Lissa and I was back. He was in God mode, closed off and distant.

The familiar fingers of guilt wrapped around my heart as I thought of his face. I had seen the flicker of the feelings we once shared pass through his eyes before he had slammed his guardian mask in place. It was the only way to shield ourselves from the pain, wasn't it?

The sound of footsteps pulled me to my feet and I straightened my jacket absently. It would be Lissa's entourage approaching the door. I had to be the face of the perfect Guardian now.

She was the first thing I saw. Her golden hair a shining halo under her crown. We locked eyes and forced ourselves not to smile like schoolgirls. I could feel the waves of her happiness washing over me through the bond, mimicking the same thing I felt. It had been two long years since we had seen each other, and our reunion was long overdue. I stepped forward toward her and the guardians flanking her as she started to come into the room.

Lissa turned to her two guardians, but looked pointedly at Dimitri. "Please stand watch outside of the door, Guardians Belikov and Smith."

Dimitri stiffened beside her at the idea of leaving her unprotected and, for the first time, I heard him challenge an order. "You cannot be in there alone, Your Majesty." Lissa was caught off guard by Dimitri's unusual insubordination and I could feel her surprise through the bond.

"I will not be alone, Guardian Belikov." She said with her usual smile, hiding her feelings. "Guardian Mazur will be with me, and she is more than capable."

It was Dimitri's turn to be surprised. I could tell from the look on his face that he hadn't been aware I had changed my last name to match my father's. He opened his mouth to protest again, but I cut him off.

"Guardian Belikov, your Queen has given you an order. You would be wise to follow it." I gave him the stern look that he had always given me before I opened my mouth and said something stupid. I saw the angry, embarrassed look pass over his face before he composed himself.

"I apologize, Your Majesty." He nodded and backed away, closing the doors behind Lissa as she entered the room.

Once the doors were firmly closed, Lissa turned to me and dropped her Queenly nature. We looked at each other and released our collectively held breaths. Even after what had just happened, she couldn't hide how happy she was to see me. Both our faces spread into wide smiles as we stepped toward each other. We erupted into a fit of giggles as we hugged each other close. "That was close." She said. "Sorry he came to find you first, I tried to send Guardian Smith but Dimitri volunteered."

I pulled away from her, my hands still on her forearms. "That's okay." I smiled warmly at her. "I think it was more of a shock for him than me. Thank you for the heads up." I tapped my temple and we exchanged a knowing smile.

Dimitri's POV

It was torture to stand outside of the Reception room waiting for the Queen to come out. She was on the other side of this door talking to Rose. I had realized when they saw each other that they had been in contact, the Queen had known where Rose was this whole time. My mind turned away from my duty, occupied instead with the events of the last hour. I now understood the Queen's worried look. She had known Rose would be who I found in that Reception room.

That hadn't been the strangest part though; Rose had changed her last name. She was Rose Mazur now, but why? I racked my brain trying to figure out why that name sounded so familiar when it hit me. I only knew one man with that name, and he was Turkish. The colour drained from my face as I recalled the powerful Moroi who often visited my village on sketchy business. Abe Mazur, the infamous Zmey.

The first thought I had was completely irrational. Rose must have married him or his son, but I was completely unaware of Zmey having any children. I could feel my fists trembling at my side, it took every ounce of willpower for me to remain where I stood and not barge into the room and demand answers from Rose and the Queen.

I pushed those thoughts aside for a moment and let my old feelings for Rose wash over my confusion. The last time I had seen Rose played through my mind, her running away from me the last memory I had of her. I should have stopped her. If I had known that was the last time I saw her, I wouldn't have yelled at her but pulled her close. She had taken my last words to her to heart. She wasn't a child anymore. I realized then that the last five years had shaped Rose into someone that I didn't recognize.

A commotion down the hall pulled me from my thoughts. Striding toward me with purpose was the devil himself, Zmey. He didn't even spare me a glance as he reached out to take the door handle to the Reception room. I grabbed his arm that was stretched out automatically. He looked at me with a blank expression. "What are you doing, boy?" I could feel the urge to fight him building inside of me at his words.

"You can't go in there, Queen Dragomir is in a meeting." I said, giving Abe a deadly look. There was no way I was going to allow Abe anywhere near the Queen. It seemed I was too late to stop him from getting to Rose.

"I can and I will go in there. Release me." He said with a deadly calm voice.

I hesitated for a moment. I had already tested my limits with insubordination for the day and I had no grounds to refuse entry to him. For all I knew, the Queen had summoned him there. Taking a deep breath to compose myself, I released him.

Zmey gave me a harsh look. "Watch yourself, Belikov." He warned me as he entered the room.

Rose's POV

A few hours later, the time had come. Lissa and I stood poised next to each at the entrance of the Council room, greeting the Royals, councilmen, and other attendees of the meeting. Everyone was buzzing about who the surprise guest could be, and Lissa and I occasionally shared a look of knowing when someone asked us about it. Most of the Royals had seen me before, but none of them said anything about my reputation.

