Babes! I'm back, and so soon! Here, you find the answer to who the mysterious person on the roof was, and see what entails afterward. Enjoy!

Let Your Heart Lead The Way

Chapter 9

"Princess."

The word left his lips as a whisper, and danced on the wind until they reverberated like a scream in Rose's ears.

"Sir Belikov." Rose dropped into a low curtsy, briefly, before rising.

Dimitri, remembering his place, dropped into a low bow and stayed for far longer than Rose liked.

"May I ask why you are on the roof at this time?" He spoke gently, as if he were afraid he might frighten the Princess away.

"I wanted to speak with you, privately, and this is the only place where no guards are posted. That, and I'm not supposed to meet any of the men until tomorrow morning at breakfast." She had a small smile gracing her lips, and Dimitri took a moment to gaze upon her.

How I want to bite that lip.

The thought came as a flash into his mind, and it was gone just as quick.

"As you wish. What was it you wanted to speak about?"

"What was she like?"

The question seemed as if it were thrown from her lips, as if she had to force it out of herself.

"Who?"

"My mother. What was she like?"

Dimitri took a moment to run through his memories of the late Queen.

"She was kind, and beloved by all. I don't remember much about her, but I do remember that. She was faithful to your father, and to you, in the short time she had with you. She wanted nothing more than to see this nation prosper. My mother worked in the Palace, so I spent many years here with her, and in that time, Queen Janine had given birth to the only heir to the Dhampirian throne, you." At those words, he nodded his head at the Princess, and did so with a slight bow. "She doted on you every chance she got. You were her pride and joy, never mind that she had beaten 34 other women for the then Prince's hand, and become the Princess. Queen Janine was the best thing this nation had seen in many millennia, and in her brief time, she had been fair, and just, she had paved the way for change to be made. She would have done many great things for the people. I was young, but I was there when the rebels took her. Her dying request was that my mother and I save you. So, I honored my Queen's wishes. I took you from her grasp, and ran for the Safe Room. I held you until you stopped crying, and even then until you fell asleep. I held you close to me as your father dealt with the foreign dignitaries, and when he came to collect you, you woke with a start and burst into tears. In the end, you went with your father, and my mother was fired from working at the Palace not long after. She returned to our family in Texas, and I went with her. I haven't returned here since."

Rose took a moment to silently absorb all this man had said.

She sounded a lot like the kind of person Rose wanted to be.

"If I may, Your Majesty..." Dimitri quietly started.

"What?" Rose questioned, maybe hoping for more information on her mother.

"I've heard of the many things you have planned for your reign, and I must say, you seem to have a lot of change in mind. For the benefit of your people. Might I ask why?"

Rose took a breath, to give her time to ponder an answer, when suddenly, it struck her.

"Because, at the end of the day, a Queen has nothing but her people. If she doesn't have her people, she doesn't have a throne. Everything a Queen is, everything she does, should be for the best of her people. The people of this nation have suffered under my father's rule, especially since my mother's death, and I'm going to change that. The people are everything I didn't have as a child, and they are the last connection to my mother. Did you know, I haven't even been to my mother's home territory? I have no idea what it was like for her growing up."

"That's probably for the best." Dimitri mumbled quietly, but not quietly enough to not be heard.

"And why? Why is it for the best that I not know?"

"Because you are right. Your people are suffering, and many of the people in your mother's home territory, my home territory, are angry with the Royal family. Your father has had ample time to fix the problems down South, and he has sat here, on his throne, and done nothing but waste away in his grief and pain. There are threats against your life every day. They want change, and it's getting to the point where they are willing to take it by force. I may not have seen you in many years, but I don't want to see my Princess die, especially not after the speech she just delivered to me. You are capable of changing this nation for the better, the exact same change your mother wanted, and I want to see you carry through with it, whether I be by your side or one of the people you rule over."

Rose stood, awestruck, and claimed by his words. He believes she could change this nation for the better. He believes she is everything that her father believes she isn't.

"Th-th-thank you, Sir Belikov. Excuse me, I must return to my room. Enjoy the rest of your evening. I will see you in the morning."

And with that, Rose ducked out of sight and ran. Then she realized, she never once looked into his eyes.

Don't forget to drop a review and tell me what you think!

~DA2014