Okay Chapter 10 but how does Lissa show her badass side? Read and find out! Revews are much loved and very welcome, you know you want to hit the review button at the bottom of the page!

It was going to take a lot of luck but it was the only plan we had. As soon as Simona told me what to do I was jogging to a garden where the bond told me Lissa was. She was sat on the ground with Christian who was leaning against a tree and she sat between his legs leaning against him. I had a feeling they'd been talking about me and Dimitri. Christian didn't look best pleased but he wasn't raging mad or anything. Kind of relieved actually. I didn't wait to find out the true extent of their feelings. I just interrupted whatever he was saying.

"Liss, I need your help." I was breathing heavier than normal. I sat on the floor in front of her and crossed my legs. She was instantly sat up straight and asking what was wrong.

"I'm not your guardian." I said.

Fear shot through the bond with disbelief and anger. And determination. She was going to change this. Once she'd decided that there was no stopping her. Christian also looked kind of pissed. We didn't always get on and we hated the way we had to share her but he understood that I could help her in ways he couldn't and vice versa.

"What do you need us to do, Rose?" Christian asked with determination set in his features.

"Come with me." I stood up. "Any idea where Eddie is?"

"Probably checking his dispatches." Liss said.

"Okay, we're going to find him. And then I'm calling Alberta."

It didn't take long to find Eddie. He wasn't in his room but his room mate said he had left in a hurry looking for me about ten minutes ago. We hurried to my room and sure enough he was sat on my couch looking white as a ghost and I knew who had taken my place as Lissa's guardian.

"Rose, I – "

"Can it, Eddie. We're going to sort this okay." I said picking up the phone.

"I never even asked to be Lissa's guardian I swear."

"Eddie, Tatiana did this." I spat not looking away from the phone. "We're going to sort this. Who's your partner?"

"Guardian Belikov."

I stopped what I was doing with the phone and dropped it. Guardian Belikov. Dimitri. My badass Russian jailor. Shit. Simona's plan required co-operation from both Lissa's official guardians. I'd been fine with that until now. I was still avoiding him.

"What's wrong, Rose?" Eddie asked.

I still didn't answer.

"They just had a disagreement that's all." Lissa said. "Do you want me to talk to him for you?" she put a hand on my arm bringing me back to reality.

"No, no. I'll find him once I've talked to Alberta." I picked up the phone and dialled again.

"Guardian Petrov." She said her voice instantly comforting me.

"Hey, Alberta. I need some help."

"Rose, what did you do this time?"

Christian and Lissa snickered their super-sensitive hearing picking up the whole conversation. I ignored them, defended, myself and told her what happened, she said she'd, through tightly controlled anger, call the queen. Then I went to find Dimitri.

I had no idea where he would be except maybe at a café. It was almost lunch time and it was a good bet. I asked a few people on the way and they pointed me in the right direction. As soon as I go there I realised where I was and remembered how good the BLT's were. I cursed him for picking this place to eat. My stomach rumbled so I went the counter and ordered food. I only had enough money for a BLT. As if the memories of the place weren't bad enough. I looked round and found Dimitri sitting by the window well away from the secluded corner table. Maybe the memories were almost too much for him too. He was reading another western.

I pulled the chair out loudly surprising him. I took some satisfaction from that – he was never surprised. Maybe he was purposely blocking everything and everyone out. I sat down without asking for invitation. He put his western down and kept his emotions hidden for the most part. It wasn't his guardian mask but he tried to hide them all the same. I saw the tension in the set of his shoulders and lips. He didn't say anything for a while. I took a bite out of my BLT.

"I've missed you." He said and tried to reach my hand.

I pulled it back because I knew that if we went onto that topic I'd break down and cry. Right now Lissa was more important. Dimitri sat back in his chair studying me. Not wanting to appear flustered I ate more of my BLT. We stayed like that until it was all gone. When I finished I looked up at him. The connection flared between us. He could feel it too.

"I need your help." I said. I seemed to be saying that a lot today. "I take it you know who Lissa's guardians are."

"Yes."

"And you know I have to be her guardian."

"Yes."

I took a breath so I kept my temper and didn't snap at him. "We need to change Tatiana's mind. I need your help to do that." When he didn't say anything I said, "It was Simona's idea. She's backing us up."

"You're calmer than I thought you would be."

"I'm using my head that's all. I had a good teacher." The compliment slipped out before I could stop it. I inwardly cursed.

"Roza…"

"Not now, Dimitri." It was the first time I'd said his name out loud since he left and I was surprised at how much it hurt. I looked down so I didn't have to see the pain in his face. "We need to sort this mess out. Meet us in Simona's office tomorrow at ten am."

"Alright."

I abruptly stood up and left.

When I got back to Eddie's room Adrian was in there making himself comfortable on Eddie's bed. Eddie didn't look too happy about it but didn't feel so confident about telling the queen's great-nephew where to shove it. I didn't care what he thought so I told him to get off and put his cigarette out.

