Guardian Croft had left nothing to chance regarding Tasha Ozera's return to Court. When Her Majesty had approached him and revealed the true perpetrator of the regicide, something had disinclined him to believe it. However, once she had outlined the six witnesses Mazur had arranged to observe Moore's interrogation and confession—and the human magic used to extract it—he was convinced. Then his conscience started pricking him, reminding him of how certain he'd been that Janine Hathaway's lass had been responsible, and his unwillingness at the time to look for other suspects. He'd felt so guilty, once he was aware Janine knew her daughter was alive and in the care of her father, he'd met with her to apologize.
Hans had to take his hat off to Mazur. Tricking the girl's own mother into believing she was dead and spiriting her away was a masterful move—because that Janine genuinely believed her daughter had passed away was undeniable. No one could fake the level of distress he'd witnessed from Janine in the aftermath of Abe's attempted jailbreak. Again, he felt a little silly that the possibility of Mazur doing something like that had not occurred to him. As a career guardian, it's unlikely Janine would have the money or the contacts to pull an act of that magnitude off—but Abe was another matter altogether. No wonder his eponym was the snake. All in all, Croft was relieved the man spent most of his time in Europe because he was certain he didn't want Abe Mazur spending much time on his patch!
These ponderings were cut short by one of his guardians pointing to the luxury private aircraft that was approaching Court's runway. It touched down with a kiss of smoke, taxying toward the small terminal where Croft could see Mazur Industries neatly printed on the side, with a logo that looked somewhat like a stylized snake. His lip twitching with amusement, Hans had to admire the guy's moxie. Standing to attention, his guardians did likewise. Assured Natasha Ozera would be compelled periodically throughout the flight, he wasn't expecting any problems yet in his job he'd learned to always be prepared. As he watched, the plane stopped, and a few minutes later the stairs were lowered, and the occupants started to de-plane.
"Lord Ivashkov," he greeted Adrian, who was first out escorting a young blonde human into the terminal. From his briefing with Her Majesty, Croft knew this to be one of the two Alchemist witnesses, Sydney Sage. Nonetheless, he waited for the Moroi Lord to formally introduce her.
"Guardian Croft, this is Ms. Sydney Sage, a representative from the Alchemists. Sydney? This is Guardian Hans Croft, Chief Guardian and head of the Guardian Council."
Aware of the Alchemist's suspicion and mistrust of Moroi, and to a lesser extent guardians and dhampir, Croft nodded politely but did not shake her hand. "Thank you for your attendance," he said, keeping a respectful distance. "Your colleague is waiting for you in a suite in guest quarters. My guardians will take you there." Croft wanted the Alchemist away from Natasha as quickly as possible, just in case.
Sydney appeared alarmed at the notion of going anywhere with the two young uniformed men she had never met. She wished she'd never agreed to have any part in this, not that there'd ever been much of a choice. Between following orders and the favor she owed Abe, this had always been inevitable.
"Guardian Croft? Given Ms. Sage is unfamiliar with Court, and these guardians, perhaps I could escort her to guest accommodations? She knows no one here…"
The look of relief on Sydney's face was enough to secure Croft's permission, and since Adrian was carrying her small bag, and his own, the Moroi Lord wasted no time helping Sydney into the back of one of the waiting SUVs, before rounding the vehicle to seat himself in the back seat beside her.
"Take the scenic route," the slightly manic Moroi hissed at the twenty-something-year-old guardian who would drive them, slipping the guy a $50 before opening the door and preparing to be his most charming self.
Any thought that she'd be able to pass this off as a misunderstanding was quickly quashed when the two primary Guardians tasked with her care walked Tasha down the plane's steps. There, Hans Croft, head of the Guardian Council, greeted her. The big banana in Moroi law enforcement, he stood alongside no fewer than nine other guardians. She'd obviously been expected. Ignoring Ozera completely, Croft turned his attention to Mr. Mazur, the last passenger to disembark.
