This is my first shot at a Fanfiction so your reviews will be much appreciated. This is a DPOV of A LIFE AT STAKE by A Belikov Roza… definitely read her story along with this one, it is great!

Chapter 1

The last few years have been the most depressing years of my life. It is very hard on a person to lose a best friend and charge. Since Ivan's death, I have been working as a substitute guardian part time, and during my off time, I visit my home and family. It was one afternoon while I was helping Mama prepare dinner for the family that I received the call that would change my life, although I didn't know the impact the call would make at the time I received it. I believed the offer to be just another job to pass the time.

Here I am at an airport in Montana waiting on my luggage and transportation as I replay the phone conversation through my mind.

"Belikov." I say as my normal business greeting.

"Yes, Guardian Belikov. I am Guardian Alberta Petrov, Head Guardian at St. Vladimir's Academy…", she says. As she is saying St. Vladimir's, I recall a story I heard some time ago about two students that had run away from the academy for a few years only to be caught and returned. One of them being Princess Vasilisa, the Last Dragomir, and the other a novice named Rosemarie Hathaway, the daughter of a legendary Janine Hathaway. I think had they been any other children, there would not have been a big uproar or search for them…..I am brought out of my thoughts hearing my name repeated by a voice that sounds as if it has been repeating the same thing over and over.

"Guardian Belikov, are you still on the line?" she asks sounding concerned and a tad bit annoyed.

"Yes, Guardian Petrov, I am still here. I am very sorry I was distracted." I apologize.

"It's fine Guardian Belikov. As I was saying, we have a temporary position open her at St. Vladimir's and would like you to fill it. We have received news that you are to be appointed as Lead Guardian for Princess Dragomir….." as she is speaking, my head is reeling. I can not believe it; I am being appointed to the Last Dragomir. I was so tied up in my thoughts I hadn't realized she was still speaking. "…..your flights have been arranged and you will be leaving Russia in two days time." she informs me.

"Thank you Guardian Petrov, may I ask about the arrangements made for my lodging and transport from the airport to the academy?" I ask her respectfully.

"Oh dear," she replies, "I completely forgot about those arrangements. You will stay in the staff dorms at the academy along with the other staff Guardians. AS for your transportation I will pick you up at terminal C-4 upon your arrival to the airport!" she tells me in a rush.

"Well, thank you again, and I will see you in three days." I replied closing the phone feeling strangely excited and at peace.

I am brought out of my thoughts hearing a woman calling my name.

"Guardian Belikov, there you are. I am Guardian Petrov, we spoke on the phone." she says as she extends her hand in greeting.

"It's very nice to meet you Guardian Petrov," I say as I shake her hand, "you may call me Dimitri if you wish."

" Well, Dimitri, let us gather your luggage and get on our way. I will fill you in on the details of your assignments once we are on the road." she tells me with a warm smile. I have a feeling we will get along well during my time at the academy.

"Oh and Dimitri, you may call me Alberta." she says looking a little ashamed she didn't say so earlier.

"Okay Alberta, I have my bags now. Let's get to the car. I am ready to hear about these new assignments." I say to her with a smile, feeling better than I have in a while. Once we are on the road heading towards the academy, I begin to feel nervous. I quickly slip on my guardian mask to hide my nerves before Alberta notices and questions me. After driving for about twenty minutes, Alberta breaks the silence to inform me of my new assignments and new charge.

"As I said over the phone Dimitri, we needed a temporary Guardian to patrol a few shifts as well as mentor a troubled novice." ("Oh no! What have I agreed to?" I think to myself as she begin to explain about said "TROUBLED NOVICE".)

"Since you are to be the Princess' Lead Guardian, we feel as though you may be able to help us with a troubled novice, who is said to become one of Vasilisa's guardians after graduation. You may have heard of the stunt they pulled a few years ago?" she questioned but didn't wait for an answer and continued with her story.

