What a Difference a Year Makes (Revised)

Chapter 35

Chapter 35

I slept for hours and only woke when Dimitri placed a kiss to my lips. I groaned as I opened my eyes. I had a throbbing pain in my head, probably a result of the burst of spirit from Lissa that knocked us out when the charm was broken and the bond returned.

"Milaya?" he said softly. "Sorry to wake you Roza but there is a Queen's guardian downstairs waiting to take us to see her Majesty."

I instantly stiffened in panic "It's alright Roza, she just wants to talk" he said placing another kiss on my mouth before offering his hand to help me out of bed.

I quickly showered and dressed before making my way downstairs to Dimitri and the waiting guardian. I also noticed that Olena and Yeva were sitting at the table in the kitchen area.

"How are you feeling, Roza?" Olena asked coming over to me and giving me a hug.

"I'm fine Mama Olena, tired and worried about Lissa" I replied. "I have to get used to the bond being back but it is difficult when the bond is so different and confusing because of Lissa's condition.

"What happened to Lissa wasn't your fault. You couldn't have prevented it" said Yeva. "It happened the way it needed to." I was about to say no-one deserves that but Olena turned and chastised her mother.

"Where is everyone else?" I asked to try and change the conversation.

"They all decided to go out and explore court" Olena replied. "We haven't been here before and when we first arrived we were all too nervous to think about it." I nodded in understanding.

"Come Roza" Dimitri said wrapping his arm around me. "The Queen is waiting."

We got into the vehicle that the guardian had brought and we were driven up to the palace. I wish I could say I was less nervous about today's journey than yesterday's but I wasn't. Although the charges had been dropped, I was worried about what the Queen wanted. Dimitri kept hold of my hand and rubbed circles into the back of it, in attempt to relax me but I could tell he needed the reassuring contact too so I increased the pressure of our clasped hands.

When we arrived we were shown, not to a meeting room, but a small private lounge where we were asked to take a seat on one of the sofas. Five minutes later the Queen entered with her aide. We made to stand but she waved us back down.

"Please stay seated. Thank you for coming" she said. "I would like to ask some more questions regarding things that were discussed yesterday but I feel that a more informal setting is better suited" she added smiling. This troubled me; I'd never seen her smile and I didn't know what to expect. "Please Rose, can I call you Rose? I think it will be less confusing than if I call you both Guardian Belikov." I nodded. "Please Rose, I just want to talk. I am no longer your Queen because of your exile so let's just say this is a meeting to discuss diplomatic relations" and she laughed. I couldn't help but smile with her.

"I think we can live with that your Majesty" I said back to her with my own laugh.

"Good" she said settling herself into an armchair and ordering refreshments. "Now firstly I need to inform you that the former Lady Natasha Ozera has been placed in Tarasov, on the ward for the criminally insane. She was assessed and deemed not fit to stand trial; therefore she will be housed and treated there until she is fit. However, this seems unlikely. It appears that the same process that knocked you and the Princess unconscious also had a negative effect on Ms Ozera's mental state, almost like her brain was overloaded."

"What about Lissa?" I couldn't help but ask.

The Queen looked at me with sad eyes "she is being cared for in our infirmary. She still hasn't regained consciousness so there is no way of telling what damage there is. Only time will tell."