"Did she give you any trouble?" he asked, shaking the snake's hand.
"None. Adrian and the Princess compelled her before we left, with Adrian doing so again every few hours we were in the sky." Knowing from his daughter how draining such intense use of Spirit could be, Abe hoped there would be little call for continued compulsion now they were at Court. Hans nodded, relieved that Tasha had arrived at Court without incident. When news of what she'd done broke in the Moroi capital, it would be on everyone's lips. He didn't want any stuff-ups or awkward explanations. Speaking of which…
"Get her to the van," Croft ordered the waiting guardians, pointing to the black van with dark tinted windows. A little older, and suitably nondescript, he'd chosen this vehicle as it did not immediately stand out. They had arranged a midday arrival for the same reason. Anyone witnessing the van traveling through Court would have no reason to suspect it housed a returning criminal. Her Majesty had been very clear she wanted Tasha's arrival to be low-key. No one outside of the operational unit was to know until she was ready to announce it.
"I don't suppose a warm bed and a hot meal are anywhere in my near future?" Abe asked, eying the career guardian in front of him shrewdly. Hans laughed despite himself.
"Well, I can probably rustle up a meal, but the bed will have to wait. Her Majesty has asked to see you as soon as possible."
"I expected as much."
"You want me to pretend this was all part of Court's plan?" Abe asked Arianna Szelsky, not entirely surprised by the request, yet shocked she would so blatantly ask it. She'd been kind enough to let Abe have a shower and a meal before they met in her private chambers completely alone. That even Croft was not permitted inside to overhear their conversation spoke volumes.
"See it from my perspective. Tatiana was murdered. People were alarmed and scared. The only blessing was that a suspect was quickly apprehended."
"The wrong suspect," Abe snapped. While Ariana had not yet been Queen when everything with Rose went down, she was now reigning Monarch and head of the system that had arrested a young woman and was prepared to proceed with a conviction based on circumstantial evidence, at best. Had they suspected a Moroi of a similar crime, the investigation would have been much more robust and thorough. No one had looked too hard because, at the end of the day, a dhampir's life didn't mean that much—even to other dhampir.
"We all have perfect 20 / 20 rear vision," Her Majesty commented drily. "If the full story about proving Rose's innocence comes out, it will call into question the validity of half the incarcerations at Tarasov." Abe opened his mouth to say maybe that was a good thing, however Ariana stopped him by lifting one well-manicured, bejeweled hand. "Given the irregularities with the investigation, I will be setting up a task force to investigate previous convictions to ensure all have been fair and proper. But that brings us back to here. I am a pragmatist. I have no doubt that had you not intervened, your daughter would have been, at best, in Tarasov for life, at worst, sentenced to death. The only reason she is alive today is because she had a father who believed in her. One who had the means to break her out of jail."
Abe nodded, waiting to hear what else his Queen had to say. She'd obviously thought this through, so he wanted a full picture of what she had in mind before he'd respond to it.
"Learning what nearly happened to Rose will cause massive social discord. Our laws, and investigations into crimes, must be seen to be fair and impartial for all citizens. In this situation, they were not. Tasha Ozera nearly got away with murder, but it will do no good for anyone else to learn that."
"So, we keep the status quo?" If Ariana thought he'd allow the matter to be swept under the carpet, she had another thing coming. "Are you going to allow Tasha to go free, too?!"
"Of course not. We will try Natasha in a closed session. There is precedent for the reigning Monarch, with three members of the Royal Council, to conduct a trial when matters of operational security are involved. Given the relative ease with which Lady Ozera murdered my predecessor, and the involvement of the human wizarding world in your investigation afterward, that certainly applies here. When it is made known that Rufus Ivashkov is a prosecution witness and that Princess Dragomir and Christian Ozera believe the charges are just, there will be enough certainty in the public mind that authentic justice is being served."
"And my part in this?"
