Hey guys, I know it has been way too long since I last updated. So many of you have sent me messages telling me to review, and I'm sorry it took me so long. It has been a very busy holiday for me, but I'm finally on top of things. Please enjoy.


"This is absolutely ridiculous." I heard someone yelling. Getting up from where I'd slumped against the safe room's wall with Ivy, I wandered over to the commotion.

And surprise, surprise, it was Lissa. She was surrounded by flustered Guardians who were trying their best to stop her from leaving.

"Why am I here? I'm the Queen, and I've got more important things to do than participate in some little Guardian practice session. I'm leaving."

"Vasilisa." I said quietly, not giving her the respect of her title nor the familiarity of the nick name. "This so called Guardian practice session is for your own good." Lissa pursed her lips, but I continued. "This way if we practice for an emergency, when an actual emergency occurs we can quickly move Moroi to a safe zone so they are out of harm's way, and it will be easier for the Guardians to protect them."

"Fine do that." Lissa snapped. "Let all the Moroi go to the safe zones and leave me alone, I don't need to participate in a practice session."

"I'm sure you'd like to set a good example, your Majesty." I said mockingly, nodding my head at the various important Moroi, who were listening to our conversation eagerly, many of them looking like they were getting ready to leave.

"We wouldn't want to create any problems, in case of an actual emergency." Lissa looked around and noted what I had seen. Seeming to make a decision, she shot me a hard look and went to sit down with Christian. I went back and sat with Ivy, holding her against me tightly.

The safe room wasn't large, with reinforced concrete walls and a 4 feet thick door, which was currently being sealed by two Guardians. It had large cupboards on the back wall, which contained various supplies. There was no hard furniture in the room, in case Strigoi did find entry and were looking for extra weaponry. Mostly there were just pillows and blankets scattered across the floor, with only one couch upon which Lissa and Christian had sat. There were around 10 other Moroi, whom were mostly the princes and princesses of the various royal families. It also had a small room off to the side, where Dimitri and a few other guardians were sitting, watching the monitors on the wall which showed the action. To the Complex's credit we were going strong, especially since we had fewer numbers. Dimitri's forehead was crinkling in frustration, as he saw the ease of which our fighters defeated his. After a few minutes of watching him bark orders into his radio, I got up again leaving Ivy with her colouring book. The cold atmosphere in the main room made me want to escape, but I couldn't. I had a job to do. I couldn't let personal feelings get in the way of that, no matter how difficult it might be.

"How's it going guys?" I asked, leaning against the doorway, making sure not to look Dimitri in the eye.

"Your fighters are beating us with ease." One of the Guardians said, leaning back in his chair. "But you can probably see that."

I smiled in agreement.

"We could still defeat them." Dimitri said, speaking up suddenly. "Don't lose hope so easily."

"Really?" I said, shooting him a doubtful look. "It looks like my fighters are demolishing yours."

"It's not a competition Rose." He said. I shot him a snarky look.

"I know. It's life and death, and your guys are dying. So it looks like you lose."

Dimitri put his radio down firmly on the table and stared at me.

"So what do you suggest then?" He accused.

"Nothing. You've got all the right strategies, but the Guardians just don't have the skills, they should have." He rolled his eyes. "I'd just let them fight it out. It will be a good lesson." I continued.

"And what lesson will that be?" Said the Guardian who had been speaking to me earlier, sounding a lot less friendly.

"That nothing's and no one's unbeatable. Especially not the Guardians, and if that's true, which it is, the Moroi have no hope." I told them, before turning and walking out of the room.

I sat in silence with Ivy, who had long since stopped colouring and was now fiddling with the ends of my hair, clearly bored. Everyone I looked at met my eyes with a hard look, which I knew was from Lissa's reaction to me. Soon everyone in the room was silent, with the surprise attack meaning no one had brought anything to amuse themselves with. I stared at the floor, bored out of my mind. As if sensing that, Ivy sat up and tugged on my arm.

