"Why?"
"Because to be on the council, you will need a direct blood relative to stand up for you. I would do it myself, but I am not your blood sister. And I want you to take the Dragomir's place on the council," I turned to Chris, "I also want you, Chris, to take the Ozera's seat."
"Are…are you serious Rose?" Chris stammered.
"Yes, we need people we can trust, to do what is best for our society. Not people who are hateful and corrupt, and care nothing about anyone but themselves, and lining their own pockets."
"But Rose, I'm…I'm…"
"You are what Chris?"
"Well quite frankly, I'm me." He laughed.
"Chris, as my brother, I need you to hear this. Dimitri and I need people on the councils that we can trust. People that will be willing to do what is best for our people, not just themselves. And we do trust you Chris, you may be a snarky, sarcastic smart ass, but you have ideas of the things that are needed to change in our world. You have hidden in the shadows, and observed our world for years, we are asking for your help Sparky."
Chris stared at me for a few minutes, then turned to look at Lissa who nodded at him. Then he looked at Dimitri, who also nodded at him. Then he turned back to me, "did you really have to put it like that? You knew I couldn't say no if you said it that way." I grinned at him. "Fine, I will do it. I will take the Ozera seat on the council." He sighed then said, "Rosie, you better do something good to pay me back for this." Then he laughed.
"I already am; I am keeping your surprise a secret."
Lissa looked back and forth between the two of us before asking, "what surprise?"
Chris rolled his eyes at me and said, "I guess that will do."
Again Lissa asked, "what secret?"
Chris answered with, "you will find out soon I promise."
She turned to me asking me with her eyes to tell her, but I wasn't going to ruin the moment for them. "You will know soon sis, and trust me you will love it."
Sighing she said, "ok. Now what do we do about Jill, her mother may have a stroke when we tell her the truth."
"I will ask for her to come to our coronation, after which, the four of us will take them to mine and Dimitri's private office. Once inside our office, we will give her mother the chance to come clean. If she does not, we will do it for her. After we handle that, you and Jill will need to go somewhere and talk. Just so you know, the council will not be all royals anymore, it will be half in half. And the guardian council will also be half guardians and half non-guardian damphires. Adrian is going to take the Ivashkov seat, or at least we hope he will. If we can find, and change Sonya Karp back, I am hoping she and Mikhail Tanner will join the councils. I also want to ask Alberta, Hans Croft, Eddie, and Mason." Turning to Dimitri I asked, "do you have any ideas for the guardians?"
"Well I was going to suggest Tanner." He laughed. "Also as much as I love you, I think Mason and Eddie are not experienced enough to be on the council, but if you have your heart set on them it is fine."
"I agree on their lack of experience, and I would have suggested Yuri, Celeste and Emil but we promised Karo that they would be at St. Vlad's to look after Pasha."
"Yes we did, but those on the council will not have to live at court, they can just come when there are meetings."
"So you think, they would not only be the better choice, because of their experience. But because they know the true feeling and meaning; physically, emotionally and mentally of a kill."
"Roza, must you always read my like I am an open book?" He whined playfully.
"Don't whine baby, because you do it to me too." He chuckled and kissed my cheek.
"Yes that is exactly why I suggested them, milaya. I know you love Mason and Eddie. But I think that the members of the guardian side of the council. Should have the experience, to be able to know what other guardians face day in and day out."
"Yes, I love Mason and Eddie. But I also agree with your assessments. So, the guardian side of the council will consist of Alberta, Hans, Mishka, Yuri, Emil, and Celeste correct?"
"Correct, my darling."
"So, how about the non-guardian side of the council?"
"I think Eddie and Mason would both be very good additions to that section of the council. They could be influences for the younger generations. As well as, role models for them."
"Thank you my love."
"There is nothing to thank me for my darling. I know that you trust them, and since you do, so do I. I know they are both good men." I caressed his cheek and thanked him again.
"I would like your mother or grandmother to be on the council as well. Since they have lived in Baia for years, they know what another perspective of damphir life is like."
"That is true."
"I think with Yeva's visions it might be best if she was the one."
"I agree."
"Do you know any others that should be on the council?"
"Not right off hand."
"I know that we need some older and some younger, we need an equal mixture of ages."
"True, but most of the damphires that I know are all guardians."
"Me too. Do you think Yeva and Olena would be able to suggest some?"
"I would imagine so, but if we go with all Russians the rest of the damphires could think we are being partial."
