Drabble:35
POV:Third Person
Lissa had gone through the day of her coronation without fumbling. She'd been stressed, but she had already accepted her fate as the leader of the Moroi society. She was a Dragomir, undaunted by the overbearing royals. Lissa was looking forward to commencing her duties….during the day.
At night, after the ceremony and revelry was done, when Rose and Dimitri escorted her to her sleeping quarters, she was still upbeat, albeit being exhausted. Only after Rose had left, after giving a ridiculous bow, and Lissa had changed for the night, did she feel the first sign of uneasiness.
Remembering what had occurred just weeks ago in the Royal chamber- Christian's aunt Tasha murdering Adrian's great-aunt Tatiana- made her feel edgy. Everywhere she looked, she seemed to see blood, on the sheer curtains, on the ivory walls, on the plush Persian rug…everywhere. And then, her eyes fell on the bed, the bed where Tatiana had gone to sleep, oblivious to her fate; the bed where Natasha Ozera had snuck up on an unsuspecting, defenseless woman and murdered her; the bed where the dead monarch had slept for about 2 decades…the bed that was now Lissa's to sleep in. Lissa couldn't help but visualize the dreadful scene panning out in front of her, over and over again. And it made her feel nauseous. The fragrance of the Chanel perfume that Tatiana used to wear still wafted in the air. It didn't help either. And for the first time since her coronation, Lissa felt afraid, vulnerable and inadequate. The walls of the room seemed to be closing in and Lissa began to hyperventilate-she wanted to, no needed to, get out of the accursed room.
Accompanied by the two guardians posted outside her bedroom, she padded down to Dimitri's apartment, where Rose was staying over. She would be safe with the duo, and so could dismiss her escorts; also, she didn't want to go to Christian, not in this situation. Dimitri good-naturedly listened to Lissa explain her predicament before dismissing the guards. He led her into the cluttered den of the apartment, and made her tea, while Rose stroked her hair and listened to her vent. After calming Lissa down (and having a hushed conversation with Dimitri), Rose took Lissa to the bedroom. The room was sparsely furnished, and the bed was made with a simple linen cover (undoubtedly what Dimitri had been doing while the girls talked). After apologizing to Dimitri (who'd be sleeping on the couch) for the very unconventional inconvenience, Lissa got into bed. Rose also climbed in and hummed a lullaby that Rhea used to sing to Lissa. Feeling safe and comfortable, Lissa drifted off to sleep.
Her bed back at the Royal chamber might have been made of the best quality mahogany, and furnished with the most luxurious mattresses and pillows, but it didn't have the comfort and safety that the hard bed in Dimitri's apartment offered. This bed hadn't seen murder, this room wasn't haunted by the smell of blood, in fact it smelled of citrus air-freshener, and here Lissa wasn't surrounded by the guardians who'd be watching her sleep. Here, she was surrounded by friends who felt more like family. This was a place where she could be just Lissa, only if for a night.
Guys, I'm so so sorry for not updating before today. My terms start in a week, and I'm swamped by assignments! Having said that, thank you for sticking around. I hope you enjoy this, and don't forget to review! Cheers!