Going back into my room, I found all my clothes and other things that I had left behind…

Stacked in boxes with a stamp saying 'incinerate'. Lissa had saved my stuff, so I still had something to wear tonight to the dinner. My guardian uniform would do well, since I didn't actually intended to be socializing that much. Staying in the corner, tell my story, and then go to bed. That was the plan.

Lissa still didn't get why me and Christian hated this so much, but dressing up was her thing, not ours.

I sat on my bed, tying at my shoes. They were just as uncomfortable as I imagined, and it had never felt better. I looked at myself in the mirror, straightening out my collar with a smile plastered on my face. The uniform, to me, represented me belonging here again. I did belong here again, and I hopefully, I didn't fuck it up again.

But to be honest, it still wasn't my fault, no matter how many ways you look at it. But it was still nice to belong again, to be seen as innocent again.

But after tonight's dinner, I doubted it would last very long.

As soon as everyone saw me, they would be reminded of Victor's little show and look at me, more importantly, him, in disgrace. Maybe if I reminded them that I was a fully pledged Guardian with the uniform, like it had reminded me, things would go smoothly.

I doubted it, but it was worth a short.

I tied my hair behind my head and left my make-up behind.

I breathed out, took one last look at myself, and then left, locking the door behind me.

Dimitri and I decided before that we would stay apart until we were questioned, and if by the slightest, insignificant chance that we weren't questioned tonight, we would wait until we were. Some part of me wanted to be questioned, but then I thought about the accusing faces and disapproving glances…I think not.

I walked down to Lissa's room, knowing from the bond that she was there. It started to work again after I got some well deserved rest. I picked her up there, absorbing her disapproving look as she saw what I was wearing, but shrugged it off and walked with me down to the main hall.

The room was crowded with people, just like I guessed. They all watched me as I said good bye to Lissa so she could socialize while I stood in the back.

"Oh come on, Rose!" she pleaded. "I'm not that bad to hang out with, am I?"

I laughed. "Go and mingle. You can come and talk to me later, okay?"

She nodded and walked off.

I stood with the other guardians, trying to keep myself hidden.

"Rosemarie Hathaway." The microphone echoed through the hall after about a half an hour of standing.

I took a deep breath and then excused myself through the crowd so I was visible from on stage.

It was someone I didn't know, but, like everyone in the court, he knew what was going on.

"Yes?" I asked.

He didn't blink. "I think I speak for everyone here today when I ask for your story. We are all very curious."

"Depends which story you're talking about!" someone shouted from the crowd.

I kept my head held high as I walked up to the stage, sitting on the edge of it so my feet dangled off of it, and took the wireless microphone from the man.

"How's it going?" I asked gently into the microphone, testing it. I cleared my throat. "Okay. You want to know what happened back at the fight. I'll tell you…

"After I was cut free from the pole, I was pushed to the other circle of the fight. People were coming at me from all sides, so I hid, helping the Guardian's where I could. Dimitri alerted me that Victor had run to the back of his army, so I followed him. But before I did, my father, Abe Mazur, pulled me over and whispered the plan into my ear.

"It made sense. We both knew that the court would have to be thinking about Victor instead of me while he was in the trial. He told me to pretend to die in any way possible, of course, so everyone would think I was dead.

"It was luck when there was a perfectly good cliff there. But I just didn't realise how deep it was.

"I jumped off the cliff after Victor held the weapon to my chest. I fell down, trying to stabilize myself on something so I wouldn't die. But no, I hit the ground hard, spread out over sharpish rocks.

"I was immobile for a little while. I passed out, but Abe found me and his men carried me towards a helicopter that was waiting one hundred yards away. We snuck around the bushes, but I couldn't just leave my friends to fight Victor Dashkov alone, especially knowing that I just died.

"So I borrowed one of the fallen warrior's bow and arrow and shot him.

"Then, of course, I went back to Abe's secret little hide-out-y thingy and was patched up. Then I was flown back to the academy for Victor's trial, again.

"I didn't get there in time to greet my friends again before the trial. I heard what Victor was saying and hid out in that little lobby area before I walked in. They needed my help, but I felt that I should have done it.

"Then you know how I got stabbed and everything so there's no need to explain that. " I concluded.

No one spoke for a moment, but slowly, the noise crept up with shocked murmurs.

"Oh, my god," I heard.

"That was so cool!"

"Amazing."

I waited to let people think what they wanted to think, knowing that after this, the question that played on everyone's mind would come up, and I would not let them think what they want to think.

I saw Dimitri out of the corner of my eye, standing to the back of two guys who were looking at me in shock. His smile was enough to encourage me to continue.

"And what about the other situation?" that same person shouted.

"Who is that?" I scanned the crowd.

The person shut up.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, to be honest."

I looked into the crowd, daring the person to ask the question. I sighed.

"So what do you want me to say? I love Dimitri? I do. It's wrong? I don't believe so. That I'll cut it off and no one has to speak of it again? I'm not going to do that."

No one talked.

Dimitri smiled at me as he came to stand beside me.

"There's nothing to say, really," Dimitri told the court, coming up to sit next to me. "I love Rose Hathaway. She's the most beautiful, kind hearted, dedicated…amazing woman there is for me."

I looked down in embarrassment.

He continued. "No one can tell me right now that they haven't been in this sort of situation before. You want something, but you know how everyone will react? I know every single one of you has been through that. It just so happened this was my," he looked to me. "Our, experience."

There was a mixture of murmurs around the crowd.

"We don't care!" Lissa shouted from the crowd, walking up to the front. She sat up with us. She took the microphone from Dimitri. "I'm supporting them."

"I am too!"

Christian walked up to the stage and sat besides Lissa.

"I thought you weren't coming!" she said in shock.

"And miss Rose's famous little speech? I don't think so."

Me and Liss laughed.

"Thanks, Christian." I smiled at him.

He winked at me, hugging Lissa.

I knew everything wasn't going to be fine and dandy, but when my mom walked towards me and Dimitri, her face sketched with disappointment, I tried, unsuccessfully, to keep from crumbling in disgrace under her graze.

"mom." I greeted her.

She shook her head. "Don't do it, Rose. Don't."

"I'm sorry."

She sighed. "I thought I knew you better than that."

Hey!

Okay, so this explains some of what happened with Rose while she died the first time. A summary, she was broken when she jumped off the cliff, but it was all a plan. Abe fixed her up.

Thank you for all the reviews. I always am. I really appreciate it, and it makes me smile to see people say things like 'I thought this was leaked from the actual last sacrifice'. Best review I have gotten yet! Thank you!

Sorry I didn't get the chapter out quicker but I wrote it the first time I really didn't like it, so I cut some out and changed it around a bit.

The Mermaiden update.

I got a lot of great ideas for which town should be in its place. I think that it seems that everyone is leaning towards the town I described, which actually happens to be my hometown in Tassie called Huonville.

I also got a PM asking for a short preview, so I decided that I would post a possible blurb for it (its not official or anything, but it tells about the book)

She's happy

Change sucks.

Assigned to a prince

He doesn't belong

Failed rebellion

Too bad

Death?

No second chance

He meant everything to me, but his love dissolved in water.

So yeah, that's pretty much it so far. Leaves you wondering, huh. Tell me what you think, and trust me, it's better than the blurb. I just don't want to give it away :)

Lauren