"Why are you late?" Lissa demanded.

"I'm sorry. I had a row with Dimitri last night and I guess I just felt drained so I over slept. I'm sorry"

"you should be. Are you aware that anything could have happened in your absence?"

"yes and I'm sorry. Nut really Lissa your in Court. You're heavily guarded, everything's fine."

"Not the right attitude Rose-Marie!" she snapped.

Whoa Rose-Marie. . . .uh-oh

"however your attitude no longer matters because from this moment onwards you are no longer part of the royal guard. In fact after the report I've given Hans about you being so irresponsible I highly doubt you'll ever guard another royal".

"Are you serious?"

"Deadly.". . . . .

"You are dismissed, miss Hathaway."

"You've taken my title?"

"Not officially but in my eyes you are no longer a Guardian - a good one at any leave"

I left. I held my head high despite her words. I would not give her the satisfaction of knowing how much she had hurt me.

I arrived home to find Adrian and, surprisingly, Dimitri. Adrian gave me a cup of hot chocolate and hugged me before leaving muttering something about Jill and not wanting to further annoy Lissa. I let him go. At this moment in time I wanted to be left alone. I temporarily forgot about Dimitri and Mason as I plopped myself down on the couch with my hot chocolate. Some part of me registered that it was Dimitri who had made the hot chocolate as nobody made it just like him. I just sat there. I had no energy, no desire to do anything else - that was until Mason came running in.

"MOMMMMYYYYY"

"Yes hunny?"

"Can I have some cookies before lunch. Daddy said I HAD to ask you first…..Please" he added as an after thought.

"Fire ahead" I replied, I was never overly fussy about him snacking before meal time as he had an appetite to match mine.

Daddy I thought was a much bigger problem than cookies before mealtime and he knew it. Probably why he sent Mason in. he wanted to check up on me, discreetly.

After a few hours Adrian called over with Jill. He wanted to bring Mason with him wherever he was going. I wasn't really paying to much attention to him. I trust Adrian with my life and would let him bring Mason to the moon if he wanted. Mind you if Mason asked Adrian to bring him to the moon he probably would agree.

After they left - which was quickly because they knew I was in no mood to talk. While Jill had not fired me she still felt out of place and eager to leave.

"Roza . . . ." Dimitri sighed.

I ignored him. Not that it stopped him from advancing.

"I'm sorry. What I said last night was wrong. I guess I was just hurt and I wanted you to feel the same. I didn't wake up and feel any different. I was still annoyed but as the day progressed I guess I grew up. I realised that you were right. I wouldn't want you to make a decision you would regret in the future. I was just surprised you said no. I honestly didn't think you would. . . .. . . . . .. . . . . .Roza I'm not trying to make you feel guilty (the tears were rolling down my face), I'm just trying. . . And probably failing. . . . . To explain to you where I'm coming from. I said stuff last night that I don't mean. I love you, I really and truly do and I suppose the thoughts of losing you . .. . Just. . . . I dunno. I was wrong last night and I'm sorry. You're not a slut and I love you.. . . Hey look at me ( he put his fingers under my chin and forced me to look at him) I'm sorry and I can understand why your upset - both at me and Lissa."

"Dimitri please. . . Just go. . . Just leave me alone. This is something I need to process on my own."

"Not a chance Roza. I'm the reason you're in this position. I refuse to leave you to deal with it."

"you didn't cause this Dimitri I did. Now please go."

"pleeeassseeee"

"nope. I did cause this problem. I'm the reason you over slept and I'm also the reason you lost your job."

"I lost my job of my own accord"

"no you didn't. Lissa refuses to have the two of us work together because were a distraction. She kept me because I'm more punctual"

"and your better"

"Roza I thought you, you're just as good as I am . . . You just seem to have a problem with punctuality."

I smiled at this for the first time in hours, not that I was anyway happy.

"I'm serious Roza. I know Lissa's been your best friend for years and everything but she was out of line. . . . .way out of line."

"I know Comrade but in many ways she's right. She is the Queen of the Moroi people, she represents them and all they stand for."

"No she represents the stuck up Royals that think they're superior to everybody else."

"Dimitri that's what society needs - rulers."

"Rulers that respect their people - especially those that die to protect them."

"She respects Dhampirs."

"No she doesn't"

"Why on earth would you say that?"

"Well maybe she respects what they do but she doesn't respect their rights"

"In what way?"

"Stay at home mothers"

"Dimitri be realistic nobody respects bloodwhores"

"My mother is not a bloodworm -"

" - I never said she was, or any of your sisters were, Dimi-"

"You are not a bloodworm!"

"She said I was a bloodworm?"

"No she was disgusted at that you would put your child's needs before hers"

"She's used to being first in my life Dimitri. She's pregnant, I'm sure it's just her hormones. You're only acting like this because my child is your child"

"No I'm not Roza. Lissa's changed far too much for it just to be pregnancy hormones."

"Whatever Dimitri. Whether or not Lissa's hormones are to blame the situation remains the same."

"Which is?"

"I am a single, unemployed mother who has lost her best friends and needs some alone time."

"No Roza, what you need is to move forwards. You've had a good cry. It's time to pull yourself back together and show Lissa just how wrong she was to fire you.