Chapter 9:
Adrian's POV
I went back to my room and I saw Lissa sitting on the bed, she was stroking Rose's hair while her head was in her lap. Both girls looked up at me when I entered.
"Where did you go?" Rose asked
"Running an errand."
I didn't want her to know I had a conversation with Dimitri. She would be furious, and until my words sank in it didn't do her much good to know.
"I brought donuts."
I could see Rose's eyes lit up a bit. Food was always a strong motivator for her, certainly now that she is pregnant.
After the donuts were devoured Christian walked into the room. I could still feel the awkwardness between him and Lissa, but they were getting better. Good. Any fool could see they still loved each other. You don't need to be able to read aura's for that.
"Hey, Rose, thought you would be here. There was a letter delivered at your door."
He handed her the letter and Rose opened it. Inside was an official paper. I recognized my aunt's seal on the top.
"What is it?" I asked, dreading the answer.
"It is a summon to court. I am to give a statement this afternoon in front of the council."
Why on earth would they want to talk to Rose, is this about the twins, is this about Dimitri?
"Does it say why?"
Rose shook her head. I could tell she was anxious, she was thinking the same thing I was. This was not good. Maybe I could talk to my aunt before seeing what it is about. Although I wondered if it would do much good. I knew one thing though. Whatever reasons my aunt has to summon her, the twins were safe. Tatiana believed the twins were mine and no matter how much she hated their mother, she would never harm her own blood, even if it was Dhampir blood.
I put a hand on Rose's shoulder. She relaxed slightly under my touch. But only slightly. She got up from the bed and I saw just how tired she looked. She had bags under her eyes and she slouched a bit.
That thought plagued me all afternoon when Rose was inside being heard by the council. I was waiting outside. I wasn't allowed in, but I wanted to be there when she got out, so I could help in any way she needed.
After what seemed like forever the council was dismissed and Rose came out.
"So what did they want? Are you okay?" I was checked her over, seeing if this didn't do more damage than she was letting on, but she seemed fine.
"Yeah, I am fine. They wanted to know about my Strigoi kills. In Spokane and in Russia. I don't know why, but they kept asking questions about my kills."
"Huh." Not what I was expecting, but okay. Rose was quite exceptional. Maybe they were deciding if she was still allowed to be a guardian after Russia. Maybe they were deciding if she would be good enough to guard Lissa. I didn't share the last thought with Rose. It would only get her hopes up.
The next morning I woke up when my phone was going crazy. I had all sorts of messages from friends here at court telling me the council had made their big announcement. When I read their statement I nearly fell back down. They weren't really serious where they?
Oh if Rose found out about this.
Rose woke up next to me startled by my phone and my reaction. I had insisted she stay with me yesterday or I with her, it didn't matter, I did know she wasn't supposed to be alone after what Dimitri said to her.
"What's wrong?"
"Get dressed. We need to go to the council meeting. They are having an open session about a big decision."
I was quickly pulling on my pants and Rose was doing the same. She had put some of her clothes here so she wouldn't have to go back to her room all the time. My room was much nicer anyway.
"What decision?" She asked hopeful. I knew what she was hoping. That they would declare Dimitri a Dhampir again and that he would get out of jail. Even if she hated him for what he had said to her, she still didn't want him locked up.
I hated to crush her dreams.
"Rose..." I gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "The council just passed a decree lowering the guardian age to sixteen. Dhampirs will graduate when they're sophomores and then go out for assignments."
"What?" She asked as if she didn't understand what I just told her.
"You know how panicked they've been about protection and not having enough guardians, right?" I sighed. "This was their solution to increasing your numbers."
"But they're too young!" She cried. "How can anyone think sixteen-year-olds are ready to go out and fight?"
"Well, because you testified that they were."
I saw her freeze and come to the realization exactly why she had to testify yesterday and how that testimony was being used. Her mouth dropped open. I gently nudged her arm.
"Come on, they're still wrapping up. They made the announcement in an open session, and some people are... a little upset."
"Yeah, I'll say."
We left for the council meeting and I could tell Rose was upset. A little more than upset. I wondered if brining her to the council was such a great idea. I could feel her anger radiating off of her in ways. She wasn't just upset that they lowered the age. She was upset that they used her to do it.
We entered the council chambers and it was chaos. We found Lissa and Christian and sat down next to them.
I saw Tasha standing in front of a few people trying to make her case. I didn't know who was more upset Rose or Tasha. Tasha had been fighting for Moroi to learn to protect themselves. This was a hard blow to her cause.
"How close was the call?" I asked Lissa.
