Author's Note:

Several of my reviewers like to guess what is coming up in my stories. Over time, some of you have been right, and some have been incorrect. If you ever wonder why I don't address such theories, it's because I don't like to give spoilers. I believe in life some events will drops you hints as long as you're open to seeing them. Other events fall upon you like a ton of bricks. In life there usually isn't someone to tell you your concrete future. So I like it when you guys guess, but I won't be giving away the plot to my story ;)

By the way…. I'm completely addicted to Swimming the Same Deep Waters new story I never told you I love you. If you haven't read it, you certainly should. She's an updating Queen, and it has become a daily addiction of mine to read her newest update. I'm enjoying this story even more than her last one, which I didn't even think possible. So, go check it out guys. On the subject of passing on good stories to my readers, have ya'll read HBarker's stories? She has two. One is finished and very well written. Her new story, Thief of Hearts, is amazing! It has 11 chapters, all which I have read since I last updated. I personally can't wait for her updates as well. They are two amazing writers for whom I harbor a lot of respect.

Chapter 14

I knew that this was going to be a topic at some point, although I hadn't quite figured out how to address it. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that it was Angeline who boldly bounded into the subject.

This topic in particular I was nervous about. Sydney had let this group believe on our last visit that I had killed the Queen, and this time I would have to set the record straight. It had earned me a fair amount of respect I hadn't earned from the Keepers, although my fighting record was excellent anyways. Exposing myself as being untruthful to them wasn't exactly an easy act to accomplish though, particularly when I knew firsthand how violent they could be. I finally decided to stick to typical Rose Hathaway behavior- launching in and thinking about it later.

"Alright, so we do have a story to tell. It might take a while, because it ties into why we came back and the things we would like to discuss with you Raymond." I started, looking towards the leader. He had his elbows on the table. His fingers were intertwined together except for his pointer fingers, which were pointing straight up. His chin casually rested on those two fingers as he gazed towards Dimitri and me thoughtfully.

"Let's get this show on the road." He drawled in that accent particular to the Keepers. There was some shifting at the table. Sarah pushed the two youngest children outside. It was probably better for them to be playing outside anyways than listening to official business around a table. I shouldn't have been surprised that both Angeline and Joshua stayed, along with Paulette, Sarah and Raymond. Although Raymond had final authority on any subject, it appeared that he didn't mind his family to hear his business. He might even value their opinion.

I looked at Dimitri, once again exchanging messages with only our eyes. Those twin pools of chocolate expressed so much. I could read an entire novel from those depths. It was known without words that he would have my back, no matter the situation. He was there to support me. He was the ying to my yang. I could completely loose myself in those eyes. I nodded, bringing myself back to the real world. A world with the entire table watching Dimitri's and my actions. I suddenly wondered how I had settled into a leadership position as I prepared to speak. I had, after all, agreed to come to the Keepers to support Dimitri. Now here I was, about to take the lead in the difficult conversation. I channeled Lissa's conversational and ambassadorial skills as I began to open my mouth.

"The first time we met, I was on the run for allegedly killing Queen Tatianna." I started. I heard an intake of breath from Angeline. I think she suspected where this conversation was headed. "I blew our original hideout while fighting with this Russian Jailer beside me." I continued, motioning with my head towards Dimitri. I had managed to keep a straight face. I spared a side long glance at him and saw a sly smile creeping over his lips. I'm glad he found the colloquialism comical. "Sydney, our Alchemist, decided that taking our chances with you accepting us short term was our next best plan of action." I said continuing on with the story.

"Did or did you not kill the Tainted Queen?" Interrupted none other than Angeline in her southern lilt. I really wasn't appreciating the mouth on that girl at the moment.

"No. I was framed." I started clearly yet firmly. I heard another collective intake of breaths. I could tell they all felt lied to. I hurried to continue before someone else decided to weigh in with their opinions. "I'm not exactly the most well behaved guardian of all times. I have several black marks on my records. I can be belligerent when I want to. I had been seen verbally sparing with the late Queen in public on many occasions, which led me to being the perfect scapegoat for her murder. Of course it didn't help that I was dating her great nephew at the time, and rumor around court said she detested our relationship."

"So someone made it look like you killed the Queen, when you didn't?" Angeline persisted, talking slowly yet accusatorily. I nodded my head in acquiescence.

