RPOV

We finally were able to put some clothes on. I had opted for something wide and covering for a change. The markings were still very sensitive, although most of the lust-inducing powers were gone, it still felt a little sore and burned. So I opted for the softest material I could find.

When I put them on I was already missing the silk sheets and soft furs that would drape lightly over my body, but although lying in bed all day and sleeping certainly looked appealing, we had to get up and get something to eat and drink. We were strangely dehydrated and ravenous for food to say the least.

I thought back to last night with a smile. I would have to take a bath soon too. Most of the fluids we lost last night, were now sticking to my skin. Some places the surface cracked under the strain of my moving. I even smelled like sex, but second-hand in the morning was not much of a turn on.

But first things first, food and drink. Dimitri had put on a pair of pants, and I saw he was looking around for a comfortable shirt to wear, obviously experiencing the same difficulty with clothing I had.

Good, we share the pleasure, but we also share the pain.

He found a loose fitting one and gently pulled it over his head, wincing a bit when the material touched the marked skin.

I chuckled. "Imagine how I feel. That mark is covering my entire body. Good thing though that you didn't mark my ass, I wouldn't be able to sit for a while."

He laughed a full belly laugh as he walked over to me and smacked me on the bottom.

"I could still leave a mark there if you want," he whispered close to my ear, and I could hear his voice thick with lust again. Dragons truly were amazing. But even they had to eat and replenish.

I rubbed my ass a little. I think he did leave a mark when he smacked me, although I imagine this one would fade soon enough while the other couldn't be erased. I bet it is red now. I rubbed it again but didn't mind the slight sting. Dimitri was laughing; he was making jokes and walking around this place like he owned everything. He was standing tall, and he was all mine. Claiming me seemed to have had a positive effect. Galina be damned. I had my man back, and she was long dust.

I must have been staring at my new mate because looked at me a little confused.

"What are you staring at?"

I walked over to him and gently placed a small kiss on his cheek.

"You. You seem happy. And I am happy you are happy."

He smiled back and pulled me into a hug, being careful not to touch the mark too much. He leaned down and kissed me, a soft gentle but and oh, so intense kiss. It did feel different now that we had claimed each other. Like the connection between us was deeper. When I put my hand on his chest, carefully avoiding my beautiful masterpiece, I could feel his flame inside. It reached out towards me, and my own flames responded my extending as well. It really felt like we were no longer two people, but had merged somewhere and had become one.

I could tell we were both eager to merge not just metaphorically but physically again, and I think we would have gone another round of lovemaking if my stomach hadn't growled so profusely. I couldn't even tell you how many hours or days ago I had eaten last. The claiming had seemed endless as if devoid of time. But reality had caught up with us and reality was I needed to eat and drink.

Dimitri poured us both glasses with water, and I gulped the first down in record time. I saw he was doing the same. I think our desperate thirst didn't dissipate until the third cup, only to be replaced by the need for food. We pigged out on bread and meat and anything else that was available here. Ripping apart meat from bone and fruit from seeds, and sopping up their juices with loaf after loaf of bread. I couldn't decide what tasted better. I wanted to put everything in my mouth at the same time and sometimes did, much to Dimitri's amusement. We ate every last crumb before we could relax.

"I needed that."

Dimitri concurred by nodding his head, his mouth still too full to talk. After he swallowed his last bit of meat, he wiped his mouth and leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach as if to reassure it that it had had enough.

"So what do you want to do today?"

I thought about it, and I was bombarded with images of last night and I could feel myself blush and heat up by even thinking about it. But I was also sore. The mark needed to heal a bit, and honestly, I was thoroughly rug-burned down there. Not that I wouldn't if he would move that delicious body over towards me. Also, I was sticky all over, and I imagined Dimitri was the same.

"A bath. I want to take a long leisurely bath."

Dimitri laughed again knowing exactly why a bath wasn't just a comfort right now, but a necessity.

I was so good to hear him laugh. I really felt we had overcome our hardships. It had been tough, first with him lying to me, then me finding out I am a hybrid, the war and then his capture. We had been through hell together and ended up on the other side. We were stronger for it, and now nobody would tear us apart. We could finally build a life together and be happy.

Dimitri had opened his mouth to say something, but no words were coming out. He switched his attention from me towards something behind me. His happy aura was gone and was replaced by a scowl and a protective stare. He got up immediately and stormed towards my side. He got down in a protective stance and growled at whoever or whatever was behind me.

I got up and saw that our chambers were filled with Dragon guards and they were holding chains. There were at least a dozen of them.

"You need to come with us, now."

One of the Dragon guards stepped forward wearily. I was confused. Why were they asking Dimitri to come with them in chains?

