WOW! Major results! Thank you for all the story alerting and favouriting. Also a big thanks to the reviewers: RoseWannabe;; angel;; gracefish21 and 7VampireEclpise. I loved all the encouragement! In answer to your review RoseWannabe: Rose told Abe and he forwarded the message onto everyone else in the gang.
I hope you guys all like this chapter just as much and I apologize for it being so long…I could shorten in it . Hopes that's ok?
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Chapter Two: Council Meeting.
I did as Dimitri had suggested and went in and out of Lissa's head every half-hour or so. Mostly all I got from her was anxiety and nervousness. My whole future rested on her dainty shoulders and she was beginning to feel the weight. Lissa kept asking herself the question: "What if I fail?"
Everybody was telling her she would do fine, that it would all turn out ok, but what she needed to be told was that she was going to succeed and nothing can stop her. She needed her question answered too, not evaded. I wish I could communicate with her and tell her that it would work, she would be amazing and I would blame her at all if things didn't go to plan.
At what I guessed to be around 2am human time, which was just after midday in vampire time, Lissa's emotions skyrocketed. She dragged me into her head. She was walking towards a large, oval-shaped table, where eleven formidable men and women sat, scrutinizing her every move. Their faces revealed their skepticism. I wished Lissa luck. They were going to be a difficult group to convince; but I knew she could do it.
"Princess Vasilisa Dragomir," said, who I guessed to be the Conta prince, in welcome.
"Your Highness'," Lissa said formerly, bowing.
"Please, sit. Show us what you have. Get to the point and don't beat around the bush." Prince Ivashkov ordered.
"Firstly, thankyou for taking the time to listen to what I have to say. I know you all have busy lives, so I will take Prince Ivashkov's advice and get straight to the point."
Lissa breathed in deeply and exhaled, collecting her thoughts before she began her well-rehearsed speech of persuasion.
"I have found considerable evidence that may prove Rosemarie Hathaway is innocent of the charges founded against her. I have two personal accounts and a voice recording that may change your minds about how guilty Rosemarie really is. My first account is by one of the royal guardians, the second is from a member of staff here at Court and my final piece of evidence is a voice recording captured on said staff member's mobile phone.
"Please, ladies and gentlemen. I implore you to open your mind to the improbable and to consider what I am about to show you." Lissa made sure to make eye contact with every Moroi seated. She sounded so confident and mature, like she what she was talking about, which all contradicted strongly with the turmoil inside her head. I also detected a hint of compulsion being leeched into her voice. Very well hidden but still there all the same. "This royal guardian I have spoken with and who is willing to testify for Miss Hathaway is Guardian Sasha Morozov. He was stationed outside the Queen's suite in the night of her murder. Days ago I learned that most of the royal guardians had been paid off or otherwise influenced not to speak out. Lord Adrian Ivashkov and I were able to convince Guardian Morozov to speak with us. We discovered that Miss Hathaway did not enter the Queen's suite through the entryway door; nor were there any of her fingerprints in any other of the points of entry.
"Now, we have to ask ourselves," Lissa was making this good. She was an excellent public speaker but this was just amazing, she had a true talent for persuading people, without the compulsion. "If there was fingerprints on the stakes, why weren't there any on the entry points?"
"You pose an interesting point, Princess," said the Zeklos princess. "She may have slipped off her gloves at the time of murder to have a better grip upon her stake."
"Well, I can't confirm that statement as I am not too familiar with a stake, other than to bring back Guardian Belikov." A small white lie, I thought. "Although, I do believe Guardian Morozov is familiar with one. I am sure he can give you his full account on the proceeding up to the death murder of our beloved Queen Tatiana and to answer any questions your questions, Princess Zeklos."
"Well, bring him in then." Princess Zeklos snapped her fingers at one of the waiting guardians, one I recognized to be none other than Eddie Castile. He dutifully opened the door and beckoned in a dhampir with short blond hair and moustache. He had blue eyes and hard features; he was short.
"Guardian Morozov, why don't you tell the council about the night Queen Tatiana was murdered?" Lissa asked of the short man kindly.
"Of course, princess," Guardian Morozov answered with a broad smile. Turning to the council he launched into his speech and answered all of their questions satisfactorily.
