Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy.

Ch. 19 Trial

We were in the air for about three hours and then we landed at Court.

Several guardians were waiting for us. They were dressed in the formal guardian outfit of black and white formal clothes. I sighed to myself. I hadn't thought I would need to be so dressed up. We looked a bit out of place, all being in jeans and sneakers.

"We're here to escort you to your rooms," one of the guardians said, nodding politely to Alberta.

"Thank you," she said. "Let's go."

The Court was very large and imposing. The cover story was that it was an elite prep school, but we all knew better. It was the center of the Moroi world.

We passed several of the administration buildings, which looked very plain compared to the grand buildings that we'd seen from the outside. There were several flower gardens and fountains. Flowers bloomed abundantly, now that it was spring.

We entered a section that must be Court housing. Looking off to the side, I saw buildings that looked like little town houses I'd seen before.

"That's housing for permanent residents," Adrian explained.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "Then where do you live?"

"On the other side of Court….but I don't really want to see my parents right now," he said, looking a little uncomfortable.

The guardian that had spoken to Alberta earlier stopped in front of a door. "Princess Vasilisa, Miss Hathaway, you'll be sharing this room."

"I thought there were more rooms than this," Lissa said in surprise.

"Usually there's plenty of room, but royals are returning to Court at this time of year so you need to double up," the guardian said.

"Thanks," Lissa murmured as she walked past him, me following.

"And Christian Ozera and Mr. Castile will be over here," I barely heard the guardian say as we entered the room.

It was huge, and bigger than my dorm room and Lissa's put together. There was huge king-sized bed in the center of the room with a feather duvet and lots of plump pillows. The carpet under my feet was a light beige color and felt very soft, and several rugs covered it off to the side. French doors opened out into a balcony, which offered a view of one of the numerous gardens and pathways.

"Liss, this place is huge," I said, my mouth dropping open. I left my suitcase at the door and took off my shoes.

The living room area had a nice leather couch, with a flat-screen TV. The coffee table had a tray of assorted snacks (which were all junk food). The walls were plain, but that was okay since it went well with the other decorations.

"Check out the bathroom," Lissa called to me.

I hurried over and my eyes almost bugged out. A long counter ran along one side, with a mirror the same length. The floor under our feet was black marble, decorated with little silver flecks. There was a Jacuzzi tub at the far end that could comfortably seat three people.

"Well, we have luxury accommodations at least," I mused.

"When…when do you think the trial will be?" Lissa asked, her voice trembling as she spoke. I hated her seeing so vulnerable. It brought back memories from two years ago, when we'd run away, and right before she'd discovered that she controlled the element spirit.

I put my arm around her and tried to cheer her up. "Probably soon. Tomorrow or next two days maybe. Since we'll probably be stuck for awhile, why don't we explore Court? I bet we're getting a sneak preview of what it's like before everyone else."

Lissa gave me a small smile, and the dark feelings running through her lessened a little. "I've been here before. It's not all that fun, really."

"No cool parties?"

"Not unless you like to be with royals," she replied.

There was a knock on the door, and we both ran to answer it.

Alberta stood there. "Hello, Rose, Vasilisa."

"Guardian Petrov," we both said.

"Do you have a minute? I just received details about the trial."

"Come in," Lissa said, making room for her to enter our room. She shut the door as Alberta came in.

"The trial will be tomorrow, immediately after lunch. We're not sure how long it's going to take, so we're going to be here for at least five days. And it's recommended you girls both dress formally for the trial."

Lissa had probably packed plenty of formalwear for Court. Me on the other hand…the few formalwear I had wasn't exactly appropriate for a trial.

Seeing the look on my face, Alberta laughed, her face softening. "I'll send someone over with some clothes for you later."

"Thanks, Guardian Petrov," I said politely as she stood up to leave.

"Spend the rest of the day as you like. Vasilisa, the Queen requested you to be at dinner tonight, in the Grand Dining Hall."

She left after that, and I exchanged a look with Lissa.

