I am so amazed at the extraordinary response my last chapter got. I'm so glad you're enjoying this and I just want to tell you that everyone of your reviews put a huge smile on my face. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. Enjoy!

Also I realised I haven't been putting a disclaimer at the start of each chapter. In case you are at all uncertain any recognisable characters belong to the ever talented Richelle Mead.


"I'm sorry that we're late your Majesty, but Guardian Petrov's plane was…" His eyes had been sweeping the room as he spoke, and finally we made eye contact. It felt like everyone else in the room had dropped away, and it was only me and Dimitri staring at each other. I felt like I was flying or drowning, and I just needed to reach him to get back to land safely. He looked almost exactly the same, only a few years older, the same duster, the same shoulder length brown hair, and those beautiful brown eyes that were reflecting so many of the emotions I was feeling.

"Roza." He gasped. I took a step forward never breaking eye contact, just wanting to reach him. Suddenly I heard someone coughing, and I broke out of my spell. I couldn't do this, I had to prevent Dimitri getting close to me, I had to keep him and Ivy safe. If I let myself get carried away, then I wouldn't be able to keep my distance, and I'd end up kissing him, putting him in terrible risk.

"Guardian Belikov." I answered sharply. He blinked, and his emotions briefly spilled out onto his face, pain, betrayal, love, before he snapped his guardian mask back up and not even I could read his emotions anymore.

"This is the Complex's second in command. Her name is Rose Bell now." Lissa said, coming over to stand between us, angling herself between us so she was sheltering Dimitri.

"Rose, I see you still remember Guardian Belikov, who is our head guardian now and of course Guardian Petrov." Now I wasn't only staring at Dimitri, I could see Alberta had entered behind him.

"Rose. You've come back." She said, not letting herself show any emotion, though her fingers were fidgeting at her side, looking like she really wanted to hug me, but was restraining herself.

"Only for three months. Then I'll leave with the rest of the Complex." I told her. "But it's good to see you again."

"I hope so." She told me, her eyes conveying way more emotion than her words. She looked relieved and even happy as she scanned over me, seeing I was healthy and safe. She also moved into a position, which sheltered Dimitri. I wanted so badly to push them aside, and to stop them blocking my view, but I anchored myself to my spot and gathered myself.

"Was there anything else you needed, Your Highness. Or did you just make me stay so I could have this lovely reunion." I said coldly.

"I think you know why you're here, Rose." She told me.

"Fortunately I don't have the bond anymore so I really don't." I told her, hardening my face.

Christian spoke then. "We want to know where you've been for the last four years, and what you're doing back here after you made it so clear that you had no desire to see us again."

"Well I'm here right now because Liss- The Queen made me stay. As for your other question I have been at the Complex for the last four years and I've returned because Court can't handle Strigoi."

"That's not true." Dimitri said, stepping forward, looking angry. "We've all done our best. We don't have enough numbers."

"So I presume when you say we you're talking about Dhampirs, not the Moroi. Because of course they couldn't do anything to help." I answered him, glad to see a different emotion on his face.

"We haven't launched that program yet." Lissa said.

"Of course not. You've only had four years." I told her scathingly. Her face went bright red, and I could see Dimitiri staring at me in shock. I'd changed and he wasn't used to the Rose that didn't always support Lissa. I wasn't really used to her either.

"Do you have any questions about the Complex? Our numbers, our training programs, anything?" I asked, changing tactics, just trying to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Lissa still looked absolutely confused, and to those who knew her well, was close to tears. Instead one of her advisors stepped up in her place.

"I noticed there was a child within your party. Is her mother amongst you, or did the child choose to abdicate from the Court system like you?" She questioned. I stiffened in shock at the mention of Ivy, and I took a moment to respond.

"The child's mother is within our party." I assured her, ignoring her sarcastic remark.

"And was the mother planning to send the child to an Academy, or just to train her amongst you." She asked.

"I don't see how that is any of your business considering both the Child and her Mother aren't part of the Court system anymore and are in no way obligated to answer you." I told her calmly, pressing my shakning palms into my thighs, and locking my knees. "But for your information we are planning on training her, as we seem to have a much superior system." The advisor gasped at me, and I shot her a hard stare, daring her to ask anymore questions.

"Well if that's all, I must be going." I told them, trying as hard as I could to resist the temptation to look at Dimitri again.

"That is all." Lissa said bleakly. "You may leave."

"Thank you." I told her.

As I moved towards the door, I stepped past Dimitri and he caught my eye.

"What is it Com- Guardian Belikov?" I asked, cursing myself for slipping up and almost calling him Comrade.

"I was just wondering whether you knew where your room was or not." He asked.

"I'm sure I'll find it." I told him stiffly. "Thank you for your concern." He didn't give me a reply, just went back to scanning the room again.

"Your room is in building A of the Western Courtyard." An advisor told me.

"Thanks." I told her with a smile, she smiled back, until another advisor whispered in her ear and she stopped, fixing me with a hard stare instead.

I walked past Alberta and Dimitri, swinging my ponytail over my shoulder to avoid looking him in the eyes again. A loud gasp shook me out of my thoughts, and I saw Alberta staring at me in amazement.

