“It was a bluff,” I stated. “They’re still alive, aren’t they?”
“This is irrelevant,” snapped Ian. He stayed sitting, and judging from his proximity to Zoe, it looked like he’d shifted his affections from one Sage sister to another. “It’s not for you to judge our people. We’ll handle this.”
This was it, the moment I dropped the real blow on them. “Well, that’s the thing, your majesty. Sydney is one of your subjects, now that she’s my wife. You said you wouldn’t give me to them because I’m under your protection, right? Are you saying you’d abandon my wife to any less?”
That drew the room to silence again until Lissa found her voice. “Adrian … is that was this is about?” She gestured to Sydney and me in our formal wear when she said this but couldn’t articulate anything more precise. “Why you did, um, this? You think it gets her Moroi citizenship or something? That’s not how it works. Not at all. I know you care about her—”
“Care about her?” I exclaimed. I realized then that none of them really and truly got it. All the times I’d harassed Lissa to help Sydney over these last few months, Lissa had assumed it was out of my feelings of friendship for Sydney. And now, she and the others from Court thought that this was just some crazy stunt I’d pulled off to get my way. Only the Alchemists had an inkling of the sincerity of my feelings, but those feelings were twisted and wrong in their eyes. “Lissa, I love her. I didn’t marry her as some sort of joke! I married her because I love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her. And I’d hoped, as my sovereign, you’d stand by me to protect me and my loved ones—especially since I’m guessing this lot has no hard proof of the crimes we’re being accused of. You told me last month that you couldn’t take risks for anyone but your subjects. Well, I know she’s not technically your subject or Moroi, but I am, and if the promises you’ve made to me, as one of your people, truly mean anything, they will extend to her. We’re married. She’s my family now. We’re bound together for the rest of our lives, and if you’re going to let them haul her off, you might as well cast me out now too.”
Lissa looked taken aback, but Jared Sage—my father-in-law now, I realized—showed nothing but contempt. “This is ridiculous. Humans and Moroi can’t be married. That’s your way, as well as ours. This isn’t a real marriage.”
“Not according to the state of Nevada,” I said cheerfully. “We’ve got the paperwork to prove it. Get us a laptop, and we can all look at the wedding pictures together.”
Rose’s expression was hard to read. I was positive she was as shocked by these new developments as everyone else, but something told me she’d take on an attitude similar to what our friends in Palm Springs eventually had: acceptance and support.
“Liss,” she said, “let them stay. Don’t hand over Sydney.”
Marie Conta, standing near Lissa’s throne, leaned over and murmured something into her queen’s ear. Judging from Marie’s expression, I was guessing it was pretty much the opposite of what Rose had just advocated.
This time, Ian did get to his feet. “This isn’t a decision you get to make!” he said incredulously. “Sydney Sage’s fate isn’t in your hands. You have no right to—”
“Ivashkov,” interrupted Sydney. It was the first she’d spoken since we entered the room.
Ian turned his outraged expression from the throne to her. “I beg your pardon?”
“Ivashkov,” she repeated, her face the picture of serenity. Only I could tell from the sweating of her hand how high her anxiety was running. The Alchemists had dealt her a low blow sending these three. “My name is Sydney Ivashkov now, Ian.”
“The hell it is!” exclaimed her father, face filled with fury. “I’m done with this nonsense. I’ll haul you out of here myself, if that’s what it takes to save your soul from this filth.”
He lunged toward Sydney and me, and in the blink of an eye, Dimitri swooped and put himself between us. “Mr. Sage,” he said calmly. “No one will be hauling anyone out of here—unless her majesty the queen requests it.”
All eyes swiveled toward Lissa. Her face was lofty and composed, but her aura betrayed her. We had put her in a position no Moroi monarch had probably ever been put in. I did feel a little bad about that, seeing as we were friends, but I stood by my decision. I meant every word of my marriage vows and would do whatever it took to keep Sydney safe.
“Adrian Ivashkov is my subject,” Lissa declared at last. “And as such, he is entitled to all the rights and privileges of that position. His wife has come here seeking sanctuary—and I am granting it to her. They are both under my protection now, and so long as they are here at Court, you have no jurisdiction over them. I will not release them to your custody, especially since I truly haven’t seen any evidence of their so-called crimes.”
“Their crime is that they’re standing right there in front of you, with no shame whatsoever!” exclaimed Ian.
Sydney’s father clearly agreed. “This is an outrage! If you do this, you’ll have the wrath of the entire Alchemist organization to contend with! You think you can get away with half the things you do now? We cover up for you! Without us, you’re nothing. How do you think you’ll exist in this society without us to help? If you don’t have us—”
“Then the whole world will know vampires exist,” said Sydney coolly. “Are you going to let that happen, Dad? Aren’t you worried other weak humans might fall prey to their agenda if the Alchemists don’t help hide them?”
Her father’s expression grew even darker, and he looked as though he wanted to say any number of things to her. Instead, he took a deep breath and turned back to Lissa. “The Alchemists have been very powerful allies to you. You don’t want to see what kind of enemy we’d be.”
“Thank you for the advice.” Lissa looked undaunted, though I saw her aura waver. “Glen?” she asked, directing her attention to one of the guardians at the door. “Would you and your people make sure Mr. Sage and the others are safely escorted off of Court property?”
The guardian swept her a bow and then strode forward, beckoning five other guardians to join of him. “Of course, your majesty.”
The guardians led the protesting Alchemists out of the room, though we could continue to hear them make threats until they were well down the hall. At least, two of them did. Zoe hadn’t said a single word the entire time and had simply watched her sister with wide, troubled eyes. Whether Zoe felt guilty over her role in Sydney’s trip to re-education or was simply in shock over these new developments, I couldn’t say. Beside me, Sydney was shaking. It couldn’t have been easy to see her family hauled out like that. Still holding her hand, I stepped forward as more uneasy silence started to fall.
“Thank you, Lissa. You have no idea—”
Lissa held up her hand to stop me, a hand she then used to rub her forehead, as though she had a headache. “No, Adrian. You have no idea what trouble this may have brought down on me. I’m happy for you, I really am. But for tonight, I’m done talking. I need to sleep on this and the possible fallout. We’ll get you set up with a place to stay and—”
“Hold on a minute.” So help me, my own father stepped forward now, and judging from his expression, it was a wonder he hadn’t been right there to argue with Jared Sage. “You’re saying you’re letting this … this … marriage thing just slide? That you’re treating it as … real?”
Lissa, who really did look exhausted, sighed. “It seems very real to them, Lord Ivashkov, and that’s good enough for me.”
“I thought you were just playing along to get those Alchemists out of here! There’s no way you can act as though this is a legitimate marriage. No civilized Moroi has ever stooped so low in—” My father bit off his own words as he gave Sydney and me a once-over. He swooped toward us with speed the guardians might have admired and had the audacity to grab Sydney’s left hand. “I recognize those! Those are your aunt’s! How dare you! You had the nerve—the sheer audacity—to put a queen’s fortune in jewels on this … this … feeder’s hand!”
I jerked Sydney away from him. “Dad,” I said quietly, “I’ve always made it a rule in my life not to pick fights with children, cute animals, or ignorant old men. I will, however, make an exception for you if you ever touch or insult my wife again.”
“Nathan,” warned my mom, moving to his side. “She’s your daughter-in-law now. Show some semblance of respect.”