Forever for Rose

Chapter Thirty Seven.

"I am calling for full evacuation of Germany's settlement Custadomrie Palal, as I have been given inside information that they are the next target." I can't stress the next part enough. "Do not try to stay and fight, you will lose. We have to stay a step ahead of them. For all other settlements, you need to leave." Tiwen lets out a little gasp, his hand to his chest. No one wants to abandon their homes, but this is our only choice. I have to make them see it. "I know leaving is difficult, but staying means laying in wait to be massacred. Leave every large settlement, seek shelter elsewhere. Don't stay in large groups. The more vampires they can take out at once, the easier wiping us out will be. We still have the numbers." I try to add in a hope to not sound so doom and gloom. "I am also calling a special meeting of all heads of the eight major settlements. Together we will come up with a way to save our people."

The redhead finally has an expression other than bitchy on her face. She looks...afraid. When I look down at my shaking fingers I can admit that I'm scared too. Scared to death but we have to fight on.

"I will not follow these commands." The older man finally says, a tightness in his eyes too. "These are bedside scary stories you tell us and you insight fear into my people. We will never all abandon our homes as your father did his. This is some sort of trap."

Even the Chinese man looks concerned. "How do we even know your story is true? Our King Pedro may have no idea who you even are. This could all be elaborate lies."

I cross my arms over my chest and sigh. "Question any survivor from Castrum yourself." I say confidently. "I was already in Castrum de Petra under the rouse that I was King Pedro's niece. He brought me in himself and escorted me to the Summer Solstice Ball. Everything I've told you is the truth."

Loya turns away from the camera and looks offscreen to someone else. "Hold on and I'll verify." She tells us. A short moment goes by and then she turns back. "All of my sources back your story."

I nod, because obviously I already know I'm telling the truth, but the older man still shakes his head. "I don't care how true it is. I can't back a young girl with zero experience and who is nothing to me. You're father was a deserter, your mother a human like you with no knowledge of our kind or business being allowed to hold such a high title. You have not proven yourself of any kind of value to me as a person, much less as a Queen."

I see my father move first as tears sting the corners of my eyes, but when I turn it is Dalton who is suddenly at my side. His fingers interlocking with mine and his stony gaze aimed at the camera.

"And what of my word?" He demands angrily. "You know me just fine, don't you Rowell? I know you and your wife. I've eaten at many feasts with you over the last few years, do you believe I've proven myself?"

The old man, Rowell, stammers for a moment, but nods. "Yes, Sir Dalton, you are a person I know and respect." He bows his head.

Dalton continues to glare, his dark eyes piercing into the camera. "Well I would be dead right now, or much worse if it weren't for Rose." He declares and their eyes widen again. "I was kidnapped by these demon rebels as well, held and tied up, experimented on, tortured," just hearing him listing it off like it was nothing causes my chest to ache. I still hate that they ever laid a finger on him. "Rose, this girl right here, your rightful blood heir to the throne, the girl you just said had not proven herself as a person or a queen, is the reason I am still standing here." He glances down at me, a quick nod and I lift my chin. "Rose made a deal with the Caster's leader, trading herself in exchange for me. As if that act alone was not enough to prove without a doubt what a selfless person she is, she also spent every single moment of her captivity where she was starved, drained, and abused gaining as much information she could gather to help us all. People who so blatantly dismiss her as if she is nothing."

"Sir Dalton, please try to understand," annoying redhead tries but he shakes his head and she clamps her mouth shut tight.

"There is nothing I need to try to understand." He says bluntly. "I doubted her myself when I first met her. I thought I knew who she was before I ever gave her a chance and that was a mistake. She risked everything for me and for you all, just like she is doing now. Coming out makes her the biggest target there is, especially since she escaped their grasp once and left Defario, leader of the Force dead in her wake. This girl is a force to be reckoned with. She is the most ready and deserving of the throne, which is hers by birthright. I stand behind her in full support of her reign." He takes a half step back, before bowing his head to me. "Long live the queen."

Lance appears at my other side. "I too back my queen." He bows his head. "Long may she reign."

"Long may she reign." Tiwen echoes, falling in behind me with the others. My mother and father follow next, bowing to me.

"My queen." Loya bows her head to me and then folds her arms on her desk. "I look forward to meeting you in person."

I exhale in relief when we finish with our closing statements and the feed finally goes down. The second that Tiwen calls that we are clear I flip forward onto the podium and thank the stars that it is finally over. I feel like I've just run a marathon, not just spent twenty minutes talking to a camera in the ceiling.

I feel Dad's strong hand clasp my shoulder and pull me up to hug him. "I'm so proud of you." He smiles, his identical eyes to mine smiling too. "My daughter is officially a queen."

The words sound strange to me now. Now that it's real I don't know how to process. Everything I've been doing so far has been to find out who I am, then to make my announcement so that I could help my people, but now that I've done it...I don't know what to do next.

"Thank you all." I tell the others and they smile and nod at me while mom pulls dad back some. I turn and find Dalton standing to my side still.

He bites his lips and sighs. "I hope you don't mind-"

"No." I stop him putting my hand on the center of his chest. "Thank you so much for coming to my rescue."

He rolls his eyes and looks down at me. "You didn't need rescuing. They just needed to see someone they know and trust."

"It was a good idea." I smile, creeping up on my toes to kiss his cheek. His eyes sweep over to my dad and his body goes tense under my hand. "Chicken." I shake my head.

"Think so?" Dalton raises an eyebrow, the corner of his lips quirking up as he leans in.

I gasp slightly as his lips press to mine gently, nothing like the kisses we share behind closed doors, but it's sweet and makes my heart beat faster. I guess I've come out officially about more than just my queenship today.

"I love you." He whispers against my lips before pulling away and leading me out of the room behind everyone else with his big arm wrapped around my shoulders.

My worries melt away and I'm ready to get to work on setting up my meeting so I can introduce myself to the settlement heads and get to work on how we are neutralizing the threat.

Tiwen shows us down into the guest quarters and I'm about to follow Dalton into his room for some more private kisses when I hear a sharp intake of breath and the rustling of everyone's sharp movements.

"It's alright, darling." Victoria's soft voice murmurs over her husband's body where he lies on the tiled ground, his eyes closed but his face twisted with fear.

Dalton vanishes from me and reappears at his father's side, looking down in confusion and worry. "He's alright." Victoria tells him.

"What's wrong?" Mom asks, holding her hand over her mouth.

I rush over and kneel beside Dalton. "He's seeing something."

We all jump when his eyes snap open and he gasps for air. Victoria tries to soothe him but he shakes regardless. It reminds me of seeing him in the first vision I had of him. He's seen something terrible.

"Rose," he gasps my name, reaching for me. "They've chosen a new monster."