Chapter 17:
Later that night I took out Rose's clothes from the room's closet. Victor's trial was tomorrow and I wanted to get these to her as soon as possible. Before walking out the door I quickly scribbled down her name on a card. When I grabbed the door handle I thought of something else.
Setting the clothes down I leaned against the wall, holding the small card in my hand as I carefully wrote Wear your hair up. A lot of female guardians cut their hair to show off their molnija marks. I remembered she had considered cutting it once and I immediately told her no. I loved her hair and suggested wearing it up if she wanted to show off her marks.
Just thinking about her cutting her hair was unbearable. It wouldn't feel as silky, wouldn't be the same when I ran my hands through it. After all it is the feature that got me to notice her in the first place.
I was nervous for her tomorrow, for both of us. If she decided to let her impulsive attitude get in the way I might very well be in the wall between her and Victor. There will be more guardians than necessary tomorrow, trained and tense. Rose wouldn't make it two steps to Victor before someone brought her down. And I was prepared to throw myself between her and Victor to stop her from ripping his head off. Even if I had that urge as well.
Lissa was our priority, we protect her and only her. If something happened to Rose where she got thrown in jail Lissa would be left unprotected.
My heart raced at the thought of Victor exposing us both. Then no one would be able to protect Lissa the way we could.
After calling service I got a Moroi girl to take the clothes that I had assembled for Rose: A white top, black pants, and a black matching jacket. I attached the note before handing it over to the terrified looking girl. Rumors spread like wild fire among our world, so it was no surprise that she was looking at me in both awe and fear. Too bad most of the stories weren't true.
I sighed when I shut the door.
The next morning I got up extra early to shower and dress. An hour later I was walking to the courtroom. The air was crisp this morning, snow laid across the ground and blanketed over the trees and buildings. My hair froze at the nape of my neck, and I had to continually rub my hand over the rough patch of ice. Letting it fall in flakes against my skin and duster.
The courtroom was over in the large, ornate building we'd passed on arrival. Walking through its halls, I was greeted with old memories. The building was both old and new, leaving dank and musty smells as well as fresh cleanser.
Outside, it was all arched windows and stone spires. Inside, it was a hub of modern activity. People worked in offices with flat-screen monitors. Elevators led to upper floors. Sculptures on pedestals stood proudly around the building, guarding everyone and everything inside. Chandeliers decorated the halls.
The courtroom had beautiful murals that stretched from floor to ceiling, and in front of the room, seals from all the royal families hung on the walls. The Dragomir symbol was still there, although there was only one left; and it was bad of me to think this way: I couldn't help but wonder what they would do with it if she died without a heir. That's never happen before, things would change and Moroi and dhampir alike would fight to keep it up.
I turned away, ashamed at the thought. It was my duty to protect Lissa, if I didn't I'm sure they'd throw me in the prisons and let me rot, full of regret and remorse until I died. Shivering at the thought I walked away from the seal.
The seating was split by an aisle down the middle of the room. But this was for the listeners; the guardians who had witnessed that night long ago will be lined against the wall, ordered to watch the trial and to guard all windows and doors.
I stood beside Alberta; she nodded at me and gave me a small smile. We all knew this was going to be hell.
While we waited for everyone to be seated I scanned the crowd for Rose and Lissa. I caught Eddie's gaze and nodded at him, he was as determined as ever. And for the thousandth time I couldn't help but feel horrible for that night when I had attacked and "killed" the novice the way Mason was killed. I'll never be able to forgive myself for doing that to Eddie.
He smiled at me, as though reading my thoughts and telling me it was alright. When he looked away I allowed myself to look at Rose. She and Lissa were staring straight ahead, faces full of worry as Victor entered the room. Lissa paled and Rose looked like she was about to punch the first person that spoke to her.
My heart cramped at that last part, there was no way I was going to be able to get her out of here without all the guardians tackling both her and I. This was not a place to let Rose get angry.
I sent silent prayers towards her way, hoping somehow, they would reach her before she decided to do something stupid.
The trial started once they called order in the court. One by one, we who witnessed the events with Victor gave our accounts of what we'd seen. The story was all the same, nothing new, partly because I'm a guardian of Lissa's, but mainly because I was there.
Largely, this involved us guardians who had pursued Lissa when Victor had taken her away and who had subsequently been a part of the raid on Victor's hideout. Which I was both a part of.
I was one of the last of the guardians to go. I requested the slot, because knowing Victor, he would announce anything about me to get the court wild up and I wanted to save that for the end.
As I stood in front of the queen and gave my oath that stated I promised to tell the truth my heart both hammered and stilled in my chest. It was a felony to lie in front of our world's leaders. There would be no question about my fate if they found out. I would be locked up and then if they thought it right: executed. My throat went dry as I plunged into my side of the story.
My testimony wasn't that much different than the others. I had been a part of the rescue squad; the only difference was my part of the story had started a little earlier.
This was what I was most afraid of, what got my palms sweating as I reviled what had happened, not letting my eyes leave Victor's. As if that would keep him pinned and unable to say anything.