I was whispering to Lissa about our speeches when Nikolai Roman Badica approached us. I fixed him with a brilliant smile, but he had eyes only for Lissa, which didn't surprise me. He was a complete suck up. He stopped in front of Lissa, gave her a low bow, and took her hand, kissing her ring that contained her family seal.

"Might I say you look absolutely stunning as always tonight, Your Majesty." He said, not even acknowledging my presence. I eyed him for the first time in a while, he was a tall, handsome man with dark blond hair, but there was a dark look in his eyes that put me on edge.

"You flatter me, Councilman Badica, but don't let my husband hear you say that." Lissa said with a polite smile. She glowed as she used her new title for Christian. They had been married almost six months now and I still wasn't used to hearing her refer to him that way.

I smiled knowingly at him and turned to Lissa. "You have to watch this one," I said lightly, "He'll try to hit you with his ideas."

A dark look passed over Nikolai's features as he looked at me, then he smiled and excused himself from Lissa, not even bothering to dignify me with a look. I knew I had struck a cord with him though from the way he had stiffened and dropped Lissa's hand.

Dimitri's POV

I watched from the wall for twenty minutes before the audience finally took their seats. Once they were all comfortable, Queen Lissa walked to the dais at the front of the room, Rose following her close behind. As I watched her take her seat in the ornate throne, I thought of all of the great nobility of the Ottoman Empire that had once graced the ground she stood on. Rose sat down in a less grand version of the throne that the Queen sat on, and, not for the first time tonight, I wondered what was going on. I positioned myself close behind the two seats so that I was close enough to intervene if there was any threat to the Queen.

When the room quieted, Lissa stood up and honed in on her air of royalty. She was magnificent as she addressed the crowd. Everyone was on the edge of their seats for her news. "Welcome Royals, Councilmen, Guardians, and Moroi, I know you are all wondering why we have gathered today. As you are well aware, there have been some changes made to our laws and amendments made to better include our Dhampir brethren." There is a murmur amongst the crowd. It was one of the first times they had heard a Moroi include the Dhampirs as equals. "In the past, we have viewed them as our protectors and nothing more, this has to change if we are to grow. That is why we are here today."

I watched Rose rise with an air of nobility from her chair. She looked regal in the long black dress that she had changed into, but I could see the tone of her muscles through the tight fabric, reminding me that she wasn't weak. She held her head high as the Moroi scrutinized her, confusion a common feature on them. I was confused as well, why was Rose up there at all? She hadn't been part of the Guardian world for five years. I would have heard about it if she had.

"I would like to present, Guardian Rosemarie Mazur who will be the Guardian Representative for the Ottoman Court. She is a Guardian who has proven herself to be a valuable asset to the protection of not only the Moroi, but also the Dhampirs. Her guidance and advice has proven invaluable in assisting our People. It is largely thanks to her that the Moroi Use of Magic Amendment was changed as she her experience at the Attacks of St. Vladimir's and St. Ahmed's provided invaluable insight into how Moroi can work along side their Guardians. Her ideas and guidance have also assisted in the rise of our populations as she has worked tirelessly with me to ensure the new laws and amendments are put into action."

I felt like I had been staked for the second time tonight. I paled as I looked to the woman I had loved walk toward her best friend, our Queen. As she crossed the dais, I saw her neck for the first time. Adorning her neck was the Promise Mark of the Guardians, but also two Zvezdas and multiple Molnija tattoos. I realized then why she had been chosen, but I couldn't wrap my head around where she had received her Promise Mark. She never took her Trials at the Academy, and all of the novices who Trial at other schools are placed on a register. Rose was never on that list.

Rose took her place next to Queen Lissa as if she was born to and then smiled at the crowd around her. She surprised me again with how much she had matured. The Rose from high school would never have been able to keep her composure in front of a crowd of Moroi. "Hello, I know this must be a surprise to the lot of you, considering my reputation. What you don't know, is that I have been working in the background along with our Queen to provide the best solution to all of the growing concerns of our People. I have been appointed to my position to look out for not only the interests of the Moroi, but the Dhampir population as well."

I looked out at the crowd and noticed for the first time that every Guardian in the room was watching her. It was the first time I had ever seen so many Guardians not watching their charges. I realized that they all respected Rose, but more than that, they trusted her. This was the first time in history that Dhampirs had a voice.

As Rose began to speak again, a guardian I had never seen before approached her and whispered in her ear. She stiffened unperceptively to someone not paying attention and turned to the crowd again. I couldn't see her face, but I could imagine a pale look it. "I apologize for this, but there has been an emergency that seeks my immediate attention. Lord Ivashkov, would you please accompany me."

Startled, I looked out at the crowd and saw the familiar features of a certain flippant Royal rising from his seat. He had a no nonsense look on his face that was all business as he stepped out of his aisle. Once Rose was past him, he followed behind her with an urgency I had never seen in him. When they were almost at the doors at the back, I saw Abe Mazur pull himself off of the wall and follow.

To keep all of the eyes in the room off of them, Lissa began addressing her people again, trying to cull the murmuring and gossip. I could feel the shift in the air around her, but I didn't know what it was that had caused it. I had never felt so confused and intrigued in my life.

What had happened in the last five years I had been absent from Rose's life?

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