Chapter 25:
DPOV
Today was the day the trial started. I had to grind my teeth because I wasn't the victim in this case. I wasn't the one who she was charged to have hurt or raped. No, I was a witness in Ivan's case. I was evidence. The only thing they didn't do, was stuff me in a sealed bag and lock me up in evidence. And I had half a mind to believe it was because they couldn't find an evidence bag big enough. But I needed not to be mad about that right now. I needed her punished for her crime. Well whatever crime they were willing to convict her off anyway.
She was lead into the building in handcuffs and an ugly overall. She looked like hell. Good. They probably had her on limited blood to keep her powers in check. They lead her to the stand where she was seated.
We all rose when the Judge came in. When she had told us the outline of the case and was seated herself we all took our seats too. The charge was stealing a guardian by compulsion and defiling him. Now that might sound like she was being charged with rape, but instead she was being punished for using my body for anything else than guarding. The charge would have been the same if she had hurt me physically. And not because they felt it was bad to hurt another person, but because it was a waste of resources. It was illegal to use a guardian for other things then guarding. It was mostly to prevent people using their guardians as their gardener's or something. But here the same charge was used to charge her with rape. Nice to know it was the same whether someone use me for work in their garden and use my body for sex. If found guilty she would be sentenced to life in prison.
Rose was sitting next to me, she had also received a summon to appear as a witness. Next to her was Lissa, then Christian and then Adrian. Ivan was on the other side of me. Christians head was hanging low and he was refusing to look at his aunt. The thing was, she wasn't looking at him either. I wondered if she even knew he was here, or if she even cared.
We were called in chronological order of events. So I was asked to come up to the stand. I had to tell my side of the story.
"State your name and occupation please."
"Dimitri Belikov, guardian to Ivan Zeklos."
"If you will talk us to the events leading up to Lady Ozera's crime."
I nodded. I didn't miss the fact that the accuser was already finding her guilty even though she had stupidly pleaded innocent.
"I have known Lady Ozera for a while. We were friends once. I saw her again on the campus of St. Basils as her nephew had been transferred there. She had made some passes at me, but I had shut her down. When she found out I was in a relationship with another woman she was furious. But she walked away and I assumed that would have been the end of it. A few weeks later there was a dance and she was there for her nephew I assumed. She had asked to talk to me and I refused. A moment later I was outside talking to her. That was the first instance she used compulsion on me. I was annoyed at her persistence until I wasn't. I could only think of one thing. How much I loved her and how I wanted to be with her. She compelled me to fall in love with her and be her guardian."
My words were filled with disgust. My body shivered from the shear revulsion that had come over me as I remembered the night.
"Rose had found us and I told her I was leaving. I almost broke the compulsion there but Tasha laid on another layer and I left with her. I found it strange how she wanted to go to these remote places where there was no contact with the outside world, but the compulsion prevented me from thinking anything bad about her. It was designed to make her happy no matter the consequences."
"So you are telling me, that the primary reason she stole a guardian, Lord Zeklos sole guardian and protection from him for romantic reasons?"
When I nodded the entire room took in a breath of disgust. Not because she made me her sex slave. Not because my mind and free will were stolen from me. Not because she made me abandon my family and friends, but because they thought it was a stupid reason for someone to steal a guardian. If you stole one you stole them for protection. After all, we are nothing more than tools to be bred for their protection. The thought that anyone would actually want us for personal reasons made her crime worse.
But I had to play the part. I had to pretend I was as outraged about this as they were because it would ensure her incarceration. So like a weak little dog I kept my guardian mask in place and answered as many questions as they wanted to ask.
After about another fifteen minutes of useless questions I was let down of the stand and they called on the next witness. Rose. I saw she was seething after the display of my testimony. She shared my disgust of the way things were run here. But she knew what she had to do to make sure Tasha would be locked up for good.
"State your name and occupation."
"Rosemarie Hathaway, guardian to Princess Vasilisa Dragomir."
I heard a few gasps from the audience since they hadn't known she was allocated to Vasilisa but the judge quieted the crowd quickly.
"You saw guardian Belikov the night he was forced to leave with Lady Ozera, please describe the events."
She took a deep cleansing breath and began her story.
"I was on my way back to my dorm when I saw them. Dimitri was either busy with guardian duties of the school or being with his personal charge Ivan, so I found it strange that he was out there with Tasha. I called him over and saw there was a strange look in his eyes. I now recognized it as compulsion. Tasha had been spreading rumors about me that I spend two years in a blood commune and when Dimitri reiterated that lie I knew something was wrong. Dimitri and Ivan are one of the few that know what happened but he really believed what Tasha had told him."
"It says here in the records, that the two years you and the princess were missing is classified."
She nodded.
"But Dimitri and Ivan were there when we… left the place and they knew what had transpired there. Dimitri had volunteered to train me himself so I could catch up the two years of training. Dimitri is very dedicated and true to his word. The fact he was leaving Ivan and leaving me for Tasha told me he wasn't doing this out of free will. I tried convincing him to stay to break the compulsion. But when I had almost broken through she laid on another layer of compulsion and they left together. We had organized a search party and resources to tracking them immediately but they were already off the grid. It took us several months to locate them."
They couldn't see it but I could. The pain in her eyes when she talked about that night. How I called her a blood whore. I knew full well what had happened and to belittle her struggle in that dungeon by calling her a blood whore made me feel shame like I never have. I knew she didn't blame me. She blamed Tasha. So did I, but I also feel guilty for not being able to break the compulsion then. I should have been stronger.
"Now we would like call Lady Ozera to the stand."
Tasha walked awkwardly towards the stand. The chains she was in making it hard to walk fast.
