Elemental Wanderer

Queen's Perspective

Tatiana POV

After the meeting with Adrian and Hans, I was even more confused than before. I decided that a visit to Rhonda, my psychic advisor/fortune teller, for lack of a better term, would hopefully help me clear up some of that confusion. Her father was the man who informed me of the prophecy all of those years ago when I had only just settled into the role as Queen, although he never told me who gave him the prophecy to begin with. He didn't have the same abilities as Rhonda, but from what I've been told, his mother and grandmother did. Seems like it only passed down through the females in his bloodlines.
I walked into Rhonda's office without so much as a knock on the door, but she wasn't surprised. In fact, she expected me. She always knew when I'd be showing up; sometimes even before I knew that I'd be coming here. I stopped questioning it years before I ever became Queen, seeing as that Rhonda and I have been best friends since we were in grade school. Rhonda spoke before I could.

"You're confused." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes." I admitted as I sat down across from Rhonda. No one could bring me down from my high horse better than Rhonda ever could. Honestly, without her guidance, I'd have probably been thrown off of the throne years ago.

"Trust him, Tatiana. He's doing what is best for the time being." I was confused for a moment when she paused, but she clarified. "The girls are at a crucial step in their journey; one is which requires them to reveal themselves on their own." She was talking about Adrian, the princess, and her dhampir friend.

"Rhonda, that's not-" I stared to protest.

"But it is, Tatiana, and you know it. Trust Adrian's judgement; he's right about a lot of things." Rhonda demanded. Suddenly, I thought about how adamant Adrian had been to drag Abe into the search for the Mazur child.

"What about the prophecy and the legends?" I asked.

"The legends are wrong and the prophecy is only half of what it should be." The way that she answered me told me that she couldn't or wouldn't say any more on the subject, but I pressed for more.

"Do you know who she is?" I heard myself asking, desperation clear in my voice.

My best friend sighed. "I've seen her, but there was nothing to give her identity away." She paused. "The key to finding her is in the rest of the prophecy, the legends, and who you rely on for help." Again, Abe invaded my thoughts.

Abe and I met the summer before my senior year when I was visiting Turkey. We had a summer romance, and broke things off when I went back to school, only to realize that I'd fallen in love with him. I didn't see him again for almost 8 years. By that time, I had been Queen for a few years, and he had gained his reputation as Zmey. We spent hours together like old friends and I very nearly professed my love for him when he started telling me about a woman who had claimed his heart.
He explained that he loved her with every ounce of himself, but she had left him because she didn't want to be around or associated with his dangerous reputation. At first, I was pissed at whoever this woman was because I could see how heart broken Abe was, but then I understood.
As Queen, I couldn't be with him. We were literally on opposite sides of the law. Even if I hadn't been elected as Queen, I'm not sure I could still be with him, especially if I wanted a family.
After that, we decided that it was best not to be seen together, and if we wanted to contact one another, it would be through our most trusted under the table messengers.

"Tatiana.." Rhonda whispered; right now, she was being my best friend, not my psychic advisor.

"I know, Rhonda. If anyone knows, he will. I just... I don't know if I can do it." I admitted. "I still love him, and he has no idea."