Part 2 Chapter 37

DPOV

Song: Wolf by Marika Hackman

Hands reach up into my hair as fingers move to tangle themselves deeper in. Light scratches from fingernails against my scalp and soft moans against my lips cause my head to spin. I pull her warm body close to me and move my lips across her cheek to whisper into her ear, "Roza."

That one, small word elicits a shiver from her that shakes her entire body. It's more than just a name. It's a promise. A promise of my love for her...and a promise of my lust for her.

I grip onto her hips and try to lift her off me to move over her, but she fights me. She always does. It was a little game she liked to play before she finally, eventually, caved in. We roll around, our lips finding one another's in between chuckles and giggles before she takes charge and pins me down. Her hands latch on to mine digging them into the bedding, smaller yet somehow just as strong. I look up to see her smiling down at me, her self-proclaimed victory worn proud.

Her hooded eyes are so dark that even the faintest hint of light from the corner of my tent seems to catch in them. I could easily get lost in those eyes.

She begins to lean down, slowly and seductively, claiming her prize with a heated kiss. I'm so tempted to let her win. For a moment I want nothing more than to give in and let her have me, but our competitiveness is something we have in common—and I know there's something she'll want more. I use her moment of distraction and in one swift movement flip her over and land on top, pinning her legs below mine. Her brown eyes go wide and that small hint of light sparks with excitement.

"Hey, you cheated," she huffs, blowing a stray strand of hair away from her face.

"What was it you said in training yesterday," I smirk. "Never let your guard down."

She lets out a short laugh and my heart leaps. "Well, I guess all is fair in love and war."

"Whatever you say, Marshall." I move my lips painstakingly close to hers as I speak but still don't allow them to touch, teasing her in a way I know drives her mad.

I can feel her pulse quicken against my thighs and chest, both pressed firmly against her. When she speaks next, her voice is breathy and desperate. "Kiss me, Coimheach."

I nuzzle my nose against her neck and trace my teeth along her jaw. "Not until you say it."

Her chest heaves against mine with anticipation and she lets out another moan before softly crying out, "I'm yours."

I thrust my hips forward and simultaneously plunge my tongue deep into her mouth, mirroring my movements between her thighs. I try to start out slow, but that's never really been our speed. It's not long before we pick up a familiar rhythm that has us both gasping for air. Each time, I find myself wishing this would last forever but at the same time, longing for the moment it will end. Not because I'm drained or tired, I could never grow tired of her, but because I know what comes after is far sweeter. And this time is no different.

I fall down next to her, both of us coming down from our mind-blowing release and feel her wrap herself around me from limb to limb. I run my hands through her silky hair and bury my lips in the top of her crown. An almost purring sound escapes her and she looks up at me through impossibly long lashes.

"I love you, Dimitri."

My heart soars and there's no holding back my adoring smile as I reply, "I love you, Roza."

A bang across the room jolted me awake and my torso came flying off the bed. I looked around, slightly unsure where and when I was only to see Daisy gnawing on a bone. Someone from the kitchen staff must have thrown it to her. Several of the castle workers had overcome their initial discomfort and developed a soft spot for her. I let out a groan and flopped back against my pillow.

I turned my head and ran my hand across the empty space beside me. I could've sworn I could still feel her warmth there.

The memory of her face and her words to me slowly began to fade until they were nothing but a faint fog.

"All is fair in love and war."

But it wasn't. Nothing about our love was fair.

I flipped the sheets off me and hopped up out of bed before I began feeling too sorry for myself. My hand instinctively ghosted to the necklace around my neck as I walked over to my wooden chest to grab a shirt. Daisy remained enthralled with her new chew toy even after I left the room.

For a moment, I envied her. I wished it were that easy to distract myself, especially on days that started like these. As I strolled down the corridors and wandered into the main dining hall I couldn't help but notice how unusually quiet it was for the time. I could only assume the majority of the kingdom was hungover from the coronation the previous night. Vasilisa had finally accepted the crown and the ceremony had been as grandiose as Natalie planned. I could tell the Princess—now Queen—had felt uneasy about it the entire day before, but something changed that night.

