Hey it's me! ... obviously... anyway new fic. Ermmm... Okay this might be complicated: there's a few refrences to my other story (Camping) so you'll have to read that to understand a couple of flashbacks and who one of the characters is that will appear at some point in the story BUT the rest of that stroy did NOT happen. The rest of the VA series after Frostbite actually happened in this fic unlike in Camping and most of Camping didn't happen in this fic. Rose still had to go for her qualifier at the royal court but that's the only part of Camping that is aplicible to this story (Dimitri didn't even get injured)... Sorry not explained very well if anyone is still confused tell me and I'll try to explain it.
This story happens 18 years after Spitit Bound... I hope you like it!
The party was a big one – I had learned to expect no less from Lissa – and I was grateful to be stood at the sides doing my guardian thing. It was strange how when we were kids I was the one in the lime light, always looking for attention and it was Liss who would stand back, that now the roles have reversed. Dimitri passed me escorting a drunken Badica Prince to his rooms.
I still got a flutter in my stomach whenever I saw him. He was finally back to the Dimitri I had known and loved back in the days when I as at St. Vladimir's. Once I'd finally accepted that he was different after being a Strigoi and would need time to heal I'd patiently waited for him. But never did I think it would take him fifteen years. For all that time I'd been in constant pain but trying to appear normal. Lissa, of course, had seen through it all, as had Christian and the rest of the people closest to me. Even my mom somehow knew I hadn't been right all these years even though she'd been off in Siberia protecting some royal Moroi. But now we'd been together three years – the best three years of my life.
I looked around the room seeing nothing and everything at the same time – a skill I'd acquired very quickly after graduating. Christian was doing his prince thing. Fortunately he'd gained some social skills since being with Lissa. He was currently charming a raucous group of teenage Moroi girls into quiet submission that they'd lost the bet they'd placed. When they didn't give he caught my eye asking for help. Christian could still be snarky but he, finally, knew when to turn it off. I knew he didn't like these girls much but he had to keep his mouth firmly shut – they were all daughters of the council members.
I, fortunately, had no such obligations. Especially when my charge's husband was about to get socked. I knew the blow wouldn't do any damage to him and that he could easily defend himself, but I grabbed the offending arm in a tight hold.
The arm belonged to one Sophie Zeklos the sister of a guy called Jessie who tried to ruin my already then fragile reputation back in the days of St. Vladimir's. I still hadn't forgiven him and didn't much like Sophie but I still had to treat her with respect.
"Miss Zeklos, Prince Ozera has asked you to calm yourself. If you do not do as he asks I will have to remove you." I said firmly.
Her friends all quietened down and stared at me for a few seconds. They were all wearing ball gowns that came to the floor and looked stunning. I was, admittedly, kind of jealous as I never had time for parties and make up any more but protecting Lissa was my main concern now. One of them, an Ivashkov who reminded me of Adrian in attitude but looked like Tatiana, looked at me with big, round doe eyes.
"That goes for the rest of you too." I said.
They all backed away.
"He fixed the bet." Sophie growled and tried to break my grasp on her. She failed resulting in me pinning both her arms to her side and escorting her out of the room.
She struggled most of the way there which wasn't surprising with how drunk she appeared to be. I hadn't taken tabs on what people had been drinking but it was a safe bet it was the chocolaty ones that didn't taste like they had much alcohol in them. I knew from personal experience what they could do to you. I also knew Sophie wasn't one to make a spectacle of herself like this.
I left her down the corridor, away from the doors of the ball room. She wouldn't make much of a hassle of herself down there. I returned to my position in the ball room and kept my vigil. I couldn't see Lissa anywhere but a quick peek at the bond ensured me she was safe. She seemed happy enough. At least, as happy as she ever did when she had to hold these pointless balls and play cat and mouse with the other royals. The only reason she was holding this one was because of a tradition that was way outdated. She was telling the world that her daughters were now eighteen and could be consulted in political affairs. To do this one had to hold a ball and 'present them to court'. She didn't like the idea but had resigned herself to conduct it with the grace and poise she carried.
It was already getting late; the sun would be rising in about an hour and the party was coming to a close.
"Guardian Hathaway, you're needed." My mother said.
She'd come over with the royal she was protecting and had also been put on shift tonight. I was honestly glad to see her. We still weren't as close as we could have been – our jobs prevented it – but we were definitely a lot closer than we had been. She let her guardian mask drop around me all the time now and I generally told her the truth but there were still times when we got on each others nerves like we had on the ski trip back when I was seventeen, though neither of us had gained any black eyes.
"Sure what's up?"
"The dhampir, Anna, she's arrived and Queen Vasilisa has asked to see her." she started to walk towards a guardian who had the dhampir in question in tow. "You're to stand by in case she's not as docile as we thought."
