Okay babes... I'm going to say it would be fair to call me a bitch right now.. I've been so distracted by RL, (with job hunting, and signing up for college, etc.) that I was cruel and mean and forgot to update.. But I do have good news too! I have also been in the process of adopting a story from theVAlife, and I am proud to say that The Red Door has now been adopted by yours truly. So, when I wasn't doing odd jobs and house-sitting for my aunt, I was hard at work getting those chapters, editing them, etc. so they can be posted... Which will be soon.

Now, I leave you to the long awaited Chapter 4 of Let Your Heart Lead The Way! :)

~DA2014

Let Your Heart Lead The Way

Chapter 4

"Sebastian!" Rose called.

Sebastian, head of Rose's staff and overseer of all her needs, knocked on her door and entered upon her request.

"You yelled, madam?"

"The guys have been announced."

"Yes, madam."

Just before he was about to leave her room and close the door, like he had many times before, Rose called for him to wait once more.

"You'll... You'll tell me what they are like... Won't you?" Rose asked, hesitantly.

Sebastian had never seen the young princess like this before. She was always brave, and courageous, and confident. But now, while staring her future in the face, where it is uncertain as to which one of thirty-five men will claim her heart, she seemed like the girl she should have had the chance to be. The chance to be shy, and timid, and hesitant. The chance to be a child and make mistakes.

"Yes, madam, I will be sure to keep detailed notes and tell you who has my personal approval."

Then, he left the room, and Rose had a small smile on her face.

The next few days flew by in a hurry for Dimitri. With him being announced as one the lucky thirty-five men, the number of people willing to hire him had sky-rocketed. Normally, on a good day, he'd be lucky to come home with a few dollars, and that was what he could account to collective amounts of coins. Since the announcement, he had been coming home with numerous bills with double digits, and in one case, a bill with triple digits.

Nothing had made Dimitri feel better about his decision to enter than seeing the smiles on his sisters' faces, as he got Viktoria new shoes she had been needing, or getting bottles and diapers for Karolina and Sonya. And those didn't even come close to the look of pure and utter joy on his Mama's face when he was able to get her a new pot full of spices she could have only dreamed of getting before. Well, their smiling faces, happy squeals, and the chance to see his Roza once more.

Now, as he returned home from a long day working in the fields and pastures, the sheds and barns, Dimitri walked home to see a large black vehicle in front of his home. And on the side of it, the royal family's seal sat, shining in the setting sun. Upon that welcoming sight, Dimitri hurried to his front door, where he could hear a deep masculine voice asking questions, and his Mama's tinkly feminine voice responding.

"I'm sure he won't be mu- Dimitri! There you are dear. This is Sebastian. He's here to discuss what to expect during Princess Rose's Selection, and the guidelines for it. Why don't you show him to the sitting room, and I'll go get you dears something to drink."

Dimitri murmured a "yes mama" before leading Sebastian to the sitting room, before gesturing for him to sit anywhere he liked. When Sebastian claimed a seat, Dimitri chose to sit on the couch across the coffee table from where the other man chose.

Sebastian started by going over guidelines, stating that Dimitri would be living in the Palace, he would be allowed to send correspondence at his discretion, but he could have no contact of any kind with a female who wasn't Rose, or he would face whatever punishment the Law declared fit. Sebastian, who Dimitri was still wary of, had a notebook with him, seemed to be taking very detailed notes, though Dimitri wouldn't know what for. And, seeing as he was nearly half way through the current book, Dimitri was not the first to be noted.

"Due to your caste, it is uncommon to see someone of your stature and physique, but you will also be prescribed some vitamin and minerals pills that you will take every day, until you are at peak body condition. Only then will your prescription cease. It is not uncommon to see malnourishment among the lower castes, so consider yourself lucky."

Dimitri just nodded along, answering questions when asked, until one statement stunned him.

"We need to confirm that you, Dimitri Belikov of Texas, are, indeed, a virgin."

Sebastian said this with a completely straight face, making Dimitri choke on air and sputtered about. To make matters worse, his mother chose that exact moment to enter the room with the tea tray, though she took this in stride and ran with it.

"Of course Dimitri is a virgin. He's always working so hard to help take care of the family, since Karolina's husband died, and Sonya had her baby, and I can no longer work. I have never seen a more genuine smile on his face than when he was chosen for the Selection and everybody wanted to hire him for something. The joy this young man gets from providing for his family is something I pray will never change."

Family oriented- highly. Sebastian wrote in his journal, adding to the notes of Dimitri that he had already collected. Only the little things, like compatible with animals, gentle soul, favorite color is BLUE and, hard-working determination.

All things that Rose secretly wanted in her future husband... And all things the nation needed in a leader.

'Belikov just might get my recommendation after all' Sebastian thought.

The duo spent the remainder of the day filling out the necessary paperwork, getting measurements, taking pictures from before the Selection, and telling Dimitri what he might want to pack before he leaves for the Palace. Then, Sebastian left the Belikov residence, and began the long journey back to the Princess.

Another day or two after Sebastian's visit to the last man on his list, Dimitri Belikov, he returned to the Palace with all the paperwork that the King needed and the journal full of notes for the Princess.

Knocking on her door, he heard a faint 'come in' followed by a gentle laugh. Sebastian, Rose's closest confidant, instantly knew she was talking to Prince Ambrose of the Southern Regions. The Prince was the closest thing Rose had to a brother, or any kind of family, aside from her father. So, he opened the door wide enough to poke his head in and allowed the Princess to see him setting the journal full of notes on a side table near the door before ducking out and continuing with his duties.

Having seen the journal, Rose's demeanor immediately changed. She abruptly told Ambrose that she had to go, hanging up before he got the chance to stutter out his goodbyes, and bolted for the journal.

She spent the remainder of the day studying every detail of the journal. When she got to the last one, Dimitri Belikov of Texas, Rose could see that there was a considerably large amount of notes. Meaning there were many more notes on this one man than there were for any others combined. And, to top it off, Sebastian had left a note just for the princess at the bottom.

PICK HIM!

Seeing the note, Rose chuckled, but spooked at the sound of a knock from her door. Rose wasn't supposed to know anything about the men until they arrived at the Palace, early next week. Seeing as it was Friday, and the men would begin arriving Monday afternoon, Rose wouldn't have had to wait long. But, she quickly hid the journal under her many pillows just before her father walked in.

"Kizim."

"Baba."

"It's time for dinner. Will you join me in the dining room?"

"I'm fine. I'll stay here."

"It wasn't a request. Sydney, Jill! The Princess is to be prepared to take her dinner in the dining room. Now!"

Sydney and Jill jumped at the King's harsh command, and immediately began to prepare a bath for Rose.

All her life, her father had commanded her life. She would not stand for him doing the same to her maids.

"Stop. You can boss me all you want, Your Highness, but you will not boss my maids like they are trash. They are people, with their own lives. They sacrificed precious time they had with their families to be here. You will not treat them like gum on the bottom of your shoes."

Rose's retort seemed to anger her father more than anything.

"I am the KING, Rosemarie, and you will do well to remember that." He said, a bitter bite in his words.

Rose, still not able to control her emotions, couldn't help one last response.

"And I am your DAUGHTER. You will NOT forget that."

Then she rolled over in her bed and cried into her pillow.

Okay, I know it's long overdue... I hope this floats your boats!

Leave a review, let me know what you think, and I'm going to go finish editing The Red Door!

~DA2014