"Please Lady Ozera. Tell us how in the light of this overwhelming evidence you still pleaded innocent."
She looked outraged into the crowd.
"I did nothing wrong. I merely showed him the error of his ways. He was wasting his time with that little blood whore. And she is a little blood whore. Make no mistake about that. Classified. Yeah probably because she screwed so many high ranking royals they had to make it a secret. He was throwing his life a way. I saved him from her. I saved him from a life of servitude in the care of his so-called friend. This system is broken. We treat Dhampirs like disposable things. I had to hide our love because this society is so back-wards that even when a Dhampir and Moroi love each other they can't be together. I freed him from his obligations. I freed him from his duty. He was so indoctrinated into his duty he denied himself to love me. I freed him from himself."
God she believed it too. She believed I really loved her even after everything. I couldn't be mad anymore. Somewhere her idea of changing to world for the better and treated us as equals became distorted. It became distorted because she was surrounded by bigots that believed her ideas were wrong. Her obsession with me and her goal to create equality merged and she simply lost it. I realized Tasha was as much of a product of this world as I was. And in a weird kind of way we were on the same side, hoping for a better future for everyone. Rose had said the same thing about Victor. He wanted to be healed because he believed he could use his new-found health to better the system. To create a world where Dhampirs and non-royal Moroi were equals to royal Moroi. Both Tasha and Victor believed so strongly in their ideals they were willing to do anything. Including torture and taking away free will.
After her testimony she was found guilty. It didn't matter to them what reason she gave them, she had confessed to compelling me away from Ivan and that is all they cared about. I even saw the typist stop recording her words other than she compelled me. They didn't want her testimony on record.
She was sentenced to a life in prison and I should have been relieved but we left the courthouse all feeling a little deflated. This was the world we lived in. Where my life meant nothing and her ideas of freedom weren't even worth writing down.
RPOV
Lissa and I were called into the queens office again. I had gotten a letter with my allocation earlier and it had stated I was to be Lissa's primary guardian. At court I was her only guardian and outside of the wards at Lehigh she would have three more.
"I see that the nasty business with miss Ozera has been dealt with."
Miss Ozera. She lost her title, because no royal would ever have the ideas she had about Dhampir rights.
Lissa and I both nodded.
"I also see you have graduated with top marks."
I nodded again. But Lissa wasn't satisfied with that, I felt through the bond she wanted the queen to eat her earlier words about me.
"Oh she was magnificent. Her trial went smoothly and she was the only one who didn't have any penalties meaning the Moroi she was guarding was the safest and she won the tournament. She had to take on this boy that was built like a wall. If she can handle him she can handle any Strigoi. Did she also mention she has killed two Strigoi before graduation. I am so very proud of her."
God she was laying it on thick.
"Yes, I have the report her. Very impressive."
She didn't sound very impressed. She sounded pained. As if admitted I had done something right was physically hurting her. But I grinned. It isn't every day that the queen is groveling before you.
"Yes well. We have some details to discuss about Lehigh. I would like you to follow a political science major. That way you can serve on the council in a few years."
I knew for a fact none of the prissy royals actually owned a political science degree if a degree at all. But Lissa seemed open to it.
"I believe that is wise. I would love to learn more about different systems of governing."
Yes, she would love to. Because Lissa had been sparked by Dimitri's or actually Ivan's trial to do something about our broken system. I had seen the same dedication in Ivan's eyes.
Lissa's meaning hadn't been lost on Tatiana.
"I know our system is broken. But it will take something or someone extraordinary to be able to change it."
She was looking at Lissa and realization crossed Lissa's mind and my mind at the same time. She wanted Lissa to succeed her.
We were still reeling from the realization when we arrived back at the guest house.
The place was quiet even thought there were a lot of people present. Dimitri was sitting next to Ivan. They were talking but I couldn't hear what they were saying but a small smile came across Dimitri's face as he affectionately placed a hand on Ivan's shoulder. When he noticed me his smile lit up.
Ivan turned around and both men walked over to us.
"So how was it with the queen?"
"She wants me to do a political science major."
I groaned. I knew Lissa was excited. This was actually right up her alley. Although the American political system was very different from ours, it was also just as broken. But that also meant I would have to at least attend the same classes as Lissa. Although I kind of wanted to show Tatiana I did have what it takes to complete college on my own, I might take her up on the offer to have them work something out for me so I can stay close to her without having to pass the classes.
"I am determined to change the system and she actually seemed to agree with me. The trial has been an eye opener for me and I plan to do anything I can to make this world a better place for Dhampirs and even for people like Tasha who want change."
I could feel her resolve. She wasn't simply telling Ivan this. It was like she was pledging her life to the cause. And as she was standing before me I could see her be the queen Tatiana wants her to be. She would be a good queen too. I wasn't the only one inspired by her speech.
"Me too. I called my father and told him I was staying at court and plan to take his council seat from him when he retires. I have a few things to learn here. But I start after the summer with minor political jobs. I want to make a difference. Besides I want to be useful at court, since you galls will be staying here to."
I smiled at Ivan and hugged him. Not only were they dedicating their lives to improve ours but they were staying together so Dimitri and I could stay together. Sure we would have to commute here to Lehigh or coming back in the weekends, but I would be able to spend time with my man more frequently than any other guardian pair. As I looked over to him I knew he was thinking the same thing.
We had endured so much. It was time for us to be happy. And for the first time in my life I didn't feel guilty for thinking that. They didn't come first. Although I would die to protect Lissa and Ivan I also wanted a life of my own with Dimitri. Because we had earned it. We had earned the right to a life of our own.