"Yes. They made all the evidence point to me. I was arrested and on the short track to an execution. That was before my friends, including this big lug beside me, staged a prison break. Most of my friends stayed back at court searching for evidence to help my case, while I started my own quest on the outside." I continued, obviously enjoying coming up with new adjectives to describe Dimitri. They weren't lost on him either. I enjoyed the look on his face that I could see in my peripheral vision.

"You were trying to prove you were innocent while you were here with us last time?" Asked Joshua, in a confused nature. I stifled a laugh as his fat lip impeded his ability to talk without hindering his natural lilt.

"No, I decided and persuaded Dimitri and Sydney to accompany me on another mission. I don't know how much you understand about court politics, but my best friend Lissa was the last of her royal line. She couldn't have a voice in deciding laws that affected our world. She no longer had a family, and thus couldn't fill in for her family. I went in pursuit of her younger sister, a sibling no one knew about until I brought her to light." I summed up as clearly as I could. By the looks of confused faces around the room, it appeared I had failed. "Lissa's father had another child with another woman. They went through extensive steps to ensure her patronage would remain a secret." I finished.

"We were looking for this child when we left here." Concluded Dimitri, in his brisk way. I rolled my eyes over to my lover, my face showing my displeasure of him being able to sum up my dialog so quickly.

"So are you still on the run from guardians, and that is why you have returned?" Asked a not so happy looking Angeline.

"No." I answered yet again. "We managed to find enough evidence to clear my case after we found Lissa's sister. It just all happened in a very dramatic fashion." I stated vaguely. The blank faces staring back at me informed me that I wasn't going to be able to get away with that.

"I feel like you're leaving out some vital information." Said Raymond quietly. I looked at him and sighed.

"What you have to understand is that it was a very complicated period in my life." Although, thinking back, I've had several very complicated periods in my life. Hell, we could just call my whole life complicated at this point. "I was going to die at court for a murder I didn't commit. By running, I made myself look guilty. All the guardians had permission to kill me on site if I couldn't be brought in alive. In the meantime, my friends needed time back at court to find the real killer. Time was a commodity they didn't have, unfortunately. So they made some in the only way possible. We ran Lissa as a contender for Queen, although at the time, she would be ineligible because she had no family. The law stated she could run, but couldn't win." I started.

"This Lissa was part of those elections?" He asked, saying the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth. The elections were one of the traditions where Keeper's strayed away from the Moroi world I had grown up in.

"Yes. The people in court fought about her candidacy, creating more time for my friends to gather information on the true identity of the murderer." I stopped and paused, preparing myself for the next section of the explanation. I could feel everyone watching me. I could also feel the tension radiating around the room. Sometimes it was difficult to learn the world or people are different than how we perceived them.

"We then preceded to break into court wearing magic disguises. We took Lissa's sister with us, proclaiming her part of Lissa's family. People there backed up our story. I felt like I had to face my accusers, so in front of the entire court and guardians in attendance, I ended my magical charade. Once I no longer was magically concealed, the guardians swooped down upon Dimitri and me. I did manage to oust the actual murderer in the process though. In desperation, she managed to get ahold of a guardian's gun and ended up firing at Lissa. I reacted instinctually, just like all my training had prepared me for. I took a bullet for my Moroi, for Lissa. I died." I finished, almost cheerily, acting like it was the end of the story. My story was informative and lacked flourish. It was met with blank stares. I could tell they couldn't quite comprehend it all. If I was dead, how was I seated in front of them, telling a story?

"But you're alive." Stated Angeline simply, staring at me as if I were sporting two heads. I shrugged.

"A medical team worked on me. I went into surgery and they prepared the way for me to fight for my life. I died for a time, but apparently I wasn't ready to leave Lissa and Dimitri alone to their own devices. Although I was unconscious, I felt like they still needed some Rose Hathaway supervision." I said smirking, glancing over at Dimitri. His sonorous chuckle wrapped around me like velvet.

"I don't know if the world is ready for Rose Hathaway logic." He joked, his eyes filled with humor and so much more as he looked over at me.

"So…. You died, but now you're alive." Stated Angeline, confirming the conversation for her own thoughts. I nodded.

"I died doing my duty, a good guardian isn't afraid of death." I said stoically, almost zoning out for a moment.

