Anything for Her - Complete

Chapter 1

"As Queen of the Moroi world, I don't answer to you," Lissa said pointedly, subjecting Guardian Hans Croft to her most imperious glare. "I need to attend a meeting outside Court. Being daylight, Guardian Hathaway will be sufficient security."

"With all due respect, your Majesty, I need to ensure your protection. I must insist on at least another three guardians to accompany you as well as a detailed travel plan of where you will be going. If your Majesty could delay for a day, two at most, I can put into place the necessary precautions to ensure your wellbeing."

"That won't be required, Guardian Croft. Guardian Hathaway and I are leaving in five minutes, and we'll be leaving alone. I expressly forbid anyone to follow or track us, and if I discover this has occurred, the consequences will be severe."

Guardian Croft was furious at Lissa's orders, but as the reigning monarch, her word was literally law. Turning his exasperated eyes to Rose, Croft gave her a look that plainly said 'talk some sense into her.'

Rose regarded Lissa, trying to get a read on her best friend, employer, and monarch; yet again cursing the lack of the bond they'd once shared. While she could no longer dip into Lissa's mind, the experience of years suggested her best friend, her sister in many ways, was extremely agitated. It took a lot to make Lissa forget her good manners, or to pull rank, especially to someone charged with her safety. The fact she had spoke volumes about her state of mind.

Turning back to Hans, Rose subtly shrugged. Lissa was determined to have her way, that much was clear, so Rose gave him a reassuring look, trying to express without words that she knew Lissa's request was unorthodox at best, downright dangerous at worst, but that as her subjects they were at the mercy of her whims. No matter how capricious.

"Will we be away from Court long, your Majesty?" Rose queried, using the formal honorific to clue Lissa in that this was a request meant to appease Hans, at least a little, and not a general inquiry.

"We will return to Court by midday at the latest" Lissa succinctly replied.

It was currently 8 am. Four hours was a long time outside of wards.

"Your Majesty," Croft implored, "I really must counsel against this!"

"Your objections are noted," Lissa replied coolly. "Queen's Guardian Hathaway will keep you appraised of our movements. You are forbidden from mentioning this to anyone unless we fail to appear at Court by midday without explanation."

Before Croft had a chance to object further, Lissa swept from the room, Rose dutifully following, but not before giving Hans a 'what can you do' grimace. Lissa might be above Hans' wrath, but it was a different story for Rose. She didn't want to antagonize him unnecessarily.

"What was that about?" Rose demanded once she and Lissa were walking alone to the motor pool.

"I don't want to talk about it," Lissa snapped, ignoring Rose the rest of the way before climbing into the passenger seat of the vehicle Rose was about to sign out for the trip. "Just get the car."

Rose regarded Lissa with surprise. Lissa was occasionally snippy with others, but rarely with her. Again she cursed the demise of their bond. Once upon a time, she would have been able to reach in and immediately discover what was troubling Lissa. Sure, it was invasive, but it was effective – especially in circumstances like these.

"Has this been cleared with Guardian Croft?" Rose's former classmate Guardian Blake Aylett checked as Rose was signing the vehicle out. He was looking uneasily at where their twenty-four-year-old monarch sat waiting for Rose in one of Court's ubiquitous black SUVs.