A.N.I suggest reading the first story in this series first but it is not necessary.
Okay here it is the first chapter to the second story in the Guardian Series: Royal
Enjoy!
RPOV:
The bench I was sitting on was cold, but I endured it. My two children were toddling around the playground, climbing up ladders and sliding down slides. It had been two years since I had given birth to them.
Though the are only two, they are able to do things most two year olds couldn't; such as walk a straight line and climb up ladders on there own.
The oldest was Apollo Caden Ozera. He had dark brown hair that sat in an untamable mess on top of his head, but it was cute untamable. He had my favorite blue eyes; the eyes that had been past down the Ozera line since the first moroi. He was a moroi, somehow I had managed to give birth to a moroi, even thought I was a dhampir.
His twin sister, who was slightly younger, was Artemis Elizabeth Ozera. She had shoulder-length black hair that fell just like mine. She had my eyes, a light, chocolaty brown. She was a dhampir. I was going to have to watch her, even as a two-year-old, it was obvious she would be a heart breaker.
"Momma!" Artemis called.
"Yes honey?" I called back to her.
"You push me?" She asked. She was sitting on the swings her little legs dangling.
"Okay, but we have to leave soon, it's almost nap time." I said.
"Fine."
I walked over to my daughter, pulled the swing back and let go. She screamed out of pleasure as she flew through the air. Apollo was sitting on a bench. He reminded me so much of Christian. He could just sit alone all day and not care, it scared me a little, no son of mine would be anti-social.
After ten minutes I could tell Artemis and Apollo were getting tired. I picked Artemis up off the swing and walked over to Apollo. He grabbed my hand (he hates to be carried by me, he doesn't mind being carried by Christian) and we began to walk towards the palace.
"Hello!" A voice said.
Apollo was swept off the ground. I turned ready to attack just in case something had gotten past the wards.
"Daddy!!" Apollo shrieked.
"Rose? Were you about to attack me?" Christian, a.k.a. Daddy, asked with a smirk. I shrugged, "Well, at least we know nothing will happen to these two."
"I guess not. You should have seen it! Some kid was being mean to Artemis, before I could get over to them Apollo punched the kid in the face. I have to say it was a pretty good punch, too…." I said.
"Well then, Artemis will be a heart breaker and Apollo will be the neck breaker who watches after his little sisters." Christian said, laying a hand on my baby bump.
That's right! I'm pregnant again! I am four months pregnant. I had another month or so, if we were going by the five-month calendar Apollo and Artemis followed. At least this one showed she was growing faster than most children, with Artemis and Apollo I had a hardly see-able baby bump, with this one I was huge. This one was a girl and was going to be named Ashlyn Jane Ozera.
"Rose!" A voice yelled from behind me.
I turned just in time to see a girl, but not in time to avoid her crashing into me. We both fell to the ground, I some how managed to keep Artemis off the ground. The girl hopped up and held out her hand to me. I took it.
I knew this thirteen-year-old. She was my sister-in-law, Saffron Ozera. Her hair was a shiny black and had grown down to mid-back. Her eyes twinkled. She looked just like she had two years ago. The only difference was now she was wearing makeup. She still had the natural look to her. The most obvious new feature was she had outlined her eyes in a dark eye liner, which made her eyes pop.
She was wearing dark blue skinny jean, white ballet flats, and to top it off a red, silk spaghetti strap top. The top had a pretty low neck line, Christian noticed, "Saffs? What's up with the shirt?"
"Nothing is up with the shirt. Now can I hold my nephew?" She asked, trying to avoid the question.
"How about you take Artemis? I need to go." Christian said.
"Okay. Arti! Come to Aunty." Saffron said in a baby voice.
"It's okay Artemis, I know she's scary. She won't hurt you." I said to my daughter. Artemis wasn't particularly fond of Saffron.
"Fine." Artemis said, allowing Saffron to take her from me.
Christian handed Apollo to me. Apollo went willingly, he must be happy he was going to me and not Saffron, like his sister. Christian gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and shot a look at Saffron, I knew that look, it's the please-don't-become-a-slut. I laughed. Christian shot me a glare, the kind of I-love-you-but-sometimes-I-want-to-slap-you, honestly, I gave him that look more than he gave it to me, then he walked off into the Royal Offices. He must have to meet with the leaders of the royal families.