"I was with my student, Rose Hathaway. She shares a bond with the princess and was the first to sense what had happened." The words came smoothly; I had practiced it more than twenty times this morning. I didn't want to give Victor the satisfaction of just how mad he made me.
Victor's lawyer-someone who actually defended and found Victor innocent-glanced at some papers and then looked back up at me. Her eyes were brown, her hair even darker. Her eyes met mine as she cleared her throat.
The woman took a deep breath, before flipping through the papers placed in front of her. "Based on the events, it sounds like there was a delay between when she discovered that and when you alerted the others."
I nodded. I had practiced this part as well, knowing that I wouldn't get off that easy. "She couldn't act on it because Mr. Dashkov had inflicted a charm on her, one that caused her to attack me." The words again came out smoother than I felt. It helped that this part of the story was the truth. Rose had attacked me that night.
It hurt me to lie in front of all my colleagues and friends. I knew more people in this room than I did back at the academy. These people I trained with. Some of them, I recognized as my teachers from so long ago. I hated this. The only good thing out of all of it was the fact that I was doing this to protect Lissa... and Rose.
I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I had to protect the girls. The two who mattered most. Even though I took the oath, I was still breaking every law there was at court.
"Mr. Dashkov works with earth magic, and some who use that power and are strong in compulsion can influence our basic instincts." I continued, this was easier than the last because it was all the truth. But the next part was harder; I had to talk around my dry throat as I locked eyes with the lawyer. "In this case, he affected her anger and violence through an object."
Victor's choking laugh rang through the courtroom. My pulse quickened, wishing that he was actually choking. By my hand.
The judge, an elderly but fierce woman, glared.
"Mr. Dashkov, please respect the decorum of this courtroom."
Victor, still smiling, waved his hands in apology. "I'm terribly sorry, Your honor and Your Majesty. Something in Guardian Belikov's testimony just tickled my fancy, that's all. It won't happen again."
When no one else said anything, I finished up my statement, and then Christian was called up. As I took my place in the back I glared at Victor's aging head. It was one thing to sit there and smile, but another to laugh and interrupt me.
My blood was boiling through Christian's speech. His part was short. He'd been with Lissa when she'd been taken and had been knocked out. His contribution was being able to ID some of Victor's guardians as the kidnappers. Once Christian had sat down Rose was called up.
My heart quickened. She shouldn't have to do this, this wasn't right. I know she has an opinion but she's up there, unguarded, in front of Victor and his wicked words and staring eyes.
She walked up, looking calm and determined. That, at least, calmed my racing heart a little. As she said her name and gave her oath to be honest I could see her cringe. Although it wasn't physical, more mental. I saw it. I knew her well enough to notice when she was troubling over something that she knew was wrong.
Her version was pretty straightforward. She had details to offer from before the night of the kidnapping, like about where Victor had laid his traps to test Lissa's powers. Otherwise her story lined up with mine and everyone else's pretty well.
When Rose mentioned the charm she glanced at Victor, who was staring intently at her. Making her stiffen, her fingers clutched and unclenched at her sides. A movement that told me she was seconds away from pouncing on him. I was too far away to stop her, and at an angle where she can't see me as well. The best I could do was pray.
For both of us to make it out alive.
Victor had complete power over Rose and me to ruin everything for us in front of all these people- no matter what I had threatened him.
Other than the clutching of her hands I was proud of her for staying so calm. I was satisfied that she had grown so much. Some of it had to do with my trainings, but mostly it was Spokane and Lissa's life that shaped Rose for who she is today: a woman.
When she finished her whole body sagged with relief that Victor hadn't said anything during her testimony. Lissa passed her, taking Rose's place.
As the victim, she offered the first perspective thus far, and everyone there grew caught up in her story. It was compelling; no one had ever heard anything like it. And without even trying Lissa was using her spirit-induced charisma, the same place that came from compulsion.
People were enraptured and sympathetic. When Lissa described the torture Victor had put her through to force her to heal him, faces went pale with shock. Even the Queen's stern mask faltered a little.
The most amazing thing was how calm Lissa was about it. Even when she spoke about what the air user had done to her; she had a mask of stone. But I knew she was just as hurt as she had been that night, the pressure of stares and breathing down her neck caused her to be unnaturally calm.
After Lissa sat back down, Victor was called to take her place. From the look on his face, you would have never guessed he was on trial. He wasn't angry or outraged like I have seen a thousand times with other contestants in this room. He didn't plead. He looked like we were all hanging out somewhere, like he had nothing in the world to worry about.
Even when answering, he spoke as though he made perfect sense. When the prosecuting lawyer asked why he'd done what he had, he looked at her as though she were crazy.
"Why, I had no choice," he said pleasantly. "I was dying. No one was going to condone me openly experimenting with the princess's powers. What would you have done in my place?"
The lawyer ignored that. She was having a hard time keeping the disgust off of her face. "And you found coaxing your own daughter into turning Strigoi also necessary?"
