Queen Thorn (complete)

Chapter 8

"Thank you, brother." 

He smiled at her and went to work on his task.

What in the hell would I ever do with several hundred million dollars? I mean other than spending it on Roza, our future children and my family of course.

"Now, how to keep you all hidden until the coronation. Dimitri, Alberta, Yuri, Emil, Celeste and Serena can escort you all to Rose's new palace it is massive. There are fifty-seven bedrooms, each with an included bathroom, and living area there are another six bathrooms on each floor. The sixth floor is for Rose and Dimitri and any children they may have. The fifth and seventh floors are for guardians, because you can never have too much protection where the queen and her family are involved. There are also six guest houses on the property. Along with stables for two hundred dhampir friendly horses and twenty-six ponies of varying sizes. There is a kennel, that houses the psi-hounds, that guard the grounds. There is a multi-level basement, but I will let you explore that on your own that will give you something to do in the next few days. There is also a barracks on the grounds, for any of your guardians that would rather live on sight, but not in the palace. There is a large formal dining room, a middle size dining room, a small breakfast room. A humongous kitchen, the living room is the same size as the kitchen. The private family room however is a little smaller. The ballroom is twice as big as the one here, as is the banquet hall. There are also three security rooms. Each of the bedrooms has California king size beds, except Rose and Dimitri's. Theirs is twice that size, because Dimitri is sooo tall."

Everyone laughed at me. Which I didn't mind because I am tall, and my Roza loves it. Which was all that mattered to me.

"There is also a maze..." That brought my eyes to Roza's.

She saw and felt my reaction, "it's fine my love; you don't have to worry about anything. We burned the maze down too, everything that was on that property was turned into a pile of ash and carried away by the wind. After we burned everything to the ground baba bought the property and turned it into a free public botanical garden. With a bird and separate butterfly sanctuary, also with a petting zoo and a riding stables. Something beautiful, from something horrific." (daddy)

"Are you sure that you are ok with there being a maze, Roza?" I looked around and saw that the only people that knew what we were talking about was myself, Roza and those that had been with her.

"Yes, love. New and cherished memories to replace the old and painful ones."

"You are so amazing to have come through all of that and still be the amazing and loving woman you have always been, milaya moya." She smiled at me, trying to reassure me. (my dearest)

"I am sorry to interrupt, but what are you talking about Dimitri?" Tatiana asked.

I looked at Roza, asking if it was alright to tell her what we were talking about. When I saw her nod I answered the question.

"The mansion where the strigoi me held my Roza prisoner had a maze on the property."

She and the newbies all gasped, "Oh Rose, I didn't know, I'm so sorry. Do you want me to have it removed?"

Bless the older woman's heart she was nearly in tears. Roza stood up and went over to her aunt. Taking Tatiana in her arms she ran her hands up and down her back to reassure the older lady.

"It is fine Aunt Tati, it's like I told Dimitri. New and cherished memories to replace the old and painful ones."

"You are such a strong woman little one."

"No, not really, I just do what I must. If I had been so strong I would have stuck around here two almost three years ago." She answered sadly.

"No Rose, it is like you told Alberta, you did what you had to do. Not only for your heart, but also for your mind. And I know what you are thinking young lady, so you get that thought out of your head right now. You did not, let me repeat that, you did not let anyone down by leaving. What you did was protect on a much greater scale than anyone else ever has before or ever will again. And I thank you so much for protecting not only the royals, but most importantly for protecting all our people while you were away. Thanks to you and your actions, soon there could be no more strigoi for us to fear."