We passed our first day quietly, exploring Court and looking around in some of the buildings.

Lissa dressed up early that night to dine with the royals of the Moroi world.

How do I look? she asked without looking up.

I looked her over. She was in a silky violet dress with straps, with a skirt that was only a few inches past her knees. Amethysts glittered in the straps on her shoulders, and she wore a white mini cardigan over it. Her platinum hair was up in a loose bun.

"I'd say you should take out the bun and leave your hair down," I said.

She shook her head at me, smiling, and took out the bun. Her hair tumbled down her shoulders, and I was struck by how much she looked like a princess now.

I went to her suitcase and pulled out her jewelry box. I went back to her and left most of her air down, but braided part of her hair across the back. I finished it off with a silver hairpiece that resembled a tiara. Tiny jade pieces were interwoven within the hairpiece that matched Lissa's eyes perfectly.

"Now you're all ready," I said, smiling at her as she opened the door.

A guardian stood at the door. I knew he was one of the Queen's guardians from the red collar of his uniform. He gave Lissa a slight bow. "Princess Vasilisa, I'm here to escort you to the Queen's dinner."

"I'm ready," Lissa said coolly, as dignified as any royal. She waved to me, and stepped outside.

I had dinner in one of the cafeterias. Dimitri, Eddie, Alberta, and even Christian were all there. Adrian wasn't with us, and I guessed that he was at the dinner with the Queen, who was his great-aunt.

Christian poked glumly at his steak after the waitress gave us our orders. I had a feeling I knew why he was so glum – he hadn't been invited to the formal dinner being hosted by the Queen.

When Christian had been young, his parents had made the choice to turn into Strigoi. Moroi had the choice of turning into Strigoi if they chose – by killing someone while feeding. That's what his parents had done. They'd returned to take Christian with them.

Tasha – it made me shudder to think her name now – had been watching Christian when they'd come back for him. She'd tried to fight them, and the side of her face had been permanently scarred as a result from the fight. Guardians had come and killed Christian's parents.

None of it was Christian's fault. However, the rest of the Moroi world shunned him for having parents that had chosen to turn Strigoi, and many people thought he would too. It had only been recently that his reputation had become slightly more improved.

I told Dimitri softly, "I'm going to see into Lissa's mind now, so keep an eye on me."

He nodded to me, and I slipped into her mind.

Lissa had long since finished dinner, and now was politely mingling with the royals in the ballroom that was used for formal functions. She was speaking with Princess Ariana Szelsky, the older sister of the Szelsky lord my mother guarded.

Someone lightly touched Lissa's shoulder and she turned around.

Princess Priscilla Voda stood there. "The Queen requested to speak with you," she said.

Terror flooded through Lissa at the thought of seeing the Queen. The last time she'd seen the Queen, she had been humiliated. "Of course," she said politely. "I'm ready to see her."

Priscilla Voda led her away from the ballroom and into the throne room where Tatiana received important guests.

It was called the throne room, but there wasn't an actual throne. There was an ornate throne-like armchair, on a raised dais. The floor was a rose shade of marble, and several empty chairs stood off to the side.

Queen Tatiana Ivashkov sat in the armchair, her hands primly set in her lap. Her graying dark hair was pinned up in a bun. She wore a simple long-sleeved red dress, and a silver crown sat on her head.

Lissa and Priscilla Voda both curtsied to the Queen.

"Rise," Tatiana said, her dark eyes sweeping over the two. "Thank you, Priscilla. You are excused."

Priscilla gave her a swift nod before she exited the room. Only the Queen, Lissa, and the guardians were left in the room.

"Sit," Tatiana said coolly, leaning back in her chair.

"Your Majesty," Lissa said politely as she took a seat in one of the chairs facing Tatiana, masking the fear and uneasiness she felt at being alone with the Queen.

Tatiana didn't waste any time with pleasantries. "I have heard that you are planning on going to a college once you graduate from St. Vladimir's."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lissa said politely.