"I think several of us would rest more smoothly if you were slightly more afraid of death." Commented Dimitri, his voice soft but meaningful. "Or if death were more afraid of you." He finished off quietly. I could tell that he didn't exactly like my comment. I felt his body tense up beside me, concern for my wellbeing manifesting physically. At the other end of the table, Joshua grunted in agreement to Dimitri's words, probably afraid of voicing the same opinion himself. It was Raymond who spoke next.

"I see you are no longer suffering from such a life altering wound. How has life led you to us since you've been shot?" He asked, his eyes carefully studying Dimitri and me. He was absorbing as much information as he could while remaining perceptive. He knew our story wasn't finished. We had to be here for a reason. We had given him reason to believe that our visit had a motive. While he was more than willing to listen to us so far, he was still interested in hearing the story in totality. I cast my eyes down at the table, not knowing how they would feel about this next part.

"I awoke several days later, after fighting my way back into this world-" I started. It was Dimitri cutting me off.

"You're always fighting Rose, dead or alive." He joked. I could see the affection in his eyes, hear it in his voice. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to play up my fighter persona around this group

"Yeah, well, I don't usually feel like I've been run over by a train when I awake from fighting a battle in life. Coming back from the dead is harder than it sounds!" I almost whined. This got several outright laughs from around the table. Yes, because every assumed that coming back from death was an easy feat. Great, I'm even making sarcastic comments to myself now.

"Anyways, I was out for several days, and apparently a lot of things happened. Firstly, the new monarch was elected." During my pause, I heard grumbling around the table about the blasphemy of an elected Monarch. "Lissa was elected Queen." I continued slowly and resolutely. Several shocked faces looked back at me followed by silence hanging in the air. They understood by now that Lissa was someone important to me. Their silence was music to my ears. It meant that I still held respect in their eyes, although I wasn't the Queen killing radical they originally thought I was. However, I was still a fighter, and a damn good one at that. I would have wagered that I held more molnija marks than anyone in their village. Their respect would be key in any future negotiations, especially once the truth was all out in the open.

"After literally dying for Lissa, they saw fit to make me her official guardian, although now she has a whole fleet of personal guardians." I continued, although pausing now. I knew I had to address Raymond's question. "We have come as ambassadors for Her Majesty Queen Vasilisa Sabina Rhea Dragomir." I stated officially. I heard Raymond sucking in air through his teeth.

"You never said she was a dragon." He said softly, his southern drawl clearly audible. I tilted my head to the side, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Does it matter?" I asked skeptically. I hadn't exactly expected that as a reaction.

"The Dragomirs are an ancient family that raised many Kings and Queens still respected by my people. These Kings and Queens made their impression upon us before we ever split from the Tainted. They were known for being exceptionally strong, yet also champions for their people. I do not know this Dragon in particular, but it seems she has won over your heart." He said slowly, as if the words came from a place deep within him.

"Lissa is one of the best people I have ever known, Queen or otherwise." I confirmed confidently. I had no problem meeting his eyes. I was about to continue when Raymond shifted his weight in his chair, holding up his hand.

"I think that's enough for today. You have told us your story. As ambassadors for the Queen, you must have other subjects you wish to address about my people. I see no other reason she would send you to us. Normally, we wouldn't hear anything out from a Tainted Monarch, so this puts us in a rather unique situation. If I am going to hear out what your Queen has to say, then I want you to spend several days amongst my people. I can only assume anything a Queen could want would end up affecting their lives. If you, as her ambassadors, are going to affect their lives in any way, you should get to know them first. Plus this gives us all time to adjust to the truth of the situation. Although you aren't a Tainted Queen Assassin, you will still hold respect amongst my people for your capabilities alone." Raymond finished. He continued his slow talking pace, his words important for us to hear. I glanced over at Dimitri, exchanging novels in seconds.

"We have no problem staying for a while. The ball is in your court Raymond, we shall play the game as you ask." I said coolly, smiling widely.

"Not that we're playing games. She's using a metaphor." Covered Dimitri, obviously afraid that Raymond would think we were playing political games with him. I sighed, glancing back at the giant next to me. Although he hadn't spoken much, I had been very appreciative to have his presence near me. In the end, I guess it had been my story to tell since I had masterminded a good part of it. Raymond snapped me out of my own little world.

"After a few days we will see just how perceptive my people are." He said cryptically. It sent chills down my spine.

~oo0oo~

Hey guys, sorry this chapter is a little shorter than normal. I was either going to have to make it exceptionally long, or stop here. I thought you guys might appreciate a quicker chapter rather than a longer one.

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