"We should tell a story." Ivy chirped. I sighed internally but knew there was no way to stop Ivy once she had an idea. There was silence from the other occupants of the room, and then to my utter surprise I heard Christian speak up.

"That sounds like a good idea. Do you have a story you want to tell?" He asked smiling kindly at her. I smiled at him but as he saw me, his smile converted back into a scowl and he stretched his arm around Lissa who was staring determinedly at the floor.

"I have a story. It's my bedtime story that Mummy tells me. It's my favourite."

When Christian didn't respond, I smiled at her.

"Go ahead, baby."

"Once upon a time, there was a young girl and she was very happy. She was best friends with Princess Lissa." At this Lissa looked up, looking confused. "The young girl worked very hard so she could protect her kingdom and Princess Lissa. As she grew older, she grew wiser and stronger. But still there was something missing in her life." I saw then, that everyone in the room was listening. Including Dimitri, who had come to stand in the very doorway I had vacated. This story was Ivy's favourite, and she had heard it so many times that she knew it word for word. "One day a handsome cowboy Prince came to the castle where the two princesses lived. The cowboy Prince also thought there was something missing in his life." Dimitri looked straight up, seeming to realize that this was him. "At first she didn't like him, but when she got to know him better, she found he was kind, and thoughtful and clever, and brave. Soon they began to spend more and more time around each other, and found that the empty space in their life could be filled by each other. They fell in love, and they vowed to be together for eternity." At this Dimitri looked visibly pained. Ivy, seeing that look, and mistaking it for confusion, elaborated. "That means they promised they would always be together. Many people did not like that the she and the cowboy prince were together but they loved each other, and nothing else mattered." It was absolute torture to hear this story, being told to the people it was about. It was a fantasy story, one I told Ivy to comfort her, and soon it would reveal what I never wanted anyone to find out. I had to stop it. "One day Princess Lissa, went to the big castle where all the other princesses lived. The girl and the cowboy Prince followed her. There Princess Lissa found a man who could shoot flames out of his hands, everyone was afraid of him." Christian smiled at this, but a nudge from Lissa, wiped the smile of his face. "But Princess Lissa was not afraid of him, they also fell in love, and vowed to stay together. Bad things happened in the castle, and the main princess, who is called the Queen, went to sleep for a very long time. They needed a new Queen. Princess Lissa was chosen, because she was so kind, and clever, and loving. Everyone was very happy, then…"

"They all lived happily ever after." I interrupted, unable to take this anymore.

"But Mummy, I wasn't-."

"That story is finished Ivana." I said sharply, she looked at me resentfully and crossed her arms. After a few minutes, I shuffled closer to her. "I'm sorry Princess." I told her, ruffling her hair.

"You called me Princess." She told me. Glad she was over my sharp words, I answered her reverting back to our old routine.

"I did."

"Because…"

"Because you were named after Queen Vasilisa." I said, not caring about the disbelieving looks I was receiving from the others in the room.

"That's you." Ivy broke in, pointing a finger at Lissa. "And they don't call me Queen like you, because I'm still little and when you were little you were called Princess. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's correct." Lissa answered sharply, before moving closer to Christian.

The room lapsed again into silence, Ivy intimidated by Lissa's answer. About an hour later, Ivy spoke up again.

"Mummy, when can we leave? I don't like it here, I want to go outside." She whined.

"This is practice, sweetheart, in case we ever have to hide away from some bad people."

"Am I in danger?"

"No angel, you have nothing to worry about. I won't let anyone get you."

"Promise." She demanded.

"I promise, I will always protect you." I said dropping a kiss on her forehead, as she snuggled into me and fell asleep.

"You're a good mother, Rose. I'll give you that." To my upmost surprise this was Lissa talking and all I could do was stare at her in astonishment. She was actually being nice. "Too bad, you probably won't keep that promise." And the bitch was back.