She went from a nervous wreck, so anxious about the ceremony I wasn't sure if she'd even go through with it, to suddenly feeling perfectly at ease and ready to take on her responsibilities with stride. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought Rose stealing some of those dreaded feelings from her would've been the cause, but we all knew that would never happen again.

Small instances like those kept appearing throughout the night and I found myself seeing Rose in every bit of the evening. It was no surprise my dreams were invaded by her as well.

I bit into an apple that was still sitting in one of the various piles of food and looked around at the aftermath of the celebration. It really had been spectacular. Not too over the top like some coronations I had been to, but the love the people had for Vasilisa was palpable. It caused the air in the room to feel lighter and the misfortunes we had been facing to fade into the background, even if only for a night. Admittedly, I was tempted on more than one occasion to join in on the festivities, but something told me to keep a sharp eye on the crowd. I couldn't shake the feeling that Vasilisa still wasn't safe, and wasn't willing to risk it even for a simple moment of distraction.

"Dimitri! Vlad, there you are, I've been looking for you everywhere." I turned around to see Mason Ashford practically traipsing towards me. As he grew nearer, I could see his eyes were bloodshot, the red in them mirroring the fiery color of his hair. He must have been woken up in a similar manner as I had, but with about a barrel of brew still lingering.

I could tell instantly that he was more excited than agitated so his sudden need to speak with me didn't raise any alarm. "I'm surprised to see you up so early," I teased. "I thought that brunette you were hanging on last night would have kept you busy well into the morning hours."

Mason sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and cracked a grin. "Unfortunately for me, I was too plastered to keep anyone busy and she ended up ditching me before sunrise."

I chuckled then took another bite of my apple, feeling slightly bad for laughing at his expense.

"Hey man, we can't all be tall, dark, and mysterious like you. Plus you got that whole foreign thing going for you that drives the blades wild. Lucky for me, you're too serious about your work or we'd all be left hangin' high and dry."

I knew he was only jesting, but even the idea of another woman on my arm had me desperately wanting to change the subject. I attempted to give him a smile—that I knew was unconvincing—and awkwardly cleared my throat. "So, was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Ashford's eyes went wide as if he had suddenly remembered there had been an actual reason for him seeking me out. "YES! Yes," he wildly blurted. "They're coming! We received word from a scout this morning. They're actually coming."

"Who is," I asked, puzzled by his roused state.

"The allies. They've been in contact with one another and will be led by Guardian Hathaway's troops within the next two days." His arms were moving animatedly around him and he was speaking so fast he was becoming short of breath. "I wrote down the rest of the details of where they will be attacking from and how many forces they're bringing, but Dimitri...this is it. We might finally be out of this purgatory."

It took a second to register what he was saying. Sure, I absolutely trusted Tasha to do everything she could to bring us aid, and Guardian Hathaway had already done so much to help us as it was, but hearing it out loud—that reinforcements were finally on their way—I could hardly believe it.

I finally snapped out of my sudden loss for words and began spouting out orders like a mad man. I could see Mason's head spinning and only half of my requests actually landing, but I couldn't stop. We left the room and began rallying as many men as we could to spread the word. Afterward, I quickly began making my way to the Queen's chambers.

If everything went according to plan, it looked like a coronation wouldn't be the only thing worth celebrating soon.

.

RPOV

Song: It's Time To Come Home by The Rentals

I fiddled with the table knife impatiently as we continued the agonizing wait for our food. The dinner table that night was decorated more than usual and Daniela had insisted I wear something formal. The dress was pulled tight along the corset and I was worried I wouldn't be able to eat enough to satisfy my raging hunger within the confines of the fabric's death grip.

Adrian was there as well, joining us for the first time since I'd been a guest at the castle, and I could tell he was becoming just as irritable. He distractedly ran his fingertips along the edges of a large gold painted conch shell earning a tsk from Daniela.

