Chapter fourteen

So far I have known I've been pregnant for about a month now, and already I want this thing out of me. I'm sorry Jasha but seriously, your sister gave me very slight morning sickness. but this, this is to the extreme. Not even born yet and already this little guy loves to keep me up in all hours of the night (day if your human.). Sure the medication was working, that is until Jasha made me puke it back up, and then I was completely helpless to his evil, little wrath. Boy, if this kid had any special powers he'd definitely be a fire user, 'cause boy did he like to hurt mommy, bad.

My mom, on the other hand, has stayed diligently beside me in her working duties to help take care of Catherine and apparently me. Although, I think she's really was just here to help Jasha rather, most likely so she could steal him away when he was finally born. Eh, seriously, mom hasn't been that bad, she adores her grandkids to no extent.

Walking into the familiar room I picked up my first child and sat her down next to me on the bed I usually slept on. Snuggling up together she began to trace random circles on my stomach of where the baby laid. Kay now I seriously wished Dimitri could have been here with us. He was already more than anxious for the baby's arrival, both because he really wanted a boy and because he was head over heels worried for me, stupid morning sickness anyway. Of course by now, I really wished Strigoi weren't immune to all forms of drugs, because man did Dimitri need a chill pill or something. Since I still now managed to visit him every day and everyday he'd fret over my recent condition. Mostly though, our time together is basically, all the same, it's almost starting to feel like Déjà vu. Every time we'd discuss how I was feeling, and then he'd ask about the baby. And just like that time would past and Catherine and I would leave only with a slight kiss from Dimitri's ever so tender lips.

Course this routine has been occurring every single day since the day I had found out I was pregnant, again Today, yesterday, the day before that, all month long. I'm still happy on seeing him. Actually, it was more than that. I loved seeing Dimitri, but watching him, locked up like that, it was almost too hard. Catherine I knew also felt the same way. She missed her father being there in her life and he still avoids the subject to his escape. He needs to make a point not just to himself, but to everyone and if dying were the right solution then he would willingly do so. He knew what he had to give up and he was risking it all. Even though, outside help was on the job, nothing truly mattered but him.

Already mom was spreading around her petition to the release of Ben and Dimitri. However, so far no such luck. The luck we truly have had so far, is the fact of his date of execution has been left TBA, for the moment. Buying more time to think and process of what our next motives are going to be. So far I've made none on how to save my husband, but with me and of course, Catherine on the case anything is possible. Ahh that's right my eldest daughter, Catherine. She has been such a big girl these past weeks. Already she has won the hearts of everyone in this "big house". It's like magic, the way she works with people, she has everyone wrapped around her little finger. And not to mention her eagerness for the arrival of her new little brother. Which is scheduled in five months, around the beginning of April, about two months after Catherine's birthday.

Heavy footsteps bustled outside the door as my daughter clung to my side, resting her hand against where the baby rested. It was actually really obvious when he slept and when he was awake, because man was he quite the kicker. Ouch, did he hurt; this wasn't just a little tap on my kidneys but a serious, massive roundhouse kick.

Voices grew from the other side of the door and quieted my absent mine of thinking to pay closer attention to what was being said on the outside.

"This cannot be true." A voice said in disbelief, mostly likely my mother making her usual rendezvous to my room for the day.

"Well it is, Queen Vasilisa and her family have been taken."A random voiced informed her. It was male, probably mid thirties with a hard Russian accent illuminating his voice. Wait a minute… did he say Lissa!? No it cannot be.

"When, where?" My mother questioned anxiously.

"Last night, at her home in Romania. There were Strigoi everywhere already they managed to kill off the majority of her bodyguards." A head started shaking, quickly, probably my moms.

"Call an assembly, we need to get this underway."

"Guardian Hathaway with all due respect by the time we actually get there it'll probably be too late." What? No. Please not Lissa. Looking down at the child beside me, she seemed completely oblivious to the information that was being exchanged right outside the door.

"I'll be the judge of that, call a meeting, everyone will be there in one hour." My mom said in her high official voice. One of my favorite things to hear on her part, she just seems so strong and powerful when she wields it.

"Yes Guardian." He said respectively and then departed. My mother sighed outside the door and entered a just a second later.

"So how much did you hear?" She quizzed me as she shut the door and crossed over to where I laid, sitting down next to me, as she placed Catherine onto her lap.

"Where's Lissa?" I asked her not really answering the first question she had given me.

"I was kind of hoping you would tell me." She told me.

"Me?" I asked confused.

"You still have your bond with her right Rose? You should be able to know her exact coordinates, right?" My mom asked me unsure, as if she should even tell me anything more of the situation with Lissa.

"Yeah." I vaguely answered her already allowing my mind to flow to somewhere different. I felt it then, our bond, basically I had pushed it to the back of my mind, not really interfering with it much, but now I felt it like it were a long lost friend or something. I felt Lissa then, she was scared and… terrified of what was going to happen to her. "You've got to get me to that meeting." I told my mom only half concentrating on my original surroundings, the other half though on Lissa.

