Chapter Seven: Believer
Dimitri
"What are we going to do?" Christian mused as he paced back and forth behind me while running his hands through his jet black hair. "We can't leave Lissa… and the Princess unprotected."
"I agree," I said adjusting the collar of my duster. I had only brought two for the trip. Though dusters were my favorite, inspired by my love of Western novels, they took a lot of space in my suitcase. I gave my other to Rose the previous day, so I was down to my last. I didn't regret giving it to her. I hoped it brought her comfort and made her think of me, though I shouldn't want her to think of me. Things were getting more and more complicated. In the mirror, I saw there were bags forming under my eyes as I had been unable to sleep worried about Rose's safety, her impending marriage to Lord Ivashkov, and how best to deal with my superiors.
Christian was right. We couldn't leave Rose unprotected. She was the future of Turkey, and by what we had seen, she would make a good Queen one day. She was willing to sacrifice so much for duty, and she was kind. I believed it was in the best interests of Russia, and the world, to help Rose ascend the throne, and that was what I planned on telling the czar and Arthur. I hoped my excuse was good enough for them. I hadn't made an attempt at communicating with either of them until I was able to speak with Christian considering my plan would put his life on the line as well. I hadn't been able to find him after making sure Rose was fine. Though I was worried he'd get himself into trouble, I trusted him enough to be safe besides I needed time to come to terms with the sudden changes.
Something was different between Rose and me. Was she aware of my feelings? Doubtful. The Princess wouldn't think twice of someone like me not when she had Lord Ivashkov as her betrothed. But last night speaking to her it felt like slowly she was building a brick wall around her. I knew I had helped her build that wall by acting so harshly practically begging her to end her engagement with Adrian. I had been out of line, but the thought of her married to someone she didn't love made my skin crawl and my blood to boil. I was past the excuses to myself. I had to admit my growing feelings for her. Maybe by doing so, I could move on. I could accept the truth which stared me in the face, mocking me: Rose and I were never meant to be. We were from far too different worlds even though sometimes it felt like I had known her all my life. When I saw her cheek redden by an angry palm, I was sure I would lose control and rip the person who dared touch her to shreds. My very being screamed to protect her at the cost of losing that control I meticulously built over the years. She was everything; however, I was nothing. Even if nothing romantically could happen between us, I was sad to see our friendship quickly deteriorate before it had a chance to flourish, but it was for the best. Severing all ties with Rose would make leaving easier. I knew I would have to leave one day.
Despite my past failures, I knew this time I wasn't going to fail. I would succeed in keeping Rose safe, and once she was Queen, I would leave. There was no place for me in her life. If the czar sanctioned my mission to help the Turkish monarchy, he would require me to return upon completion. If he denied my request, I would stay regardless, and I would become enemy number one for all of Russia. Remaining by Rose's side would only put her once again in danger for harboring a traitor. Either way, one day I would have to leave Rose behind, and the thought of that put a knot in my throat as if choking me to death might be easier than leaving her.
"We also can't hide this from the czar and Arthur!" Christian interrupted my morbid thoughts. "If we keep this to ourselves, the czar will hear of it eventually and call us traitors. We wouldn't be able to return home…"
I turned to face Christian hearing him spiral closer into panic and fear. "Christian, calm down," I said putting my hand on his shoulder and stopping his incessant pacing. He turned to look me in the eye. "I promise we will get out of this one. I will get you home, and we will complete our mission. Do you believe me?"
"Of course." Christian sighed and sat on my bed as relief washed over him. "I forgot I was talking to a badass."
I said nothing at his vote of confidence. My past failure reared its ugly head as if to remind me I was no badass. I was no God as some called me. I was simply human. One wrong move and I could end Christian's young life. At that moment, I saw Christian's bright blue eyes filled with hope and faith in me dead and unseeing. In my mind, I held his limp body and my hands covered in his blood. Then, it wasn't just Christian. It was Ivan. Rose.
Her back was to me. The once beautiful white gown was torn and covered in blood. My heart threatened to erupt in my chest at the thought of the blood being hers. As if in slow motion, she turned her head towards me. Her long hair fluttering in the wind obscuring her face, and the sun rising behind her wouldn't let me see her eyes. I moved forward anxious to see for myself that she was fine. She was safe. I would protect her. As I got closer, she held up her hand motioning me to stop, so I did. My Queen's will was my command.
"Don't do it," I begged her as she turned her body completely to face me.
"I must," she replied broken with her eyes glistening with unshed tears. My Queen was brave to the end. "It is the only way." Then she was gone.
"No!" I shouted falling to my knees with a head-splitting pain erupting from my eyes all the way to the back of my skull. I had never experienced such pain, and I had certainly never had my 'dream' while awake. I gritted my teeth as the pain slowly subsided, and I could finally open my eyes without the light coming through the window blinding me. I saw my room, and Christian kneeling next to me his eyes filled with worry. "What the hell was that?"