He moved his hand back to his lap and the room continued radiating with uncomfortable silence. In an attempt to break it, Daniela finally spoke up, "Adrian, dear, I'm so glad you decided to join us this evening."

"Yes, well it was you that insisted it was of the utmost importance that I come tonight. Though, as to why is still unclear." He tried his best to keep his agitation hidden through a polite smile.

His father, Nathan, let out a grunt from the head of the table and turned his stone cold face towards the wall. It was as if he agreed with Adrian that him being there was unnecessary, but admitting that his son was right offended him more than accentuating the point.

"We're having a special guest tonight so I thought it would be nice to dine as a family," Daniela smiled, ignoring the rising tension between father and son.

It was then I finally noticed that there was an extra setting placed between Nathan and Adrian. My hunger had been so distracting I hadn't even realized it before.

"Who else is joining us," I quietly asked, not wanting to attract Lord Ivashkov's attention.

Daniela turned to me to answer, a proud look on her face, but before she could give me a name the door to the entrance flew open with a gust. A tall Moroi man that I instantly recognized strolled in, completing his dramatic entrance with a low bow.

It was the same mysterious stranger I had bumped into in the hall just three days prior, wearing a haughty grin to match his extravagantly colorful ensemble.

"Good evening, Ivashkovs." There was a sing-song note to his voice as if he hadn't a care in the world.

Nathan abruptly stood from his seat, the sound of wood scraping against stone accompanying his outroar. "What's the meaning of this?!"

The stranger straightened up and looked to Nathan. "Well, dinner I assumed," despite Nathan's obvious hostility the foreign man remained perfectly composed. "I realize I am a bit late, apologies for that, but I—"

Nathan turned towards his wife, red-faced and flustered, without letting the foreigner finish his thought. "Was this your doing, woman?"

I thought his tone and ill-manner would have mortified Daniela but instead, she just narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips as if this tantrum was a normal occurrence.

"Actually, as humbling as it would be to receive an invitation from your lovely wife, it was at the Queen's behest."

"That's outrageous," Nathan's voice rose to a shout. "You expect me to believe that the Queen would invite a pirate to our table?"

"Oh hush now Nathan before you exhaust yourself." Lord Ivashkov's face fell completely flat as a new voice entered the room. Daniela and Adrian immediately rose from their seats and I clumsily scrambled out of mine trying to avoid stepping on my dress.

"Tatiana," Nathan nervously breathed out. "I had no idea you would be bringing a…a..." I could tell he was trying his best to search for the right word, but he ended up just landing on, "guest."

"I do apologize for my Nephew's rudeness, Mr. Mazur," the Queen turned towards the proclaimed pirate with her pointy nose in the air. "I would say he's normally much more agreeable, but monarchs are bound by the truth."

Adrian bit down on his lip to keep it from curling into an amused grin as Daniela hurriedly gestured for one of the servants to gather another place setting.

As the odd pair walked further into the room, Nathan held out his arm to offer the Queen his seat at the head of the table but instead, she brushed past him, not even sparing him an appreciative glance and took the empty chair next to Adrian.

She gave him a warm smile as he sat back down in his seat and wrapped her hands around one of his. "My darling, it's so good to see you. Are you well?"

It was jarring to see how quickly her demeanor could change from smug and imperious to perfectly pleasant in an instant. Adrian returned her affection with the first genuine smile I'd seen all evening as the two exchanged pleasantries.

Mr. Mazur, as I'd just learned, pushed the Queen's chair in and began walking down the table. I assumed he would take the empty seat next to Nathan so he could converse with Tatiana, but instead he made his way to the other end to settle across from me.

"Ah, Miss Hathaway. What a lovely surprise." Something told me this man was never truly surprised. "I'm pleased to be seeing you again so soon."

I used the opportunity of navigating my way back into my seat to avoid answering him.

Unfortunately, the Queen refused to give me that allowance. "The two of you know each other," she chirped from across the table.

