Hey darlings! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update, but I've been sick. I am on the mend, and as a get-better treat for y'all, the guys are here! I am still doing a cover photo contest, for those who might be interested, and the information will be at the bottom for all. Leave a review and I'll get to work on the next chapter!


Let Your Heart Lead The Way

Chapter 3

"Adrian Ivashkov of New York, Caste of Two."

As the man's face flashed on the screen set behind the cameras (that were recording Rose's reaction to the first sight of the men who would eventually be competing for her heart), his tousled brown hair and emerald green eyes looked back at Rose. He seemed to be wearing a cocky smirk, and that instantly set of warning bells in Rose's head. She didn't like him at all. She knew that now. But, Rose remembered his particular application. He was a politician's son, and he had foreign connections. Her father, unfortunately, nodded his head in approval.

"Christian Ozera of Georgia, Caste of Five."

This boy, who could be no more than 18, had dark raven locks that hung in his crystalline blue eyes. His face, however, was not graced with a smile nor a smirk. It appeared to be more of a grimace. This brought a smile to Rose's face. It seemed he would be enjoying this Selection as much as Rose would herself. She couldn't recall much from his application, but what she could was that his hobbies included playing with fire, and his chosen profession that fit into his caste was photography. So, he lit fires and took pictures of it.

What a joy he'll be, Rose thought.

"Mason Ashford of Alabama, Caste of Three."

The red hair is the first thing that Rose noticed, and it instantly made her think of her mother. She knew what she looked like from the few photos her father had managed to salvage after the attack that claimed her mother. His deep brown eyes didn't help his chances at all. He was a professor's child, so he must have been extremely well educated, and he hailed from one of the oldest family's in the nation's history.

"Tellon Torrek of Delaware, Caste of Three."

The boy's blond hair and blue eyes startled Rose, and she was suddenly sure the whole nation saw her reaction. He wore a smirk similar to the Ivashkov man, but Rose could see a serious side hiding behind his eyes. If he was as serious as he appeared, he might get along swimmingly with her father. Maybe not so much with her, but she'd have an idea as to who her father would be rooting for.

"Fabian Belarusse of Nevada, Caste of Two."

This man was blond, with green eyes very similar to Ivashkov. In fact, if they had been from the same state, Rose might have sworn they were brothers. But, by the gleam in his green eyes, Rose could tell he was a man not used to the word "no," and that might be problematic. But, in the mean time, Rose had nothing to complain about. She hadn't even officially met the man yet.

"Ash Hunter of Virginia, Caste of Two."

His brown hair was cropped, yet long enough to appear tousled. His silver eyes intrigued Rose, but they were nothing like the ones that haunted her dreams. Everything about the man, from the scowl on his face, to the cut of his hair screamed that he was a militaristic man, or he aspired to be if the Selection didn't end well for him.

"Roger Richardson of Virginia, Caste of Two."

Another politician's son, meaning he was in it because he had connections to some other part of the world. He wasn't bad on looks, with his full lips and straight teeth. His well-muscled, sun-kissed skin and green eyes. And that brown, buzzed hair of his. Rose couldn't help but wonder what it might have looked like if he had grown it out.

"Edison Castle of Montana, Caste of..."

Then Rose faded away, not really paying attention.

The names went on and on until they came to the last one..


"Dimitri Belikov of Texas, Caste of Six."

Dimitri walked in the door just in time to hear his name spoken over the television. Having no idea what had just happened, Dimitri turned to see his family, staring at his face on the tv screen.

"What happened?" He spoke gently. Despite his large frame and peak physical condition, Dimitri had always been a kind-hearted, gentle boy.

"You... You.. You're in Princess Rose's Selection!" His youngest sister, Viktoria, screamed.

"I'm what?"

"You are in the Selection Dimka! Do you know what this means?" His other sister, Karolina, said.

It still took many moments for the information to sink in and settle in his brain.

He was in.

He stood a chance of winning her heart. Every night since that fateful day, and the horrible attack that claimed the Queen's life, Dimitri had dreamed of Rose. He had looked into her eyes, much like she had his, and they had captivated him. He had watched her grow up over the many various Dhampir Report episodes. But, nothing held a candle to seeing her in person. He had held her close to him as a child, and maybe he stood a chance of doing it again someday. But for now, he had other things to worry about.

Like, for instance, cleaning up before dinner.

"Oh. I'm just gonna-" and pointed to the bathroom, before he turned and walked away.

Once cleaned, Dimitri returned to the family room, where he sat down and waited for the on-slaught of questions to begin. And as soon as Karo, Sonya, and Vika had all returned from the kitchen with their rations for dinner, it began. Immediately.

"When did you sign up?" Sonya asked.

"Why did you sign up?" Karolina continued.

"Do you really think you'll win Dimitri?" Viktoria finished.

He took a moment to himself to think over the questions and come up with an answer to each.

"I signed up the day after it was announced, because entering alone got us more money than I'd earn in a month. I did it because I want to see if I stand a chance. You don't know what happened that day, during the attack that killed the Queen, and I can't explain it, but I can't stop thinking about her. If I could just have a chance to be near her once more, I'd be able to die a happy man." He took a for more breaths before continuing. "I don't know if I'll win, but I promise you I won't leave without giving it my best shot Vika."

"And that's all we could ask for." Olena said gently as she entered the room to find her children all talking.

"Alright now. Off to bed, the lot of you. We will be having many visitors in the next few days, and you all need to be well-rested to help out. Shoo now. Go on."

And with those words said, the entire Belikov clan went off to bed.


Okay sweets. For those interested, the COVER PHOTO info is as follows:

It MUST have the title (Let Your Heart Lead The Way), as well as my pen name (DamphiricAngel2014). I'd prefer to see what you guys can do.. Cause I'm no good. Like, what-so-ever. So, help me out? The winner of the cover photo contest will: (obviously) have their picture as the cover to the story as well as get a special sneak peak at whatever chapter I may be working on at the time. If you are interested in submitting something, I'm on Pinterest (pinterest dot com slash da2k14) and Tumblr ( www dot tumblr dot com/blog/shadowhuntingdamphir2014) or you can shoot me a PM and I'll get you my fanfic email!

I hope y'all decide to give it a shot! I want to see what my lovely readers can do!

Drop a review on your way out!

~DA2014