"That's what I'd like to know," Christian frowned and helped me up, but I shrugged him off. I was trying to reassure him I was strong a minute ago. The next thing I knew, I was falling apart in front of him. Seeing his commanding officer like this would do nothing to calm his nerves. "Your eyes…" He shook his head as if whatever he was going to say was too unbelievable to say out loud. "You just looked like you were far away."
"I was." I sat on the bed. "I'm not sure where or when I went, but I… I can't explain. I saw something that will happen or already did. It's all confusing. I have never had this vision, if that's what it is, while awake."
"Yeva," Christian pursed his lips. "You need to speak to her."
"I already did," my head throbbed a little as I tried to recall what I saw. It was like trying to catch smoke with my hand. "All she said was that I must follow my heart."
"She knows about your visions?"
"Not really," I sighed. "This isn't important. I can't dwell on dreams, nightmares, visions, or whatever the hell these are. We have to focus on Rose, her family, and Lissa. I will send a message to Arthur. I think we should run the recent events by him before we talk to the czar. Arthur will know what to do."
With part of a plan in motion, Christian and I set out to the dining hall to meet with our hosts for breakfast.
"I still think you should talk to Yeva again," Christian said once more as we neared our destination. "You might be a witch."
I pulled him aside by the collar and held him up against a pillar. "Shut up. Don't ever say things like that out loud especially here. No. I'm not… that. Men in my family don't carry the gene only females. And the magic doesn't manifest in all of them. It's dangerous to speak of this in such hostile territory. The King hears a word about my background, and he won't allow me to stay close to Rose."
"I know," he looked terrified with wide eyes and seemed to stop breathing as if careful not to anger me further. "I'm sorry."
"No," I released him and stepped back. "I'm sorry. I'm on edge with everything going on."
"I understand," Christian nodded. "We'll get through this one way or another. I have no family in Russia. Tasha is in Budapest, so I'm okay with disobeying the czar. I'd do anything for Lissa."
I frowned as his determination showed on his face making him look older than eighteen years. "Where were you last night?" I asked him already knowing the answer.
At least he had the decency to blush as he slowly dropped his gaze and his lips parted in a small smile. "I won't lie. I was with Lissa. She needed me."
Christian proceeded to tell me what he witnessed after they returned from our failed outing in Istanbul. He told me about the Queen and Rose having a fight in front of everyone starting with the Queen slapping Rose. I found my hands trembling once again like they did that night before I beat up my father. I didn't want to hurt the Queen. I would never lay a hand on a woman, but I certainly wanted to punch something. A wall would do the trick. But I wasn't like that. I couldn't be. I knew how easy it could be for my violent nature to escalate, so I took a deep breath and focused instead on Rose. I had to stay calm and collected for her. She had handled the argument with her mother brilliantly, and I felt pride swelling in my chest followed by sadness that she even had to fight these kinds of battles.
"I had no idea how bad things were," I whispered. "I didn't think their rule was so fragile. Most of all, I didn't think there was so much pressure on Rose already. Her father just took the throne, and everyone, including me, is under the impression that she will be Queen not too long after."
"How are we going to help them?" Christian wondered looking ready to jump into battle if I said so.
"For now, we listen and we stay close to the Princess. The King wants us to protect her, so we will." I turned to Christian, and I hated myself for what I was about to say next. "Which means, Rose is the priority. We're here to do a job, and if it comes down to it, you must give your life for Rose, not Lissa."
Christian looked down and said nothing. I almost asked him to give me his word he would follow my command, but I thought better of it. Better not to push him too hard. I knew that when the time came, he'd do the right thing. We resumed our walking knowing we were late by now. The… vision or whatever it was took too much time apparently. As we entered the dining hall, we found Rose and Lissa already there sitting having breakfast. Rose looked different than she had that morning. She had looked like a child with wide eyes learning the moves I taught her. And as she learned them, she looked more like a woman with her lips pursed and eyes filled with determination to be as good as she could be. To be as strong as she could. I was so proud of her, and I wanted to tell her then and there, but the wall she was building gained height as she suspected who I was. Rose wasn't stupid. I was for thinking I could fool her with my half ass answers about how I managed to convince her parents to let me teach her. Or how I knew so much about fighting. She knew I was no ambassador, but she didn't accuse me. She was going to cunningly peel away at my façade until I was left bare, and she would hate me for lying when she had been nothing but honest and kind towards me.
That morning after training with me, she had looked so detached as she bid me farewell. Now, she was smiling with Lissa and whispering to each other all the secrets I wanted to know. Upon our arrival though, she looked up and her smile slowly faded. My heart clenched in my chest at the pain of losing her though I never had her to begin with. Rose nodded in our direction as we bowed to her and greeted them good morning. Disinterested in pleasantries, Rose picked at her breakfast and whispered something to Lissa, who sheepishly got up picking up a package neatly wrapped in a wine colored paper and a golden bow on top from the empty chair next to her.
