RPOV
She looked absolutely regal.
With her royal blue dress and her hair in an elegant up do, she looked every bit the Queen her people believed her to be.
Too bad I was about to ruin all that.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to thank you all for coming." Tatianna started, calling the room to her attention.
"As many of you know, Rosemarie has always been like a daughter to me. After losing her mother at such a young age, I felt it only right that I look after her. That's not to say she made it easy for me." Tatianna winked and the whole room laughed lightly at her joke.
"But Rosemarie was definitely worth the effort, and when I first heard news of her abduction I was simply beside myself. So you can imagine my relief when she was returned to us unharmed. Not only had she been saved, but also a vicious killer had been defeated. So tonight as we gather to celebrate Rose's joyful homecoming, I'd like to also give thanks for this victory over evil."
She raised her champagne glass into the air and others followed.
"To Rosemarie and to Victory." She toasted and the room followed suit.
"To Rosemarie and to Victory!" The room echoed back.
I felt Dimitri's hand tighten around mine and I knew he was thinking what I was thinking.
This bitch has a lot of nerve.
In true Royal fashion, several others ascended the stage to give their heartfelt toasts in my honor. Half of these people I had never even talked to and I waited impatiently for Ivan's father to take his turn.
As head of the Zeklos family and a conservative, he was the last person Tatianna would expect to betray her.
"This is it." Ivan whispered in my ear as his father took his place on the stage. I could tell he was feeling nervous, but an encouraging nod from Ivan's mother gave him strength.
"When my son first told me he'd befriend Rose Mazur, I was skeptical. We've all heard the stories about her being rough around the edge. Unlike most Royals, she's not afraid to push the boundaries. She doesn't fall on the side of convention and she makes up the rules as she goes along. To some this may seem reckless, but I now know this makes her brave. Not many young women her age possess the courage to fight for what they believe in, and in a world that is rapidly changing, I think we could use more people like Rose."
So far so good Zeklos.
"It's just too bad our Queen doesn't share the same opinion."
And there it is.
All around the room I could the confused whispers and when Ivan's father pulled out the tape recorder, I watched Tatianna's eyes widen in fear.
With the recording already cued to the right position, all he had to do was hit play.
"Do you even know what Victor planned to do with me? He wanted to inseminate me with his evil little Strigoi sperm, and you were going to let him!"
I recognized my own voice on the recording and it seemed others did as well. Several heads turned in my direction to look at me curiously.
"No, I was never going to let it get that far!"
After hearing Tatianna's distinct voice, they all turned in her direction.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"You don't understand Rosemarie, what it's like to be queen! There are certain expectations that come along with it and one of those involves protecting our way of life. What you were doing with that Dhamphir boy, it was uncivilized! You are of Royal blood dear and that comes with expectations as well. My health isn't what it used to be and I didn't spend the last 10 years grooming you and Adrian to take over my reign to let you throw it all away over some silly romance. I had to do something; you left me no other choice!"
There were more gasps from the crowd at hearing her and I couldn't help the smug smile that crept across my face.
"How could you do this to me Tatianna? I trusted you! Our whole society trusts you. What do you think will happen when they find out their Queen committed treason?"
"Nothing's going to happen because no one is going to find out. I made sure of that."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means I haven't managed to rule this society for 20 years without knowing how to tie up loose ends. You'll never find the proof you need and if you value your family's life, you'll forget we ever had this conversation!"
When Ivan's father pressed stop on the recording, the only sound that could be heard was the crickets.
For the longest time, no one said a word, but when the shock wore off someone spoke.
"Is that true?" Evette Ozera asked. She was glaring at Tatianna and she wasn't the only one.
"That recording was taken completely out of context!" Tatianna tried defending herself.
"No it wasn't." Adrian spoke up as he made his way over to the stage.
"Adrian dear, what do you think you are doing?" Tatianna asked nervously.
"I'm sorry Auntie, but it's time they know the truth. The only reason we got to Rose in time was because I overheard your conversation. I know about the guards you paid off to aid in Rose's abduction. I know about your plan to lure Dimitri and the others to their death. You set this whole thing in motion and you didn't even care how many innocent lives were lost in the process!" Adrian shouted.
I'd never heard him sound so angry and judging by Tatianna's frightened expression, neither had she.
"My son was on that plane to Spokane." Prince Zeklos glared at the Queen. "Along with the last Dragomir."
The room broke out in another round of hushed whispers.
What Tatianna had done was scandalous enough, but since Lissa was the last of her line, any attempt on her life was inconceivable.
"And Prince Mazur as well."
I looked over at Dimitri who was still gripping my hand tightly, and after a slight nod of the head he let my hand go.
"That's a lot of Royal blood to spill just to further your own agenda." I added as I made my way up to the stage.
All eyes were on me now and I needed to make the most of it.
Stepping onto the stage I went to stand beside Adrian.
"When Adrian first came to me with the truth about my abduction, I couldn't believe it. How could a woman as benevolent as our Queen stoop to such lows and deceive me? Like Tatianna pointed out she was like a mother to me and yet she cast all that history aside to serve her own selfish vision!
Now I won't presume to stand before you and think that everyone agrees with my lifestyle. It's true that I don't fit the Royal mold. But I am a good person with a kind heart. And even in the face of all of life's adversity, I never let my values be compromised.
So I fell in love with a man that society deems inappropriate, is that any reason to kill him? To kill countless other innocents and all in the name of saving some outdated traditions! Is a Dhampirs life really any less valuable than our own? Without them the Strigoi would have picked us off long ago. We need them just as much as they need us and I think it's about time we start recognizing that."
Looking out into the crowd I saw Dimitri smiling at me widely.
"Sometimes you have to take a step back to really see what's right in front of you. Maybe that's what we need to do right now…to find out balance again. At some point we lost sight of what's really important, and that is each other. But the good news is, it's never too late to find our way again. All you have to do is want it."
Looking around the room I could see the indecision in their eyes. It wasn't easy to change a lifetime's worth of thinking in one night, but I knew I had to try. If nothing else it was a start.
"She's right." Evette Ozera spoke up. "I've spent the last 20 years denying my heart, but I won't do it anymore." She glanced across the room at her guardian standing in the doorway and I recognized the look on her face when their eyes met. It was the same look I shared with Dimitri. "Rose Mazur isn't the only one who fell in love with her guardian." She spoke up proudly.
More hushed whispers broke out around the ballroom, but then another Royal stood up as well. It was Bianca Voda, a woman close to my father's age.
"I too support Rosemarie Mazur." She spoke up loudly and beside her I saw a few more Royals stand.
When I saw Ivan stand up next, I just knew this would be good.
"Well…seeing as how I'm in love with a smoking hot guardian." He winked at Sophia. "I suppose I belong on this bandwagon as well!"
Soft chuckles could be heard around the room, but Tatianna quickly interrupted them.
"This is preposterous!" She declared loudly. "And I've heard enough! How dare you come into my home and try to stat a rebellion!" She sneered at me. "Guards, take her away!"
But no one moved.
Tatianna looked around the room, her eyes darting from face to face frantically.
"Well, don't just stand there!" she shouted to one of the guards standing closest to me. "Do something!"
I looked over at the guardian she was screeching at and a slow smile crept onto his face. I recognized him as Han's Croft, the leader of the guardians here at court.
Taking a deliberate step forward, he moved to restrain her.
"Queen Tatianna, you are under arrest for the crime of high treason."
Well Tatianna's been outed. Can Rose get her happy ending now?
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