CHAPTER ONE
Misleading Guidance

Rose POV

Having to talk to your mother about being in a relationship with a boy is hard enough. Talking to your mum, in which you've only just begun getting close to, about a love that was forbidden, with an older man; well, that was just something else altogether. I loved Dimitri though, I would endure a whole army of strigoi for him, I was sure I could simply face my mother.

"What were you thinking Rose? Getting involved with Belikov whilst at the Academy? He's older than you Rose. The more important thing is that you lied about it all this time, you didn't even tell the princess" my mother said as she pulled me into another room alone. My mother was good at giving lectures and making people feel smaller than they were, I guess it's where I got it from. My wounds were healing, but I was still sore.

"Mom! I know everything that was going on. We tried to stop it, we even tried controlling how we felt, but we just couldn't mom. I know you're trying to just look out for me, but I can deal with this, I promise." I said with a determined voice. After being shot and going through everything I had with both Dimitri and those I loved and cared for, I found it too exhausting trying to hide how I felt. I understood that there were rules against most of the things I tended to do, but everything I did was for a reason.

That's when my mother looked at me, really looked at me. After a while, I was beginning to get a little nervous, I was about to ask if there was something on my face. She stopped though and gave me a sad smile. "You really can deal with it, can't you?" She wasn't asking me, it had been a statement. She was realizing that I was growing up and that I could deal with it as I was strong enough. I nodded and gave her a comforting smile. At the time that she was finally starting to act like my mother, I didn't need one as much. Yes, I would need my mother my whole life, but I could survive without her now.

With that, she turned and left. I was left alone, in the room. It was so silent that I could hear myself breathe. I took a moment of alone time to think things through. Everyone was very aware of mine and Dimitri's relationship, the majority of them accepting it. Lissa and I no longer had the bond that would have to be the strangest of them all. Lissa was also Queen. Our intentions of only stalling the elections resulted in Lissa actually being elected and chosen to be queen. It was ironic really, how things changed. I would have done it all over again.

"Little Dhampir" Adrian's familiar voice filled the room. My head snapped up as I saw Adrian in the doorway. The last time I had seen him was when he had been in my room, I had hurt him badly when being with Dimitri whilst we had been together. I had confessed that I loved him, but it would always be Dimitri. Adrian had seemed to break after that, he hadn't spoken to me since. When I had woken up from being shot and found out that it hadn't been Lissa who had healed me, I had been shocked to think of the idea of Adrian doing it instead. He hadn't, but Dimitri had said that he would have done it. I didn't think I could deal with another session with him, my emotions were too fragile right now.

He put his hand up as soon as he knew I was about to protest about talking to him. "No listen Rose. I know you wouldn't have intentionally hurt me; you also would have avoided it if you could have. I'm still so angry and hurt, but I couldn't help but realize that being mad at you was being mad at me. I do love you, and I know you love me, but it's not like what you and Dimitri have. It's not meant to work that way, I realize that now. I know you've got a lot on your plate right now, and I know how I have been acting has been making that worse. I just came to tell you that, things won't be like they were, but I want to try, I want us to try. The friendship thing will be different, but I would prefer that over the not talking and hating each other". I had never seen Adrian so serious and hopeful. I sighed; he thought I hated him, when I could only hate myself after what I had done to him.

"I could never hate you Adrian. Not ever, do you understand?" I said as I closed the distance between us and hugged him. "Being friends sounds good". I looked up at him and gave him a warm smile. With that, another person seemed to be finished talking to me and left me. I groaned and walked down the hall towards both mine and Dimitri's room. Before I reached the door, Dimitri turned the corner and almost ran into me. Dimitri being the God he is, caught me easily before I fell to the floor, his arm snaking around my waist. Thoughts of the time when we first met flooded my mind, even then, when I had hated him for being the reason we would have to go to go back to the academy, he had still been beautiful.

"Rose, you should be in bed resting." his Russian accent making it seem fierce, but I knew he was only trying to look after me. He tsked me when I began to tell him my excuse for being out of bed. The man knew me all too well. I sighed and just leaned into him, relishing in his warmth and strength as he opened the door and helped me over to the bed. I laid down knowing that I wouldn't win this even if I tried. "At least don't leave me here alone this time!" I begged. He had gone off to run some errands last time, I had gotten bored and left the confinements of my room, only to run into my mother. Dimitri chuckled at me before sitting down on the side of the bed and resting his hand on my flat stomach.

"You know I will always come back for you Roza". He only used the Russian version of my name when he was feeling particularly affectionate with me. The first time he had used it was when we were under the influence of Victor's lust charm. It had been the first time that we had given into our desires. I remembered seeing the look in his as he held me and kissed me. Things had been hard since the moment we had met, but I couldn't help but love him each and every moment of that time. Could love conquer all?