"Rose…" She started to protest then stopped. Nodding her head in agreement, I guess she finally understood my role in all this.

In the next hour I was situated in a high class conference room, guardians circling the table that stood out in the center of the room. Catherine was seated next to me, her little head just barely bobbing above the table. On the other side of her though, sat me mother, studying the situation before us. They called the gathering to order and addressed the many guardians that had filtered into the room. I knew I should have been a part of this, a true guardian, but I had chosen a different path in life, a path that would soon cross with how things should and should not have been. Heck if I hadn't left the academy and gone after Dimitri then we wouldn't even be having this issue. Lissa would be safe with me, instead of locked away somewhere, afraid and mildly alone. Don't worry Liss I'm coming for you. I sent to her knowing it would only be lost in the void of blackness, see that's the thing that sucks our bond only works one way.

"Just as a refresh of the matters at hand, Vasilisa Dragomir, Christian Ozera and their two children have been captured by a group of rapid Strigoi and taken to a location unknown." The head honcho informed us with information that was only past facts to me now. He was a slightly older man, early sixties possibly. He had white gray hair and a white mustache to go along with it. He basically looked like someone's buff grandfather.

"When were they last seen?" A voice shouted from the group.

"How many Strigoi were these?"

"How long have they been missing?"

"Where could they have gone?"

The answers were answered to the best of the group leader's knowledge, but I barely listened, I was concentrating on something else, something foreign. For the first time in many years I drifted into my best friends mind, trying to unravel the hidden secrets of her whereabouts and condition.

Where am I? What's going on? Help. I meekly thought. They were dead, the guardians were dead no one come for me. I was alone. I was trapped. Help. Scurrying of feet and slight squeaks came from the floor below. Oh god there rats. Eww. Somebody help, I didn't dare call out my plea for help unless I wanted the Strigoi to hear me. Aww what's the point, I'm only already dead as it is. A hand grabbed my shoulder and rotated me into the opposite direction. I gasped. Oh it was only Christian. Hugging him I started to weep into him as he clutched me close to him.

"I… Never thought…I'd see you again." I choked out. He only shushed me closer to him, holding me closer than before."Where are the kids?" I desperately wanted to know.
"I don't know." He murmured. We needed to find them, but already, I was feeling small hands grasp the side of my legs and thankfully it was not the rats either.

"Oh thank god." I said as I picked up one of my two children, holding Anna close as I saw Christian pick up Andre and hold him tight. Well at least we were all together, but for how long?

Suddenly, the door to the room opened to what appeared to be a caved cell, but then in stepped the exact creature I wanted to avoid. A vicious, red eyed monster, a Strigoi. He gave an evil smile to both me and my family.

Putting Anna down I moved in front of her, trying to give my daughter some form of protection. Christian followed suit and we waited. Waited for out deaths to commence.

"Relax your highness. We mean you no harm." He said almost with a double meaning behind it.

"Don't talk to her." Christian threatened beside me, keeping me his first priority of protection, as always.

"Ahh King Christian." He said with a smirk."I remember you, or at least I remember the stories about you. You would have made just a great component for our team." He said with a shrug."You still could."

"No thank you." Christian said through his teeth. Automatically, turning down the offer into being turned into such a heartless freak. How could Rose stand to be with such a guy like this? Course, I already knew the answer to that, Dimitri wasn't like this. The Rose I knew would never love something so evil. Maybe Dimitri wasn't as bad as I thought he was. Perhaps, it would be useful to keep and save Dimitri, then allow him to be wasted away to death. Death, that's a factor that would be occurring in my life sooner than I thought. Unless they decided to keep me. Ugh, I shuddered to the thought.

Christian beside me started to silently chant one of his fire spells, preparing to attack the Strigoi, but before he could even finish the damn thing the Strigoi knocked him unconscious.

"Christen." I yelped out. Kneeling beside him.

"He'll be okay." The Strigoi assured me. As he then gave me a wicked smile before grabbing me by the throat, holding me up, as he cut off my oxygen. My children cried out behind me, but were too afraid to do anything."Now you listen to me, if you do everything in which I tell you maybe, maybe I just might let one of your family members leave alive." He explained his plan to me. Setting me back down onto my feet, while I collapsed onto my knees in desperate need for some air. "Oh don't worry your majesty. I'll be letting you call all the shots. That's how politics works isn't it. You have the head, who leads all the moves and decisions. So to be fair, you'll be choosing who will live, who'll be awakened and who will be chosen to suffer the tragedy of death."

"Never." I told him. Was he mad or something.

"Oh your highness you haven't even heard of the best part." He said to me playing with my thoughts and emotions.

"And what is that?" I asked him not really wanting to know the fate of his response.

"The best part." He paraphrased. "Is what we shall do with you."

