Time at court stretched on. Adrian made sure I went to the doctors and confirmed my pregnancy which came up positive. I was dreading telling my parents, I mean how weird is it mother and daughter pregnant at the same time? And the fact I got pregnant with a Dhampir? Who in their right mind would believe that? So far only Adrian knows and he believes me that it's Dimitri's baby but saying that he's not exactly in his right mind most of the time. Now would be a perfect example of one of those times. . . .

"Oh Little Dhampir, where are you?" he called.

I sighed, I really was not in the mood to talk to Adrian, particularly a drunken Adrian. I just wanted to lie on my bed and wallow in my sorrows about my shit life, really if anything bad is gonna happen it happens to me!

"Oh Little Dhampir?"

"WHAT ADRIAN?" I roared back

"Oh I just wanted to find you, I'm feeling a little. . . . . Bored"

"Well go be bored with somebody else cos I am soooo not in the mood right now" I snapped back.

"Humph fine so I will" and with that he stalked off.

I instantly felt bad, it wasn't his fault my mood was crappy., there was nothing he could have done to save Dimitri.

Life at court was dull and repetitive we had only been there around two weeks. I was still in the early stages of my pregnancy at 8 weeks. I still hadn't had the nerve to inform the guardians I was pregnant, I hated office work.

Unfortunately this had come to an abrupt end and it happened by Adrian's hand.

"emmm little Dhampir we need to talk"

"about what?"

"well . . . You see . . .I'm going to be out of court for awhile and I need you to step down as my . . . Emmm.. . Guardian. . ." he let me finish the sentence.

So Adrian went off wherever he was going, he refused to tell me and I was left to my own devices and the inedibility of talking to Lissa. Court was going to be sooo much fun. . . Not! I didn't even have Eddie or Mia around as Eddie was with some Ivashov lord and Mia was somewhere in Europe.

I trudged my way over to Lissa's lavish living quarters. I know she's Queen and all but the residency is just wayyyy over the top!

I entered to find her sitting on the end of her bed. She seemed pleasantly surprised to see me.

"Rose! It's good to see you again, I am so sooo sorry. I know what I did was wrong and cruel . . And.. . And you don't deserve that kind of treatment, you've always been such a good friend and I . . . I -"

I cut her off as I felt all of what she was trying to say through the bond. Somehow being with her in person amplified all her emotions as they came through the bond and I couldn't help but forget everything that had happened. I just wanted to forgive her and return what I could I was not going to lose Lissa as I had Dimitri. Life is too short to let petty things get in the way. This instantly made me think of Dimitri, if I hadn't left him would we still be safe in Russia?

I was brought back into the moment by silence. Lissa was looking at me, scared no in face terrified that I would just leave. Instead I walked over and hugged her. She hugged me back and I felt that she would be eternally grateful that I hadn't left her for good. She was also slightly confused as to why I would forgive her so easily.

"I refuse to lose you like I did Dimitri Liss"

"Rose I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I should have listened to you when you said to ease off the magic. . .and now. . . .now Dimitri is gone because of it" she cried.

God you'd swear she had lost Christian, I suppose she might has well have, family is family no matter what. I knew she was in bits, when Dimitri had returned from Russia he had become Lissa's head guardian. She'd become attached to him and was devastated that she was responsible for everything, not that she was, darkness or no darkness I'm still responsible for my own actions.

I went over and hugged her. Oddly I wasn't feeling sentimental, I have been a lot lately, damn hormones, which reminded me I still had to tell Lissa. I wondered briefly if Adrian had told her. I don't think he did, one of them would have said so. What she said next proved that Adrian had been a loyal friend and left it for me to spill the beans.

"Rose once you get through your grief. . . ..do you think you'd like to be reinstated as . . My . . Well . . Head Guardian?"

"Emmm Liss you see the thing is. . . .I'm. .. . .well . . I'm kinda pregnant"

"Oh my God Rose, how long have you known?" she asked concerned.

"Since the day Dimitri arrived in Paris"

"Oh did you tell him?"

I couldn't speak, I just shook my head

"I never got the chance, he wouldn't even look at me and then we got attacked and . . ." I couldn't finish so Lissa came over and hugged me.

"Your excused from all guardian duties, okay I'll deal with everything"

I was grateful to have things off my chest but there was still one thing

"Liss, will you try and keep it quite my parents don't know yet."

"Okay, when are you going to tell them?"

"Soon"

"Promise?"

"Promise"

With that she excused her self as she had some 'royal matters' to deal with.