Vampire Academy: Adrian Ivashkov's New Ending with Rose

Twenty One

Lissa, Adrian, Christian and I ran in with Jill to the place where the council meeting was taking place. The minute we swung open the doors of the room that held a long table with the Moroi that stunk of desperation around it, all eyes turned to us. "Queen Vasilisa." A man I recognized as Mortimer Petrova. He hissed Lissa's new title as if it were a joke. I was about the leap out and punch him but when I felt Adrian's warm hand on my shoulder I took a steadying breath and stood still. As much as I wanted to fight Lissa's battles for her I knew I couldn't this time. Mortimer Petrova was lean and tall with an evil smile on his face. Lissa brushed past Petrova as she held her head up high while she sauntered over to the head of the table where the man sitting in it had risen to give him chair to his queen.

 As she sat in the high back wooden seat Christian took his place standing behind her. She looked so regal and as if this was where she was always meant to be. It sent a pang in my chest as I realized how strong Lissa hand become.

 "Hello everyone, it's been brought to my attention that you all were having a council meeting without me." Lissa said, her voice cold and unfeeling, nothing like my warm and kind best friend.

 "My apologies my Queen but the moment the news got out that Tatiana left the throne to you well we needed to discuss things." Petrova said 

"Without me?" Lissa said with an arched brow as she made her face look cool and uncaring, like Tatiana's. It sent a shiver down my spine. 

"Yes well, we were going to send for you and Mr. Ivashkov." a stout man I couldn't remember the name to squeak before adding with a stutter "A-and Mr. O-Ozera of course." Christian shot daggers at the man. I wanted to laugh but as Adrian gave me a squeeze on my hand before making his way beside Lissa, Lissa could handle this on her own, I hoped. She looked calm and stone like as the council was offering their sons for marriage, especially Petrova who had four but sadly she couldn't marry all of them or Christian, only my boyfriend, and we would never find a loophole. 

But before I could stand and listen to the council meeting I was pulled out of the room "No Dhampirs in the meeting Guardian Hathaway." A bulky man grumbled as he grabbed my arms. I thrashed but had a hand over my mouth and was dragged away by him and his other two companions before Adrian could look back and see me being taken. As I was dragged through the halls, still fighting I wondered why they were doing this so out in the open. Also I was seriously curious about who wanted to take me in the first place. I stopped fighting there restraints as we grew farther and farther away. No one coming after me. Soon we arrived at a big black door. The bulky man's partner knock on the door, waited a moment before a Dhampir I recognized open the door.

 I was taken into the room soon after I was let go when a woman's voice I knew so well said "Hello Rose." I hissed at the men and turned to see my mother. She was dressed in all black as usual, her red hair short cropped and a serious look on her face. "Why the hell did you do that" I yelled at her. She, as usual was unfazed. "Petrova asked that no Dhampirs be in on this meeting." She said. I rolled my eyes and added "And you had to be so dramatic?" Jeanine Hathaway shrugged. 

I got that from her, the sense to make everything bigger than it should, flasher and more exciting. "I know "no dhampirs" was directed at me so tell me why." 

"I don't know." 

"Bull shit of course you do, what's he planning mother." I spat with a sneer. I watched her upper lip twitch when I said her biological title. She has never been my mother. "How am I supposed to know Rosemarie? Moroi, you know are always scheming against one another. We are here to protect and serve you know that. But of course you and your flirtation think a Dhampir and a Moroi could actually live peacefully together." I didn't say anything. I didn't want her to have any satisfaction at making me squirm. I had pushed her too far before which ended in a black eye, I didn't want to relieve that day. Silence was bitch.

 "Fighting over the throne, who is highest in society, that's how they work Rose and we obey. Between us all they shouldn't be so worried about who marries who there all related anyway." Jeanine said. I processed her words. 

She was right, as much as I hated to think that, men like Petrova were always playing games and Lissa will now always be stuck in them. But as everything my mother said sunk in one statement chilled me to the bone. I turned on my heel and tried to open the door but the big men were blocking it "Move." I growled as they smiled. Dhampir's simply obeying orders but not from Moroi but from my mother, a dedicated Dhampir. "Where are you going?" Jeanine asked. "I have to go." I said in a hard tone.

 She raised an eyebrow at me. "P-please?" I said as it came out painfully. With a wave of her hand my mother told the men to move out of my way. I swung open the door and ran down the halls. I didn't know how to get back but I was filled with adrenaline. I needed to find the council room, I needed to see Adrian and Lissa that I finally found the loophole we had been looking for. The smile on my face couldn't be whipped away. 

They shouldn't be so worried about who marries who there all related anyway. 

Jeanine had said. Yes, every Moroi was related so that means that Adrian didn't have to marry my best friend and Petrova and the other council members must have known this as they offered their sons to Lissa. How could I not have seen it before? Adrian was related to Tatiana, but so Petrova's sons and Lissa boyfriend/brief fiancé before this whole mess, Christin Ozera. The family trees are endless with every Moroi last name conceivable. We were free.