"Don't worry, Little Dhampir. Aunt Tatiana will listen to me. I'm her favourite great nephew after all." He said blowing the last lungful of smoke into the air. I moved out of his arm that had come to circle my shoulders and opened a window.

Tatiana didn't look too impressed when she opened the conference room door. She pursed her lips and walked to the head of the table whilst we all bowed. When we sat at the table she said:

"I thought you might try something like this, Miss Hathaway." Her voice was cold and otherwise void of emotion.

"Actually, Your Majesty, this was my idea." Simona said.

"I thought I made myself perfectly clear to you."

"You did." Simona replied just as bluntly as Tatiana had spoken to her but there was an edge to her voice that made clear what she thought of the queen's demands.

"Guardian Hathaway, the respected Guardian Hathaway," Tatiana said, I almost leapt out of my seat but Christian clamped a hand around my wrist just in time to stop me. "Has already spoken to me about this and made her feelings known and I will tell you exactly what I told her. Rosemarie will never be Vasilisa's guardian. She does not deserve the prestige of the honour. She will never be a true guardian in my eyes."

Somehow Lissa beat me in flying up and facing the queen down. Somehow she had managed to move quicker than Dimitri. He went to pull her down but one slight shake of the head from me was all he needed to stop. I might not be in his good books anymore but he still trusted my often warped Rose logic. I looked to Lissa. She was shaking with anger and had flushed cheeks – as flushed as a Moroi's ever got. She'd dressed well for the occasion – black slacks and a blue blouse with a black blazer thrown over the top. Her hair was up in a tight bun with just a few loose strands falling free. The effect was instant. She looked powerful. Ready to rule. She might not be allowed to speak to the queen in the manner she was about to but she also knew that Tatiana wouldn't want to lose the last Dragomir as a political ally so she figured she could speak to her however she wanted.

"You do not know anything about Rose." she growled. Honestly, it was scary. "Don't you ever slight her like that. She's a better person than you give her credit for. You don't know what it is to be a guardian, you never will. Simona said that she's good enough and that should be enough for you. Anyone else in the world would respect that and not dare defy her."

"Vasilisa!"

"I trust her, Tatiana."

Oooh, that was a slap in the face for her. The queen looked taken aback at Lissa's subordination and was, for once, lost for words.

"She has to be my guardian." She said more calmly though there was still an edge to her voice. "We're shadow kissed and I need her here just as much as she needs me. There's nothing you can do about that. Without me she'll go crazy. Without her I'll go crazy. Take your pick. Don't put her as my guardian and we'll both go crazy. Put her as my guardian and we'll both be fine."

She sat down and took a deep breath and caught mine and Christian's eyes. We both gave her as reassuring looks as we could without giving her away. Adrian openly smiled. One look from Eddie sobered him up.

Shit, that was scary, she thought.

Simona began talking next. She spoke calmly, with authority. Tatiana looked on with feigned indifference but I – as did everyone in the room – knew she was listening with interest.

"What the Princess is trying to say is – "

"I heard her quite clearly thank you." The queen retorted. "Does anyone have anything interesting. Rose perhaps."

She looked at me trying to make me feel small. I looked pleasantly back which I think annoyed her more than a scowl of pure hatred would have.

"Nothing that Lissa hasn't said that Kirova wouldn't give me an eternity's worth of detention for."

Adrian chuckled and Dimitri had to stop himself smiling.

"What excellent self control you have."

"All the better to respect you with. Your Majesty."

Dimitri and Simona cut me a glare. Dimitri's almost had me crying. I was surprised at how much of an effect he still had on me. I pulled myself together.

"She's improved greatly, Your Majesty." Dimitri said. "If this was happening just after I took her back to ST. Vladimir's she wouldn't have hesitated in giving you a black eye. Two black eyes. She's realised her mistake and hasn't made it again even though Mr. Dashkov gave her good cause. She's physically more than capable to do that job and Simona conducted her qualifier which she easily passed."

"She still has a lot to answer for."

"Spokane wasn't her fault!" Eddie growled.

Anger burned in his eyes and was evident in the tight clench of his fists. He was sat directly opposite Tatiana at the other head of the rectangular table. So far he had remained perfectly composed but he was still touchy about Spokane. Mason.

"Rose didn't make him go back for her. Mason chose that."

"The last I heard you weren't in a fit state to be sure of anything when Mason was murdered."

"But I was." Christian spoke up. "We, Mia and I, tried to stop him but we were both too weak. Mason's last decision was his and his alone."

"Not good enough."

"On my God this is total bullshit!" I exploded.

I had meant to stay calm throughout this meeting, being rash and insubordinate wasn't going to get me anywhere. I took a breath and contemplated what to say. I wanted her to know how much I had learned and how much I had matured and all the things I regretted. I wanted her to know what Dimitri thought of me and how proud of me he was. I wanted her to understand why Simona and my mom and Alberta thought I was capable of doing this. I wanted Tatiana to understand how wrong she was.