"Her Highness would like to thank you for this," Lissa pushed the wrapped item towards me. "She would like to convey her deep gratitude for helping us yesterday, and should you desire anything in the future, she will be delighted to grant it for you no matter what you ask of her."
I frowned as I opened the package to find the duster I had given her at the Parliament Building because she had been shivering. "I gave this to you," I said turning to Rose. I didn't need Lissa to be our messenger pigeon like in the old days. "I hoped you would keep it as a token of our friendship."
"I don't need a token," Rose avoided my eyes simply picking up her cup and sipping on the hot liquid.
"Very well," I cleared my throat and bowed once more. "Your Highness."
"Please join us for breakfast," Lissa said shattering the awkward moment and motioned to the empty chairs in front of us. "The King and Queen will be here shortly."
"Thank you," Christian said for me as he moved forward to sit across from Lissa.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from Rose and how nonchalant she was acting. Did she mean she didn't need my friendship when she said she didn't need a token? Was it truly over then? Would I be treated as a stranger despite her charming words of gratitude, which she didn't deliver herself? I sighed and took my seat across from Rose being the only other place set not counting the King's and Queen's. Servants came out with plates for Christian and me consisting of white toast accompanied with honey and a side of olives. On a platter were some sliced tomatoes and different kinds of cheese. When I saw the servant pour hot liquid in my cup, I was praying for coffee until I realized it was tea. This was going to be a long morning.
Breakfast was quiet even Christian and Lissa kept to themselves. They could tell there was trouble between Rose and me, and their loyalty to each of us was winning over whatever was happening between them. I had never seen Christian like this before. He was ready to throw away his career, his freedom, and even his life for Lissa. It would be concerning if I didn't feel the same way about the Princess sitting in front of me pretending I didn't exist anymore. She chewed carefully and quietly on her food and mostly kept her eyes trained above my head. As for me, I barely touched the food. It wasn't just distraught that Rose was treating me this way, but something about her was giving me a strong sense of déjà vu. I couldn't quite place my finger on that feeling of familiarity, and it was driving me insane.
"See something you like?" Rose interrupted with a grin threatening to erupt from her lips. Her chest heaved with the shallow breaths she was taking. Perhaps excited to have caught me staring at her like this? No. She was simply nervous. I wasn't unaware of her innocence. She knew nothing of men or love only what she dreamt of. She couldn't know what I felt. In fact, she had told me she didn't know what her heart wanted.
"I was admiring your dress, Your Highness," I tore my eyes away and picked at the olives in front of me. "It's stunning very much like you."
"Thank you," she said politely and returned to her breakfast as if regretting speaking directly to me again. I could have kicked myself for saying those words out loud. I was pushing her further away with every inappropriate comment.
"How are you enjoying your stay?" Lissa said unable to take the silence except for the clanking of silverware. "Despite how short our trip was yesterday, are you enjoying Istanbul?"
"Of course," I responded sincerely. "The Royal Family has been very gracious as have you, Lady Lissa."
"I'm glad to hear that," Lissa smiled, and I noticed her glance nervously at Rose before continuing. "It will be so sad when you leave. We don't often get visitors who are so interesting and amiable."
"We often don't go to places as nice as this," Christian chipped in. "Often we don't get beds…"
I turned to sharply glare at him, and he fell immediately silent. Rose looked up interested in his words, and I suddenly realized too late where the conversation was going. Just as I had predicted, Rose was too clever to be fooled by my half-assed answers or my cover of being an ambassador. I blew my cover on the first day by fighting her guards. I was the reason she was building her wall. She no longer trusted me. With every minute of my stay, I showed her more of me than I was aware. In my defense, she totally and absolutely disarmed me. I couldn't hide anything from her it seemed just like Christian couldn't hide anything from Lissa. Clever girls using their charms against us. We were pawns in their game.
"What a silly thing to say," Rose chuckled and turned to finally look at me. "You don't get beds? What kind of countries do you frequent, Mr. Belikov?"
"Countries that aren't as wealthy as yours, Your Highness. They aren't as successful in their economy." I wasn't technically lying. There were places that were worse than hers. Christian and I had seen them in our military career.
"You mean lucky," Rose bit around an olive and frowned. "That's not the right word. Luck had nothing to do with us getting control of the Black Sea. It was my father's ruthlessness in battle and my grandfather's negotiation skills. Sometimes I wonder if it is time for the Mazur rule to fade and give other people the chance."
"Do you think other people would be as good as your family?" Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Christian and Lissa relax now that the awkwardness was forgotten and Rose was speaking to me. But how long until she realized she was supposed to pretend I didn't exist? "How many people do you currently know will be good at leading your country better than your father and even you?"