"Why yes," Abe proudly addressed. "I had the pleasure of meeting this young lady the other day in one of your many great halls."

Daniela's subtle frown returned and I quickly saw all my precious freedom being whisked out the door.

"You see, this glorious castle is so vast I became distracted by all its splendor and I somehow lost my way. Miss Hathaway was kind enough to point me in the right direction."

Kiss ass.

I could tell Daniela was getting irritated with how informally he was addressing me, but I didn't bother correcting him. The official titles everyone insisted on using annoyed me to no end. And besides, my irritation with him stemmed from the fact that he felt the need to lie for me. Like I was some damsel who needed him to come to my aid.

"Yes well, distractions come easier to some more than others, I suppose. I didn't feel right about leaving such a clueless looking man wandering about aimlessly. Right, Mr. Mazur?" I made a point to emphasize his name since he'd been so resilient to give it to me before.

Adrian let out a small chuckle, "Isn't that ironic. A renowned sea captain losing his way. I guess the palace grounds aren't as easy to navigate as the open ocean."

Mr. Mazur's almond eyes fixed on mine and flashed with a spark of deviousness as he said, "You'd be surprised."

I ground my teeth together, annoyed by how true that statement was.

One of the doors opened again and this time, to my pure delight, it was the one to the kitchen. Servants began entering the room carrying trays of food and I had to grip the edge of my seat to keep from flinging myself at them. They started with Queen Tatiana and worked their way around the head of the table.

Finally, a large wooden bowl was presented beside me but when I looked over to see what it's contents were, I scowled into my chin. "What..is that?!"

"It's the first course. A salad," the young servant supplied. "Would you care for some?"

"Do I look like a rabbit to you?"

"Um, n-no Princess," the nervous boy sputtered.

I sighed, realizing the poor guy didn't know how to take a joke and shook my head. "No thank you Diedrick, and I've told you not to call me that. Rose is fine."

He glanced nervously over to Daniela before scampering away. I didn't even have to turn to know her admonishing stare was fully engaged; I could feel it burning a hole into the side of my head. I probably should have let him put some on my plate and at least pretended to eat it, but was too crabby to consider it.

Adrian shot me a quick smirk across the table, making it easier to ignore his mother's disapproval, and pushed the plate of bread towards me. I tore a chunk off and stuffed it into my mouth without even bothering with the rich butter the others normally spread across it.

Thankfully, the next course was meat. Sure, there were some kind of vegetables on the plate as well, but I avoided them and went for the goods. Diedrick was kind enough to pile an extra piece on top of mine and I could have kissed the boy.

I teetered on the line of scarfing while obtaining a semblance of table manners as Tatiana continued conversing with Adrian. She spoke loud enough to make it seem like the rest of the party was welcome to join in, but it was easy to tell she was only interested in what he had to say. Eventually, I tuned them out as I dug into some sort of rabbit stew until something she said snapped me back to attention.

"Yes, well it turns out the Dragomir girl has finally made some headway with those pesky humans."

My head instinctively jerked towards her at the mention of Lissa.

"How so," Adrian inquired.

"Apparently, the Szelsky's of Galloway received word from them of their current situation. I can only assume it means they were somehow able to finally get messages out." Her disinterest in the subject was pretty apparent, but lucky for me she seemed to be pleased to continue indulging in conversation with Adrian. "Apparently, the Szelskys are sending aid along with the Ozeras of Inferion."

"With that amount of troops, they are sure to achieve a swift victory," Adrian excitedly replied, glancing over to me.

I couldn't even be mad that Tatiana had waited for who knows how long to bring the information up because the promise that I could return home, or at least get word to them soon overpowered everything else I could possibly be feeling.

I pushed my chair out and stood from the table, gathering up the ends of my dress so I could run as fast as I could to my chambers.

"What are you doing," Daniela objected. "Dinner is not through being served."

"I'm going to write a letter to Lissa. If they have organized allies to come to their aid, they must be able to receive them now."