"I am not going anywhere until you tell me what you are doing here." His tone left no debate about what would happen if the guard didn't comply.

"I wasn't talking about you. I meant her. She has to come with us."

All the Dragons eyes were indeed turned to me. I looked at them in shock.

"Me? What did I do?"

I immediately thought maybe they were here to arrest me because of desertion, but I thought Stan and Adrian had taken care of that for us.

I wanted to ask what this was all about, but Dimitri didn't give me the chance. He had moved protectively in front of me, and when one of them tried to move forward to put the chains on me, Dimitri attacked. Before his punch connected with his target, he had transformed into his Dragon form, and the guard was met not with a hand but with a large claw. Now that Dimitri was in his Dragon form the guards were dwarfed in his presence. Stupidly enough they still attacked. And although I am living proof that size doesn't mean everything, here Dimitri showed that it did. Well, size and years if not centuries of training. He threw them around as if they were nothing.

They had forgotten about me for a bit and were now completely focused on Dimitri. I saw guards that had respected him their entire lives fight him. I had no doubt in my mind that Dimitri would dispatch these men. I had no doubt that he would protect me. What I had doubts about was what it would do to Dimitri to hurt these guards. It would weaken his position at court, and I didn't need him to feel guilty about one more thing.

"Stop," I said, but none of them seemed to hear me, the sounds of bones breaking and scales clashing too loud.

"Please stop." A little louder now, hoping Dimitri would respond to my plea. But nothing. So I inhaled and screamed on top of my lungs for them to stop. The battle ceased, and I walked up to Dimitri. He let go of the poor guard he had had his hands on and I snuggled against his chest plate.

"It's okay, I'll go with them, but please stop this. I don't want anyone hurt because of me."

Dimitri looked down at me, and I know he wanted to protest this. He wanted to keep me safe from everything.

"It will be alright. We will sort this out. I am sure this is a misunderstanding. Just get Stan and Adrian and we will figure this out."

He seemed skeptical but realized that maybe a complete annihilation of the guards wasn't in my best interest if we wanted to dispute treason and desertion.

So with a small nod from his giant Dragon head, he agreed and I turned around towards the guards.

"I'll come with you, just please forgive him for being protective of me."

One of the guards looked at me warily and moved forwards very slowly as if I was a cobra and could strike at any moment.

Once he had put on the shackles his whole body relaxed, seemingly relieved he had completed his mission without dying.

The leader of the guards stepped forward.

"Rosemarie Hathaway. I am here to arrest you on the charge of high treason."

Yeah, I expected that.

"You will be trialed for the murder of our beloved Queen Tatiana. Now take her away."

Wait, what? Murder? No. No. No. I abandoned a mission. I saw Tatiana only days ago. Now she was dead? And they think I did it?

But I had no time to protest or get out of the chains, as they were already moving me towards the corridor.

I knew Dimitri had heard the charge and I expected him to attack them again. I looked over at him, trying to convince him not to act. We would figure this out. We would find out what was going on.

I saw him conflicted. He understood my reasons for not wanting him to attack them, but he wasn't going to let me be executed for a murder I hadn't committed either. His gaze shifted and I knew he was about to attack again when a slight brown claw settled on his shoulder. Adrian had come and was stopping Dimitri from attacking them. I couldn't quite make out what he said, but I was grateful. Attacking them now wouldn't do either of us good. I didn't miss the sadness in Adrian's eyes. Although I knew Dimitri's relationship with Tatiana was rocky at best, I knew Adrian had been very close to her. So it was true, she was dead. At least I was grateful Adrian didn't seem to think I had anything to do with it. He had looked at me with pity, not anger.

So I let them take me away, leaving behind my distraught mate.

Me and my big mouth, or in this case mind. I jinxed it. I thought our struggles were over. But I suppose the universe wasn't done with us yet. I was just glad we hadn't waited with the claiming. At least if things went south, I knew I had been with the one person I loved most in this world.

It was the one thought that kept me warm after they locked me in a cell. The cell itself was bare bar a rock, supposedly for sleeping, and a little internal stream that flowed from one end of the cell to the other. On the bright side, it was huge. You were trapped by bars, but the cell was larger than Lissa's chambers and adjoining rooms, probably because it was designed for Dragons and not a humanoid. Of course, the space was the only good thing that came with it. Dragons, for instance, didn't use mattresses or blankets or even a toilet. At least I had mastered my flame, so I could keep myself warm, but it was frustrating to know that even when they weren't trying to degrade a prisoner, they were.

And after spending the last twenty-four hours in jail, I was over it.