"And I've also heard that you are not exactly…pleased with your college choices," Tatiana continued on, looking into Lissa's eyes.

Lissa hesitated before she spoke. She was talking to the supreme ruler of the Moroi, so she had to watch what she said. "Yes, I'm not thrilled with the choices. The places available are…small. I would like to go somewhere bigger and prestigious to get a better education."

For Moroi safety, they often went to small universities. It was easier to guard them in smaller environments. Lissa wanted to go to a big prestigious university – somewhere like an Ivy League college, or maybe Stanford or Berkeley, but she knew it wasn't possible.

"I would like to make you an offer, Vasilisa. You know of Lehigh University, correct?"

Lissa nodded. It was a pretty big college by Moroi standards, and was only an hour and half away from Court.

"If you would agree to come live at Court after you graduate…we would be willing to make allowances for you to attend Lehigh," Tatiana continued.

Lissa's heart filled with joy. She would get to go to a bigger university and have a chance to learn even more! It wasn't somewhere she'd always dreamed of going, but Lehigh was better than any of the other options she'd been browsing through. "Yes, I accept, Your Majesty."

Tatiana nodded. "Very well. I will begin preparations for your stay at Court. You are dismissed."

Lissa rose, curtsied, and exited the throne room. She was overjoyed, and wanted to come back and celebrate, but she still had to mingle with royals.

I slipped out of her mind and smiled.

"What's gotten you so happy?" Adrian asked.

"Ask Lissa," I said. It was her news, so she should be the one who was telling everyone else.

The next day was the day of Victor's trial.

Everyone was very tense when we gathered for breakfast. Time dragged on until after lunch, and it was time for the trial.

Alberta had sent a girl over with a white blouse and black slacks – a mini version of the guardian uniform. I pulled my hair back into a high ponytail, exposing the two tiny molnija marks on the back of my neck.

Lissa was wearing a white blouse, black pencil skirt, and heels. She'd put up her long hair into a sleek ponytail.

"It's going to be okay, Liss," I whispered to her as we walked out of the building and headed for the courtroom.

I hope so, she said, more to herself than me.

Dimitri walked beside us. I looked up at him, and he gave me a small smile of encouragement. It conveyed hope and love for me.

We stopped at the door of the courtroom. I took a deep breath for courage, and we entered the room.

The room wasn't packed, but it was still pretty crowded. The guardians guarding the door had to practically shove their way through the crowd.

Me, Lissa, Christian, and Dimitri were herded to where the prosecuting side would sit. Lissa's anxiety increased when there was a slight commotion at the door.

The doors opened for a second time…and Victor Dashkov walked in through the door.

I took Lissa's hand in mine to comfort her as she got even more anxious. Dark feelings seeped through her, and memories of that horrific night swept through her and into me.

I willed her to calm down and to get rid of those dark feelings. She seemed to calm down, but I got angrier than she'd gotten.

Victor walked in, his head held high, a haughty expression on his face. His hands were chained behind his back, and his ankles were shackled, the chains rattling as he moved. He seemed weaker and frailer than when we'd last seen him. When he'd forced Lissa to heal him, it had been only temporary. Without her to heal him, his disease had come back.

He briefly nodded to Lissa, but his guardians snapped at him to move and pushed him towards the front of the room.

Queen Tatiana was announced, and everyone rose to their feet. She seated herself near the judge, and everyone quickly took their seats. Once most of the trial was over, she would debate with the other princes and princesses to decide Victor's fate. I prayed that she would make the right choice and sentence Victor to a very long time - if not life imprisonment - behind bars, where he wouldn't ever be able to hurt anyone again.

The judge, a fierce-looking old Moroi woman, read out the crimes that Victor was going to trial for, and then, one by one, the witnesses were called to the stand.

Lissa, as the victim of Victor's kidnapping, went first. She was amazing up on the stand as she spoke and related what had happened to her that night.

Everyone in the room was shocked by the horrid crimes that Victor had committed, all in the name of gaining power. Lissa looked very stately, calm and beautiful as she made her statements up on the stand. She finished, and then Christian, and then Dimitri went up.