"Not necessarily," Tatiana's cool voice contended. I turned to face her and could still see a hint of that indifference to the subject but for some reason, she felt the need to make a point. "Just because the troops are rallying, it doesn't mean they are able to receive ravens or letters yet."

"But you said—"

"I said," her face screwed into an arrogant gnarl and her voice took on a commanding tone, "that the neighboring kingdoms received word, but never did I mention the ravens or scouts. It's still a mystery how they were able to reach them since the humans have not abandoned their position. Getting a letter there is still impossible as far as we know."

Adrian cast me a sympathetic look as my high hopes began to dwindle. There had to have been some way they got word out, we just had to find out what it was. My mind began to scramble as I tried to think of an argument that would somehow benefit the Queen, but I knew Adrian had exhausted many resources as it was and it was highly unlikely she'd be willing to do the same. I considered asking her to contact the Szelskys and Ozeras to see if maybe we could send something back through them but wasn't sure how long that would take or if their troops had already left.

I hated feeling so helpless and reliant on others to do things for me. I wanted to run out of the room, scream at the top of my lungs, or do anything other than continue standing there pretending like everything about this coiled arrangement was okay. Then suddenly, a voice that I'd almost forgotten was there firmly spoke up.

"I could get one there."

I looked over to Mr. Mazur, surprised by the seriousness in his demeanor. It reminded me of when I saw him speaking with his Guardian in the hall. It lacked any of his usual breezy poise and was consumed by unfaltering certainty. But what astounded me most was that it was fully directed towards me.

If anyone was to make a declaration like that, you would think they would use the opportunity with the Queen of the Western Isles in the room to show off; especially since he'd done nothing but flatter her the entire evening. But it was as if he could care less about anyone else in the room except me.

Mr. Mazur stood from the table to meet my eye as the room waited for some kind of response.

"And what makes you think you can succeed where others have failed," Nathan accused from across the room. "We've sent countless ravens and some of the best-trained men to try and get to the palace. How could someone with far fewer resources be expected to pull that off?"

I hated to admit it, but Lord Ivashkov did have a point. Though I knew nothing of Mr. Mazur, other than that he was apparently a sea captain and accused pirate, I wasn't sure what was backing his ability to overcome the obstacles we had been facing for weeks.

A familiar mischievous look crossed his features and I found myself being drawn to his words as he slyly said, "I have my ways."

And then, surprisingly, I believed him.

.

DPOV

Song: Going to California by Led Zeppelin

A week had passed since the invaders were cleared and the kingdom was finally beginning to get back to normal. Troops arrived just as Janine and Tasha described and it took less than a day to achieve victory. Overwhelmed by the number of forces brought on, the humans had no choice but to retreat back to their kingdom. We expected to receive one last set of demands from the Sage King after all the trouble he had gone through, but so far, there hadn't been a word.

Several of the troops stayed behind to ensure that they wouldn't return, but we decided they would be leaving in a few days. When it was officially deemed safe, Vasilisa announced that a ball would be held in honor of the Lords and Ladies who sent us aid and they would all be invited to the Dragomir kingdom to indulge in festivities and gifts to show our appreciation. Natalie was beyond thrilled with the idea and even though it would most likely be weeks, if not months away, she had already begun planning.

In an effort to avoid her mind-numbing chatter about decor, entrees, and entertainment, I took the opportunity to liberate the horses for a few hours from the confines of the stables. It was the most relaxed I'd felt in weeks as I watched them gallop through the glades. For a few moments, I felt as one with them; a caged animal finally freed.

However, I realized that even if we would all be going back to our confines in a few short hours I still felt less enclosed than before. Where at first, the castle had made me feel like I was trapped, not only by the outsiders at our walls but by the memories of Rose running through it, now I couldn't help but feel that this place had become a home. I never thought it possible with all the grief and misery surrounding it, but somehow those dark entities had finally diminished and left behind was something brighter. It still wasn't whole—a piece would always be missing without Rose—but it was revitalizing. It felt right.

