Setting: After Last Sacrifice
Warnings: Slight spoilers for the end of last sacrifice
Point Of View: Third
Disclaimer: I still don't own Rose or Dimitri, damn shame that. Kudos though, to the lovely Richelle Mead who came up with them
Please, please review and let me know your lovely thoughts.
Guardian Stephanie Robinson was not a young guardian. She was not a fresh graduate on her first assignment. At 34 years old she had been doing her job for a long time. Graduating from high school she hadn't been the most naturally talented guardian out but she had worked hard and risen through the ranks, which found her as a Royal Guardian to Her Majesty Queen Vasilisa Dragomir.
So after 15 years of guarding, she thought she'd had seen it all. That was until she met Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway. The young Guardian and friend of the Queen surprised her from the moment they met. She had expected a quiet, reserved girl, similar to the Queen in nature. Instead she got Rosemarie, or Rose as she preferred to be called; a newly graduated guardian who had accomplished more than most had in their lifetime, a woman who wasn't afraid to tell you what she was thinking and was always ready to stand up for what she believed in. What really set her apart though, was her relationship with Guardian Belikov.
Stephanie had known of Dimitri Belikov for some time. It was hard not to. As young as he was, he was well known for his accomplishments, finding the Dragomir Princess when everyone else had failed, training Rose Hathaway into a royal guardian, being the first Dhampir to be successfully turned back from a Strigoi state. When their relationship came out, she had been surprised but accepting all the same. If two Dhampirs could be together and still do their jobs; kudos to them, she had thought when the gossip reached the guardians.
At Court Rose was… … an oddity, if you would. She stood out. Sometimes Stephanie wondered if she did it on purpose. Dhampirs and Moroi alike openly questioned the relationship between the two Dhampirs. And you would think that a person such as Rose would be easily irritated by the incessant scrutiny of her strange relationship. But Rose was a good sport about it. Answering questions about how they managed it, ignoring the constant stares and whispers.
This was all running through Stephanie's head as Rose came down the hallway of the Leigh dorm rooms, a piece of toast in her hand and her mobile attached to her ear.
"I don't know, Comrade," she said, waving her toast at the Guardians standing along the wall as a hello, receiving nods and smiles in response. "Yeah, hold on a sec, Dimitri." She balanced her phone between her shoulder and ear and used her now free hand to bang on the door of her room. "Rise and shine, Liss. Not that I really care but class starts in- oh I don't know 15 minutes and you haven't eaten yet."
An unintelligible grumble came from the young Queen causing Rose to smirk in satisfaction. Usually it was Rose who was rushing around in the mornings trying to get organised. Especially on days like this where they had an 8am class. But this morning Rose had woken up early, gotten dressed and left to get breakfast all before Vasilisa had opened her eyes.
"What was that Lissa, couldn't quite hear you," Rose chuckled, through the door. "No, I'm still here," she said focussing back on her phone and wandering down the hall. Most of the Royal Guard took on the whole focusing on nothing stance and tuned out to give Rose some semblance of privacy while she spoke to her boyfriend but Stephanie couldn't help but listen with at least one ear. She was interested in the couple.
"Eugh, I don't even know babe," Rose was saying stifling a yawn. "I think I have like, Political Science this morning then Bio this arvo."
Rose was silent as Dimitri spoke but there was a faint smile playing on her lips that Stephanie had never seen before. There was an almost vulnerability about the girl, something Stephanie had never seen or never expected to see. Rose leant against the wall several feet down the hallway. She let out a groan as she slid down the wall and settled on the floor. "No, I wish it was Evolution and Ecology. I'm pretty sure its Cell Biology. Ha, no Lissa hates Cells, but she's the one who was so adamant about doing Biology just because I like it."
The whole group snapped to attention when Vasilisa suddenly emerged from the room. Well everyone except Rose who barely glanced up from her conversation. Vasilisa was also absorbed by something on her own phone but looked up long enough to say good morning to the guardians.
Rose hauled herself to her feet with another groan. "Alright comrade, time to hit me with my daily zen life lesson," she said sarcastically as the group slowly began to make their way down the hallway. Slowly, because Vasilisa was still frowning at the mobile in her hands. "Yes, I expect one every day," Rose drawled.
She lapsed into silence as Dimitri said something to her. Stephanie exchanged a glance with Guardian Densely who was smiling fondly at Rose.
"Seriously that's all you've got? Alright fine but you should start thinking of a better one for tomorrow, cause that one sucked. Yeah, yeah, love you to. I'll talk to you later." Rose ended the call with a beep and slid her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. With an exasperated huff, she turned her head to Vasilisa. "Wanna know what he said?"
"Huh?"
"Forget it?"
Stephanie couldn't help herself. "What did he say, Rose?"
The young guardian glanced at her in surprise. It was very rare that Stephanie used first names instead of unofficial titles and even then definitely not in the presence of the Queen, not that the Queen was even paying attention.
A grin darted across the Rose's face and she rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's apparent maddening suggestion. "He told me to be a sponge and learn something."
Stephanie fought the grin that was threatening to take over. Behind her she could hear her colleagues stifling snickers. Rose rolled her eyes again but the smile on her face told them that she wasn't too mad. "Wow real mature guys. But, be a sponge? Honestly?"