Rosemarie Hathaway

People quickly found out about Tasha Ozera killing the queen, Christian was upset and Lissa was usually with him. While I didn't want to leave her with guardians I don't think are as capable as me, we both agreed that Christian seeing me probably won't help him get over the betrayal. Anyways, I was more concerned about the other piece of gossip floating around, that I was cheating on Adrian with Dimitri. That the fight between us was a hoax to keep Adrian from knowing what I was doing, the first way I found out about this was through Eddie. I was visiting Adrian, it was only a day after his mother had found out about us but I was certain that she had already told him. The second Adrian opened the door, he closed it, and faced away from me, he wouldn't look at me, it hurt. "I'm sorry..." I started but Adrian clearly had some pent-up anger when he started ranting, "sorry? SORRY?!" His hand clenched into a fist which he brought down on the window still, there was a loud bang of the window's glass shifting in its frame.

I was thinking of something to soften the blow of "I'm cheating on you and dumping you" but nothing came to mind. His voice cut through my thoughts, "it was my mother that told me, how she saw you together. You could've told me! What it's like, hearing it from someone else..." Adrian took a shaky breath then he turned to face me, "how long... how long was this going on for?" "It was only a week," I whisper and he groaned, I imagine Dimitri cheating on someone else for a week, I would be furious. "Stay away from me," he pushed past me to leave, "I'm sorry" I whisper to nothing, he was gone.

If Dimitri felt guilt, he didn't show it to me. While I love Adrian, over time, the memories won't hurt as much. At least, that's what people tell me.

14 years later

I still remember Adrian, the first few years were the worst. What I had done had constantly haunted my dreams, my regret at what I had done was overwhelming. But I had enough shame to stay away. It had been 14 years, I still can't picture what he is doing now. Despite that, the past 14 years were perfect, no one was specifically Lissa. Dimitri and I visit his family during the holidays, my father and my mother come as well. I still don't understand why his siblings are so wary of Abe. 4 years ago, he proposed to me during Thanksgiving, my father took him outside to give him a talk. It probably had something to do with killing him painfully. Lissa was very busy, she was trying to make non-Royal Moroi more equal. Also, she said something about Dhampirs only having to guard for a few years and then they can decide what they want to do. Lissa had found other Moroi who used spirit, together they were trying to turn Moroi, Dhampirs, and humans who had unwillingly turned back. The hope was that over a few centuries there wouldn't be any Strigoi left or there wouldn't be enough for it to matter. Last of all, willing Moroi were allowed to learn how to fight and even kill Strigoi.

Sometimes I think about when I was a Strigoi, half the time I start remembering little things I had done that I didn't think was important back then. Whether it was killing a human or some random Moroi, the memories came back in nightmares. At first I would wake up crying and screaming, Dimitri would hold me and ask what was wrong. The past years it had become better, less frequent and I blamed myself less. But I can't help but wonder, how did I affect Sam? Where was he now? Who mourned the Moroi and Dhampirs I had killed? The most frequent question, how was Adrian? I haven't seen him since that day, Dimitri agreed with me that Adrian and I should try to forget each other, heal and move on.

Being the Queen of Moroi had many perks, this included 3 very nice houses located very close to court. All of the guardians shared one while Lissa gave the other one to Jill (who turned out to be her father's illegitimate daughter). Lissa and Christian have 2 children. Their children were Rhea and Lucas, after Lissa's mother and Christian's father, apparently naming children after parents is something normally done by Moroi. Dimitri and I can't have children, Lissa said that if we did, there wouldn't be enough Moroi left in the world in just 10 years.

3 knocks on the door, I glance at the clock, it was 10:00 am. Dimitri and I switch off from guarding Lissa at 12:00, he shouldn't be home yet. 3 more persistent knocks rang out, the door shuddered and creaked. The door was like a simple plank of wood, besides the doorknob and knocker there wasn't anything that separated it from the floorboards of this house. "Rose!" That voice, I knew that voice, it was the voice that yelled at me in my dreams... I breathed, "Adrian!"

Adrian was smoking, he wasn't drunk and he looked hesitantly at me, like he wanted to say something but he just didn't know how. I resisted smiling, how was I supposed to react to the man I cheated on? "Rose, I forgive you, I've been trying to find you for the past 8 years to say sorry." "WHAT!?" The word burst out of my mouth before I could register what I was feeling; shock, confusion, and relief. He frowned, "Rose, I just gave you an amazing apology and you answer with..." he flourishes his hands elaborately and takes a deep breath, "WHAT!?" I can't stop laughing, Adrian had really changed, he seemed more responsible now. I collect myself, "I'm sorry, but why did it take you 8 years to find me? And why are you apologizing to me!? I'm the one... I'm the one who cheated on you, remember?" His smile faded a little, "well, I tried to ask around, I mean everyone knew that Lissa inherited houses and that the guardians get one, and obviously it would be near court... so I asked around where you were..." he mumbled sheepishly, I gesture for him to go on. "Apparently only certain Moroi know where you guys specifically live, it's for safety and whatnot. My mother didn't support it so she wouldn't help me, it took... a while." I snorted, "obviously, and why are you apologizing to me?" Adrian was more serious now when he replied, "I should've known, that you really liked Dimitri, and you did give me a chance so I guess I can't say that you didn't. Also, I moved on." We smiled at each other, Eddie told me that he was going out with an alchemist, he's happy, I see that. There's something different in his eyes, the way they sparkle and how he smiles.