Vladimir and other guards forced the man away, taking him to the underground prison Chambers and threw the man into the cell. Irina moved with Vladimir to arrest Praskovya from her sleeping Chamber and dragged young Tsarvich, Alexander, along with his mother. The young prince shouted out for Averinka, when he's dragged away by the guards but Averinka turned her face away from his desperate cries and pleads. Averinka's knees gave away and Irina caught her by draping her arm around the queen before she could fall from exhaustion. Irina barked at the maid nearby to give her water and brought the glass near to the Queen's lips urging her to drink.
"Your majesty must rest." Lady Sylvia spoke and Irina helped Averinka to the Queen's bedchamber. The queen changed out of her formal gown into her simple white tulle gown, tying the string of her gossamer robe and Irina helped her master into the bed. Irina sent for Sylvia prepare herbal tea for the Queen who was burning up. Irina pulled the covers over the queen and sat on the stool near Averinka's bed.
"I have never thought Uncle would do this to me. To be betrayed by your own blood is the worst punishment in the world." A stray tear slipped from Averinka's eye and the queen turned to lie on her side, facing away from Irina.
"Master..." The girl opened and closed her mouth, as if wanting to speak to the queen but then disturbed by a knock on the door where the messenger man stood along with a guard.
"The council is sitting for the emergency meeting regarding the trial of Noble Vladislav."
"Tell the body of council that the queen is struck down by the fever and cannot attend the meeting. The meeting must wait till the next day."
"But the Lord Gavini insisted..."
"Then ask your Lord Gavini to come and see the queen himself. The woman is in no condition to sit." The man said nothing further and took his departure. Lady Sylvia returned with the herbal tea and Irina took it from her setting the cup on the table.
"Inform Adviser Patronovich, that the queen is not in the condition to attend the meeting. The council must wait."
-
"We ran a CT scan on her again to be sure but there's no sign of internal injury, tumor or bleeding." A male doctor explained to Mason and David who shook their head in understanding.
"When she'll wake up?" Mason asked but the doctor shook his head.
"We cannot say anything about it, but let's pray she wakes up within 24 hours else she'll fall into the coma." The doctor left from there and Mason slumped against the wall, the only thing which kept him standing was the arm of David around him.
"I don't understand..." David pulled Mason into his arms and let the man cry out his heart. If he had been in Mason's position and Alex were in the hospital bed, slipping to mouth of coma he would have lost himself too. Annabeth nudged Aaron and motioned Alex to give the couple their privacy, and left from the corrdior.
"It's going to be okay." David murmured into the shorter male's hair and rubbed his back. "Our Ava is strong, she is going to pull through it."
Mason pulled back and excused himself to the washroom to fresh himself. He opened the tap and splashed cold water on his face, seeing his red eyes and grabbed the tissues from the dispenser to dry his face. He returned to the ICU lounge, and sat on the chair. David decided to take Alex to home, before grabbing few things from their house and Aaron took his car to drop Annabeth to her home.
They had a long night ahead of them.
-
Through the dim lit hall at night, a shadow passed through the walls in the flickers of lamps, and slipped back into the darkness.
"Queen's personal advisor, Sir Patronovich has ordered to delay the court meeting till next morning."
"It could not wait given the circumstance Vladislav..."
"Patience." The other man spoke crossing the room. "It'll work in our favor if we hold it till next day. The horses will be on their moves tonight."
_
Irina stepped down the stoned stairs to the basement prison Chambers, met by the security guards and came to stop in front of Vladislav's cell where the man was sitting with his bowed head along with his wife and son. Irina could almost pity him.
"Lord Vladislav." She addressed the elder man aloud who looked up and a frown was immediately formed on his face upon the sight of the girl.
"I don't know what are your reasons but I wouldn't allow a peasant like you to harm the crown." The man spat in anger, and Irina looked down at the man through the iron bars of the prison cell with a sharp look in her eyes.
"Lord Vladislav's tongue must know when to speak or not. Your own words can act against the crown" The man's narrowed his eyes on her, but then something silent transpired between them and Irina turned to look at the second Imperial prince who was sitting quietly with his mother.
"I need your son to come with me."
"I won't go with you!" The young prince barked jumping on his feet and rushed to grab the iron bars coming face to face with the vampire. Irina grabbed the chin of the bar and smiled down at him.
"You, young master, has no other choice but to come with me." And Irina leaned forward to bringing her mouth near to the boy's ear, "Besides, I know you know about my secret." She whispered and the boy's eyes widened in fear.
-
Mason sat, hands crossed and pressed to his mouth in a thought before Chris spotted the man and went to the coffee machine at the hospital cafeteria to get him a cup of hot coffee. He took the cup with him, and knowing that the other male didn't notice him approaching crouched in front of the man on the white marbled floor, and rested his hand on Mason's knees causing the man to break out of his thoughts and look up at the boy.
"I have brought you coffee?" Chris accentuated his words by raising a cup of coffee up for Mason.
"Thank you but I don't feel like having anything."
"You've been worried sick for Ava, it'll help you calm down your nerves."
"But I..."
"Just few sips. You seem tired and you have entire night ahead of you." Chris' hand slipped up on the other male's thigh and leaned forward between invading his personal as if wanting to say something before he felt strong hands on him who pulled him back, turning him around and a fist connected with his face.
"David!" Mason cried standing up and went to help Chris up who was lying on the hospital's floor clutching his swollen eye.
"This slut doesn't know when to stop." David barked stepping forward ready to punch the boy again, but before then Aaron had returned back and rushed to step in between David and Chris.
"I respect you Mr. David but don't you dare to call him slut again!" The younger male barked, and David straightened his back at the sharp loud tone of Aaron.
"Didn't you see what he's doing?" David pointed angrily at Chris who was still nursing his black eye but spoke nothing.
"I saw what he's doing. But Mr. Mason is adult enough to stop his advances if he felt uncomfortable." Aaron spat back and turned on his heels, lifting Chris up on his feet.
"You misunderstood, David. I didn't take you as a type to be insecure. The boy is frank but his intentions weren't wrong."
"Mason, I..."
"I'm need some air. I'll be outside." With that said Mason walked away leaving David standing alone in the lounge.
Aaron took Chris with him by shoulder, and made him sit on the chair in the empty lounge outside a nurse's office and knelt before the guy removing his hand and examining his bad eye as a purplish bruise began to form under it.
"Why do you do this?" Chris said something but sat with his lowered head. "What am I going to do with you?" Aaron spoke almost as a whisper, and pushed back hair out of Chris' face.
"I wasn't going to do anything to him." Chris snapped. "His skin seemed feverish I was going to check for his forehead."
"I know."
Chris sighed and moistened his lips, looking at Aaron apologetically because he knew Aaron would never speak things on his mind but Chris could read him like an open book.
"You didn't have to defend me back there." Aaron scowled at Chris' words." He's right I am a slut who..."
"You are Not!" Aaron barked, standing up and placed his both hands on Chris' shoulders.
"You are anything but a whore and I'd not allow anyone to call you a slut." Aaron leaned down and placed a kiss on his lips. "Not even You to call yourself one." Aaron murmured against Chris' mouth, before pulling away and turned towards the nurse's office.
"I'm going to get a nurse for you." Aaron rotated the knob of the door and disappeared inside the office. Chris sat shocked and wide-eyed, breathing heavily and raised his hand to touch his lips.
'Aaron has kissed me.'
"Damn it!" Chris cursed clutching his head in his hands.
It cannot happen between them.
-
The queen rose from her troubled sleep, and in bluish darkness of the midnight hours she saw a silhouette on the opened balcony and a shadow which slipped behind the muslin curtains. She didn't move, held her breath and reached for a dagger under her pillow and kept her eyes close pretending to be asleep. There's a faint thump of the boots on the balcony and she felt one of figure dressed in a black cloak approaching towards her which pulled out a sword from his sleeve ready to strike the queen before three figures emerged from the shadows, with drawn swords attacking the assassins and the Averinka jumped out of her bed with her dagger preparing herself to attach if needed be. The figures clashed their swords with the three assassins, and one of the figure cut through the back of an assassin dropping him wounded on the floor. The doors to her chamber burst open and Vladmimir and Alexander rushed inside the room along with the royal guards. The other two assassins were forced on to their knees, with blood seeping out of cuts on their arms and legs. Chris, Aaron and Irina removed their hoods to show their faces, and Chris pulled back the hoods of the assassins revealing their faces.
"Who sent you here?" Aaron questioned yanking one of the assassin up by his hair and roughly tugged at them.
"They would rather have their tongue cut out instead of spilling the secret." Irina spat and turned towards Averinka who was standing firm with her crossed arms. "It was Lord Gavini, your majesty." Vladimir told her and Averinka found herself sitting on the edge of the bed.
"It was this much suspected of him."
"Is you majesty feeling fine?" Irina asked dropping on her knees before the queen with a concerned look on her face.
"I'm feeling fine." Averinka assured the girl and looked past her at the assassins held down by Chris and Aaron.
"The letter was sent by Mikhail to the Lord Fedorova's house." Alexander spoke pulling out the letter from his sleeve.
"How did you get this letter?" Averinka asked and the young tsarvich only raised his brow as if questioning that should he be really questioned about his skills.
"The stealth and eloping comes very easily to me, Sister. The soon Aaron got the news about the the Queen's assassination. I hid in the Mikhail's room through the secret passage leading from underground prison and got the letter not before switching it."
"Secret passage?" Christopher asked in surprise. During all his years at the palace he couldn't find a secret passage to Mikhail's and Lord Gavin's rooms.
"It's accidental and when Irina asked me if I knew any hidden passage to either Gavini and Mikhail, I went to spy on both men before getting inside Mikhail's chamber where he's talking to Gavini about the letter." Alexander hid under the desk, hearing both men about their plan, where the letter was to be delivered to Fedorova's House. Lord Gavini left the chamber after instructing him who sat at the table to produce a letter for the Queen's assassination. Christopher charmed himself inside the room and the man hid letter under the papers before getting distracted by the other male. Alexander reached for the letter, opened it, and immediately produced two lines of the fake letter, in exact the similar manner when the both men were having an intimate moment with each other much to his eyes and slipped the fake letter before disappearing through the narrow passage.
"It took Christopher to distract Mikhail before I stole the letter, and switched it with another. Although I delayed your time of assassination."
"You could have stopped the assassination altogether."
"But dear sister, it could not have been proved otherwise that Gavini and Mikhail are involved in the conspiring against the crown."
"We couldn't have gotten to the assassins otherwise." Aaron added and Averinka nodded in understanding.
"Still it is dangerous to sneak around the palace."
"You didn't seem to care when you threw father and us in the chamber. Besides, this lady is scary I did it to save myself." Alexander annoyingly pointed at Irina who made a poker face.
"Your order, Your Highness?" Vladmimir asked.
"Arrest Gavini and Mikhail, and throw them in the prison. By the dawn they'll be beheaded in the public. Take these assassins to the prisons and send the soldiers after Fedorova. I want that man dead or alive."
The assassins were taken as prisoners and Vladmimir along with Chris and Aaron took Gavini and Mikhail under their swords for the act of treason, and the Queen sat in the court giving her final verdict about their death sentences by the dawn.
Vladislav and his wife were freed. " I apologize for my behavior, uncle." Averinka hung her head in shame but the older male said nothing.
"I assure you, Your Grace that the queen knew nothing about the matter." Irina spoke flinching under his hard gaze.
"We had to move faster to reveal the conspiracy against the crown."
"It's all forgiven but do not move rashly before disclosing the matter to me." Vladislav scolded both Irina and Vladmimir earning a snicker from Alexander.
"Yes, your Grace." The couple groaned and bowed in apology.
"I can't believe we are keeping a vampire under the roof."
"What!" Both Irina and Averinka cried in surprise.
"Don't act surprised, I knew that the woman isn't human and..."
"I wouldn't hurt master!" Irina defended herself immediately holding up her hands.
"Your entire race is wiped out by the hunters of North, but if our ancestors hadn't had the history with your kind, I would've asked for your death the instant I saw you. Besides, you're the last one of your kind in our country, I'd rather keep you for the Queen's safety than killing you but your existence must be kept hidden from the public. I wouldn't dare risk Averinka's position as the country's Tsarina."
"I assure you, your Grace that I pledge my loyalty and life to Master and your household." Irina got down on her knee and put her hand over her heart.
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