"Better than me?" Rose scoffed. "I could give you a list of at least twenty people more equipped to rule. As for my father, none. As a man, there was more pressure and more expectation on him. I know ever since he could walk, talk and write, he was busy learning how to be King. He knows the job better than anyone."
"While you were given a little more freedom to be a person. You're more grounded than your father but he has the wisdom. The world is changing and you know it better than anyone in your position. With your father showing you the ropes and your qualities, don't you think you'll be better at this than say Adrian Ivashkov?" I saw Rose flinch a little at the mention of Adrian's name probably reminded that Adrian, as her husband, would rule along with her.
"I think…" Rose paused and sighed. "This conversation is pointless. Whether I'm fit or not to rule, I will. I…" She frowned. "How did we even end up talking about me?"
I chuckled. "I'm not entirely sure, Your Highness, but I'm happy to talk about whatever pleases you."
"What kind of countries have you been to?" She asked without a second invitation to steer the conversation wherever she wanted.
"Too many to recall every single one, I'm afraid," I regretted this conversation already. I almost preferred she would go back to ignoring me. I didn't want to lie to her, but I couldn't tell her the truth either.
"I see," she pushed her plate away signaling the servants she was finished with her breakfast and with me. She stood up and smoothed the skirt of her laced, dark blue dress. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. I have to meet my father for my lessons."
"Funny," I stood up too. "I'm meeting your father too."
Rose didn't look too happy when Christian and I followed them out to meet with the King. She must have thought she could get away from me. If she only knew she wasn't getting rid of me any time soon. At nine sharp, the King met us in the foyer ready to start the day. The King wore a dark blue suit seeming to coordinate with the Princess' outfit.
"Good morning, everyone," he greeted us as he buttoned up his jacket. Pavel was close on his heels wearing the symbolic red uniform of the royal guard just like Mason, Eddie, and Grant.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," Rose curtsied. "Why are we meeting here and not the library for my lessons?"
"Because we are taking a little trip." The King said simply nodding towards Pavel, who bowed before heading outside. "Today, you will attend a Parliament session with me. The Queen is indisposed."
"Is Mother ill?" Rose asked worriedly.
"No," The King reassured his daughter with a small smile. "She needs to rest and has no patience for the Council today. So we thought this would be a good lesson for you."
I could see the apprehension in her eyes, and she seemed to swallow hard. She was afraid of going out there so soon after the attack of the day before. She probably also felt unfit to attend a parliament meeting. Speaking of how she felt unfit to rule at breakfast wasn't the first time she expressed her concerns at being the wrong person for her position. For a brief second, her eyes met mine and though I was worried, I hoped she saw my faith in her. I hoped she saw that despite how things were between us, I believed in her wholeheartedly, and she was strong to face the world. I hoped that my words that morning had given her a little bit of confidence she already had she just needed to use it. Quickly, she looked away from me, but she seemed to stand taller as she faced her father again.
"Of course," she curtsied to her father once again. "I should change. I wasn't expecting to go out so…"
"Nonsense," the King waved his hand in the air. "Your mother arranged your outfit. She thought it would be good for us to look like a team." He winked at her then turned to me. "Will you join us, Mr. Belikov?"
"I would be honored," I bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"What?" Rose looked alarmed at her father. "Why is he going?"
"Do not be rude," the King chastised gently. "Mr. Belikov should have the opportunity to see how we rule around here. I would like to hear his input as well."
"You're listening to advise from a foreigner?" Rose blurted out sounding a little like what Adrian said to me when I ran into him yesterday. This time, I took no offense. The Princess simply wanted to be away from me. I couldn't bring myself to blame her or hate her for it. She didn't know who I was, so I could understand her mistrust. She should have treated me this way from the beginning. She didn't know I was yet another guard who wouldn't let her out of his sight.
"Rosemarie, as Queen, you will have many people advising you, and you must listen to all of them even if you do not follow their advice. More importantly, you will need good people to tell you when you are being a fool and running your country to the ground. It matters not whom it comes from." The King explained patiently as Rose looked at the ground as if embarrassed. I knew the King speaking on my behalf wouldn't help my already volatile friendship with her.
"As you wish," the Princess said sheepishly. "I apologize if I offended you, Mr. Belikov."
"No need to apologize, Your Highness," I bowed to her. "I understand your mistrust since you hardly know me. Very wise of you, Princess, to stay alert."
"Should I or should I not trust you?" Rose shook her head. "I'm getting mixed signals from you, Mr. Belikov."
The King cleared his throat before I could respond graciously saving me from a conversation that could quickly turn inappropriate. "We are all friends here." The King said motioning towards the door. "We can continue getting to know each other in the car."
Turned out we were going to get to know each other. In the car leading the way was Mason and Eddie with two more guards. Our car was in the middle with Pavel, the King, Rose and me while behind us was Lissa, Christian, Grant and the guard we met at the gate upon our arrival, Spiridon, in the last car. Pavel drove while I sat in the passenger seat with the King and Princess in the back.