Saffron and me sat down on a bench and watched as more royal morois walked into the offices. The first one to come was Taylor Conta, I never really spoke to her. I had known a cousin of hers though. That relationship ended with her in the hospital and me in the principal's office. I was forgiven though, mostly because the Contras were kiss ups, and since I was the queen, they wanted to get on my good side, sad thing was I was still pissed for what that bitch said, "Rose is such a whore. I bet she left with the Princess since she was pregnant with some baby, and needed funding.".
The next was some Dashkov I didn't know. Ralf, who was apparently head of one of the royal lines, some Drozdov, a Lazar, Szelsky and the rest, followed her. The only princes and princess missing were Lissa, Adrian and Jesse.
"Boo!" Someone said from behind me, circling her arms around my neck.
"Mia!" I exclaimed. A very pregnant Mia jumped over the back of the bench and sat between Saffron and me.
"You shouldn't do that! You are nine months pregnant! Hell! Your going to burst any minute!" I scolded her.
"Yeah. Yeah. How's my favorite god daughter?" Mia asked, taking a willing Artemis from Saffron.
It had become evident that Artemis and Mia got along so much better than Artemis and Lissa and Apollo and Mia, so I switched godparents. Now it was Mia and Eddie for Artemis and Lissa and Dimitri for Apollo.
"Auntie Mia!" Apollo exclaimed. They both loved Mia, but sometimes Apollo and her clashed, since there personalities were exactly the same.
"Hello your majesty." I looked up to see a smirking Jesse.
"Hello Prince Zeklos." I said in the same formal tone.
"Uncle Jesse!" Apollo yelled; that kid is so affectionate.
"Hey squirt." Jesse said ruffling Apollo's hair, "I got to go, before the King throws a hissy fit. I'll see you later."
"Can I come?" Saffron said jumping up.
"Well…" Jesse started.
"Technically I am the oldest contestant for the thrown for the Ozera's."
Saffron should be a lawyer; she could get out of anything. No compulsion. I had seen her get herself out of expulsions, detentions, and any other kind of punishment. I had seen her get out of lighting three moroi on fire, and get out of trouble. In that case, she had been seen by three teachers, two guardians, Lissa (the headmistress), a ton of novices, and a small group of moroi. (Saffron can use magic, since her parents are both strigoi.)
"Fine. Princess. Let's go." Jesse said.
"Yes!" Saffron ran into the building. Jesse gave me the If-we-aren't-out-in-two-hours-come-find-us, and then followed her.
"Little Dhampir!"
It was Adrian. He and Lissa were walking towards us, Jade and Clarissa following. Lissa was holding the new addition to their family, a baby girl. Her name was Andria. She was named after Andre, Lissa's older brother who had died in a car crash, that left Lissa as an orphan and me shadow-kissed. The baby girl had blonde hair and dark green eyes. She looked just like Adrian, except the hair, she had Lissa's hair.
Adrian went right into the building after kissing me on the cheek and hugging Apollo, Artemis and Mia. Lissa looked at me. "I'll watch them, now go before I need to listen to how I made you late." I said.
"Thank you. I'll be out as soon as I can." Lissa said, hugging me than Mia. She handed me Andria, and ran off into the building.
Lissa, Mia and me were like the three-musketeers of the moroi world; we would do anything for each other, Including babysit *Shudder*.
"Okay guys. Back to the house." I said standing with Apollo in my arms.
A.N. I know it's short-ish, but it's kind of an intro, to catch everyone up to date. So far we have:
Adrian Ivashkov 23-years-old
Rosemarie Ozera (Rose Hathaway) 20-years-old
Christian Ozera 20-years-old
Lissa Ivashkov 20-years-old
Jesse Zeklos 20-years-old
Mia Zeklos 19-years-old (I forgot her last name, it Rinaldi or something. I don't know, it's Zeklos now anyways :-D)
Saffron Ozera 13-years-old
Jade Dragomir 2-years-old (almost three)
Clarissa Dragomir 2-years-old (almost three)
Apollo Ozera 2-years-old (barely)
Artemis Ozera 2-years-old (barely)
Andria Ivashkov 1-year-old (We needed one Ivashkov heir, right?)
Ashlyn Jane Ozera UNBORN
Little Boy Zeklos UNBORN (his name isn't Little Boy, I just don't know what his name will be yet. Ideas?)
For POVs,
APOV=Adrian
ApPOV=Apollo
ArPOV=Artemis
AsPOV=Ashlyn (eventually)