January 17th, 1686RPOVRhea stood at my bedside, penetrating me with her jade-green stare. I was incredibly surprised to see her here—I'd expected her to be halfway to England by now—even though she'd said she'd return. Countless emotions captured her wickedly beautiful face, but I couldn't place them. Did it pain her to see me like this? Was she internally dancing with joy and victory?"What are you doing here?" I asked, feeling confused. I sat up in bed, slightly wincing at the pain that shot through my body. Dr. Olendzki had been giving me effective pain relievers—they made me feel so fantastic—and the pain was nicely fading away each passing day.Rhea had the audacity to roll her eyes. My blood sizzled. "I told you that I was going to come back," she snapped, bristling with irritation. "You seriously forgot?" I couldn't believe this woman didn't have the consideration to be patient with me, after my grisly attack. If she was going to continue being rude, then she needed to get th

RPOV The ominous, black walls of the dungeon glistened with moisture, filling the air with an unsettling dampness. Drops of water fell from the uneven ceiling, and my feet stepped in murky puddles, shielded by the thick boots that protected them. A powerful chill ran down my spine, unraveling my nerves as I marched to Tasha and Czar Aleksandr's cells with Yeva and Cesarevich Dimitri. A few prisoners stared at us, while we hurried to our destination. It was impossible to ignore their sunken eyes and sallow skin, and I peered into a passing cell, nearly fainting at what I saw. A grime-covered man was slouched in a stony corner, and maggots eagerly consumed his flesh, as he lifelessly gazed ahead. He was dead—deader than anything I'd ever seen—and I shuddered violently. What had he done to deserve this? When we reached the criminals, Czarina Olena, my family, and a few guards already stood before them. Everyone glared at Tasha and Czar Aleksandr with hurt and anger, but the only one w

RPOVCesarevich Dimitri led me to the royal palace greenhouse. The wintry air chilled my bare skin and bones, once we were outside; however, our linked bodies generated so much warmth, that the cold no longer crossed my mind. Silence surrounded us, as we walked, yet there was no need for conversation.Simply being in each other's presence was comforting enough.When we reached the delicate, glass building, he opened the frosted door and stepped aside to allow me entrance. I smiled at his gentlemanliness and strolled into the greenhouse, immediately graced with the euphoric fragrance of flowers. Cesarevich Dimitri grabbed my hand, after he entered, and took me further into the beautiful structure.As soon as we came across one of the larger, manmade lakes, he stopped a few feet away from it and clasped our hands. His chocolate-brown eyes bore into mine so deeply; I almost lost myself in their bottomless beauty. "My dearest Roza, I have something very important to tell you," he started,

February 20th, 1686RPOVEven though I'd been resuming my education for a month, it still felt strange being at Fairston Academy. Having a student's psyche seemed inconceivable—ridiculous, even. How could I bring myself to textbook reading and paper writing, when I'd experienced ordeals that were more life-changing and traumatic than other seventeen-year-olds' would ever be? I'd lost my mother. I'd nearly been murdered. I'd been raped. I was engaged to a prince.I'd outgrown an innocent life.All these thoughts flowed through my mind, as I walked with Lissa and Jill into the school's main building. Their sense of displacement was gone, and comfort filled their pale and slender bodies. Relaxation shone in their jade-green eyes, and for a moment, jealousy seized me.They were so fortunate to escape all the hurt I'd went through—to avoid all the suffering I was battling every day. Coming to school must've felt so normal and relieving to them. They must've felt like they had never left an

RPOV—Three Months LaterGetting married to Cesarevich Dimitri was surreal.Our guests had traveled from all over the world to see us legalize our love and rulership, but none of them captured my attention. The only person I focused on was my fiancé. His chocolate-brown eyes held so much passion and happiness, that my heart throbbed. I could easily spend the rest of my life gazing into them.Time seemed to slow, as we recited our vows. I was almost unable to say mine, due to all the emotion bottled within me, but I managed to endure, thanks to Cesarevich Dimitri's affectionate smile and handholding. I felt bad for talking in English—there were many Russian citizens in attendance—but when my husband-to-be gave his vows in his native language, that guilt faded away.Exchanging our rings followed, and my breath hitched. Feeling the ornate, piece of jewelry getting slid onto my finger made everything seem more surreal. My heart was somersaulting inside my chest, and I couldn't keep from sm