"How is Mr. Alto doing these days?" The King asked, and I could hear the smug smirk on his face as he asked about a person I hardly knew.
"He is doing well," I responded vaguely. "Very busy."
"Is that so?" The King frowned. "I thought you would take some of his load?"
Was he trying to blow my cover? No. He was simply having a good time teasing me with our secret in front of Rose. "You know Mr. Alto, he doesn't quite know when to slow down or give it a rest."
The King chuckled. "I suppose you are right." He didn't say any more about my 'mentor' as he caught onto the meaning behind my response. "Speaking of mentors, how did your training session go today, Rosemarie?"
"Pardon?" Rose turned to her father clearly lost.
"Rose," her father shook his head amused. "I hope you leave your dream world behind. This Parliament session is important, and you will need to listen."
"I know," she sighed and looked away to the trees blurring past us. "I was just thinking about the day I would have to do this on my own."
"That will not be for a very long time," the King reminded her gently. "I know I said last night I would need to pass the crown since I am getting old, but I would not dare leave you so soon to deal with the vultures and a country in pieces. I will try my best to leave a stable country for you, Rose. Besides, I plan to be around for a long time to give you advice should you ever need it. You will never be alone, my precious. You will always have your family and friends."
"I know," she smiled sheepishly and rubbed her hands against the fabric or her skirt. "I am nervous. Ignore me."
"Never," he took her hand and held it tightly as we neared the city. "I hear you, Rose. I know growing up with us as your parents has not been easy, but I want you to know we do hear you, and we do see you. You are growing up to be an outstanding young woman. Very clever. We are proud of you."
"Thanks," she squeezed his hand and turned to meet my eyes before looking away quickly. "So, if you do hear me… And I'm appearing in front of Parliament, is there any way we can get rid of this 'married before ruling' law?"
The King frowned. "Why would we get rid of it?"
"It's outdated, Your Majesty," she licked her lips before continuing. "I know I said Adrian would be good for me and the country, but I just… I guess it's not fair to force us into marrying for anything other than love."
"Love comes second to duty, my child." The King sighed. "I wish I could get rid of the law, but if you think about it, the law makes sense. You lead by example. You lead with the promise of a future. If you do not marry, what is stopping your people from leading sinful lives jumping from one partner to another? How can you rule your subjects without promising them an heir or heiress? Who will continue to guide them when you are long gone? This law is about ensuring the Mazur legacy. Otherwise, the Ivashkovs would have taken over by now. They reproduce like rabbits."
"So you are saying I'm only an incubator?" Rose pulled her hand away and looked out the window. "Forget it."
"Rosemarie," The King groaned and rubbed his face. "I have too much to think about right now. We can discuss this at another time but please do not bring this up in Parliament. Do not get these vultures started on how we are no longer fit to rule Turkey. I am very close to sending them all to be executed."
"I understand," Rose said defeated.
"Almost there, Your Majesty," Pavel announced after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence in which I felt guilty for putting the idea of talking to her father about the marriage rule in Rose's head. She had been right. King Abe wasn't going to change a centuries-old law, and now she was probably feeling worst. When would I learn to just shut up?
"Am I supposed to just watch and not talk?" Rose asked sitting up straighter.
"Speak if you are spoken to. For now, I want you to observe and afterward tell me who you would listen to if you were me. This is your chance to see who will be on your side." The King answered as we neared the Parliament Building.
A crowd was gathering outside seeing the cars with the Royal Flag fluttering about. He didn't smile for the cameras or waved to his people. They weren't interested in him anyway. The people wanted to see their future queen. For what I knew, they had never seen her. During the late King's funeral, she had been covered from head to toe. The previous day was the first time the people caught a glimpse of the Princess, and they liked what they saw as they chanted her name.
"Your Highness!" a woman shouted and smiled excitedly when Rose waved at her.
"Princess Rosemarie, marry me!" Someone in the crowd shouted followed by others laughing or asking the princess' hand in marriage as well.
"You're beautiful, Princess!"
"Princess!"
"We love you!"
Rose smiled and waved and politely declined the flowers some offered her. Pavel had warned us about it before leaving the palace. He said if we were given any package to decline for fear it might be another threat or something worse from the witches. Though the people looked disappointed, they were satisfied when Rose turned to blow kisses to the crowd and grant them more of her smiles. I wished I could be among that crowd, so I could have my own genuine smile from her. Regardless of how she felt about being Queen, she loved her people unconditionally. If she didn't, she wouldn't accept her fate with a smile.
No one threw blood or curses at us, and we all breathed a sigh of relief for that upon entering the building. So far, things were calm, and I only prayed they would stay the same for Rose's sake. She looked so happy after the morning she had.
"One thing is for sure, the people love you." King Abe said proudly.