"six against six." I knew what that meant. My father would have voted yes on the bill and my aunt must have done the same. The royal tiebreaker. Her vote counted twice now that the council was short a member since the Dragomirs didn't hold a seat anymore.
Rose seemed to realize this too. I saw a calculative look on her face and dreaded what would happen next.
My aunt came upon the stage to address the load crowd. Smiling grandly at the assembly, she addressed them in her most imperious voice.
"We'd like to thank everyone for coming today and expressing your... opinions. I know some are still unsure about this decision, but Moroi law has been followed here, laws that have been in place for centuries. We will have another session soon to listen to what you have to say in an orderly fashion. This decision, this verdict, will benefit the Moroi. Our guardians are already so excellent."
She gave a nod toward the ceremonial guardians standing along the room's walls. They wore typically neutral faces, but I could tell by their auras that, like Rose, they probably wanted to punch half the council.
"They are so excellent, in fact, that they train their students to be ready to defend us at an early age. We will all be safer from tragedies like that which recently occurred. And again, we're happy to listen to you register your opinions, although by our own laws, this matter is settled. Further sessions will have to wait until an adequate period of mourning has passed for the unfortunate departed."
I knew my aunt. Her tone left no doubt. This matter was settled and no amount of lobbying would change her or the councils mind. Smart too, using the recent death as a way to silence people. Then, an impertinent voice suddenly broke the room's silence.
Rose's voice.
"Well, I'd kind of like to register my opinion now."
Oh God, not good. Those two together alone was bad but them in public with this kind of issue it only spelt disaster. Which was evident when Rose was dragged out of the room by three guardians while calling her a sanctimonious bitch. Although Tatiana probably didn't hear it over all the ruckus Rose's words had started.
RPOV
She can't be doing this. Sixteen was too young. I walked back to my room after the guardian's had let me go. I knew they felt the same way as I did. Well not completely the same way. They didn't have a hand in this. They didn't have a hand in condemning their friends to death.
Oh God, the twins. They would graduate at sixteen. They would never have a change to live real lives, to be teenagers.
I sat down on a park bench and cried. I condemned my own children.
As always Adrian was by my side when I needed a shoulder to cry on.
"I condemned my own children Adrian."
He looked at me confused.
"My testimony helped them to pass this bill. My children will graduate at sixteen, never having had a normal life."
He understood now and a small warm smile spread across his face.
"Rose. I think your children are the only children that will be ready at sixteen, even without the Strigoi thing mixed in. Their parents are amazing guardians, one of the best and they will be too."
He put his arm around me. And I leaned into him.
We were disturbed when a lot of people were walking past us. They seem to be aggregating at the church. What was going on there?
Rose, meet us at the church
Lissa said through the bond, I guess she was there as well. Adrian and I got up and walked over to the church. Dimitri was sitting on a bench with Lissa next to him. They were testing him.
"This is all a distraction," a familiar voice said in my ear. "Smoke and mirrors. That's what Aunt Tasha says." Christian now stood beside me.
"It needs to be done," I murmured back. "They have to see that he isn't Strigoi anymore."
"Yeah, but they've barely signed the age law. The queen gave the go-ahead for this as soon as the council's session let out because it's sensational and will make people pay attention to something new. It was how they finally got the hall cleared. 'Hey, go look at the sideshow!'"
I could almost hear Tasha saying that word for word. Regardless, there was truth to it. I felt conflicted. I wanted Dimitri to be free. I wanted him to be the way he used to be. Yet I didn't appreciate Tatiana doing this for her own political gain and not because she actually cared about what was right. This was possibly the most monumental thing to happen in our history. It certainly was in my life. It needed to be treated as such. Dimitri's fate shouldn't be a convenient "sideshow" to distract everyone from an unfair law.
The examiner asked them to recount the events of the night he was turned. Dimitri didn't like talking about it. His face dropped when he recanted his side of the story as far as he remembered it. Yet, when he turned to listen to Lissa tell her version of the story, his face lit up with wonder. Awe. Worship.
Jealousy flashed through me. His feelings weren't romantic, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that he had rejected me but regarded her as the greatest thing in the world. He'd told me to leave him alone but worshipped her.
"They sure seem close," Christian noted, a suspicious note in his voice. I felt the same way.
I couldn't watch this anymore. Adrian was behind me and I turned around. I buried my face in his chest to hide the fact I was crying. Adrian just put his arm around me and let me away from the crowd. When I looked back one more time, Dimitri's eyes met mine. I saw something else then guilt in them. I saw anger. What did he have to be angry about?