I took comfort in the fact that this was what Rose had wanted. For me to not only help protect Vasilisa but to find my place here. My fingers twirled around her necklace as I thought about her. There wasn't a day that went by where I still didn't wish she was by my side to see it, but the memory of her no longer stung. It brought me joy.

When the sun began to sink lower in the distance, I whistled for Daisy to wrangle up the horses. They were surprisingly unafraid of her, despite her abnormal size. It was as if they sensed her more gentle side and knew she wasn't there to hurt them. They held an air of respect for one another and it fascinated me to watch them interact. A few of the other men helped gather them up and we placed them back into their stalls with fresh water and oats.

I made my way back to the castle feeling lighter and more collected than before. I decided to make my way to the Queen's chambers and take her up on an invitation to dinner. I had gotten better about socializing more, but decided it was about time I put in the effort that should've been expected of me. When I reached her suite, Christian was already there, unsurprisingly. The two were pleasantly chatting and it was nice to hear them talk about something other than war.

"Hey Dimitri," Christian perked up.

I gave him a friendly nod and walked into the room. "Good evening, Your Majesty," I greeted Vasilisa. "I thought I would escort you dinner tonight if you wish."

"You mean join us," she amended. I nodded again and she rose excitedly from her seat. "That would be lovely, Dimitri."

The young Queen walked towards me with Christian in tow and slipped her arm around mine as we began making our way out of the suite. She leaned into me, glancing up at me over my shoulder, as she quietly said, "And how many times must I tell you not to call me 'Your Majesty'?"

I smiled and leaned down towards her, mimicking her tone. "At least once more."

She let out a small sigh but the sweet smile and light blush rising in her cheeks told me she wasn't nearly as annoyed as she'd like to let on.

Just when I reached for the handle, the door swung open and a Guardian barged into the room. Vasilisa jumped beside me, startled by his abrupt entrance and I shifted myself in front of her.

"What's the meaning of this," I didn't bother hiding my irritation for his lack of decorum.

"High Constable, Your Majesty, I apologize but an urgent letter has just arrived." The Dhampir held up a small white parchment in his hand and looked worriedly over to his Queen. "The messenger that brought it insisted it be brought to the Queen right away without anyone else laying eyes on it first."

Vasilisa walked up beside me and carefully took the letter from the Guardian. "Thank you for bringing this to me with haste."

He responded with a deep bow and when he rose I signaled for him to leave the room. He scampered out just as quickly as he'd come in and when I turned around Vasilisa was thumbing over the seal on the scroll. "It's from the Western Isles," she supplied, sounding a bit confused.

I knew that there had been talks with them before the attacks, but they were yet to be established as an official ally. In fact, Victor hadn't even so much as mentioned them in the few times Vasilisa and I had gone to his quarters to provide him with updates. I supposed he must have thought without Rose, we no longer had a bargaining chip left to offer and trying to establish a relationship with them would be in vain.

Vasilisa walked over to a nearby table with a few lit candles resting idly on it. She delicately ripped open the seal and unraveled the parchment. She stood there silently with her back turned to us as she read over the letter, but I could see her back suddenly tense and her hands begin to shake. Christian moved towards her, but waited until she finished before asking, "Well, what does it say?"

Her jade eyes flicked up from the parchment filled with pools of water that threatened to spill down her now pale cheeks. I couldn't tell if they were filled with tears of shock, joy, or terror.

Worried, Christian placed a hand on her shoulder and quietly asked again, "Liss, what is it? What do the Ivashkovs want?"

Rather than answer, she turned towards me with a look on her face that suddenly caused my heart to become a lead ball in my chest.

"It's not from them," her voice was a broken whisper. "It's from Rose."

A/N: Things are happening! Buckle up, guys.

I really enjoyed writing that first portion from first pov present tense. It was fun getting out of the usual past tense for a bit. Hope you guys enjoyed it as well!

Thanks for reading :)