"I don't know why," Rose shrugged. "I haven't done anything for them."
"But you will," Lord Dashkov joined the conversation as he slowly made his way to us. A young lady with brown curls held onto his arm, and she seemed to be bouncing with excitement. "You will lead this country into a fresh new world. It is time for the old generations to step aside and let the youth lead."
"It is far too early for this, Lord Dashkov," King Abe rolled his eyes but granted the young lady next to Lord Dashkov a smile. "A pleasure to see you again, Lady Natalie."
"Your Majesty," Lady Natalie curtsied then turned to Lord Dashkov. "Are you alright without me, papa?"
"Yes, darling," Lord Dashkov patted Natalie's hand lovingly before she bounced away from him and towards Rose.
"Your Highness," Natalie squealed curtsying and smiling widely. "I have missed you. I have so much to tell you. I was talking to Camille Conta, and she asked me if I knew what kind of dress you were wearing. Of course, I said no because we all know she will try to outshine you. You know how Camille is always…"
"Is today bring your daughter to work day?" Lissa interrupted before Natalie could go any further.
"Uh, no?" Natalie answered confused though she turned to look at her father wondering if it was. "I was on my way to school, but I heard the Princess would be here, so I…"
"Oh," Lissa smiled sweetly taking Natalie's hand and leading her towards the door. "Then you best get going. You don't want to be late, Lady Natalie. Besides, the Princess is very busy today. I'm sure you understand."
"Of course." Natalie turned to sadly wave goodbye to her father and Rose. I had the feeling that the Dashkovs weren't very liked by the Royal Family. Despite this, Rose waved back and smiled at Natalie as she left the building.
"Is everyone here?" King Abe asked Lord Dashkov.
"Yes, Your Majesty. We are waiting for you."
"Then shall we?" The King extended his arm towards Rose, who took a deep breath before interlacing her hand through his arm. "You will be fine, dearest."
Rose nodded and stood straight next to her father with her head held high. She seemed to flip a switch, and she was a different person now. The young woman shooting arrows and playfully threatening Mason was no longer there. Instead, there was the most powerful eighteen-year-old with noble blood in her veins. I could see the resemblance between Rose and her mother in the way they carried themselves. Every step she took, she was elegant and confident like the world bent at her will, which it did. People stopped to observe her with awe glistening in their eyes and murmurs of 'Your Highness' or 'Princess.' They all bowed or curtsied in reverence, and I could see why. She was like an angel.
Christian told me how Rose said she felt like her wings had been clipped, and she had no way of flying. But at that moment, I saw them. I saw her wings extending ready to take flight as future Queen. I wanted so badly to tell her she wasn't a flightless bird. All she needed to do was believe in herself and the rest would follow. If only she could see what I saw. I wanted her to see herself in this light, and the amount of confidence she exuded carrying herself with poise. Everything she thought was holding her back wasn't there. There was nothing holding her back from being a good, even great, Queen very much like Cleopatra or Catherine the Great of Russia. With her kindness and progressive ideas, I knew Rose would reign for a long time. I would do everything I could to make it so even put my life on the line to accomplish it.
Rose nodded to the people bowing and curtsying to her and her father. She didn't smile, but she made sure to let them know that she saw them. As we entered the assembly room, the crowd fell silent seeing the King enter with his daughter by his side. They weren't expecting it, but they quickly recovered bowing and curtsying in unison as their monarchs made their way to the center of the room. It was a massive room. I was beginning to see the Mazur's love for ostentatious displays of wealth and power. The room stretched up immensely tall with windows close to the ceiling and a massive chandelier hanging from the center. The walls were gold, and the velvet carpet was emerald. Chairs and desks were lined against the wall in three rows and people sat by rank, I supposed considering Lady Tatiana was sitting at the very front close to the King's side. In the center were two thrones one for the King and one for the Queen. That day Rose took the throne to her father's right. A few chairs had been set up for us against the wall behind the thrones. I took a seat as close to Rose as possible given it was my job to protect her. Next to me sat Lissa then Christian. Mason, Eddie, Grant, and Pavel stood against the wall looking ready for anything.
"Good morning," the King began as the room fell silent and everyone took their seat to begin. "Today is a special session. I have my daughter, your future Queen, with me to show her how our system works." He motioned with his hand towards Rose, who nodded and smiled politely as many pairs of eyes turned to her. "Also, today we have a special guest. A friend from Russia: Mr. Dimitri Belikov please stand and say a few words."
I stood up and nodded to the curious eyes as they moved from the princess to me. "I am honored to be here as ambassador and bring greetings from Alexei Nikolaevich of the House of Romanov and Czar of Russia."
There were whispers as many wondered the same thing Rose did that morning. Why was a foreigner in their assembly room? Was it wise? It didn't matter because the King silenced them with a hand.
