“If, in fact, that was a deliberate decision and not just negligence?” Sun asked archly.

Walked right into that one, Tanya thought as she watched her mother smile. It was an altogether predatory smile.

“And thus I am called to provide my own testimony regarding your direct question, most excellent Sun,” Galina said.

Not a tremor, not a single flicker of emotion crossed Tzao’s face, but her eyes were locked on Sun.

“Honored Tribunal, it is my testimony that I have had no less than fourteen in-depth conversations with Elder Senka regarding my daughter, her rather dangerous Chosen, and their wondrous natural progeny. In each conversation, she has reinforced her contention that allowing Tatiana and Chris to act with independence, all while keeping in close personal contact herself, is absolutely essential to the survival of the Coven, if not the world itself,” Galina said.

“And did she tell you, during these moments of introspection, that she’d had many conversations with me, asking me to predict the probability that she had completely driven the Full Blood from the Coven?” Mausya asked, never looking at Tanya as she referred to her by a name some of the old vamps had called her when she was first born.

“Being Elder, she did not include me in all of her conversations, nor all of her plans. I believe, based upon comments she made, that she did have some concerns about how far Tatiana and her Christian Gordon could be pushed. It would seem natural, if not even imperative, to approach you for your great skill in calculating potentialities,” Galina said. “Although it was your very election to Elder that drove one of the greatest wedges between my mother and my daughter.”

Mausya raised one eyebrow slightly. Tzao blinked, maybe the first time during the whole meeting, and turned to Tanya. “Explain your objection to the election,” she commanded.

“I already did… at the election. Everyone here was a witness.”

“You ranted about mistreating your Chosen, if I remember,” Mausya said.

“I vocalized my objection to manipulating events to the point where Chris was forced to employ his own abilities against Frimunt, which all of you witnessed. And which made all of you, collectively, lose your minds. You, Elder Mausya, yourself, called for a contingent of Guardians to hunt him down and bring you his head.”

“Whereby you dared us, dared the Coven to do just that, bragging that your Chosen would kill every vampire sent against him,” Gault said.

“But Grandmother calmed you all down and counseled deliberate thought and careful consideration, asking Mausya to predict the probability of the Guardians’ success, which was very close to zero,” Tanya said.

“So, you blamed your… grandmother… Elder Senka, for manipulating events to cause your Chosen to kill Frimunt?” Sun asked.

“Yes,” Tanya said.

“And did you allow her to speak in her defense?” Sun asked.

“Of course. She admitted it.”