Dimitri brushed my hand as he went up. Good luck, I thought, hoping we wouldn't be caught.

I was still nervous myself about Victor. As I'd noted before, Victor had thought we were getting it on that night.

As Dimitri gave his statement, I gave a quick look out of the corner of my eye. Victor was staring straight at Dimitri with a huge smirk on his face. My heartbeat increased. Was he going to say something about us that would definitely harm his chances of returning to prison?

Victor suddenly burst out in laughter. Uh oh, I thought, glaring at him. I had a really bad feeling I knew exactly what he was laughing so hard about, and I didn't like it.

The judge glared at him. "Mr. Dashkov, please respect the decorum of this courtroom."

Victor, still smiling but apparently recovered from his laughing fit, waved his hands. "I'm sorry, Your Honor and Your Majesty, something in Guardian Belikov's testimony…just tickled my fancy, that's all. It won't happen again."

Phew, I thought, letting out a soft exhale. Lissa's anxiety increased although she really didn't have to be so anxious. I read her thoughts, and she wondered what on earth he'd been laughing about. Dimitri finished his statement, and it was my turn.

I confidently strode to the stand, my head held high. I raised my right hand and swore, "I swear to tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God."

"Miss Hathaway, would you please tell us what happened the night that Princess Dragomir was kidnapped by Mr. Dashkov?"

"That night, I was kicked out of a dance," I began without any further introductions, "and I was confined to my dorm. I was using the bond to check on Lissa. She was with Christian, but then he was attacked by some unfamiliar guardians. She was then gagged and bound, and taken away. I realized something was wrong, but something forced me out of her mind."

I paused to take a breath. Now was where my "editing" would begin. I couldn't tell anyone about the lust spell that Victor had placed on me and Dimitri to keep us busy while he kidnapped Lissa. I prayed that Victor wouldn't make any leading comments and kept going.

"I felt an urge to become savage, and attack my mentor, Guardian Belikov. I found him in his room, and attacked him. He fought back, and restrained me. By the time he'd taken away the necklace that had the compulsion charm in it, I guess a lot of time had passed. We then had to set out to find Lissa – I mean Vasilisa – immediately or we wouldn't be able to find her, even with the bond."

The judge sent me off the stand and then called up Victor.

He didn't even try to deny his crimes or plead guilty. He didn't look angry or outraged as he answered the lawyer's and judge's questions. He sat looking like everything was friends and was just hanging out. I felt uneasy watching him. The judge was exasperated with his responses, and asked, "Can you say everyone made their own choices when you used them to further your own means? Guardian Belikov and Miss Hathaway had no say in what you made them do."

Victor chuckled, looking extremely amused. "Well, that's a matter of opinion. I honestly don't think they minded. But if you have the time after this case, Your Honor, you might want to consider trying a statutory rape case."

I froze, unable to look at anyone else. He'd actually done it. He'd actually outed me and Dimitri.

But everyone was muttering to themselves and giving him extremely disgusted and appalled looks. I realized he was just toying with us – he hadn't truly expected anyone to believe him.

The judge scolded him for getting off track, and most of the trial wrapped up after that. Queen Tatiana met with the other royals to deliver the verdict and determine Victor's fate.

"She can't really set him free," I whispered to Lissa. "There's too much evidence against him."

"But she might want to avoid the scandal of a royal imprisonment," Dimitri pointed out. "It will be one of the most talked about news."

Eventually the Queen and the royals returned to the courtroom. They'd decided to sentence Victor to life in prison, with no bail or parole. His crimes outweighed everything else. He would be taken to another prison – not like the one at Court.

The trial was ended, and the Queen and the royals exited. Victor was led away, but as he left, he had a small knowing smirk o his face, like he knew something we didn't.

I looked up at Dimitri, to see love and relief reflected in his eyes. We were finally safe.

Definitely going to include more events from Shadow Kiss before I finish this fanfic :) Reviews greatly appreciated!