The girl was about seventeen and looked uncomfortable in the dress she'd been given – a floor length blue halter neck. Her brown hair had been artfully styled in a platted bun at the nape of her neck. Chocolate brown eyes, that I could have sworn I'd seen before, looked around the room. I looked at Mom and we shared a look both knowing she wouldn't pose a threat to Lissa because she was dedicated to our way of life even though she'd only just learned of our existence.
She'd been found three days ago running from a strigoi and ended up at St. Vladimir's. She'd been running for three days from the strigoi and was completely freaked out. Not knowing that vampires were real she thought that she was going insane. Alberta told her all about our world and said she adjusted to the news easily and wanted to become a guardian. There was question if she was ready, if she had the mental capability to become one of us. Lissa, it was decided, was the best person on this side of the planet to decide that because she could read minds – a skill she'd learnt from Oksana. We still didn't know the whole of Anna's story but Liss would know soon enough if she was ready and capable of being a guardian.
"Come with me, Anna." I smiled.
We meandered through the guests and eventually found Lissa in the centre of a group of adult Moroi who were talking to Natalya and Anya, her daughters. She was perfectly at ease, as was Natalya. She wanted to be on the council one day where as the slightly less comfortable Anya wanted to be a guardian. She had fire magic and stood firmly with Christian and Tasha in learning offensive magic.
"Will you excuse me?" Lissa asked noticing us. She stood up, the people around her hastily doing the same.
"Isn't that the dhampir who didn't even know she was a dhampir until a few days ago?" Lord Conta, a tall man with brassy brown hair asked.
"I'm actually here and can talk you know. And my name is Anna." Anna corrected completely sure of herself. Lord Conta looked taken aback at her tone and I had to stop myself smiling. More people like Anna, I decided, were needed amongst the royals.
"I would like to see this." He recovered, but still acted as though she wasn't even there. "Let's see if she has what it takes."
"Ryan, we don't make our guests feel like performing monkeys." Lissa scalded. "Even if you do make me think this place is a circus sometimes."
I bit back another laugh and made sure my guardian mask was perfectly secured. Anna, however, laughed outright. I was starting to like this kid more and more.
"I don't mind, your Majesty, I have nothing to hide." Anna said politely as she curtseyed.
"Very well. Sit next to me." Lissa said making Lord Conta give his seat up to a 'lowly' dhampir. Through the bond I could tell Lissa liked her as well. If Anna had been at school when we were we would have been inseparable.
Anna strode to the seat making Lord Conta look guilty for slandering such a confident young woman. Lissa took her hand and silently studied her never breaking eye contact. As she did I felt the golden magic she was working sing through the bond. It was still as beautiful as it had always been. Still as awe inspiring. Still as dangerous. She worked her magic for a couple of minutes and then it faded leaving me feeling empty after being able to bask in its glowing aura. I felt through the bond and took the blackness it invoked away and put it in a box in my mind until she healed it out of me.
"You'll make a fine guardian." Lissa smiled. Anna smiled too. "You have much to learn but if you apply yourself and train hard you will learn all that you need to in order to become one of our finest."
"Thank you, your Majesty. I won't let you down."
"Anna, the only person you can let down is yourself. I can do nothing for you from here. The only reputation you have to keep intact is your own and I'm confident you can do that."
"I will. Thank you." Anna stood up and curtseyed again before coming back to my side.
I could feel confidence radiating off of her and it shone in her wake. I wondered how the guardian council could have doubted a resolve like hers but I supposed they'd have to make sure to keep the Moroi happy.
"You look tired, you want to go to bed or something?" I asked. We'd walked away from the group of Moroi and were pressing our way through the guests.
"I'd like to get some air first. I've been inside for three days straight. Dr. O keeps worrying that I'm going to break down or something."
I guessed she meant Dr. Olendzki back at St. Vladimir's.
"Okay, I'll take you the long way back." I said pushing open some glass doors.
Gardens skirted this building and the next one which was the guest housing. I could feel dawn approaching and remembered how much I missed sunlight. Lissa was giving me the day off tomorrow since I'd been on duty all day today and I made a mental note to catch up with some much missed vitamin D.
Anna relaxed and looked up to the starry sky. She walked in silence taking in the sights and the air. The stars were brighter here as there weren't any street lights – our heightened senses could manage with the moon light well enough. There were greens and blues in the sky that couldn't be seen in the cities.
"I've never seen the night sky until this week." She said absently.
"What?" I asked. Okay she hadn't lived on a nocturnal schedule but everyone's seen the night sky before.
"I lived in an orphanage of sorts but they didn't let us out at night." She said but I had a feeling she wasn't telling the whole truth.
"When did they – " I didn't get a chance to ask the rest of the question because nausea rolled over me. The kind brought on by strigoi. "Anna," I said reaching for my stake. "run back to the ball and tell the first guardian you see that strigoi are here."
SO that's the first chapter. Did you like it? Please R&R so I know your answer!
VA belongs to the insanely lucky Richelle Mead... I wish I owned VA :'(