"What is it?" I snapped, just wanting to leave so I could find Ivy and give her a hug.

"Your neck." She said, in awe.

"What about my neck?" I said, almost at the end of my tether.

"All your molnija marks. There must be at least 100 or more, and a couple of Zvezda marks." She told me. By this point everyone in the room had turned to stare at me, even the guardians lining the room.

"112 molnija marks, and 7 Zvezda marks." I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"How?" Eddie asked, stepping forward from the wall where he'd settled when we first entered.

"I killed Strigoi." I told him, rolling my eyes.

"No one has that many." Alberta told me.

"Actually we have quite a few people who do, which just goes to prove how much better our training system is. We actually make an impact." And with that I stormed out the door, trying my best to hold back all the emotions that were begging to be let out. I walked as quickly as I could desperate to get out of there.

"Rose, wait." I heard, to my surprise, Christian calling after me. After my performance in there I doubted whether anyone would actually ever want to talk to me again. "I want to talk to you."

"Well then talk, pyro. I've got places to be." I told him, pausing briefly.

"Wait, come in here." Christian told me, pulling me into a small lounge that was at the end of the corridor.

"First things first." Christian told me. Without a moment's hesitation he swung his fist at my face, I quickly blocked it, and then dropped his fist, staring at him in amazement.

"What the fuck was that?" I swore.

That was for Lissa." He told me, "And this is for Dimitri." He swung again, this time at my shoulder. I blocked him but I was so in shock over hearing Dimitri's name being spoken out loud for the first time in four years, I didn't manage to block him completely so he grazed my shoulder. "And finally this is for leaving me." He struck out again and I let him. His blow struck my ribs, the thrust wasn't very powerful but the emotional impact was huge, and I fought against the wave of emotions that were threatening to overcome me.

"Why Rose." He asked me. "Why did you have to leave? And why, now of all times, did you have to come back and ruin everything."

"Excuse me?" I said indignantly. "I came back because our precious Queen asked us to return as she couldn't handle the Strigoi, and then has the nerve to ask Dhampirs who have left Court because of the terrible treatment they're received to return. She's worse than Tatiana." Christian's face reddened, but I continued my tirade. "Secondly the reasons why I left are none of your concern, and I will not be responding to that. Finally what do you mean I've ruined things? I've done nothing wrong."

"You came back. It's taken four years for Lissa get back to vaguely normal. You made her a promise to stay with her and then you abandoned her, leaving her broken. Let's not even talk about Dimitri. You've ruined him. He never smiles, only guards, and his only room decoration is a photograph of you. I hope you're happy Rose. Now you can come back and break all our hearts again." All I wanted in that moment, was to burst into tears, and apologise and explain the circumstances. But I remembered the threats against my loved ones and I strengthened my resolve.

"It's not my fault that I came back."

"I don't care if it's not your fault. You've ruined all my plans."

"What plans?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business."

"Well since you just blamed me for all your problems I'm sure you can add something else for me to feel guilty about."

"I was planning on…"

"Planning on…?" He remained silent. "Quit the silent act, pyro and just tell me."

"I was planning on proposing Rose!" He yelled.

"You haven't done it already?" I asked honestly surprised.

"I don't think you get it Rose. She was ruined when you left. You had put her in this impossible position where she had to rule an entire world, and then you promised to support her. But what do you do? Oh yes, you tell her you hate her, and that you're leaving."

"I'm not putting up with this." I told him, tears threatening to spill out.

"Fine Rose. Run away again." Christian said, sneering at me.

"I'm not running." I hissed at him. Suddenly at "Mummy!" broke me out of conversation with Christian, and I saw Ivy running towards me. I cringed, the last thing I needed was for everyone to find out about Ivy, especially right now. Thankfully I saw Jade running behind her. Seeing me standing there with Christian, she immediately took action, knowing just how panicked I was about Court finding out about Ivy. She started sprinting and caught up to Ivy, and scooped her up in her arms.

"I'm here. I'm here." She told Ivy. "Come with me." The way she was talking gave the impression that Jade was her mother, and I was so thankful for her quick thinking.

"But-" Ivy started, looking confused.

"Come Princess." She said again, turning away. Seth appeared behind her, obviously having been running after them and walked up to me and Christian.

"I'm so sorry Lord Ozera for interrupting your conversation, but Rose is needed." He had seen my strained expression and had come to rescue me.

"Of course, Seth." I told him. "Thank you Lord Ozera for your conversation, but I must leave."

"I would say of course Guardian Hathaway, but of course that's not your name anymore. You don't have a title, because they only come with hard work, perseverance and courage, which you obviously just don't have." It took all of my strength and Seth's arm that was suddenly wrapped around my waist to stop me from slugging Christian in the face.

"I'm so sorry to displease you, Lord Ozera." I told him, my voice blank. I turned away, walking with Seth, with large tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Coming back was a bad idea." Seth said.

"No shit." I told him. "This was my worse idea yet."


I hope you enjoyed that chapter, and I just really wanted to have a Christian and Rose scene in there. Also we'll be reuniting with quite a few more characters in the next few chapters so keep tuned. Also please review and tell me what your favourite part was or just tell me whether you enjoyed it or not. Thanks for reading!