"Would you care to continue, Miss Hathaway?"

"I've changed. I'm a better person, I know what mistakes I've made and won't make then again. All the guardians know I'm good enough and it's them who know what it is to be a guardian. To be quite honest I don't think the royals should have anything to do with the way the guardians operate but I can't do much about that but tell you about it. The decision should lie with them and only them unless the Moroi in question has a serious objection and even then the final decision should be left with the council. The least you could do here is honour Eric Dragomir's wishes. I am her guardian."

"Eloquent." Tatiana mused. "Political. To the point. But no."

Princess Dragomir shot her daggers enough for all of us. There was no way she was backing down. If looks could boil there wouldn't be any trace of the queen left even only after a second of that glare. Heat boiled through it and the already high levels of tension in the room shot up to breaking point and beyond. Everyone looked uncomfortable but we didn't move. I didn't have to look at Lissa to know how she looked. It all came through the bond. She was sitting back in her chair with a strand of hair between her fingers. Her face was mostly serene and clam but her eyes spoke legions. She was angry and wanted nothing more than to punch the queen's lights out, at least, if she knew how. The look was deep and blazing with fire and ferocity. Authority poured out of her demanding respect and the answer she wanted.

I looked over at her and what I saw was beautiful. She was radiating confidence and she knew she had influence. She was going to make the queen give into her demands if it was the last thing she ever did. This was a side of Lissa I'd never really seen before. Sure on the ski trip she'd solved the argument in the underground spa but the power she showed then was nothing, and I mean nothing, compared to this. Back then she was just using logic and people had gravitated towards her because she was the last of her family and spirit's subconscious affect on people. Now people were listening to her because she was strong and acting like she was more than ready to rule. Spirit had nothing to do with this. She wasn't using compulsion. She didn't have to.

I looked over at Tatiana. She wasn't holding up too well under that malevolent gaze, not that she was showing it. She was used to being put under pressure but I seriously doubted that anyone had ever dared to act like this towards her. She gazed coolly back into Lissa's eyes but nothing could distinguish the fire that burned within them.

"Leigh or Rose. The decision is yours." Tatiana caved.

The look didn't leave Lissa's eyes. "Leigh and Rose. And I get to choose my other guardian." She said smoothly. Her voice was smooth like honey but had a menacing undertone that brooked no argument.

"No. I chose your other guardian."

"Leigh, Rose and I chose my other guardian." She repeated. "Or our deal's off."

Tatiana visibly stiffened. Not long before the trials she had struck Lissa a deal already wanting to get on her good side. Liss had made it known that she didn't like the choice of universities available and so Tatiana had struck a deal with her. She made Leigh available but only if she would do things like spend weekends at court and show people around St. Vladimir's and stuff like that. She was making Lissa her protégé, hoping to get her under her thumb.

"Only if they're a seasoned guardian."

Lissa turned her glare off and appeared to shut down. She stood up and made her way over to the door. I seriously hoped she'd judged Tatiana right. The queen didn't move even as Lissa closed the door behind her. She didn't blink and didn't move. But the fight in her eyes was slowly dimming. She looked at Adrian. He merely arched an eyebrow, pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"Get her back in here." Tatiana said.

Eddie, who was closest, to the door opened it. Lissa hadn't gone far, that much I could see but she paused a moment before she came back in. She was excited, so excited she almost pulled me into her head but her face was calm, ready to close the deal. She took her seat without invitation and waited expectantly.

"Who do you want to be your other guardian?"

"Eddie Castile." Lissa said without hesitation.

"Why?"

"What does it matter to you?"

Tatiana took a breath. "Very well."

Then she stood up and left the room without another word.

Everyone fell back into their chairs apart from Adrian who seemed perfectly at ease.

"Well, cousin, I don't think she'll mess with you anymore."

Lissa let out a slow breath. Christian went round to sit with her and gave her a hug. She looked a bit tired and I couldn't blame her – she'd just faced down the queen. I slowly got up and made my way over to her. She let go of Christian and gave me a hug.

"Thanks, Liss." I said sounding way more relieved than I realised I felt.

"Anything for you, Rose."

A messenger popped his head round the door and said that Lissa was late to meet the head master of St. Basil's. As our guardian detail didn't start for the next few days – we still had to collect gear and some other things – Eddie and I didn't have to go with Lissa. We stuck around in the meeting room discussing what had just happened. People filtered out leaving me stuck with Dimitri.

"Thanks." I said without looking at him. I was leaning on the table and he was sat in a chair.

"I didn't say a lot. The Princess did most of the work."

"You came." I stood up and left the room leaving the door open behind me.

So that's Badass Lissa, hoped you liked it. Tell me what you think!

This is my super cool way of sayign Richelle Mead own VA: RICHELLE MEAD OWNS VAMPIRE ACADEMY. I DO NOT but I seriously wish I did!

I'm still working on getting Chapter 6 to exist