Dimitri hadn't visited, but I know Adrian was probably responsible for that and I think he was right to do so. One look at me behind bars and Dimitri would deck all the guards, rip the bars from the mountain with his bare hands and whisk me away while the mountain crumbled in the background. But I must admit not doing anything, simply sitting here and walking around was getting to me, and I had been here only a day. I had no idea how long I would have to be in here, but I was already choosing execution over this, and that wasn't good.

I was pacing around when I heard claws strike against the rock as someone approached me.

Even if it was dark, and he was a black Dragon, I could tell when my father walked in, because the guards kept a good distance between him and them and looked absolutely petrified.

"Hello, little girl."

"Old man," I reciprocated the greeting.

"You really are a magnet for trouble aren't you?"

"So I have been told. But this time I didn't do it. I don't even know exactly what they think I did. They won't tell me anything."

"Our beloved Queen Tatiana was found dead yesterday morning, with a small human sized blade protruding from her chest, a huge burn wound around it. The blacksmith has identified the blade as the one he made for you. And seeing as your signature is kind of the blade combined with fire as the so-called skeleton key, naturally, you are a suspect." I didn't miss the snarkiness when he said, beloved queen.

My blade? I hardly ever let it out of my sight, but then again, I had been a bit busy the last few days. I still had it when I had taught Tasha a lesson, but after that, I hadn't seen it anymore. I tried to remember if it had been in the chambers when they dragged me off in chains, but my mind was coming up blank. Then again, I wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings as they clapped the irons on me.

"Well, I didn't do it. I was…occupied." I couldn't help but blush thinking back about what I was occupied with or more accurately who I was occupied with.

"Unfortunately, your alibi is not reliable."

"What? Why is Dimitri not a reliable alibi? He is called Honorable for Gods' sakes."

Abe chuckled.

"Generally speaking your lover isn't a very good alibi. He could simply be lying to protect you."

I groaned and threw my hands in the air out of frustration.

"Then how am I going to convince them that I am innocent?"

Abe's eyes darkened.

"I don't know, but I know I am not letting you take the fall for this. Even if we can't prove anything, you will never face sentencing."

I believed him. His entire body screamed that he would make it so, even if he would have to move heaven and earth.

"Why hasn't Dimitri come to see me yet?" I knew it was better for him not to right now, but I still wondered.

Abe actually laughed.

"Oh, he tried. It took my personal guard, Christian and Stan to stop him. But we finally decked him long enough to convince him that coming to see you here is not wise. They will suspect him too. He and Tatiana have never seen eye to eye on things, and we need to make sure he isn't dragged into this with you."

I hadn't considered how me being suspect of her murder might implicate Dimitri too, but Dimitri and Tatiana hadn't seen eye to eye on many things. I suppose incriminating Dimitri more would be bad. It was already a miracle they hadn't arrested him too. After all, if I didn't have an alibi from Dimitri, he didn't have an alibi from me. But I suppose they were willing to think the best of their beloved General, while I was nothing but a hybrid and easy to take the fall. I wondered if they were looking very hard to find evidence of my innocence?

"But there has to be something we can do? I mean, I can't just stay here forever." I couldn't help the little bit of panic that leaked into my voice at the prospect of staying here for a long time.

"You won't. There will be a hearing tomorrow. After that we will know more about the evidence against you, and what we need to do about this."

I nodded, wrapping my arms around me, suddenly feeling the cold seeping in.

"And I'll make sure you get a blanket and a mattress. I know humans in our jails are uncommon, but they should treat you decently."

"Thanks, Dad. I would like that."

He put his claw through the bars as far as they allowed and touched me gently on the shoulder.

"It will be alright little girl. I won't let anything happen to you. And I don't think your man will either."

I felt better after Abe left. Somehow he had gotten me a blanket. The guard who had given it to me practically threw it through the bars, fearful I would bite him or something. I wondered if it was because I was suspect for the murder of their Queen, or because I was Abe's daughter?

I also wondered if I wasn't responsible for the fear in their eyes myself. I hadn't missed the skeleton key comments. Although a cool name, I really would have preferred Rose the Protective. It was going around with Dimitri, Christian, and Adrian. And I think I could get Stan sold on it. But I wondered if now my name had been chosen for me for something I hadn't even done. Then again, skeleton key was more a curse word now and didn't adhere to the rules about Dragon nicknaming. So maybe if I could prove myself innocent, Rose the Protective could still live.

I suppose many of you liked the last chapter. I know it was a long time coming. (pun intended) And I hate to break up our happy couple, but I cant make a VA story without killing Tatiana, now can I?

Don't worry all will be well soon, there are only a few chapters left and I always have a happy ending.