Dear Diary,

I'm sorry I haven't written in you in a while, but there was so much to do in preparation for our trip that there was barely time for me to catch my breath, let alone steal a few minutes to jot my thoughts down. And I must confess that with the excitement of arriving in court, updating you totally slipped my mind—but I promise to make up for my lapse right now as I have quite a lot to tell you.

I was quite amazed to discover that the Royal Moroi Court is nothing like what I'd anticipated. For years I've imagined a fancy palace, sitting secluded high up in the mountains, hidden away from prying human eyes, but in actuality, there is so, so much more to it than that. It is secluded, surrounded by hundreds of acres of untouched forest, but in essence it is like a small, self-sustaining town made up of Moroi and dhampirs. There are all kinds of shops and restaurants and businesses, some of which carry things I've never seen outside of the pages of magazines—and even a private airstrip for the convenience of the Royals. That was the very first thing I saw—we flew in on a private jet that Abe sent to collect us, and I am not lying when I tell you it was more luxurious than anything I'd ever seen, with comfortable leather seats and even a small bedroom at the rear of the plane.

Abe met us on the tarmac, greeting us exuberantly and even going so far as to bow to Mama and Yeva, kissing their hands like one of the gentlemen in those old fashioned movies that Yeva loves so much. Thank God he didn't do the same to me—though he did wink at me and whistle, saying that Dimitri was going to have his hands full keeping the boys away from his gorgeous little sister. When I tried to collect our luggage he stopped me, saying that we were his guest which meant we simply were not allowed to do a single thing that might be considered work—which made Mama giggle like a school girl and grandmother roll her eyes up to the heavens. His guardians loaded up the trunk of his car—which might I say was just as fancy as his plane—and from there escorted us to where we'd be living while we were at Court so we could relax and get adjusted to the difference in time. I protested, of course; I wanted to go exploring not be sent to my room to nap, but Abe smirked and said that jet lag was a funny thing, sneaking up on you when you least expected it—especially for little girls who'd never flown before. I smiled sweetly and bit my tongue, holding in all the things I wanted to say—he is our host, so I must show him the respect he deserves.

I was quite glad that I'd controlled my temper when we pulled up in front of an enormous, sprawling building about ten minutes later; I'd thought we'd probably be staying in one of the building that housed the guardians, perhaps somewhere close to the apartment that Dimka and Roza share, but as it turned out we 'd been given suites in a wing that was normally only used by visiting Royals. Mama immediately protested, saying it was too much, but Abe smoothly told her that the Queen herself had made the arrangements, and that since she considered Dimitri family—that meant we were family too. It was an honor that shocked even Yeva into stunned silence and it brought tears to Mama's eyes; we'd all known Dimka was well thought of at Court, but to hear that the Queen held him in such high regard was honestly the proudest moment of my life.

I was completely shocked whenhe led us to our rooms. That's right… rooms. I am pleased to announce that I have a suite of rooms all to myself, three whole floors away from Mama and Yeva's. Mama balked at first, but once Abe reminded her that the Queen specified where she wanted us, there was really no way she could politely argue about me being too young to be on my own— I swear sometimes I get so frustrated; she acts as if I'm Paul's age and not just a few days away from my eighteenth birthday. Anyway, we left Mama and Yeva at their adjoining suites then Abe led me back downstairs, leaving me at the door to my own lodgings with a wink, advising me that Roza would be along shortly to show me around. I watched him walk away, wondering if I should ask him about my luggage, but by the time I'd made up my mind he'd disappeared from view. I shouldn't have worried—once I entered the apartment I found my two small bags sitting just inside the door, but I didn't move to unpack them, too eager to explore what would be my home for the next month.

I gazed around the room in complete awe, shocked at how spacious it was; there was a small kitchen off to the side of the large main living area, with two doors leading off into what I assumed were the bedroom and the bath. I wandered around, examining everything, even opening up the refrigerator—which was fully stocked with food—before venturing into the bedroom, and I swear to you that room on its own is three times the size of my room back in Baia. In addition to the small bath off of the central room, there was a much larger, more opulent one attached to the bedroom and I honestly couldn't wait to put it to good use—the tub was so big that I would be able to soak in bubbles right up to my chin if I wanted to, nothing at all like the small, cramped tub that I had to try and squeeze into at home. I was actually contemplating doing just that when a knock at the door alerted me that I had my first visitor. I hurried back through the apartment, assuming it was Roza, throwing open the door and blasting her before she could say a word. "Too good to meet us at the plane huh? Should I be insulted that you—oh… uh… hello. I'm sorry… I was expecting… someone else."

