We are DONE waiting six months for a chapter! Huzzah.

This might be one of my favorite non-Russia chapters in this verse. Enjoy ;)

On December thirty-first, an off-duty Rose found herself sitting on Sonya and Mikhail Tanner's devastatingly plush couch. They'd invited a small group of friends to come over for a lowkey New Year's celebration. Someone had put the NYE ball drop on the TV; a pair of celebrities on a platform in Times Square yammered on about their new year resolutions. The countdown read seven minutes and forty-two seconds. Rose was the only person without a plus one. She found herself wishing she could go back in time and repeat her night with Dimitri a year prior.

"Thanks." The first guy turned to his friends, who'd loudly moved on to a new conversation, but then spun back around a second later, motioning for her to come closer. "Mitya's a good guy," he said quietly in her ear. "He hasn't been out on New Year's in a long time, so you're clearly special to him if he's here and he's got you on his arm, you know?" He finished off the drink in his plastic cup. "Anyway, if you're serious about him — even a little — let him know, okay? Don't be like that other girl. She was a fucking bitch, and their breakup was about as bad for him as when Ivan died."

Her frustration was mounting. Eddie was sitting next to her; she elbowed him gently to get his attention. "Kitchen?" she murmured when their eyes met. He nodded.

She found what she was looking for in the freezer with a triumphant hurrah. "I'm so glad we're all vaguely Russian," she said, unearthing a bottle of vodka from underneath packages of frozen vegetables. She held it up. "You in?"

"Hell yes," he replied, breathing out relief.

Anton looked exhausted when Dimitri ushered Rose in and closed the door. He sat on the bed, head in his hands, and only looked up when Dimitri handed him a cup. "Thanks, Mitya."

Dimitri waved him off and Rose watched with amazement as he gracefully folded himself in one of the armchairs in front of his friend. "Anton, Rose. Rose, Anton. He was my partner the first few years after graduation."

She shook his hand and took the other armchair, her eyes locked on Dimitri as he set the bottle of champagne and two remaining cups on the tiny stand of a table between them. Her gaze flitted to Anton for a second. He looked pretty good for a guy who'd once been on the brink of death.

She was opening cabinets, trying to find anything to pour the vodka into, when someone entered the room.

"We don't have shot glasses, but there are measuring glasses in the cabinet to your left," said Mikhail, smiling wryly at the scene.

Rose thanked him and pulled two out, pouring a shot's worth in both with a practiced ease. At the last moment, Mikhail grabbed a third measuring glass and set it down next to the two others.

As she watched Moscow hurtle into a new calendar year, Rose was struck by how unexpected life could be — how last year, she'd been on her couch, splitting a bottle of wine with Mia; Adrian sprawled on the floor, his head in Sydney's lap and a two-and-a-half-year-old asleep on his chest; Lissa and Christian snuggled together at the other end of the couch, her on-duty guardians silently flanked out along the perimeter of the living room; Jill calling for Eddie to get his butt back into the room because the ball was about to drop and I want my New Year's kiss, dammit.

"You have any resolutions for the new year?" Eddie was asking Mikhail. She didn't hear the answer.

And then this year — her, in a stranger's bedroom in fucking Siberia of all places in the world with champagne in a red plastic cup and an outfit on her body that wasn't her. Her, sitting across from a stranger and next to a man whom, if she was honest with herself, she really still didn't know but nevertheless was someone she was falling harder for with every passing day. Her, as far from Lissa geographically as she could get in this hemisphere.

Rose could vaguely hear a countdown being chanted on the TV. Excited voices floated in from the living room.

Where would she be at this time next year? Or the year after? In five, ten, twenty New Year's Eves from now?

The countdown reached ten seconds. She felt an overwhelming sense of watching her body move beyond her control, raising her shot with the other two.

Would Dimitri be there?

Her phone buzzed. She tipped the vodka back with an easy swallow.

D: Dumayu o tebe. Segodnya mnye odinoko bez tebya. Skuchayu i tebya lyublyu. S Noviym Godom moya lyubov'.

She read the text, eyes welling up. Her heart clenched.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. "You look like you've lost your dog."

Her brain helpfully reminded her that she was several minutes into the New Year — hours if she went by Baia's timezone — and while she wasn't going to say anything to push this thing with Dimitri, she was the closest she'd ever been to a midnight kiss and she was going to be really irritated if she didn't get one.

She shook her head, standing and gathering her coat and clutch, not looking at him. "I'm fine."

"Rose, I can tell you're lying, and I've only known you for two weeks.."

"I'm fine," she repeated, voice firm. She might've snapped her words; she couldn't tell. Her earlier good mood had fizzled out, a quiet discontent settling into her bones. "I'm actually kind of tired."

"Rose?" asked Eddie gently. He and Mikhail were posed to return to the group. "Are you okay?"

She jolted herself back to awareness. "Yeah, I'm fine." One of them had swept the glasses into the sink. Jill was loudly asking where Eddie was and he looked torn. "Actually, I think I'm gonna go home."

Mikhail lagged behind. "Do you want me to walk you back?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"Sometimes we have to do things by ourselves," Rose said, pushing a smile onto her face for Mikhail's sake. "I've just had more practice than others." She nodded once more, pocketing her phone. "Thanks for inviting me. I appreciate it."

"I miss this."

"Miss what?"

Mikhail grasped her shoulder with an affectionate squeeze. "Our door is always open to you, Rose."

"I know," she said. "Thank you."

"The stars."

"This life comes with a lot of sacrifices."

She tilted her head up to see him watching her.

"They come first," she said.

"Not always," he replied.

Proclamation From the Office of Queen Vasilisa Dragomir

d. 7 January 2015

Her Royal Majesty the Moroi Queen Vasilisa Rhea Sabine Dragomir safely delivered a baby girl at 04:36 yesterday.

Her Majesty and the new Lady Dragomir are both healthy and recovering in their rooms at the Royal Residences.

On their behalf, Lord Christian Ozera has asked for all to respect the family's privacy at this time.

A public appearance will be made in two day's time. The announcement of Lady Dragomir's name will occur concurrently.

Yours,

HRM Vasilisa Dragomir

Long May She Reign

Tempore Ignis Vivas Draco

"Thank you to everyone for arriving on time," said Hans, looking around the conference table. Rose met his eyes when they landed on her; he was in professional mode and gave nothing away. "This meeting is on record." He nodded to the microphone resting in its stand in the middle of the table. "At this time, I ask everyone to state their name, title, and rank, if applicable, for the record. Hans Croft, Royal Court Captain, Blood 7." He gestured to his right, indicating they go counter-clockwise around the table.

"Okay! Um, Jillian Mastrano-Dragomir. Her Majesty was unable to attend because of the birth of her daughter, so I am here as her acting representative."

"Princess Marie Conta, and for the purposes of today, I oversaw Guardian Hathaway's research during her special assignment."

"Prince Nathan Ivashkov, Council representative."

"Mikhail Tanner, Archives Director, Blood 3."

"Chase Steele, Guardian Council representative, Blood 7."

"Adrian Ivashkov, advisor extraordinaire to the accused." He shot Rose a wink and then scribbled something at the bottom of the legal pad he'd insisted on bringing. Across the table, Nathan snorted.

"Rosemarie Hathaway, Blood 3. Payroll specialist, I guess."

Hans clapped his hands together and sat down in his chair at the head of the table. "Thank you. We are here to open a Level Three investigation regarding accusations of Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway. These accusations were made by several members of the Royal Council and claims have been made that they are well substantiated. The charges against Guardian Hathaway will now be presented by Guardian Steele." He nodded towards the other end of the table. Guardian Steele stood, clearing his throat. Adrian angled his legal pad towards Rose, his attention facing away from her.

Asshole stole Jet's name. Blasphemy, I tell you.

It took every ounce of Rose's control not to burst out laughing.

Guardian Steele began speaking, looking directly at the microphone. "Guardian Hathaway, you are being charged with improper conduct while on special assignment, failure to disclose improper conduct, tampering of research commissioned by the Royal Council, and treason against the monarchy in the third degree." He looked at Rose. "These charges were agreed upon by both the Royal and Guardian Councils. In this case, both councils have waived arresting obligations, so the good news is that you'll get to walk out of here on your own." He nodded at Hans and sat back down.

"Princess Conta," prompted Hans.

Marie Conta stood, readjusting her gray suit jacket. "There are forty-eight items to submit into evidence. The Royal Council plans to submit evidence in two weeks. The Guardian Council will have full access to those materials at that time."

"Thank you, Princess Conta. Prince Ivashkov, your initial statement."

Nathan didn't stand. Instead, he leaned forward, his eyes darting between Rose and Adrian like he couldn't decide who he tolerated least. "Upon Guardian Hathaway's arrival at Court following her assignment, the Council asked for her to turn in all of her research, including the laptop and phone she used. The first evidence we found of her transgressions was discovered while assessing her recorded interviews. It was then discovered that this was not the first instance. When we finished reviewing her research, many of us on the Council felt it was most appropriate to inform Guardian Hathaway's superiors within the guardian system and let them handle the situation from there."

Rose's head was spinning. Recorded interviews? Every single one of them was professional. There was nothing she could remember that was even slightly incriminating. What could they possibly have found in her audio files?

Hans thanked Nathan and asked Mikhail for his initial statement.

"Thank you, Guardian Croft." Mikhail glanced at Rose with an encouraging half-smile. "I am here to provide the initial character statement for Guardian Hathaway. I have known her for six years, and in that time, I've found her to be an intelligent and competent guardian. She is an invaluable asset to any and all assignments she is given. In my experience, she has displayed a dedication to the guardian system that few others will ever develop. In the past, the Queen has spoken to me personally about her trust in Guardian Hathaway's ability to execute her role. Guardian Hathaway followed the Queen in an unofficial capacity while attending both Lehigh University and, later, the University of Pennsylvania; the Queen told me that not once was she ever worried about Ro—Guardian Hathaway's ability to ensure her safety."

Thank you, she mouthed to Mikhail. He'd been one of the surprises when Rose arrived, and she was now grateful for his presence.

"Thank you, Guardian Tanner," said Hans. He turned to Rose. "Guardian Hathaway, is there anything you would like to add before we discuss the next step in the investigation?"

Hans had warned her a few days prior that she'd be given a chance to state her case during the initial hearing. She'd gone straight to Sydney, seeking her guidance and critical eye in developing a statement. Showing up unprepared and letting her mouth take over was the fastest way to getting her title stripped. Adrian pulled a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket and slid it to Rose. She unfolded it and pushed her voice to sound steady.

"I, Guardian Hathaway, acknowledge the charges presented against me," she said. Next to her, she could feel Adrian watching her. The familiarity of his presence was comforting. "I choose to withhold my opinion at this time, until I am able to review the evidence and prepare my testimony. I recognize that this meeting is taking time away from other important matters, so thank you for being here today. I promise to fully comply with the investigation and I look forward to seeing this through to the end. Thank you."

"Is there anything else that needs to be addressed before we move on?" Hans asked, looking around the room. Nobody said anything. Rose caught Jill's gaze, who flashed a quick smile. Having her present instead of Lissa had melted away some of Rose's initial nerves.

"Great. Moving on." Hans flipped to the second page of his own legal pad. "As Princess Conta stated, the Royal Council's evidence will be submitted to the Guardian Council in two weeks' time. On February the first, a team of guardians, with Alchemist assistance, will begin conducting witness interviews at the main site of Guardian Hathaway's research, as well as at St. Basil's. We anticipate that process will take approximately two to three weeks. Subpoenas for those who need to testify in person have been issued to Captain Nikolai Sosnitsky at St. Basil's Academy.

"Testimonies will be taken on the twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth, and twenty-ninth of February. Cross-examination will begin on March the first. Guardian Dimitri Belikov has been subpoenaed for testimony and cross-examination the week of March seventh. The Guardian Council will then convene to discuss their findings in conjunction with the submitted evidence. Guardian Hathaway is scheduled to give testimony and participate in cross-examination when that discussion ends. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the Guardian Council, with input from Her Majesty and the Royal Council, will determine disciplinary action, up to and including stripping Guardian Hathaway of her status and title." Hans took a breath and looked up from his notes. "Are there any questions about any of the information I just presented?"

Adrian raised his hand. "Hi, yes, Lord Ivashkov speaking. Is there an estimate on when Rose will actually deliver her testimony?" He sat back and reached for Rose's knee under the table, giving it an affectionate, supportive squeeze. She was grateful he asked the question. Not knowing when she'd actually be interrogated sounded unbearable.

"At this time, it's unknown," Hans replied. "It may take us a day, it may take a month. It all depends on what we hear. Anything else? No? Alright, we will begin closing procedures. Guardians Steele, Tanner, and Hathaway, in accordance with guardian policy, please state your agreement to comply with the investigation. It is your understanding that in doing so, you agree to remain silent on this confidential matter until public testimony begins."

"Guardian Steele. I agree to comply with the investigation, including following protocol on handling sensitive information."

Rose waited for Mikhail to echo him before declaring her intention to comply.

A look of relief washed over Hans's face when he spoke next. "Move to end this meeting?"

"Aye," said Jill.

"Second," Nathan interjected, almost immediately.

"Third," Guardian Steele added, briefly raising his hand but not his attention from the notes he was writing.

"All in favor?" asked Hans. When a unanimous aye came back, he clicked his pen shut and flipped his padfolio shut. "Excellent. Meeting adjourned. You are free to leave. Tanner, a moment of your time?"

Rose was the first out of the room, Adrian hot on her heels. The hallway was much cooler and less stuffy, and she felt like she could breathe again. The conference room was in a back corner of the Guardian Headquarters, so there was no else around. "God, I'm so glad that's fucking over." She handed her statement back to him. "Burn that or something."

"Maybe it's because you're one of my best friends," Adrian said flippantly, an easy smile on his face. "But when you were reading this, it sounded like you'd rather eat a slug casserole than agree to this nonsense."

Jill came up to them. "I can't stay long," she said. "It won't look good if I'm cozying up to you after that, and I have to get back to Ella. But Rose, I just wanted to tell you that I think you did great. I hope you really don't lose your guardianship."

"Thanks, Jill. That means a lot," Rose said.

Jill beamed. "You're welcome." She turned to Adrian just as the others started filing out of the room. "You guys are still coming over for dinner next week, right?"

"Absolutely." Adrian jerked his head toward Rose. "We'll drag this one along."

"Great." She gave them one last smile. "See you later."

"I hope nothing bad ever happens to her ever again," Rose observed, watching Jill float away down the hallway. "She's too precious."

Nathan came over at that point, a near ecstatic look on his face. His black slacks and pale blue dress shirt were perfectly tailored, and something about that pissed Rose off.

"You know, Miss Hathaway," he said casually, though certainly not with the same congenial tone as his son. "When I heard that file with you and Guardian Belikov, it was the best thing to happen to me since a friend of mine gifted me with a two hundred dollar bottle of gin." His expression darkened and he leaned in close enough that Rose could smell old barbeque sauce on his breath. "I was never able to prove that you're the one responsible for Victor Dashkov's disappearance, a plan that included and endangered my son. And that was after you seduced him like the blood whore you'll no doubt end up becoming once the guardians find that you're a disgrace to Moroi everywhere." He straightened, a disturbing grin in place.

Oh, how Rose wanted to deck the guy right then and there. Had she been younger, she probably would have. Adrian's hand on her arm was the only thing that kept her from swinging. Well, that and the fact that Hans was listening to them, only half paying attention to what Guardian Steele was saying. Everyone else had disappeared.

What would Dimitri do? she wondered. And then, suddenly, it hit her like a bullet to the chest.

"As always, Prince Ivashkov, I find your charming wit to be thoughtful and amusing." She glanced at Adrian, a fake smile plastered on her mouth. "Your darling human wife and dhampir son are waiting for us, are they not?" Adrian nodded, mirth in his eyes. She turned back to Nathan, scrunching her face like she found him adorable. "This conversation has been an absolute pleasure, Your Royal Highness, but your son and I have dinner plans, so we must be on our way."

Adrian, finally able to jump in on the act, extended his elbow for Rose. "You are absolutely correct, little dhampir. Nathan," he said with a nod, not acknowledging his father any further. As they were leaving, however, Nathan said something that chilled Rose to her core.

"Bluff all you want, Roza!" he called out, emphasizing her nickname. "The evidence speaks for itself, and I can't wait to watch you squirm on the stand when you hear what you did."

She didn't look back despite how much she wanted to. The only thing she could think about on the walk back to Adrian's place was Nathan's attempts at goading her into a reaction. It was driving her crazy that she couldn't remember what he was talking about, and that was assuming she was even aware of recording something she shouldn't have. All of it begged the question:

What the fuck was in her audio files?

Upon her return to Court, Rose's assignment had defaulted to Open/Unmatched and it'd taken Hans all of twenty-four hours to place her on desk duty.

"This is just until I can put in an expedited assignment transfer when it comes time to assign you to Her Majesty," Hans had said during their meeting in his incredibly impersonal office. At the time, all Rose felt was a twisted sense of humored dread.

Now, being on desk duty felt like an impending life sentence.

It wasn't terrible, though. Hans had offered her a choice on her placement at headquarters. His suggestion, based on her experience and skill set, was in Comms. He'd arrange for her to slip onto the team devoted to fielding and processing incidents reports from the field. She wouldn't be on the front lines, but it would be enough to keep her boredom at bay.

Very confidently and much to his surprise, she requested to be placed in HR.

The hellscape she'd imagined was far more pleasant than expected. Hans begrudgingly admitted on her first day that he'd caved to the idea of experimenting with an open floor plan. The open space looked much like any office that humans worked in. It reminded Rose of the Alchemists, in a way: sterile desks holding only stacks of paperwork and empty coffee mugs, phone headsets with bruisingly thin metal bands hanging from computer monitors, clacking keyboards and the hum of low conversation soundtracking the background.

"How good are you with numbers?" Hans asked that day as they maneuvered around table clusters of six desks.

"Terrible," Rose replied.

"Perfect." He stopped in front of a familiar face. It was Mia's boyfriend. "Don't mess anything up. Roschek, she's all yours."

Rose caught his arm before he could leave. Without meaning to, she arched an eyebrow. Success. "Payroll? Really?" she asked knowingly.

Hans gave her an inscrutable look. "There was an opening." And then he'd turned on his heel and marched back to his office.

The guardian sitting across from Rose's new workspace snorted and rolled his eyes. "No wonder he hasn't moved up the ladder yet," the guy said in a tone that indicated this was a very old source of office gossip. "Dude's probably the softest warhorse of 'em all." He acknowledged her existence long enough to add, "Call me Levin."

Two months later, Rose was debating if she regretted not following Hans's suggestion about working in Comms. Upon learning that she really, truly knew absolutely nothing about payroll, Roschek had almost gleefully handed off all the non-math parts of his job. Now here she was, approving time off requests and answering the phone. It was mind-numbingly tedious at best, but it was better than perimeter duty or, worse, having nothing to do at all. Hans teaming her with Roschek was the one bright spot in her situation.

Her shift was nearly over when she gave the payroll system another cursory glance, making sure everything was sorted and ready to go the following day, when a new leave request notification popped up. Curiosity got the better of her and she clicked on the notification bubble. The page that loaded shocked her so badly, it felt like someone had punched all the air out of her lungs.

Belikov, D. R. — General Security, St. Basil's Academy (1/2)

Hours: 96

Date(s): 24/02 to 07/03

Reason Code: 08 - LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Belikov, D. R. — General Security, St. Basil's Academy (2/2)

Hours: 276

Date(s): 08/03 to 31/03

Reason Code: 04 - PERSONAL (UNSPECIFIED)

— Note: Recommended with pay (SNF)

Rezinov, A. Y. — Deputy Captain, St. Basil's Academy

Hours: 192

Date(s): 24/02 to 07/03

Reason Code: 08 - LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Sosnitsky, N. F. — Captain, St. Basil's Academy

Hours: 192

Date(s): 24/02 to 07/03

Reason Code: 08 - LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Her control over the mouse was shaky and it took a couple of attempts for her to mark the request as Pending. She locked the system, resolute in no longer wanting to be at work. Levin had already left; unintelligible EDM was bleeding out from Roschek's headphones and she had to whack him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"I'm leaving," she announced. Informing him when she was packing it in for the day was a habit she'd developed early on. It felt awkward every time she did it, but she was also discovering that he was the opposite of what she'd come to expect from Mia's boyfriends. He was socially awkward, spoke softly, and had a slew of niche interests, including armor-making and the national South Korean curling team. His most prized possession, he'd told Rose one morning when they were still chasing away sleep with coffee, was his 120 gallon aquarium.

"Oh, okay, cool," Roschek replied, sliding off his headphones. Then, as if he were suddenly aware of his surroundings, he frowned. "Is it really that time?" He glanced at the clock on his computer screen. "Guess it is. Have a good night, then, Hathaway."

"Same to you," she said with a small smile, which quickly fell from her face as soon as she walked away. It was difficult to walk and scroll through her contacts at the same time, so by the time she got to the name she wanted, she was breezing through the Guardian Headquarters's lobby.

"Rezinov," a sleepy voice said.

"Hey, Anton, it's Rose."

"Kto?" he asked and then swore. "Rose. Hello. To what do I owe the honor?"

"Your boss's leave request, that's the honor," she said impatiently. If he'd been sleeping, then it likely hadn't been Anton who sent in the request. She was banking on Captain Sosnitsky having been the one to submit the request.

Anton hummed, pitch high with surprise. "I can't believe the old bastard actually followed through on something. Typically it takes him at least two weeks."

"Does…" She paused. Though she was moving with speed, there were still far too many people out and about for her to feel safe about who was listening. "Does Mitya know?" she asked. His nickname was clunky on her tongue after not saying it for so long.

"No," Anton said. There was a feeling of protection in his words. "But once the request is approved, we're telling him. Unless you tell him first, since you were so quick to let him know. How did you find out about that leave request, by the way?"

Rose's laugh was dry. "I'm helping out the good folks in payroll while this investigation unfolds. It came in as I was leaving."

The joke died somewhere over the Atlantic because Anton didn't laugh. "You need to tell him, Rose."

"I know I do. You're not the only—"

"Stop," he said, effectively cutting her off. "Poslyushay menya. Listen to me. Mitya is not a stupid man. Quite the opposite. He is aware that something is going on and he likely already suspects what it is. I think—"

"I'm going to tell him," she interrupted.

"When?"

Her silence spoke for her.

"Did he ever tell you about Sveta?" asked Anton.

Rose stopped short in the middle of the sidewalk outside of guardian housing. "Who?" she asked.

"His ex."

We were together for a while. Long enough that I actually moved with her out west, to Moscow…. She ripped me apart from the inside out and scattered the pieces to the wind with a smile on her face. We couldn't get here for New Year's and that was the night I left…. It was a hard winter. My mother kicked me out at one point because I was acting so out of line.

"Oh. Her." Rose shook her head. "Yeah, he told me why he left."

"So then you understand the gravity of keeping secrets from him."

She sucked in her lips. ". . . He didn't mention that part," she said slowly.

On the other end, Anton sighed. "I can tell you more later, but Sveta… she had a habit of not telling him the whole story, and then they would spend hours arguing about it when the truth eventually came." He paused. When he spoke, he almost sounded humored. "It's against my religion to give unsolicited advice, but if I break my rule for you, Rose, it's to tell you this: Don't be like Sveta. I would hate to see him end your relationship while you're on trial for it."

Rose was still standing outside of her building. Anton's words were enough motivation for her to get inside where she could process what he was saying. It made sense. She had nothing to gain by keeping him in the dark about the investigation. All it did was leave both of them defenseless, separated by a chasm of unknowns. Suddenly, Rose felt stupid for ever having considered she didn't need him to handle the problem. Wasn't that the whole point of being in a relationship? Having someone who'd always be in your corner, ready to support you through life's difficulties? Why had she forgotten that?

"He loves you, Rose," said Anton. "More than I have ever seen him love another person. Under normal circumstances, I'm certain he would have proposed by now. I can't imagine a world where he survives you breaking his heart, so please don't let your independence overrule the situation. I don't say that lightly, either. You're a smart woman. I know you will do what you have to do. I'm just making the point."

Rose laughed softly. "I appreciate it. Thank you." She sobered, looking down at the carpet of the lobby. It was old and worn, trampled upon until the fabric had faded from a deep red to an ugly shade of burnt orange. She jabbed the toe of her shoe into a little hole where a chair leg clearly used to sit. "It's helpful to hear it from you, though. You know him best outside of his family."

"Speaking of, did you hear about Vika?" asked Anton. He sounded relieved to be talking about something else.

"Yes!" Excitement bubbled forth. "She called the other day to tell me. The only thing she was upset about was that I can't come to the wedding."

Anton laughed. "What do you think about it?"

"I think it's fucking crazy to marry a guy you met four months ago, in all honesty. But I'm not one to judge. If it works out, I'm happy for her," Rose said.

"Interesniy," Anton replied. "Honestly, I think she's only doing it because Karo and Sasha married last year. She's always had this need to be exactly like her sisters."

"She'll figure it out," Rose said.

"She will," Anton agreed. "Mitya's shift ends in an hour and half. If I were you, I would try to catch him before he goes to sleep."

"I will. Thank you, Anton."

"You're welcome. I'm going back to sleep," he said, and then promptly hung up before she could say anything in reply.

In the grand scheme of things, an hour and a half wasn't a very long time, but to Rose, it dragged on as if stuck in perpetual eternity. The first thing she did when she got inside her apartment was take an unnecessarily long shower, followed by a second shower when she realized she never actually washed her hair the first time. With no plans for the rest of the day, she threw on a pair of sweats, a t-shirt, and the ratty pair of slippers Olena had gifted her upon her arrival in Baia and later insisted Rose take with her when she was packing to leave.

Cooking dinner seemed like too much work, she decided when she was standing in front of her fridge. Making a double-decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich was infinitely easier. When she finished eating, the stove clock told her she still had forty-five minutes left. It made her want to scream; she swallowed the impulse and reached for her phone.

R: Call me when you're off duty?

His reply was almost immediate, making Rose wonder what he was doing that could allow for him to look at his phone.

D: Of course. Is everything okay?

R: Yes and no. It'll make more sense when I tell you.

After a few minutes, when it became obvious that she wasn't going to get another text from him, she tossed her phone on the couch and began pacing, mind spinning. This already felt to Rose like it was going to be an ugly conversation. How could she even phrase the news?

Hey, so remember that time I blatantly lied to Lissa's face about dating you? Yeah, that backfired and now we're both in deep shit.

The Council went through my laptop and phone when I got back and they hate any sort of happiness, so we're both fucked.

Remember how your worst fear is us breaking up? Yeah, well, turns out someone else is going to do that for us.

None of those seemed like viable options. There was no way to predict how Dimitri would take the news, either. Before Anton's call, Rose had been operating under the assumption that Dimitri's initial reaction would be anger and sadness, followed by some kind of realistic breakdown of the problem and an ironic sense of optimism that maybe, just maybe, the universe would work out in their favor. But they were guardians. Since when did fate ever give them a break?

Her ringing phone pulled Rose back to reality. It was Dimitri, fifteen minutes earlier than she expected.

"Hi?" she answered. "I thought you weren't done yet?"

"I asked my relief to come in early. You never ask me to call you outside of our scheduled times, so I assumed it was important," he replied easily. It sounded like he was walking swiftly in the background.

She sucked in a breath, grateful this conversation wasn't taking place over video. Her eyes started watering as fear and anxiety raced through her system.

"Roza?" he asked gently, and that's all it took for the dam to break.

"I hate them," she said, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Every single fucking one of them. All they fucking do is fucking sit at their big, fancy tables with their big, fancy chairs, deciding how everyone else is supposed to live their goddamn lives, as if those fuckers aren't just looking out for themselves and nobody fucking else."

It took a moment for Dimitri to respond. "I'm lost, Rose, but I can hear that you're upset and—"

"Marie Conta." Rose's brain was sluggishly trying to grasp the context she needed to relay to him. She scrubbed at her face, angry at her inability to stay composed. "When I got back, at my meeting with the Council, Marie Conta, my supervisor for the assignment, made me surrender my laptop and phone, and now the Guardian Council is launching an investigation because they have very, very clear evidence of me — us — acting against the code of conduct."

This time, Dimitri didn't say anything for a long time. The only sounds she could make out were the jangling of his keys, a door sweeping open, and his controlled deep breaths. His mattress springs squeaked in protest when he sat down. When he spoke, it sounded like he was using everything in him to remain calm.

"When did this happen?" he asked, voice tight, and Rose's heart sank.

"November. Two months ago," she whispered. Her body was refusing to stop crying, but that betrayal came second to the tight pit in her stomach.

"And the investigation?"

"Hasn't started yet. But it will, soon." Her voice was weak, cutting out every few words. She cleared her throat. "They're going to question everyone I included in my reports. Some of that will be here at Court."

"Including my mother and sisters," he said, his tone unchanging. It was eerie to hear him speak so neutrally to her.

"Yeah. I'm so sorry," was all she could choke out. There was another long silence, long enough that it made Rose impatient. "Well dammit, Dimitri, say something."

"What do you want me to say?" he asked. She could hear the frown in his words.

"Anything!" she exclaimed. "That you're angry at me for not telling you! That you hate me and distrust me and want nothing to do with me. That this was all a mistake and not worth the hassle because I can never keep my pride in check."

"That's not—Are you crying?"

"Maybe," she said, sniffling.

"There's no need for that, Roza. I'm… I can't say that I'm not frustrated, but it seems like you're making a lot of assumptions about how you thought I might react."

Damn. This conversation wasn't supposed to go this way. Rose had expected shouting, cursing, anything more chaotic than the tight control he was exercising over his words. She stayed quiet, unsure what to say next.

"Do you want my honest reaction?" he asked gently.

She nodded before remembering he couldn't see her. "Y-yes," she croaked. The tears were finally starting to slow.

"Yes, I'm upset that you didn't say anything sooner. I'm frustrated and confused. I thought we were past that. And yes, I regret and feel foolish for never following up more thoroughly on what was going on with your research once you returned to Court, but that's hindsight. I never felt like I needed to push beyond what you told me." He sucked in a breath. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

She wracked her cloudy brain for anything else, feeling like she was forgetting something, but ultimately came up with nothing. "Just that I know you'll be here in late February to give your testimony. Sosnitsky requested paid leave for you through the end of March."

Dimitri chuckled, and just like that, Rose's guilt started to ease a bit. "That's good news in it's own way, then. February is certainly closer than August."

"So you're not mad?" she asked.

"I think asking me how I'm currently feeling is a tall order right now," he replied. "Because on top of everything, we just started the field experience for the novices and I've been awake for thirty-six hours straight at this point. Honestly, Rose, what I need right now is some sleep and some time."

She stood up and crossed the room to the window, looking out towards the courtyard that sat in the middle of the guardian and guest housing buildings. Her fingers danced along the edge of her blackout curtains. The longer she heard his voice, as strained as it was, the easier it was to calm down. "How long is 'some time'?" she asked softly, actively combatting her fear of the worst happening.

He exhaled. "I don't know? A day or two? More? Who knows, maybe I'll wake up later and feel completely different."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I should've waited for later, after you've slept. This is a lot and I know you're busy, far busier than I am, and I just… I'm sorry. I am." Movement in the courtyard caught her attention. It was a Moroi couple walking around the fountain, their arms around each other. The man leaned over to kiss the woman's temple; she looked up at him and beamed. Fuckers.

"But also," she said, an instinct to fix things washing over her, "I shouldn't have waited at all. And I regret not doing that. I misjudged the situation. I was too scared and prideful to think about anything beyond handling the problem because that's what I do. Did. I didn't want you stressing about something you have no control over. But that's all on me because I never once stopped to truly see it from your view and I should have done that. If our roles were reversed, I'd be angry, too."

There was yet another long silence from Dimitri. This time, Rose ended up checking her phone to make sure the call hadn't dropped. It hadn't, and so she waited. If they were on video chat, she'd be able to see the gears in his brain whirring at a thousand miles an hour.

"Thank you for acknowledging that," he said at last. "What happens next?"

She debriefed him on her meeting with Hans, Jill, and Marie Conta earlier in the week. "So that's why I finally said something. It would've been worse if you heard about all this from Anton and not me."

"It would have," Dimitri agreed. Rose heard the rustling of clothes and the squeak of the mattress when he stood up.

"Anton said you knew something was going on," Rose prompted.

"I had a feeling." He sounded far away, like he'd put her on speaker.

"How?"

"I don't know. I could just tell. There were some calls where you seemed, I don't know… You were clearly stressed out and you'd deflect every time I tried asking. So I stopped asking for a little while." His voice came closer, the deep timber warming Rose all over. "I figured whatever it was, you had your reasons for not telling me. I wish you had, though."

She gripped the curtain tight between her fingers. "I wish I had, too."

"I know." He took a deep breath. "Listen, Roza. I'm exhausted. I'm going to sleep on this and take a couple of days to wrap my head around it."

A noise of protest bubbled up in Rose's throat. She coughed to cover up the sound. Hopefully he hadn't heard it.

"But I need you to remember something this week, okay?"

"I can do that," she promised.

"Remember that I still love you. You have my heart, Roza, from now until the end of time. No matter what the future holds, that will never change."

She was crying again, silently this time. She hadn't anticipated just how relieving it was to hear him affirm his love.

"I love you, too," she said, pressing her phone as close to her ear as she could. "I'm going to let you go get some sleep."

"Thank you. I'll talk to you in a couple of days, okay?"

"I'll be here," she said.

"I know. Good night, Roza."

"Sleep well, comrade."

She hung up, her lips fighting a small smile. Dimitri was still in her corner. He still loved her and had made sure to say as much, reassuring her in the middle of his own emotional turmoil.

Maybe — just maybe — he really was the love of her life.