Summary: Set in “Last Sacrifice” when Rose was framed for the murder of Queen Tatianna. Will Rose’s friends and boyfriend be able to find evidence that Rose did not kill Queen Tatianna, or will Rose go to jail?
I disapprovingly let the Guardians lead me out and back to my cell until my trial.
I layed on the bed in my cell in thoughts.
Who would go to any lengths to set me up? Why would anyone set me up like this?
After half the day of lying there, I was notified that I had some visitors.
They walked up to my cell.
It was Adrian, Christian, Lissa, and Dimitri.
I stood up and walked up to the cell door.
“Okay. Anyone have a plan to get me out of this mess? We have a journey to make after I’m free.”
Confusion and sorrow swept through Lissa from our bond.
“I can trust you guys on this. Don’t tell anyone. Before I was brought out of court, Daniella gave me a note that was signed by the queen herself. You’re not the last Dragomir after all, Lissa.”
“What?” she questioned.
I gave her the note and she read it, with the others reading over her shoulder.
Her mood lightened a little after she read it.
“See? We have a journey to make.”
They all turned back to me.
“Rose, we’re going to get you out of here, somehow,” Adrian told me, still worried sick. “Yes. We will, Roza. And you were right. There is still love in me for you, but you have Adrian now. And even if I can’t have you right now, I’ll wait to be yours again,” Dimitri said.
My heart melted when he used his old nickname for me.
“We’ll do everything in our power to get you out of here,” Christian promised. “We won’t let you rot in this cell,” Lissa added.
“Thanks. I love you guys. I already have someone that won’t let me go to trial. My father,” I announced.
“Abe?” Adrian asked.
“Yes. Abe,” I replied. “He has sources and a reputation.”
When Dimitri looked lost, I explained it to him.
“I met him in Russia when I went searching for you. I didn’t know he was my father, until my mother told me when I came back.”
Lissa folded the note up and put it in her pocket.
We all hugged awkwardly because of the cell door.
I watched them as they walked down the hall. I then went back to lying down on the bed. This time I fell asleep, exhausted over everything that was going on. I was so stressed now.
I woke up the next day, and since I didn’t have anything to do, I decided to slip into Lissa’s head.
Lissa and Christian were in Lissa’s room.
“What are we going to do?” Lissa asked.
“I don’t know,” Christian said, seated beside her on her bed.
“We have to find out who framed Rose. That’s the only way to help her. But on second thought, we could find out who killed Tatianna. Not that Abe won’t get her out; but I still feel like we’re obligated to help somewhere somehow.”
Christian looked at her with sympathy and put an arm around her.
“I know. If the Council didn’t want to just put anyone in jail, this wouldn’t be happening.”
She snuggled up to him.
“I know. I just keep hoping and wishing this would never have happened. I mean, who would murder the queen with a silver stake? No. Who would murder her with Rose’s stake?” she said.
“I don’t know. I guess anyone that has become Rose’s enemy, or that hates her enough to frame her.”
Several feelings and thoughts came from me. I felt Lissa’s feelings, too; sadness, anger, despair, and frustration.
Christian was right. Only my enemies or someone that hates me would do something this extreme.
I pulled out of her head and sat down.
“Okay, Rose. Think. Who are your enemies? Who hates you?” I questioned to myself softly.
I didn’t want the Guardians to hear me.
“Well, we all know Victor is out because of you and your friends. He could be a likely candidate. And obviously, your other enemies are strigoi. But I doubt they could sneak in and kill the queen. Next. Who hates you? Anyone? I think just my enemies. It’s hard to tell who would hate Tatianna enough to kill her.”
My mind went back to the note; the beginning of it.
Rose, if you’re reading this, then something terrible has happened.
I sat up.
“She knew all along. The queen knew what was coming for her when she wrote it. She probably got a call or heard a threat somewhere that she was going to die.”
My mind went back to the photo of her body. She had shock on her face. That’s what one of the lawyers had said was on her face. Maybe it wasn’t shock, though. Maybe it had been misread. Maybe it was fear of what was coming. Maybe even recognition. She could’ve known the person. Who would be able to kill her with so many guards, though? Not even I could sneak in some place like that without being caught. And I have a reputation.”
I sighed. I wished someone would come and visit me. I needed my friends or Dimitri or my boyfriend to talk to about this. We needed to solve this case and get me out of here. And fast. We couldn’t go find the other Dragomir with me behind bars in a cell.
I saw someone walk down the hall, guarded by some Guardians.
I stood up when they stopped in front of my cell door.
I smiled.
It was Dimitri.
He spoke to the Guardians.
“It’ll be fine. Give us some privacy.”
They left us, obeying his order.
“Nice to see you again, Dimitri.”
“Nice to see you, too. Why do you brighten up seeing me? Even in a cell you do. After everything I did to you. After breaking your heart recently, even.”
“Because I forgive you for what you did to me when you were strigoi. And yes, you broke my heart. In a church, even. But even though it hurt and still hurts, I know you were right. Love fades. I just have to accept that our love life is over and that I have to move on.”
“I’m sorry for what I did, Rose. I said things without thinking. I will always have a place for you in my heart. Not even time will change that.”
“As I said, I forgive you.”
“So Rose, how are you? Despite the hole I left, I mean.”
“I’m as okay as I can be in this dang cell. But I did figure something out.”
So I told him everything.
He soon had to go and I watched him leave, knowing he still loved me.
I sat down, remembering the past before he had been turned strigoi.
Several hours later, something wakes me up. I wasn’t sure what until I became fully awake. It was still dark, but I could see him outside my window.
“Rose,” he whispered. “Get up. You’re getting out of here soon.”
“Christian?”
I got out of bed.
“Hey, Rose,” he whispered back.
“What the hell are you doing here? You’re not going to break me out of here, are you?”
“Not really. I’m not breaking you out of here.”
I shook my head.
“What the hell is going on?”
“We convinced them that you were framed. They’re about ready to let you go.”
“No compulsion?”
“Exactly. No compulsion whatsoever.”
“Good. I’m free than. We find the murderer and then go on our journey.”
“Good plan, Rose.”
I turned around when I heard footsteps.
Some Guardians approached.
“You’re free, Guardian Hathaway.”
I stepped out of the cell and left the building.
I breathed in the fresh air. I was free. I was out of the cell.
I approached my friend and boyfriend and hugged them.
A few days later, Victor was put in jail for the murder of the queen.
They apologized for almost landing me in jail and the queen was buried and they had her funeral.
A couple years later, I became Lissa’s guardian, Adrian and the others tagged along, and our lives resumed.
ns 15.158.61.5da2
