Introduction

All the unassigned dhampires were standing in rows of black robes. Some would become guardians of some Moroi and some would take care of the documents and protection of important places as the royal court or high-secure prisons. Even the ones like me, who already knew who they should be assigned to, were nervous. You didn't know how the situation could change. I snuck a look a few rows behind, where Dimitri stood, imposing and badass looking as always. My heart melted at his sight, as it was always doing, but this time the joy of his sight was accompanied by pain. From when Lissa revived him, we hadn't talked. I wondered what he was feeling towards me.

'Guardian Eddie Castile is assigned to Princess Vasilisa Dragomir.' chanted Tatiana in her high voice.

I saw Dimitri flitching, as I did. Eddie was going to guard Lissa? But what happened to me and Dimitri? We were supposed to become her guardians. Will she be having three guards? It was true she was the last Dragomir, still, it seemed quite extreme. Just then I felt the despair of the dhampires around me. I wasn't sure anymore about the rest of my life. Was Queen Bitch still angry with me? Could she keep me away from Lissa? And then, who I will be assigned to?

'Guardian Dimitri Belikov is assigned to Prince Christian Ozera.'

I both exhaled relieved and froze at the same time. So Dimitri wasn't going to be Lissa's guardian. Maybe after his miraculous transformation, people still didn't trust him the way they did before. It was funny to hear the title of 'Prince' anywhere near Christian's name. Well, at least Lissa and Christian were together and planned to marry. I and Dimitri could still be together… that, if he still felt something towards me.

'Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway…' I closed my eyes, waiting for Lissa's name to come out again. It was stupid that dhampires were named first. It would be much faster if the Moroi were named… but it would probably be more obvious that there were a lot who didn't receive guardians. '…is assigned to Princess Tasha Ozera.'

My body froze in shock and the reaction seemed almost the same in the whole room. People started talking and Tatiana had to pause for them to shut up. Lissa seemed to recover faster than I did. She rose to her feet and waited to be admitted to speak. Being one of the queen's favorite, she was in an end.

'With all the excuses, Your Majesty, but shouldn't guardian Hathaway be assigned to me? I have just one guardian.' I could feel the despair through our bond, but there was also the strong convince that something was wrong and everything will be solved.

Tatiana wasn't thinking the same, though. 'No, Princess Vasilisa. You will truly have another guardian, but it won't be guardian Hathaway.'

'Am I allowed to know who will be the other guardian?'

Tatiana frowned, looking undecided from her papers to Lissa. Being the last Dragomir, she needed her by her side. Finally, she decided it was worth ignoring the protocol, especially after she found out I won't be with her. She flipped through the pages until almost the end and rose her eyes to our lines.

'She is a newly received guardian from another country. If you would be so kind to make a step forward, guardian…' she paused to look again in the papers, as if even she couldn't believe what was written there. 'Viktoria Belikova.'

There was such a stir at the name between dhampires and Moroi alike that no one cared that I and Dimitri shouted a loud 'WHAT?' at the same time. We spun around, searching the sea of black clothes for his little sister and after what seemed an eternity, a small silhouette from the first lines stepped forward, trembling. She turned around and though she averted her eyes from Dimitri, stared at me.

'Sorry.' The word was inaudible in the noise but it was clear on her lips.

I didn't know how to feel. I was… maybe I was glad to see Viktoria. We used to be friends in Siberia, that before I saved her from getting pregnant with a stupid ass and she yelled at me that it wasn't my place there and I had no right to act like Dimitri's family was mine as well. That made me leave and finally find him. Then, I was surely mad at her for taking my place as Lissa's guardian. She had no right! I was shadow-kissed because Lissa saved me and Dimitri has also been saved by her. We were linked to her. The assignments should have been ours. So, instead of saying some stupid things to her, I turned to Dimitri.

'Shouldn't she be still in school?' I yelled at him, as if he was responsible for this.

'Not in Russia. They make them guardians at sixteen now. She is a guardian.'

'She is a child!' I shouted, both horrified and enraged at the same time.

He didn't answer, but I could feel he was thinking the same, though she was just a year younger than me. Finally, the room fell into silence and the ceremony continued. For me, it didn't matter. My life was decided, and it was decided wrongly. I won't be with Lissa. I will guard her future husband's aunt. True, Tasha was a great person and aside from Lissa I preferred her and life will be fun around her, with her fighting lessons… Still, I felt light-headed. I don't remember how the ceremony ended. I don't remember anything from that day. I remember just waking up in Tasha's house at the Court, while she was downstairs with Christian and Lissa at breakfast. And from the first time in a while, I started crying.