After we put down the phone, which took forever as Dimitri was trying to send his love to every person in the whole of Baia, we ran to Lissa's room. I knocked on the door, hoping that she was just chatting or something. Without the bond, she had more privacy, which was good for her, but not so go for me. Thankfully she answered quickly.

"Rose?" she asked. "Dimitri?" Christian was lounging in the plumped up armchair in the corner.

"Bad timing," he muttered, shaking his head. I realised that his hair was a bit ruffled and snickered.

"What's the matter?"

"Well," I began, perching on the edge of the bed, "Dimitri's mother is ill. Desperately ill."

"Oh! How awful! But," she pondered, "didn't you say you met a spirit user over there? Why doesn't she just heal her?"

"She can't. They've already tried."

"She can't? How? Why not? That doesn't make sense!"

"I know, we've been through this. I was wondering whether you would be able to help us."

"Rose, I'm off to college tomorrow. We can't go anywhere, especially not Russia."

"But you're queen," I pleaded, knowing it was my only hope. As her official guardian, if I broke away, I would get sacked. Not good.

"Which is even more reason why I can't go. The community is going to struggle enough with me being in Lehigh, let alone off in Russia."

"Why are you even bothering in college? You're queen. You don't need college. You already have a job, perfectly laid out in front of you with royal trimmings." Not just royal trimmings. Royal everything.

"I want to go to college. It's respectable." I snorted. "Rose, I'm sorry. I just can't do this."

"Please?" We both looked over at Dimitri's tragic face. I hated seeing him like that. It was almost as bad as when he was acting Strigoi. I just wanted to wipe it of his face and tell him everything would be all right, even if it wasn't. "Don't do it for me. Do it for Dimitri. Do it for yourself. There's so much information out there. You could gain new skills and find out why the disease can't be cured and maybe cure it and you could say that you're visiting your subjects and...and" I ran out of words.

"Rose," Christian chipped in, "Why don't Dimitri and I go alone? I don't want to go to college, and it's not like Aunt Tasha can force me anymore." His face turned sad at the mention of Tasha.

"Nice try, fireboy, but which one of you is going to heal her?" I questioned. His face showed that he hadn't really thought of that.

"Well, Lissa, I think you should go. On official queen business. You could say you're exploring, or planning to move the Royal Court."

"I don't want to move the Royal Court! America's great!" she exclaimed.

"No, you can just pretend to. As an excuse." The Court can contact you via phone, webcam and guardians. It'll be fun."

"But we'll have to take all my guardians with us."

"And? It's not private business. They can come." I watched Christian do his magic as his blue eyes turned soft, and I knew Lissa was turning to jelly inside.

"I don't know," she mumbled.

"Please?" We pleaded. Even Dimitri joined in, but he didn't quite go for the dramatic, grovelling on the floor like I did.

"Fine," she sighed.

"Yes!" I cheered.

"But you'd better realise that we can't stay long. The Court won't be very happy with me."

"We'll you've already settled most of the problems. They'll be fine for a few weeks." Christian waved us off and we went back to our room. I put my arms around Dimitri who stiffly returned the favour.

"It's going to be okay," I murmured. "Everything will be fine. Lissa will fix it."

"I hope so," he muttered. "I hope so."

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