What about us: Vampire Academy

A battle of words. Chapter 21

Rose POV

"Oh, I don't think that is going to happen." Abe chucked, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

"Sir, resisting arrest by a Royal Guard or harbouring such fugitive will seen as a act of high treason."

"I'm sure it will be." Abe continue to chuckle, not in the least bit intimidated. "Luckily the Queen and I am well acquainted and I'm sure we can clear this up between us."

If the Royal Guard had any ideas of taking us by force they quickly changed their minds, when 15 of Abe's own Guardian's piled into the room via the back door.

"Enough of this." A pompous called from the corridor.

Queen Tatiana strolled into the room with a face full of fury. At her entrance, Abe, Christian and I bowed, while the Guardian's stood to attention. Being a Princess, Lissa just smiled kindly, even if it was a little forced.

"Rosemarie will be escorted back to her lodgings." She declared, once she had seated herself with two Guardians flanking her shoulders.

"So she can continue to be your lab rat? I don't think so." Abe turned his body slightly, so he could look at her directly. The tension between them was increasing by the second.

"All experiments and investigations have been conducted under her consent." Tatiana argued. "Rosemarie understands what is at stake here."

"Well if I remember correctly, under the Dhampir Public Health Act 1956, Section 47, Paragraph 4; 'All medical treatments or  investigations of a underage Dhampir can only take place, under the consent of that Child's parent or Legal Guardian.'" Abe asseverated. "I don't remember giving such consent."

"She is a adult." Tatiana said sourly.

"She wasn't when the 'investigations' commenced."

"That is irrelevant. Rosemarie was signed over to the academy at 4 years old. Therefore, she was a ward of the state, my state. I didn't need to obtain your consent and I had deemed Rosemarie to be capable of making her own decisions." Tatiana answered, flicking her hair back in a silent challenge.

"I have never signed over my right to be her father." Abe hissed, causing Tatiana to smirk when she realised she had hit a nerve.

"No, but her mother did. And as you are probably aware, under the Dhampir Birth Record Act 1929; 'unless the Moroi Father is willingly named on the birth certificate, the Moroi Father is cleared of/ does not have any Legal responsibility over the Dhampir child."' Tatiana declare triumphantly.

"Touche. You are correct. At the time of Rose's birth, I wasn't put on the Birth Certificate. However, when I discovered her existence a few months ago, one of the first things I did was update her Birth Certificate Record, and named myself as her father." Abe affirmed, looking at me with a doting smile. "Therefore not only did you conceal that she was alive from me but you also unlawfully detained, threaten and experimented on my then underaged child."

Even though the fate of my freedom rested on the outcome of this verbal battle, I couldn't help but feel touched by Abe's actions. From the mintue he knew about me, he wanted me. Unlike my mother, I felt he will love me unconditionally.

Tatiana looked from Abe to me and let out a very unqueen like snort. The sound causing Lissa to grind her teeth in disgust. Sitting beside her, Christian looked in utter shock. I couldn't tell it was from Tatiana's behaviour or that he was sitting in my Moroi Father's house. Or both.

"Ibrahim Mazur, mobster and conman turned devoted father. Ha! I never thought I see the day." She cackled with a sardonic smile.

Mobster? Conman? I wasn't sure how I felt about being a mobster's daughter, but I wasn't to surprised. The man managed to get two of his spies to make contact with me while I was incarcerated within the Queen's secret lab.