The next morning I woke up in my own bed, alone. It had been a few days. Adrian was always there, helping me get to sleep, but last night I needed to be alone. I needed a moment to compose myself. I was done feeling sorry for myself. If Dimitri didn't want me anymore then fine I would find a way not to love him anymore. The anger I felt towards him at the moment was helping with that.
I decided today was going to be a new day. I showered and put on a bit of make-up. I pulled on something nice on and admired myself in the mirror. I looked good. Looking good was the first step to feeling good.
I walked across court to a place which served breakfast. I got some breakfast and even a bit of fruit. I was eating healthier for the twins now. I saw there was a small crowd gathered at a group of guardians. When I saw who was their object of protection or guarding I groaned. Dimitri. I was glad he was allowed to leave his room, but he still had an escort around court.
I was determined to ignore him when one of his guardian's made that impossible.
"Hey Rose. Are you going to the council meeting today?"
"Yup," I said, making sure my attention was only on the guardian. "Just grabbing a bite before I do."
Actually I didn't know they were having another session, but I wouldn't miss it. That was if they let me in.
"Are they going to let you in?" asked another of the guardians. They were both smiling. They, like the guardians that threw me out, approved of my outburst.
"That's an excellent question," I admitted. I took a bite of my apple. "But I figure I should give it a try. I'll also try to be on good behavior." I said in a mischievous voice. I wouldn't try very hard.
The first guardian chuckled. "I certainly hope not. That group deserves all the grief you can give them over that stupid age law." The other guardians nodded.
"What age law?" asked Dimitri, looking strangely at the apple I was eating.
Reluctantly, I looked over at him. As always, he swept my breath away. Stop it, Rose, I scolded myself. You're mad at him, remember? You need to keep being mad at him, or you will crumble.
"The decree where royals think sending sixteen-year-old kids out to fight Strigoi is the same as sending eighteen-year-olds," I said. I took another bite.
Dimitri's head shot up so quickly, I nearly choked on my food. "Which sixteen-year-olds are fighting Strigoi?" His guardians tensed but did nothing else.
It took me a moment to get the bite of apple down. When I could finally speak, I was almost afraid to. "That's the decree. Dhampirs graduate when they're sixteen now."
"That is insane." He stated. I was glad I could see another emotion on Dimitri then guilt. He was certainly looking better. He was shaven and even had his duster on. He looked more like my Dimitri. Then I had to remind myself he wasn't my Dimitri anymore. But maybe this version would be able to be happy about his kids.
"I know. I told her that myself. Presented very good arguments before the council."
Dimitri looked at me scolding me. He knew exactly what kind of arguments I presented. He wasn't my teacher anymore. He wasn't my anything anymore. He didn't have a right to scold me. So I stared him down.
Our staring competition was interrupted when a group of guardians came rushing in. It was chaos immediately. They were walking our way. They had an emblem on their suits indicating they were the royal guard. What were they doing here? Had they changed their minds about Dimitri?
"Don't hurt him. He didn't do anything wrong."
The guardians looked at me confused.
"We are not here for him. We are here for you."
What? That bitch! Was she seriously getting her royal guard involved in this? I knew we had our differences, but she actually send her guards to do her dirty work for her. Coward.
"What? Is Tatiana too afraid to face me herself? She has her lapdogs do it for her? I never thought she would use you guys to settle a personal score. But I also thought she wouldn't do a lot of things. I guess I thought her to be a better woman."
The guardians still looked confused. But they engaged me none the less.
To my surprise Dimitri was shoving me behind him.
"Don't touch her." He growled.
He was protecting me. He stood in between me and the guardians. All ten of them. They attacked him and Dimitri held his own against ten of the royal guard. The best of the best. I saw the awe in their eyes mixed with something else fear. They thought this was a remnant of his Strigoi time. But I knew better. This was simply Dimitiri. He was just this awesome on his own. But they didn't know that. If he continued they would lock him up again. I couldn't let them do that. Not because of me.
"Stop." I whispered. I stepped closer to Dimitri and placed my hands on his back letting my head rest between his shoulder blades. He immediately calmed down at my touch. I didn't know I still had that effect on him. He stood down and I walk around him.
"I'll come with you, just let him be."
A guardian walked up to me very carefully eyeing Dimitri the entire time. He put cuffs on me.
"A little excessive don't you think. All I did was tell the truth. Just because she can't handle a little criticism."
"You did more than that. You tried to kill her. Rosemarie Hathaway. I hereby arrest you on suspicion of attempted murder of Queen Tatiana Ivashkov."