"I'd like you and Rose to spread the story that the entire jailbreak/fake death was orchestrated to get her out of public sight while an investigation was made into the true killer."
"Well, that's exactly what happened," Abe said, being deliberately obtuse to force Ariana into being more explicit.
"Yes. But I'd like you to say you did this under the direction of Guardian Croft."
"You'd ask me to lie to protect the man who led the flawed investigation that could have killed my daughter?" Abe spluttered.
"I would say I authorized it myself, but the timeline doesn't work out as it was before my coronation. It needs to look like Court, and the Head Guardian, was ahead of the ball from the get-go. Anything else will cause fear and mistrust of our entire system. Rose will come out of this looking like a hero. Tasha will get the punishment she deserves. I will ensure there is a review of previous convictions, and the dhampir, Moroi, and guardian communities retain their faith in our Guardians and the judicial system."
Abe sighed, running his hand over his weary face.
"If we do this, recognition is not enough. There's got to be more in it for Rose…"
That Janine was prepared to meet with him at all was a miracle, Abe thought as he walked through the restaurant and into the private dining room he'd reserved for himself and his daughter's mother. Living, as she did, at Lord Szelsky's home, meeting there had not been feasible, and Janine was disinclined to visit Abe at his town residence. Somewhere public, but private, seemed the best option.
"Ibrahim," she greeted frostily when he arrived five minutes early. He should have known she'd be early. She always was.
"Janine. May I say how lovely you look?"
"Cut the shit and get on with it," Janine barked, gesturing to his seat situated opposite his own. Unbuttoning his suit jacket and sitting down, the room's door opening and the approach of a waiter spared him the introductory small talk.
"Would you like to order drinks?" he inquired, handing the wine menu to Abe. While she wasn't in uniform, Guardians tended not to drink, even off duty, so the assumption is the Moroi would be the one to order anything alcoholic.
"Janine?" Abe checked, reluctant to earn himself any more of his ex-lover's ire by making assumptions.
"A gin and tonic. To start."
"Make that two. Plus, a bottle of the Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz."
Passing Janine the 'dhampir' menu, and Abe the one with the Moroi selections, the waiter high-tailed it out of the room, gratefully closing the door behind him. You could cut the air with a stake in there, it was so tense!
"Thank you for agreeing to meet. I had a very interesting conversation with Her Majesty, and I wanted to run it past you before I speak with Rose and Belikov."
"Oh? So now you choose to involve me in sensitive matters pertaining to our daughter? Perhaps a leopard can change its spots?" Her tone was undeniably peevish, Abe knew it was less than he deserved.
"Always, Janine. I did what I did to save Rose's life. I took no pleasure deceiving you, and it broke my heart seeing you grieve our girl."
"I thought she was dead!"
"I know you did, and I am sorry for putting you through that. But I could not let her swing. Not when I knew she was innocent."
"Well, at least you proved it. So, tell me—what does Her Majesty have in mind?"
After ordering, then spending the bulk of their meal discussing and considering every aspect of their monarch's request and offer, Janine had reached a conclusion.
"If they're talking about leaving our world, this is likely to be their best offer. You know how Belikov supports his entire family. Rose would likely take the offer on that basis alone. And then there's the future to consider. If they wanted to return to this life, it would give them options."
"I should put it to them?" Abe asked.
"Yes. But it needs to be their decision."
After Abe et al. departed for the airport, those left behind quickly dissipated throughout the house. Christian was in no mood to face anyone—plus he had a hangover to nurse—Lissa accompanying him back to their room. Switching on some mindless rom-com, she waited for Christian to talk about Natasha, yet he avoided the topic. Recognizing he'd speak when he was ready, they kept it light, napping for a while, then going to see the feeders again. Eddie and Celeste were likewise enjoying their suites while regretting the choices that led to them feeling so shitty, while Dimitri and Rose were making plans with Pavel.