Everyone in the courtroom shifted uncomfortably. One of the most awful things about Strigoi was that they were made, not born. A Strigoi could force a human, a dhampir, or a Moroi into becoming Strigoi if the Strigoi drank the victim's blood and then fed Strigoi blood back to the victim. It didn't matter if the victim wanted it or not, and once she became Strigoi, she lost all sense of her old, moral self. She embraced becoming a monster and killing others to survive. Strigoi converted others if they found someone they thought would strengthen their ranks. Sometimes they did it just out of cruelty.
The other way a Strigoi could be made was if a Moroi willingly chose to kill another person during feeding, destroying all the magic and life within themselves. Christian's parents had done that because they'd wanted to be immortal, no matter the cost. Victor's daughter Natalie had done it because he had talked her into it. The extra strength and speed she'd gotten from being a Strigoi had helped her free him, and he'd felt his goals were worth the sacrifice, even after I had killed her.
Again, Victor showed no remorse. His answer was simple. "Natalie made that decision."
"Can you say that about everyone you used to meet your ends? Guardian Belikov and Miss Hathaway had no say in what you made them do."
My heart almost stopped. This was the part we were all waiting for. I could lose my job; I could be thrown into the dark cells here. Anywhere they put me, I wouldn't be with Lissa or Rose to protect them from whatever dangers laid their way.
Victor chuckled. "Well, that's a matter of opinion. I honestly don't think they minded. But if you have the time after this case, Your Honor, you might want to consider trying a statutory rape case."
My blood froze. He'd really done it. Looking at Rose I could tell she was just as shocked as I felt. Although no one raised a question, which was a good sign. I really needed to protect Lissa, at all costs.
Most people were giving Victor appalled looks. I realized that was exactly what Victor had known would happen. He just wanted to tease us; he didn't actually expect anyone to take him seriously.
The judge chastised Victor for getting off topic, which made me calm down. Rose's face was now competent, which relaxed me even more.
By that point, most of the questioning was done. The lawyers wrapped up, and it was time for the queen to deliver her verdict.
He hadn't denied any of the charges. The evidence was overwhelming, thanks to our testimonies, but as even Victor had pointed out, there was a lot of corruption among the royals. The queen could very well decide that she didn't want the scandal involved with imprisoning someone so well known. Even if no one knew the details, his imprisonment would start a buzz. Maybe she didn't want to deal with that.
But in the end, she found Victor guilty and sentenced him to a life in prison-a different prison, not the one at Court. But a Moroi prison which was a terrible place. I had only visited there once, to get the feel of what would happen when a Moroi had done wrong. It wasn't pleasant.
The smell of human bodies rotting filled my nose, making me want to cringe.
Victor remained calm and amused throughout it all, just as he had yesterday. Which made me want to take my threat and put it into action.
A gesture from the queen ended formalities. The rest of the room stood up and began talking while she surveyed the room with a sharp eye, taking notes on behavior. Victor's escort started to lead him out. When he passed Lissa and Rose I nearly fell over my feet trying to get to them. I couldn't hear what he said to them as he stopped but by the look Lissa gave him, it wasn't good.
I neared them just as Victor's guards led him away.
"I can't believe he said that about you and Dimitri." Lissa said as I stopped and stood behind her.
Relief washed over me; at least she didn't suspect anything. That was good. I continued my way out of the room, finding myself needing to get out of here for some fresh air.
As I walked past the small group of teenagers, Rose caught my eyes. Her relief mirrored my own. We'd danced with danger today-and we had won.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Wow, let me say this: I can't believe this story has 17 parts already! I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is to me. I am so happy Dimitri's stories have grown, and you guys are there every step of the way helping me and encouraging me to write more. I love you guys for that and I can't thank you enough!
Anywhoo, thanks for reading and I hope you liked this long chapter! I have been working on a new book called In Another Life, and that has roughly 25 pages, so writing this chapter was easy for me now that I can write for long periods of time! I can't wait for the final scene! I already have it written and I'm excited for you guys to read it! You're gonna love it!
<3LittleDhampir18
Shout outs to dani1456 for encouraging me and bugging me to write this next chapter! I didn't realize it's been a month since my last update! I feel so horrible! So this chapter's for you my friend!
Another shout out to katylynnbug for not only being with me from the beginning of this series but for also over looking my new book: In Another Life. Which I have decided NOT to put on here because I want to publish it and make money off of it! I love your encouragement and your brilliant ideas that has my mind going 24/7 at deciding the next move in the book! Still can't decide who she's going to see at the laundry mat: Brison or the man who killed her before. haha anyways thanks a bunch! You'll defiantly get a free copy of my book for all your hard work(: no arguments.
And as always to Elfina01 for helping me get ideas for Blood Promise when I needed them most and for answering all my insane questions. You're amazing and patient and I love your stories. Don't ever give up writing! You're great at it!
And to all my fans that I didn't address: I want to say thanks for helping me along the way, for commenting and voting on these stories. But above all: for actually taking the time to read them and give me feedback, every bit of advice helps and you guys have nudged me a long way now and I am ever so grateful. I would address all of you guys if I could but theres so many of you! So don't feel left out if I didn't add your name it's only because this chapter would become 20 pages instead of 5 haha(: Anywhoo tell me what you guys think! thanks(: