Turning Tables

Chapter 21

Rose

It was Lissa, Christian, Tasha, me and Dimitri in a private room with a lot of other people outside. This was the walk through for her coronation which would be later this week. The throne room was packed with Guardians and with people wanting to get a quick look at the Queen-elect before she became the true Queen. I suspected the crowd would be much bigger on her actual coronation, but still it made Lissa nervous, very nervous.

Jill was also getting a walk through today, with her duties and responsibilities on the day of the coronation. We had kept Jill and Lissa as separate as possible. In small increments they seemed to be doing fine, but they hadn't really had a heart to heart yet. It was mostly small talk. So we kept them separated and never alone just to avoid the awkwardness between them.

Speaking of awkwardness, Tasha was standing so very close to Dimitri that I had a hard time focusing on my best friend. It seems she hadn't given up on him yet. Despite her lover/ accomplice being on the other end of the door.

He was even telling her about how we were living together, like Lissa and Christian, but she didn't seem to care.

It was getting harder and harder for me to keep my mouth shut and I knew the same was true for Dimitri. Whenever Tasha wasn't looking I could see his mask slip and pure rage and disgust was clear on his face, or sometimes just sadness. Sadness for a lost friend and sadness for Christian. Tasha was his last family. He would be devastated. That was if Hans ever got around to arresting her.

There was a knock on the door and guardian Ethan Moore opened the door. He smiled lovingly at Tasha and then told Lissa they were ready before moving to open the door completely to let Lissa pass. I didn't get a say in the general palace guards, but I knew Hans had kept guardian Moore in the same place to make sure he didn't suspect anything.

I knew Moore worked for Tasha and that Tasha wouldn't hurt Lissa, but still I was very tense with him walking beside Lissa, guiding her to the throne room. He had been partly responsible for killing the last Queen and I wanted him to pay.

We stopped in front of the grand door leading to the throne room. I would walk in first with another guardian then Lissa would follow, after that Christian and Dimitri and then two more guardians at the back. But for the walkthrough we settled on just me and Dimitri.

Once I walked the distance to the throne I stepped behind it as was my place. Christian was beside the throne and Dimitri behind him. Lissa was the last to sit. Obviously on the throne. She had on the same dress she would be wearing at the real coronation because part of the practice was about making sure she didn't trip over the damn thing and it was draped properly over the throne and steps leading up to it.

We used a simple tiara that Lissa had laying around, the real Crown wouldn't be taken out of its vault until the coronation.

The priest that would crown Lissa also wasn't there. Adrian had volunteered for the role.

"And does thau hold our most sacred laws, bla bla bla, promise to protect the people, bla bla etc.".

I laughed but Lissa just looked at her 'cousin'. "This is serious Adrian, I need to practice."

He shook his head. "Yes, but I don't. I have no idea what the words are, I just know there are many. So do you swear not to do anything naughty... unless Christian asks of course." He winked. Christian nearly choked and Lissa just sighed.

"I swear it." Lissa had memorized her part.

"And do you swear to obey our laws, or any that I can come up with on the spot."

Another sigh. "I swear it."

"And do you-"

"-I think that is enough practice, Adrian." I interrupted. He pouted but nodded.