I noticed that some of the council were beginning to think that maybe, just maybe the infamously notorious Rose Hathaway might be innocent. The other royals though, still held their skeptic expressions firmly in place. I had been right, Lissa was going to have to pull out all stops to even put a seed of doubt in their minds that I might be innocent.
When the council had no more questions, Guardian Morozov was sent away and the Moroi looked expectantly at Lissa, some impressed, others not. All though, were waiting for her to continue.
Again Lissa inhaled and exhaled before she continued on with the second half of her speech.
"Well now, Your Highness' you have heard from my first key witness. Now I would like to introduce to you my second. Before I do though, I would like to give you some background on Ms. Kalista Pervaia and her role here at Court. She was a maid to the Queen herself; she cleaned her room and suite. On the night of the murder she was in cleaning Her Highness' bathroom. She wasn't present when the actual murder occurred and Guardian Morozov can confirm this. Ms. Pervaia overheard a phone call between Her Majesty and 'Alexis'. I haven't been able to identify this 'Alexis' yet, but trust me, I will.
"Ms. Pervaia heard the strange conversation between the Queen and 'Alexis', which I will allow her to explain to you." Lissa had stayed cool headed and she was doing a fabulous job. " Ms. Pervaia also captured one more piece of vital evidence that I believe proves Miss Hathaway's innocence. Ms. Pervaia recorded a voice clip of the Queen talking to herself only moments after the astounding conversation she had witnessed.
"As you will soon discover Queen Tatiana sounds distressed and harassed, we can only guess at why after listening to this CD that holds probably, some of her last words." Lissa said at length.
"I very much want to meet with this Ms. Kalista Pervaia, she has sparked my interest with your enticing words. Please, bring her out." Princess Badica murmured, she had been one of the more unimpressed royal but I could sense her façade slipping.
"Guardian Castile, if you wouldn't mind?" Lissa asked Eddie gently.
Ms. Pervaia was a plump, little old lady with a kind face, she looked to be in her late forties, early fifties, her dark hair was streaked with grey and her brown eyes looked wary. Nervously, she came to stand before the council to present her testimony.
"Ms. Pervaia, can you please describe the conversation you overheard between our poor, desceased Queen Tatiana?" Prince Ivashkov asked solemnly. I could see that his curiosity had been piqued.
Ms. Pervaia described her story well and told us all that the Queen was speaking with someone she assumed ran a mental hospital judging by the content. Ms. Pervaia thought Her Majesty sounded panicked and unsure what to do. The council bombarded the poor thing with millions of questions and she answered them all to the best of her ability, when she tottered out, she looked rather fragile.
Finally, the council requested to hear the CD with the Queen's rambling. It basically just supported what Ms. Pervaia had just told the council.
"I understand the relevance of the first witness, the second? Forgive me, Princess Dragomir, but I am confused." Prince Voda said with a puzzled expression.
I am convinced that whoever the Queen was talking to may have information that could prove vital to the case. I think this 'Alexis' character was calling to warn Queen Tatiana. Of what? I what I am trying to uncover."
"So, what do you ask of us?" Princess Dashkov asked.
"I ask that you give Rosemarie and I time to locate 'Alexis'. Bring them back to Court for questioning and go from there." Lissa proposed.
There was a lot of shouting and a general babble of incredulous chatter after Lissa's suggestion. This was not working!
"And let her go? I don't think so!" Prince Drozdov exclaimed over the din.
Finally the hubbub died down. "Why does Rosemarie need to be let out for you to bring back 'Alexis'?" Prince Ozera asked in a calmer tone.
"I want Miss Hathaway out because this case wont get solved without her and what I like to call a bit of 'Rose-logic'. I know the council will feel strongly against letting her out, but I recommend you send two or more royal guardians with us; to watch over us and to escort us back." Lissa said in a strong confident voice, maybe she did have it, maybe it would work.
The council bickered among themselves for almost ten minutes before Princess Szelsky turned to Lissa. "We grant you one week to bring back this 'Alexis under the scrutiny of four of our top guardians."
"Thank you, Princess Szelsky, you and the council are too kind. Your generosity will be rewarded. We will get results. Rose always does; that's why we need her."
Harshly, Prince Tarus said: "Go, now, Princess, and don't disappoint."
So what did you think? Good/ bad? Sorry if it varies from the original story line but I needed it to fit in with my ideas. Also I am looking for a beta ;) just PM me if you interested.
Thanks,
Gabbiehannah xx.