"Mr. Belikov will be here as long as he likes and as long as he is needed to establish a strong friendship between our countries." He cleared his throat. "Now, let us begin with the most important thing on the agenda. Today we will come to an agreement on what to do with the witches. As many of you know, my daughter was threatened just yesterday, and I have been receiving threats from them for a long time. It is time we put this matter to rest once and for all. For decades, Turkey has remained impartial on the existence of witches. Many took matters into their own hands hunting witches. As for me, I tried to convince my father, King Idris, to take a side. The church will have us condemn them, which considering the recent events I am strongly considering, but I do not make this choice on my own. The floor is open if anyone would like to make a suggestion."
Lord Dashkov was the first to stand, which wasn't surprising considering how he was very excited to speak with the King the day before about the witches. The older man cleared his throat and held shakily onto his cane as he began addressing the council.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Honored Guest, and fellow Council members," he said formally causing the King to sigh and glance at the heavens seeming to regret letting Lord Dashkov have the floor. "I welcome you to this session and without any more preamble, I will tell you my plan. The King is right. Considering the recent events, I suggest we condemn these Satan worshippers. They have dared threaten our monarchs. Our beloved Princess was just attacked yesterday! For those who do not know the details, her car was vandalized and covered in blood. If our monarchs are threatened, who is to say any of us are safe? Without our rulers, what will we have? Anarchy? We simply cannot allow the witches to get away with destruction and death any longer."
"And how do you propose we ferret out the witches?" Lady Tatiana stood up and turned to Lord Dashkov. "I do not think they will come out in the open and confess to their crimes."
"Thank you for your question, Lady Tatiana. Of course, we begin our own witch hunt. We make our special team. If I may, I have been consulting with an expert on this matter. He is a skilled witch hunter, and his success rate is one hundred percent guaranteed. He comes highly recommended from Italy, where he just successfully purged a small city of its witches." Lord Dashkov paused and turned to meet as many eyes as he could. "We give him resources and put him in charge of a skilled unit of hunters, and he will get rid of the problem for us."
Many began to murmur. I could see some of them nodding as if in agreement with Lord Dashkov. Others looked outraged. I felt the same way, but I had to hide it. This wasn't my country. I couldn't voice an opinion on the matter, but what Lord Dashkov was suggesting was terrible. I glanced at the King, who merely watched with interest one of his hands stroking his goatee. Rose, on the other hand, had her hands interlaced on her lap, and her jaw was twitching. I could have started laughing just imagining her biting her tongue literally to keep from saying anything.
"How does he find the witches?" A woman with auburn locks next to Lady Tatiana stood up. "In other words, how do we know this man is legitimate? How do we know he is no charlatan and simply hurting innocent people?"
"Thank you, Lady Ariana Zselsky," Lord Dashkov straightened up a bit seeming to enjoy the sudden attention. I got the feeling he didn't get to speak often or his peers didn't usually take him seriously. Perhaps both. "As I said, he comes highly recommended, and while I cannot say I know his methods, I will be happy to summon him, so he may answer all questions."
"So you give us half a plan?" Lady Ariana chuckled. "I believe the King wants a solution today, Lord Dashkov."
"What else do we have?" A man with peppered hair stood. "There is no other option to deal with the vermin. We should call this exterminator and let him cleanse our country."
"Vermin? Cleanse?" Rose suddenly blurted out. When all eyes turned to her, she stood up ignoring the way her father glared at her. The King's instructions had been to be silent and listen, but he really should have known better. "You talk about these people like they are not people! How else do you think they will respond to talks of genocide? Because that is what you are suggesting, Lord Dashkov, genocide. You are suggesting we kill people because they have decided to stand up for themselves. I am all for justice, trust me, my lords and ladies. I want nothing more than retribution, but I will not allow innocents to pay the price of a few wicked souls."
"And what would you have us do?" The man who proclaimed witches to be vermin scoffed. "Tell us, Princess. What will you have us do?"
Rose was silent as the wheels in her mind turned. She wasn't expecting the council to give her the floor or take her seriously. Since she had their attention, she used her platform.
"Since you asked, Lord Zeklos, I say we offer a truce," she said as people had begun to speak amongst themselves. At her words, all fell silent. "There is a point when we must stop the bloodshed. They hurt us, we hurt them. It is a vicious cycle that has no end in sight. We stop chasing them. We abolish witch hunts. If we offer them something, they might return the favor."
"What do we need from the witches except for their total annihilation?" Lord Zeklos stood trembling with rage at the Princess' suggestion. "They have nothing to offer us. If we make a deal with them, how is that any different from making a deal with the devil? You will have us all condemn to hell?!"
