After Adrian's visit the night before I hadn't slept much. I tossed and turned in-between the moments when nightmares didn't plague me. I can't remember a time before Strigoi Dimitri kidnapped and fed off me, a time before everything went to crap. When I did eventually pull myself out of bed to shower, I decided to quickly check in with what Lissa was up to. I spent more time getting ready than I had in a while, taking the time to blow-dry my hair, and styling it to emphasize the natural waves. In an hour or so, the Council was going to listen to arguments from different factions with varying ideas on the new age decree, Moroi fighting, and the Dragomir vote. Provided they let me in the hall, I had no intention of missing the debates on the hottest issues in our world right now. With a bit of probing into her mind, I can see her in a cute little café on the other side of the court, alone. With Fire crotch nowhere to be found, I figured that I would sit down and have breakfast with Lissa.

When I was half ways to the café, though, I sensed something that ruined my breakfast plan. Christian had sat down with Lissa.

"Well, well," I muttered to myself. With everything going, I hadn't paid much attention to Lissa's personal life. After what had happened at the warehouse, I wasn't entirely surprised to see them together, though her feelings told me there had been no romantic reconciliation. This was an uneasy attempt at friendship, a chance to get over their constant jealousy and distrust. Personally, I didn't understand her doubt in Christian when he was coaching Jill; if Lissa had trusted him, believed that he truly loved her, there wouldn't be a problem.

Far be it for me to intrude on their make-up session. I knew another place near the guardians' building that also had coffee and doughnuts. It would do, provided no one remembered I was still technically on probation and had made a scene in the royal hall.

The odd didn't seem good.

Still, I decided it would be worth a try and headed over, eyeing the overcast sky uneasily as I went. Rain would just make the last few days worse. When I got to the café I discovered I had nothing to worry about; no one was paying attention to me. There was and even bigger draw: Dimitri.

He sat alone at a table towards the back of the room, coffee and half-eaten glazed doughnut in front of him. In his hand was a worn paperback novel that I would have bet my life was a Western. He had five guardians with him this time, a significant reduction; but when it came down to it they wouldn't be able to stop him if he was still a strigoi anyway. The collective attitude that he still needed close watching irked me. If they couldn't see he was a Dhampir, they were bigger morons than I had ever thought.

No one sat with him, but his escort simply maintained a ring of protection, a couple near the walls and two by the table. The security seemed pointless, to me, that is. Dimitri was completely engrossed in his book, oblivious to everyone around him – or just simply making a show of uncaring. Back before all of this bullshit, Dimitri and I shared this uncanny awareness of each other's presence. In a crowded room, I could find him. And in spite of his preoccupation with his book, he looked up as I approached the café counter. Our eyes lock for a millisecond before I turned away. There was no expression on his face… and yet, I had the feeling he was waiting for something.

Me, I realized dryly. Despite everything, despite our fight and my acceptance his wishes… he still thought I would pursue and make some pledge of my love. Why? Hadn't I made it perfectly clear I had heard and would abide by his requests? Did he just expect me to be that unreasonable? Whatever the reason, I decided I wouldn't give it to him. He'd told me to stay away, and if that was what he wanted that was what I was going to do in commemoration of the love we once and briefly shared. At the counter, I ordered a black coffee and a chocolate éclair. After a moment's consideration, I ordered a second éclair.

I had a feeling it was going to be one of those days.

My plan had been to eat outside, but as I glanced towards the tinted windows, I could just barely make out the pattern of raindrops hitting the panes. Damn. I briefly considered fighting the weather and going back to my room with my food, but I wasn't going to let Dimitri scare me off. I spied a free table that just happened to be on the other side of the room to him, I headed towards, going out of my way not to look at or acknowledge him.

"Hey, Rose. Are you going to the Council today?"

I came to a halt. It was one of Dimitri's guardians that had spoken, giving me a friendly smile a he did. I couldn't remember his name, but it seemed far too rude to ignore him, especially since whenever we passed he seemed nice. Reluctantly I answered back.

"Yup," I said, popping the p, making sure my attention was only on the guardian. "Just grabbing a bite before I do."

"Are they going to let you in?" asked another of the guardians. He too was smiling. For half a second, I thought they might have been mocking my last outburst. But no… their faces showed approval.

"That's an excellent question," I admitted with a laugh. I took a bite of my éclair. "But I figure I should give it a try. I'll also try to be on good behaviour."

The first guardian laughed. "I sure hope not. That group deserves all the grief you can give them over that stupid age law." The other guardian nodded.

"What age law?" asked Dimitri.

Reluctantly, I looked over at him. The smile and playful attitude faded away from me, and my stomach sank. My guardian mask fell into place.

"The decree where royals think sending sixteen-year-old dhampirs out to fight is the same as sending eighteen-year-olds," I say tossing my food into a nearby bin, appetite gone. What the hell is wrong with me? I just threw away perfectly good food. I shake my head in both exasperation and to clear my thoughts.

Dimitri's head shot up so quickly, I took an involuntary step back. "Which sixteen-year-olds are fighting strigoi?" His guardians tensed but did nothing else.

A knot formed in my throat and it took me a minute to find my voice. "That's the decree. Dhampirs graduate when they're sixteen now." I tried to keep my voice devoid of emotion.

"When did this happen?" he demanded, placing his book down gently on the table as anger creased his brow.

"Just the other day, no one told you?" I glance over at the other guardians. One of them shrugged as if to say it's not in my job description. I had the impression that they believed that Dimitri was truly a dhampir, but they weren't ready to get chatty with him. His only other contact would be Lissa and his interrogators.

"No." His gaze turned inward as he pondered over it for a moment. I considered making a run for the doors but decided against it. If we can't be lovers might as well make a pass at being friends. I crossed my arms over my chest and adjusted my stance, figuring I was going to be here a while. "That's insane," he said finally. "Morality aside, they aren't ready that young. It's suicide."

"I am aware of the fact." I wince inwardly at the thought of Spokane, a place that also frequently plagues my nightmares. "Tasha gave a really valid argument against it. So did I."

Dimitri gave me a suspicious look at that last part, particularly when on of his guardians smirked.

"Was it a close vote?" he asked. He spoke to me interrogation style, in the focused and serious way that so defined him as a guardian.

"Very close. If Lissa could have voted, it wouldn't have passed."

"Ah," he said over the edge of his coffee cup as he took a gulp. "The quorum law." I wished I could turn my coffee into tequila, or whiskey; anything stronger. Deciding that this was going to be a longer conversation than I had expected, I took the seat opposite him. I set my coffee down in front of me.

"So, you know about that?" I asked unsurprised. Dimitri always seemed to know everything.

"It's an old Moroi law."

"So I hear."

"What's the opposition trying to do? Sway the Council back or get Lissa the Dragomir vote?"

"Both. And other things."

He shook his head, tucking some hair behind his ear. "They can't do that. They need to pick one cause and throw their weight behind it. Lissa's the smartest choice. The Council needs the Dragomirs back, and I've seen the way people look at her when they put me on display." Only the slightest bit of bitterness coated his words, indicating how he felt about that. "It wouldn't be hard to get the support for that – if they don't divide their efforts."

I didn't want to distract him, so I stayed quiet while he mused over it. It was the first time I had seen the old fire back to his eyes, the only thing he seemed interested in – well, aside from pledging lifelong devotion to Lissa. It was nice to see the old Dimitri, even if it did bring back memories and make my chest clench in heartache. But I reminded myself it's what he wanted and steeled my heart. Dimitri looked squarely at me for the first time in this whole conversation, and like always, the power of his gaze wrapped around me.

"The next time you see Tasha, will you send her to me? We need to talk about this." That single sentence sent a shockwave of horrid pain through my body, shattering the feeble walls I had built around my heart in the last 24 hours. She could have a normal conversation with him, a friendship with him, but I couldn't. So, that's how this was. I wanted to scream, shout, jump up and down, and cause a scene but I mentally slapped myself. This is what I had to do.

"Of course, Guardian Belikov." I nodded my head and took a sip of my coffee. Dimitri threw his hands up in exasperation suddenly, causing me to nearly choke.

"Oh, for God's sake, Rose," he exclaimed, confusing me further. "Why are you still bitter? You had to have seen it coming." The guardians around us whispered to themselves in confusion.

"I can assure you that the message was loud and clear," I place my hand on the table and stand, readying myself to leave. "You were quite clear about your feelings and I have and will respect your wishes." I keep my voice even and low enough that the guardians couldn't hear me.

"You never use titles with anyone, not even guardian Hans. How do you expect me to believe that you just suddenly start using them now?" He too gets to his feet, narrowing his eyes at me. Even with his dwarfing height, I held my ground like I always had against his scolding.

"Believe me, when I tell you, I have been through far too much lately to let an old habit of insubordination stick," I said by way of response. Just as I turn an army suddenly burst through the doors and was upon us.