To my embarrassment, it wasn't Roza. It was a girl close to my age—perhaps a little older, with pale colored hair pulled back in a long braid that fell halfway down her back and an amused smile on her lovely face. She was dressed much like I was, in a t-shirt and jeans, though hers were much nicer and more expensive looking than my own.

"I wouldn't worry too much, I'm sure she'll be along any minute now. I waited for her to go to the bathroom and then I made a break for it. May I come in?"

"Oh… yes. Please. How rude of me." Still confused as to why she was knocking on my door, I stepped back so she could enter, though I made point to hold the door partially open—after all, she was a stranger. "I think perhaps you must have the wrong room. I've only just arrived and I—"

She laughed softly, cutting me off mid-sentence as she looked around the room. "Oh I know—I've been dying to meet you. I just didn't want anyone trying to make a big production out of it. Do you like your apartment? I hope you don't mind being alone, but I have a feeling your Mother and Dimitri might be a little over protective since it's your first trip to Court. I thought you might need some space to yourself so you could come and go as you pleased." Her eyes fell on my luggage, her smile widening so much that I caught the briefest flash of her fangs as she headed for the bags. "You haven't unpacked yet! Good—I can help. That way I can see what you brought and—gosh, you didn't bring very much did you? That's okay, we can go shopping as soon as you get settled in and—"

Maybe it was just the jet lag that Abe warned me would probably hit—or maybe it was just that I felt like an idiot, standing there holding open the door just in case she tried to attack me, but her presumptuousness snapped my patience. "Look—that's very nice of you to offer, and I don't mean to be rude but I have no idea who you are or why—"

"You really don't know who I am?" She looked complexly delighted by my ignorance. "God you have no idea how wonderful that is. I get so tired of people kissing up to me just because I'm—"

At that moment the half open door slammed into my side, the force of the blow hurling me off my feet; I hit the carpet face first, my breath completely knocked out of me, and it took me a second to process what—or should I say who—it was that had hit me.

"God damn it Lissa! You can't just fucking take off like that! I was about to sound the alarm when Abe called to tell me where you were." A pair of angry dark eyes flicked from my strange visitor to me, narrowing quizzically as they took in my sprawled out position. "Vika… what in the hell are you doing on the floor?"

"When you came tearing in here like a express train you knocked me over. I'm probably going to be black and blue tomorrow—thanks a lot." I glared up at her, about to say more when my brain finally caught up with what she'd said; glancing over at the blonde Moroi—who was trying not to giggle—I realized who exactly it was I'd been entertaining. "Oh my God! You're… Roza—is that.. She's… I thought you were just…."

"Where exactly did the door hit you—in the head?" Roza shut and locked the door before reaching down to help me to my feet. Turning to glare at her best friend—who had lost any control she'd had over her amusement the moment I'd started rambling—she crossed her arms over her chest, preparing to light into her—but Vasilisa Dragomir beat her to it.

Wiping her eyes as she tried to stop giggling, the young queen collapsed on the couch, letting out a deep sigh. "That's why I didn't wait for you—I wanted to meet Dimitri's sister as Lissa and not as the queen."

"That doesn't make a damned bit of sense Liss—you're always the queen." Roza moved over to sit beside her, propping her feet up on the coffee table. "I'm still wicked pissed. Just for the record."

"I'm not stupid Rose—Sergey and Erik are stationed at either end of the hall. You probably ran straight past them before you tried to give poor Viktoria a concussion." She glanced over at me, her pale brow creasing. "Please… sit down. Don't start acting any differently than you were before you knew who I was, alright? I may be a queen but that doesn't mean we can't be friends—I've been looking forward to meeting Dimitri's family ever since Rose got back from Russia. Especially you, Vika." She ducked her head down, the palest hint of embarrassment creeping across the tops of her cheeks. "If I can call you that?"

I stared at her a moment, unsure what to do, my eyes darting over to Roza for guidance. She barely moved her head, but it was all the indication I needed ; a moment later I moved forward, holding out my hand to the blonde Moroi, telling myself that if she wanted me to pretend she wasn't a queen then surely I could at least try to do the same thing. "You can call me whatever you like, Your Majesty—as long as you promise to tell Roza to start watching where she is going."