"Yes, they could. Ok let's table the rest of the damphir council and think about the moroi council. We have Lissa, Chris and hopefully Adrian and Sonya Karp. How about Mia and Kirova?"
"That sounds good, now we need three more royals and three more non-royals also of varying ages." We both turned to Lissa and Chris.
"What?" Lissa asked.
"Any ideas about the royal side of the council?" Dimitri asked.
"What about Pricilla Voda and Amelia Szelsky."
"Yea and we could ask Dr. O to be on the non-royal council, that would give us a medical persons point of view."
"That is a really good idea Rose." Lissa said.
"Oh I got a really good one."
"What?" Chris asked.
"We could find Ivan change him back too and he could take the Zeklos seat."
"Do you think we could?" I asked.
"Well, baba said we could change them back, all we would have to do is find him." Dimitri said.
"How would we go about finding him though?" A thought suddenly occurred to me. "Baba, I need to talk to you."
"What do you need kiz?"
"I need the location of Ivan Zeklos and Sonya Karp."
"Ok, give me a few minutes, and I will hopefully be back with their locations." Fifteen minutes later he returned. "I have their locations."
"Where are they?" I asked.
"Sonya is in Detroit, Michigan. Ivan is in Novgorod, Russia."
"Thanks baba, we may need more information later."
"Anytime little girl, just call."
"Dimi I just thought of another moroi."
"Who?"
"Didn't you tell me once that you knew a spirit user named Oksana?"
"Yes, and if we could convince her, she could also help Lissa, Sonya and Adrian with their powers."
"Yes! Baba said I could make them charms to help with the darkness but I don't know how to do that."
"Well you can either hope that Oksana knows or you can just ask baba." Dimitri said. "What if we asked Oksana's husband Mark. He is not a guardian anymore."
"That's good babe. Oh I have a great idea; mom is retiring she could fill one of the spots on the non-guardian side of the council."
"That is a great idea babe." He kissed my cheek then.
"Hey Rose what about Ambrose?"
"Ambrose, who is that?"
"He is a damphir that works at the royal salon at court. He is also rumored to be Tatiana's boyfriend."
"The fact that he works in a salon would make him a great addition. He could listen to his clients and their concerns and bring them back to us." Turning to Dimitri I asked, "what do you think babe?"
"Well I think if we can convince them all we have a full damphir council. We just need one more non-royal and the councils will be set."
"Hey Rose?" Chris asked.
"Yeah?"
"What about, Gavin Mainer? He is really smart and a non-royal."
"I don't think I know him."
"That might be best babe. If we fill the councils with just our friends and family people could get the wrong idea."
"Hmm, that is true." Turning to Chris I say, "tell us about Gavin."
"Well, he was the gardener at my parent's estate, I don't know what happened to him after they died. I heard that aunt Tasha fired him and threw him out right after the funerals, but I don't know."
"Yet another perspective, would always be welcome. We need as many people from as many different walks of life as possible. Just to be sure all of our people are equally represented."
"Alright let's ask those that are already here, as well as those at St. Vlad's, then worry about the others later."
"Sounds good to me." Dimitri said.
"Lissa would you and Chris go get Yeva, Mia, Eddie, Mason, Adrian and my mom. While Dimitri and I teleport to St. Vlad's and get Alberta, Yuri, Emil, Celeste, Dr. Oldenzki and Kirova?"
"Of course" We all left to gather up our assigned people.
After everyone was gathered in my father's office, Dimitri and I began, "as you all know, I am about to be queen and Dimitri is about to become our king. Before she left to go back to the states, aunt Tati informed us that she was dissolving her councils. She made a request of Dimitri and I, and we completely agree with it. She asked that when we reconstituted the councils that the damphir council not be all guardians, that it be half guardians and half non-guardian damphires. She also asked for the same to be done with the moroi council, half royal and half non-royal. Dimitri and I both agree whole heartedly that this should be done. This way our whole world will be better represented. As it is now only guardians and royals are represented, and that is not even half of our world. What we are hoping, is that by doing this it will lessen if not hopefully dissolve, the stigma of non-promised damphir. As well as, damphir in general, and also non-royal moroi. Everyone present has either seen, heard or felt this stigma at one time or another. And Dimitri and I, want to put an end to that. With that said, we hope that you will all except the positions we ask you to take. First the damphir council, on the guardian side we would like; Alberta, Emil, Yuri, and Celeste. The other positions will hopefully be held by Hans Croft and Mikhail Tanner. Do the four of you agree?"
"I would be honored Rose, and Dimitri." Alberta answered.
"As would I." Celeste replied.