Then one by one be started to torture us with his evil methods. By the end I held my sobbing children to me, watching as the demon waltzed out of the room, locking the door to our only hope of escape. Christian still laid there unconscious as I began to weep. Rose please, if you could hear me. Please help me, save me. Save my family. Please Rose you're my only hope. I want to see you as my rescuer and personal savior. If you could hear me I promise I will never rest until Dimitri is set free. Please help. I will do anything for you, if you could just help me, please. You don't even have to be my guardian anymore just…

I stopped there returning to the scene that laid before me. Guardians argued with the other as both my mother and Catherine watched with wary eyes. I needed to find my voice, I needed to help Lissa.

"I will go. I will save Vasilisa." I said, still having a hidden hatred towards my best friends annoying name.

"You, hah, you're not even a guardian. What could you possibly do?" A guardian spoke from a sea of mixed faces.

"Because unlike you she just so happens to have a special bond with her and the queen. She could lead us to her." Someone spoke up for me. It was Eddie. Bless him. Okay I know I never think like that, but I was so thankful for Eddie's loyalty right now.

"It's possible."

"She's just a novice."

"How the hell is she capable of rescuing a queen?"

"Because, she's Rose, and the Rose I know can make anything possible." Eddie proudly said, standing up for my desperate plea. "Once she sets her mind to something it's a rarity for her to ever give in or up to a challenge." He concluded with a sincere smile plastered onto his face. Since when has Eddie gotten so good at public speaking?

Murmurs filled the air as they began to slowly agree to the idea of me rescuing Lissa. Mom sat there silent, as if contemplating on what to say for the matter at hand, while Catherine appeared to be hurt. I knew this was going to be hard on her. I wasn't just going to take myself away from her; I was going to take both of her parents. However, she could protest all she wanted to. She needed to be big girl right now more than ever, even though she didn't want me to go no matter what the cause was, I was still going to leave. Even if it were by myself.

"Alright Ms. Hathaway." The buff grandfather announced in his harden, deep toned voice.

"Mrs. Belikov." I corrected him of my name change. He seemed to be annoyed by my interruption, but then continued as if I had said nothing.

"We here." He gestured to the other various guardians. "Are all in favor of you tracing down and safely saving Queen Vasilisa. Now in your rescue mission we would like you to travel with a party, who would you like to be a part of your troop." I gave grandpa a wry smile before announcing my unexpected choices to the group.

"Besides assistance from Edison Castille and a few other of your best guardians, I will also require." Pause for dramatic effect." the help of Dimitri Belikov and Benjamin Almandy." I stated clearly and precisely of the two people I desired the most to have.

"Aren't those two Strigoi prisoners here?" Grandpa asked obviously confused.

"No… yes....look I need their help with this, and if you ever wish to see queen Vasilisa again, then I suggest you let them come along with me." Silence, no one dared to speak against or for me.

"Mrs. Belikov I don't see how…" But I was through with listening.

"Look, I'm not going to tell you in what to believe in, okay. But Dimitri and Ben are not evil, cruel Strigoi like were all use to. Their different. Their good, their even still alive. They still have powers, and they can go out into the sun. Hey, if you don't believe me, believe proof. I rambled on, now gesturing to Catherine to prove a crucial point for evidence. "She along with this." I said placing a hand onto my baby inflated stomach."Are living proof that other types of Strigoi are capable of being out there. Of existing. And if you don't believe me, believe fact." I finished in a concluding tone.

"That's quite a speech right there Mrs. Belikov, but issue still remains. Dimitri Belikov is a Strigoi." He spoke as if it were a finality to our disagreement.

"What if they came back?"My mother offered.

"Huh?" I relied along with half of the other guardians in the room.

"What if Rose took the Strigoi with her, but they came back, with the princess safely? No harm done, no questions asked, nothing. Would that be enough to clear their names and prove their innocence in this situation?" My mother spoke directly to the buff grandfather, not friend to friend, but more as student to leader.

"I… I suppose that… but?"

"But what?" I blurted out. Interrupting whatever he was about to say. He sighed as if he finally decided that there was no other choice, but to give in. "If you do take Dimitri Belikov and Benjamin Almandy with you, but do not come back, then you'd better hope that we do not find you, Mrs. Belikov. And if we do, nobody will be kept alive. No matter what species you are, Rosemarie."He threatened harshly to me. Hell, why wouldn't I return. Of course, I would come back. Obviously, there's too much at stake not to. "Then it is settled, Mrs. Belikov you will led a party to the hopeful rescue of the lives of, Vasilisa Dragomir and her family. This meeting is now adjourned. No complaints or protests are necessarily if there any…. keep then to yourself. I hereby order the temporarily release of the two Strigoi prisoners. Rose." He spoke directly to me by this point. "I'm instructing you with their care, you have twenty four hours to be deported. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir." I answered with a nod. Seriously, when Dimitri is finally free of this penitentiary, we are so coming up with a new name for his group of people besides just Strigoi.