The grateful smile she gave me was proof I'd done the right thing. Her hand slipped into mine, soft and cool, bearing none of the callouses that my own hands had from all the years I'd put into training. "Lissa. Just call me Lissa. And since we've gotten all the introductions out of the way…" she stood up, releasing my hands, already moving towards the door, "now can I unpack your suitcases? Please?"

"No! I mean… I can do it—you don't have to…" I shot a pleading glance at Roza, horrified at the thought of the Queen pawing through my meager belongings. I took a step toward her, intent on stopping her, but I wobbled a little, suddenly feeling slightly dizzy.

"Forget it Vik—just let her do it. If you don't she'll just sit watching you do it and end up taking over anyway. She's a complete control freak."

"I am not! I just want to see what she brought—and you know I'm always looking for a reason to go shopping. She needs souvenirs to take home right?" Lissa called over her shoulder, dragging my suitcases off towards the bedroom. "And she only brought two tiny bags!"

"Souvenirs are usually tacky t-shirts and ball caps Liss. Not designer wardrobes." Roza reached up, grabbing my hands and pulling me down on the couch next to her—for which I was grateful since I was still feeling woozy. "She really does like doing it, so let it go. It keeps her mind occupied and focused—which is a good thing. She's been acting a little vague lately. Drifting off into dazes… taking off the way she did today without saying a word to anyone. It's a side effect of Spirit."

"I cannot let her buy me things Roza," I hissed out in a furious whisper. "Dimka would be very upset by this."

"There are five brand new dusters hanging in our coat closet Vika. He can't stop her either. You're gonna have to get used to it. The only person who can rein her in is Abe, and even then it takes some doing." She shrugged her shoulders, resting her head against the back of the couch. "Speaking of your brother… man are you in for a world of hurt. I hope you weren't planning on him going easy on you—he's been working on your training schedule since that Fido guy called."

"Fyodor—and I knew he would be a tough task master. But he does know I get two weeks free, tight?"

"Mhmmm… but he also got emailed copies of your records, so be prepared for a lecture or two. Or ten. And laps. Lots and lots of laps." She grinned at me, then winked. "Don't worry—I'll distract him from time to time so he doesn't work you to death."

"My marks aren't that bad—and I also have to keep up with my academics so he has to—" I paused as someone knocked at the door. "Another visitor? Already?"

"I'll get it!" The Queen—um… I mean Lissa—sailed by us, smiling broadly.

"Use the peep hole first!" Roza huffed in irritation in response to her best friend sticking out her tongue as she completely ignoring the instructions, simply opening up the door.

"Hello, can I help you?"

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry I must have the wrong room. I thought this was where my daughter was staying—"

"Olena?" Roza jumped up off the couch, running over to push past Lissa and wrap her arms around my mother. "Please tell me you brought some of your black bread… or at least that you'll make me some while you're here."

"Roza! And pray tell me who this lovely young lady is and where exactly is my daughter?" She turned to Lissa with a friendly smile on her face, then froze—putting the puzzle together a whole lot faster than I had. "Oh my—you're Vasilisa… the Queen! You're the one who saved my boy! You gave me back my Dimitri!"

My mother didn't hesitate; immediately she threw her arms around the Moroi girl, not caring that they'd only just met or that she was a Queen. Tears streamed down her face as she whispered her thanks over and over, rocking Lissa in her arms and offered up her undying devotion for saving my brothers soul. I wanted to do the same, shocked that I hadn't thought to thank her myself, but when I tried to get up I found that my muscles wouldn't obey me. I felt like I'd been hit by a real truck and not just Roza—my limbs weak and limp, refusing to cooperate. Letting my head fall back against the couch, I sighed, suddenly so tired that I felt slightly ill. I listened to them talk, telling myself I would just close my eyes for a few minutes, but the fatigue was pressing down on me so hard that I felt like I hadn't slept for a week. I hated to admit it, but Abe was right; I needed a quick nap, and whether my mind agreed or not, my body was shutting down. The last thing I remember hearing as I drifted off to sleep was my mother's horrified protests as the Ruler of the Moroi world insisted she wanted to help her unpack and wouldn't take no for an answer—just as soon as she finished doing the chore for me.