"Well, Rosemarie has managed to land herself in a delicate situation." As she says this, I raise an eyebrow in question, she can not possibly be insinuating that I train a pregnant novice. She sees my unasked question and answers with a very shocking answer.

"Yes Dimitri, I am asking you to take a pregnant novice under your leadership and train her to be legendary like yourself." she says with a smirk.

"Alberta, may I ask how far along Rosemarie is with her pregnancy?" I inquire unsure of my rights to ask questions in this situation.

Alberta answers me with a knowing look. "She is in her 37th week, so the baby will be here very soon." and she smiles as she says "baby"

Still confused, I ask, "Alberta, I'm not sure how to train her in combat. I would not want to put the child in danger." I tell her feeling as if I'm being unhelpful.

Her only response is "Gabriel", which honestly makes no sense to me. So, I decide to ask yet another question.

"What is Gabriel?" I ask with confusion, which is evident in my voice.

Alberta chuckles at my confusion but answers my question with so much pride on her face it's almost blinding. "Gabriel is the name Rose has chosen to give her son. I thought since you will be meeting them soon you should know." she says to me.

I chuckle with her now that I finally understand something pertaining to this conversation, and I reply, "That is a beautiful name, but may I ask a question?"

She simply answers, "Sure go ahead."

"Why did you look so proud when you were telling me about Gabriel?" I hope she doesn't get angry with me for overstepping a boundary. However, she only smiles a huge smile and answers, "Because I love Rose as my own, and Gabriel is a part of her."

"Oh" was all I said.

We sat in silence for a while, and I just thought over the whole situation I would soon be facing. That is until I heard Alberta announce we had arrived at the academy! I unloaded my luggage, and Alberta showed me to my room to get settled and rest. As Alberta was leaving, she turned back to me and said, " Tomorrow morning I will introduce you to the Princess and Rosemarie." and with that, she left.

With that knowledge, I decided it would be best for me to shower and go to sleep early, to try and recover from the jet lag. However, my mind had other thoughts. I lay my head on the pillow and wait for sleep to come, after quite some time I eventually fell asleep and entered a strange dream. I dreamed of a woman with beautiful long and wavy dark hair, looking so soft and silky, I just wanted to run my hands through it. She was outside in the grass playing with a beautiful little boy; they were crawling around tickling each other, laughing, and smiling. Suddenly, the woman stood up, and I noticed she was round with another child. This woman was absolutely breathtaking; at the moment I had this revelation, the woman noticed me and threw herself into my arms.

"Dimitri," she said, "I am so glad you are home. We have missed you today." she continued to tell me about her day and then told me about the little boy's day at a play group, where he apparently made many new friends.

"Oh Dimitri," she says, "don't forget we have an appointment tomorrow," while she rubs her swollen abdomen. "We are going to see how well little Roza is growing to make sure she will not be making an early appearance like her big brother." she tells me with a big smile, remembering the day her son was born. "I love you." she tells me. Just as I am about to ask who she is and what is going on, my alarm goes off as the signal of an new chapter in my life, and the strange dream fades into nothing but an odd memory.

I woke up with a start, wondering where that dream and unfamiliar people came from and what my subconscious was trying to tell me.

After I finish dressing in my solid black Guardian outfit, I put on my duster and ready myself to leave my room in search of Alberta as my phone rings.

"Belikov." I answer.

"Dimitri, it's me, Alberta." she says very chipper this morning.

"Oh good morning Alberta, I was just leaving my room to find you." I tell her .

"That's great Dimitri, I was just calling to tell you to meet me at the Guardian building to be introduced to the Princess and Rosemarie." she informs me with a smile in her voice.

"Where would I find the Guardian building, me being new here and all?" I chuckle to lighten the mood.

"Oh my Dimitri I never gave you a campus map, I'm so sorry." she apologizes. "Its just across the campus from the chapel, you can't miss it." she tells me.

"Thanks Alberta, I'll be there soon." I say, as I begin to walk from the Guardian dorms and on my way to meet my new charge, Princess Vasilisa, and challenge, Rosemarie.