Sorry it took so long to update! I hope you enjoy! BTW check out my other story, St Vlad's gets IM! It has a fair bit of swearing just to warn you, but it is very funny!
"Wait!" Someone called out from the crowd. Everyone looked towards a moroi who looked like he was in his mid-forties. He had dark brown hair with little bits of grey starting to appear, and he looked like a janitor or a servant by how he was dressed. "Please do not interrupt" the judge called in an attempt to gain order, because right now I think everyone in the room was whispering. It quieted down after a few moments and the same moroi, the one who had called out, pushed his way up to the front. When he finally reached me, I heard the judge sigh. I guess he couldn't be bothered with any more interruptions.
"I am so sorry I didn't speak up earlier" He began, looking me in the eyes. All eyes and ears in the room were on him now, waiting to hear what he had to say. "I didn't want to be involved in this mess, but the Queen, Tatiana, before she died..." He trailed off for a moment, and everything was silent, I guess the Queen's death must have been overlooked at my first hearing. At the mention of her name then, the whole room would be in chaos. "Well, I was hired by the Queen, and she asked me to keep a close eye on you, so I would be in your building every night making sure you didn't try to leave. There was also someone on the other side of the building, making sure you didn't try to get out the window. Neither of us saw you that night, the night of the murder. We saw you enter the room, and Lord Ivashkov, but we never saw you leave" He explained. I felt my mouth open, and I was about to start yelling, asking why he didn't speak up sooner, but my protests were put on hold when the judge spoke again.
"Are you sure of this, sir?" the judge asked. The guy nodded "My name is Jeffrey, Jeffrey Didac" He told the judge. "Well, if that is true, who was the other, uh, one hired by the Queen?" The judge asked. "He didn't want me to tell you his name, he wants no part in this" Jeffrey explained. The judge just nodded his head. "She has an alibi, but the vote is still going to be held, just in case you are lying. If you believe Miss Hathaway isn't responsible, you better hope you have convinced some of the council" The judge gestured to the council, which Lissa was sitting at, smiling at me weakly.
Jeffrey walked back to his seat, pushing through the crowd and causing a lot of whispering. I didn't feel happy that I had an alibi, I was angry that the Queen set up people to spy on me. I kept telling myself to calm down, because when they put me in my cell, they took away my jewellery. My charms were somewhere and the darkness was getting to me. I just needed to stay calm, and wait to see what happens with this vote. Lissa was sending me soothing messages through the bond which helped a little, but just one person couldn't get me out of this mess. I needed at least seven people to vote I was innocent before I got out of this mess.
When the judge spoke, I felt adrenaline rush through my body. This was a matter of life and death, this would decide my fate, would I die, or would they let me go unharmed? "The Royal Council will now vote either for, or against Miss Rosemarie Hathaway. We have hard evidence, which is: Miss Hathaway's stake was the one that the Queen was murdered with, and Miss Hathaway's fingerprints were found on it. The evidence against Miss Hathaway being the murderer, are the fact that she has an alibi. She was with Lord Adrian Ivashkov just after the Queen had been murdered, and was allegedly being 'spied on' by two moroi hired by the Queen herself" The judge explained. "We will now hold our vote" He called out to the audience.
Everyone in the council picked up a pen and wrote on a piece of paper, and as they did, I closed my eyes.
This could be a dream, or a nightmare. I opened my eyes just as the votes were being collected. I looked into the crowd, and let my eyes linger on Dimitri's. We could be together after this, after all this was finished, we could be together dead or alive. He was shadow-kissed, and if I died young, he would be able to see me more clearly. We could be together, but not for as long as we could if I survived this. Dimitri believed I could, so I did too. I looked at Tasha and forced a smile. Tasha had been great to me, and so had Christian. I looked at him and gave him a nod. Then there was Adrian, he would be torn if I was executed. I looked back at Dimitri as the judge read out the verdict.
My life flashed before my eyes, I remembered Lissa and I when we first met in pre-school, then I remembered the accident and what happened afterwards. I remembered everything with Miss Karp, the partying, the bond, Lissa and I running away. Then I remembered the night when Dimitri came to get us. I remembered my training with Dimitri and falling in love with my mentor. Mia, Lissa and Christian, Victor and Natalie. Spokane, Mason, Adrian and the ski resort. The mana, Jessie and Ralf. Dimitri and the cabin. The rescue mission, losing Dimitri, leaving the school to find him and get him out of his state. Meeting Mark, Oksana, Olena, Viktoria, Karolina, Sonya, Yeva, Paul and Zoya. Finding Dimitri and almost killing him, the trials, breaking Victor out and meeting Robert. Finding Dimitri, or him finding us, and Lissa bringing him back to his original state. The Queen's murder, and me being framed, up until now.
"The results of the royal councils vote will now be read out" The judge called out. "Ozera, Tarus, Ivashkov, Badica, Conta and Dragomir voted Miss Hathaway innocent that means Dashkov, Drozdov, Szelsky, Zeklos, Lazar and Voda voted Miss Hathaway guilty. This mean we have a hung vote, which the strongest royal family can swing. At the moment, the Dragomir blood is crucial, so Miss Dragomir may swing the vote her way, which is that Miss Hathaway is innocent" He explained. I felt a smile creep across my face, I was getting out of this mess alive. "Miss Hathaway has been found innocent, we will be having further investigation on this case but for now, we will allow Miss Hathaway her freedom. Her room will be under surveillance and she will not be allowed out of her room alone" The judge explained. Lissa was excited that they were finally letting me go, and relieved that they allowed her to swing the vote. It felt like it had all ended so quickly when the guardians took me back to my room.
Lissa had to stay back with the Royal Council, but Dimitri was allowed to come with me. Apparently, while we were gone, everyone started to believe that he was a dhampir again, so they have allowed him to come alone, rather than with an army of guardians. When we got back to my room, Dimitri and I walked in and I locked the door. I ran over to Dimitri and kissed him deep, but soft. Our kiss went on forever until he finally broke off and whispered in my ear "I love you Roza".