"What are you talking about?" I asked angrily.

"Previous experience. Should I tell your little girl that her Mummy's a liar, or will you? Because one day she will find out. I'll make sure of it."

"Lissa!" I gasped. Even Christian looked shocked and wrapped an arm around Lissa, and started murmuring in her ear. Her face went hard, and she started scratching at her wrists. At first I didn't recognise it, but then I saw the signs of the darkness that was taking over. It had been so long since I had had to worry about Lissa's darkness that I had forgotten to even think of it.

Lissa started shaking, and I could see her clenching her fists.

"What's happening to her?" I asked frantically, not recognizing this. Lissa would never lose her cool in front of others.

"It's the darkness. It's getting stronger." Christian told me, trying his best to calm her down.

"Why is she using Spirit then?" I asked.

"She didn't realise how much darkness you were taking away, and by the time she did it was too late."

"Why didn't you stop her?" I cried.

"Because after you left, it was the only thing that made her feel better. She was depressed and miserable Rose."

"All because of you, Rose." Lissa shrieked. "It's all your fault."

She rose to her feet, leaving Christian hanging onto her fingertips, and started shaking her fist at me. Everyone else in the safe room, seemed to meld into the wall, as they saw how much darkness she was fighting against. And she was losing. Badly. I quickly placed Ivy onto a nearby pillow, and stood up. I looked Lissa straight in the eye, this seemed to enrage her, and she started to pull against Christian's restraining hand.

"Liss." I gasped, frightened. I had never seen her like this. "Calm down." She finally lost all semblance of control, and with a burst of strength she pulled away from Christian and charged towards me. I stayed steady, trying not to flinch as she raced towards me. I heard Christian call her name, but it didn't seem to reach her, and I kept my eyes on her. Finally she made contact, body slamming me. I shook slightly, but remained standing. Slowly I wrapped my arms around her, and held her close. At first she struggled desperately, but I continued holding her, stroking her hair.

"You're stronger than this." I murmured into her ear. "You have to be. You have to be stronger." For a few more seconds she kept trying to hit me but then she drooped and I lowered her to the ground, still clutching her to me. She started sobbing violently and I stroked her hair, making soothing noises, as she clung to me.

"It's okay, Lissa. It's all going to be okay."

"Why Rose? Why did you leave me? I needed you. I still need you." She cried. My own tears started to roll down my cheeks, and I held her even closer.

"I need you too." I told her.

"I can't do this anymore. I really can't."

"It will be okay Lissa. I promise. I'm here now. I'm here now." We sat like that for I don't know how long, both of us clinging to each other. Until then I hadn't realized just how much I'd missed her, and I felt terrible knowing I was to blame for this.

Later, I don't know when, I heard the beeping of the door opening, and everyone filing out. Finally Lissa sat up, and I wiped the tears off her face. Only Christian remained in the room, leaning against the door.

I helped Lissa off the floor, and she just stood there staring at me apprehensively.

"I think we both needed that." I told her softly. "I'm here if you need me. All you need to do is call."

She nodded in agreement and slowly walked out.

I moved over to Christian. "She'll be okay now." I told him. "Do you know where my daughter is?"

"Your friend Jade, came in and told me to tell you she was taking her to Linda." He told me, his face stiff. I gave him a nod in thanks and moved past him. As I went to leave the room, he grabbed me by my arm.

"Thank you." He said softly, motioning at Lissa who was walking up the corridor.

"It was my pleasure."

"She's missed you."

"I've missed her." I said, smiling at him.

"Rose." He said, looking stern again.

"What is it sparky?" I said, my grin fading.

"I know what happened Rose."


Oh no. Christian knows? But what does he know? Did anyone suspect that darkness was part of the cause of Lissa's horrific behaviour. Please review and tell me what you want to happen next, and if you want a certain Ivashkov to return. Thanks! Please review, and get me to 300 reviews, have a wonderful day.