Assured the documents they'd need were already in progress, the three sat down for a 'where to next,' chat. Dimitri stated right off he was not, yet, ready to see his family, they decided they'd take a short-term placement somewhere in the human world with the plan to visit the Belikovas in a few months. Rose understood Dimitri needed time to psych himself up, besides which it would be easier if they visited when they were a little more established as a couple. They needed time to become a 'we' before they were that in front of his family.
Once Pavel knew their plans were likely outside of Russia, he promised to speak with Abe to see which of his many contacts might be of use in finding them employment. He'd subtly hinted more than once that neither Guardian actually needed to work—Abe being willing and wealthy enough to support the duo indefinitely—his opinion of both increased exponentially when they explained they wanted to. Immediately ruling out several of Abe's less reputable Saudi Arabian and South African contacts—way too dangerous—Pavel made a mental list of potentials with whom to make discrete inquiries.
In fact, Pavel was busy putting out the word two days later when Abe called from Court. Other than a text to confirm he'd arrived, and Tasha was now in custody there, it was the first he'd heard from the Moroi mobster since his departure. Quickly running through the actions Pavel had put in motion during his absence, once Abe was up to speed, he asked Pavel to locate Rose and Belikov. Finding them watching a movie with Lissa and Christian, he took the dhampir couple into Abe's office and shut the door, putting the boss on speaker.
"Darling, is everything ok there?" Abe asked, his question obviously directed at his daughter.
"It's ok. Christian's not really coping, but he's pretending he is." Abe grunted. What could he say? The guy had been messed around and betrayed by his whole family—of course, he was not ok. "They're leaving for Pennsylvania the day after tomorrow. They're going straight to Lehigh."
"Will you be going with them?"
"We were waiting to hear from you. What's the latest there?"
Abe explained that he'd met with Her Majesty and that essentially she wanted Guardian Croft to take the credit for Abe's actions, citing it would provide political stability and trust in the judicial system, whereas the reverse would be the case if the truth came out.
"So you'd still say you did it, but on Guardian Croft's command?" Dimitri asked, unsure what to think of the idea.
"Pretty much."
"That might be a good thing? I mean, that way there's no way you can get in trouble."
Pavel smirked as Abe chuckled. "Sweetheart? I uncovered the actual murderer and prevented an innocent young woman from being charged and potentially put to death. They wouldn't dare try anything. However, Her Majesty has a few 'sweeteners' she is also prepared to offer. She knows you are considering going out into the human world with Guardian Belikov. In recognition of the personal inconvenience and distress this incident has caused you both, she is offering you each a sizeable cash settlement."
"How substantial are we talking?" Rose asked.
Abe named a sum that was decent in anyone's language. Doing the math in his head, Dimitri realized his share would be enough to provide for his family for several decades.
"Additionally, if you decide to re-join the Moroi world, in a working capacity, she will give you allocations of your choice and together. I've spoken with your mother, and we agree the benefits make it worth considering."
Rose was wondering how much shouting there was during that meeting. Janine had not been kindly disposed toward Abe when she'd left St. Petersburg. Pavel's amused expression hinted his thoughts were headed in a similar direction.
"What do you think?" Dimitri asked Rose, turning to take her hand in his.
"As long as Tasha is tried and convicted, I don't suppose it matters who takes the credit for removing me from jail. Might as well get some money out of it—and one day we might want to work as guardians again?"
"And Her Majesty is right. Public faith would be severely diminished if they thought someone could blow up Court's prison and take a prisoner with no consequences. Maybe it's better this way?"
"Ok. It's decided then. I'll let Queen Ariana know and get the funds transferred."
Rose didn't know Abe as well as Pavel did. The latter heard the slightly disappointed tone in the Moroi's voice. His plan to save Rose from Court's prison had been nothing short of Machiavellian. While knowing this was the best option for his daughter and her boyfriend, letting someone else take credit for his scheme rankled.