Suddenly, chaos broke loose as people argued amongst themselves. The voices of those who agreed with Lord Zeklos and Lord Dashkov were louder. Rose shook her head and stood there breathing heavy unable to believe how ruthless some people could be. I suddenly remembered how she knew nothing about the real world. This was the lesson her father was trying to teach her. I agreed with her though. What these people were suggesting was genocide. I couldn't imagine someone coming for my grandmother and killing her for simply existing. It wasn't their fault they had been born with extraordinary abilities. In fact, one day the witches might outlive us considering my grandmother was years upon years old. She would never tell me her exact age, but I knew she had been alive when Alexander III took the throne.
My grandmother wasn't an evil witch. She was the kindest person I knew. When our neighbor, Oksana, across the street fell and injured her hip, Babushka made sure Oksana's daughters were fed while Oksana recovered. Babushka was always helping those in need. Her magic was used for good too. She made a potion for Karolina when she was so sick she could barely talk. I was no fool to think all witches were like my grandmother. I believed some were bad because they threatened Rose, who had no part in the witch hunts. She had no say in the way her government was run, yet. But that didn't mean killing all witches would solve the problem. I looked at the King, who sat motionlessly and silently as he watched his council argue back and forth. Rose chewed on her lower lip and seemed to continue to think of plans and ways to placate the council.
King Abe seemed to feel my gaze on him, for he turned his head. Uncharacteristically, he winked at me before finally standing up.
"I have heard enough," he didn't need to shout. People recognized that when the King stood, he had the floor and all fell silent in the middle of whatever argument they were making. "I think we can reach a solution now."
"So soon?" Rose reached out for her father's hand but thought better of it. He wasn't her father at this moment; he was the king. "Your Majesty, there is still much to discuss. Making a choice now would be…"
"A mistake?" The King finished for her arching his eyebrow as if daring her to say those words.
"I was going to say irresponsible," Rose said defiantly tilting her chin up. She wasn't going to back down now. "You told me to listen to people when they say I am being a fool and running my country to the ground. Making a choice before you really think about what it means for the people is irresponsible. If you sanction the witch hunts, we become exactly what they fear. We become the government that has never protected them or thought of them as people."
The King took a deep breath before speaking. "My daughter is right. I came with the intention of finding a solution to the matter of witches today. However, this warrants a longer and calmer conversation with all the facts. Lord Dashkov, we will need a full report of this man you say can help us with our problem. As for my daughter, she will work with Mr. Belikov to find us an alternative solution that prevents spilling more blood."
I glanced up shocked at being dragged into this so publicly. And that was when I realized this had been his plan all along. The King always knew Rose wouldn't be silent. He was letting her get involved in politics by her own choice and knew that talks of death and forcing the witches' hand would incite her to do so. As for me, he had already asked for my help, and I had given him advice of aiming for a truce as Rose said. This was his way of getting us to work together not only so I could protect her, but I could continue to provide advice without going behind the council's back.
"Why him?" Rose wondered out loud. "This is none of his business."
"I agree with the Princess," Lady Tatiana seemed unhappy hearing that I would be spending even more time with Rose. Well, Rose wasn't looking happy either. That made two of them. "He is a foreign ambassador who should have no say in our government."
"Russia is one of the most successful countries dealing with witches in a peaceful manner." The King said.
"Since when does His Majesty care about peace?" Lord Zeklos grunted. His eyes went wide realizing he spoke out loud. He turned to alarmingly look at the King.
"Since the witches decided to come for my family," the King said through his teeth. "I can fight an army of soldiers equipped to their teeth with weapons, and I have. But how can I fight an enemy that hides in the shadows? How can I fight an enemy that works silently and stealthily? I cannot. It would be like fighting smoke. Can you fight smoke, Lord Zeklos? No. You cannot. So do not be a fool and blindly run into battle against the enemy you cannot see. Next order of business, we need the budget for the princess' party approved. For God's sake, this should have been done weeks ago. Lady Tatiana, you have the floor."
Half of the council looked displeased with the King and the way he abruptly switched gears. However, no one dared say another thing in fear of angering His Majesty. As for the Princess, she barely spared a glance at me, but I already knew she was unhappy about the turn of events. I wasn't too thrilled either. I didn't know how long I could keep my feelings from erupting from my chest though I should have known better considering I had offered to be her guard. Regardless, I wasn't going to get away from spending time alone with her. Then again, the thought of working on a peaceful solution was thrilling. I could see her in action more. I could see that passion and fire ignite in her once again as she fought for those who couldn't, and I believed she wouldn't stop fighting until her country was at peace once again. No matter the cost.
AN: I have been meaning to shorten the chapters. I feel like they are too long, and I seem to ramble a lot, but I can't seem to be able to cut them short without missing some parts or making the story seemed rushed. As I said previously, I want to take my time with this one, and while it seems slow and even tedious to read, please do be patient. I promise it will get better soon. This might not be as epic as Beauty and the Beast, but I promise there will be good parts and even some smut. Let me know what you think, and I hoped you enjoyed reading. Ps. Did you notice the Anastasia easter egg again? Until next time!