Chapter 10

Adrianna POV

I had just entered the classroom for my first theory lesson. The private session with Nikolaus just turned out to be a double lesson that he used to work out when I was compared to my fellow novices. I was behind, which wasn't a surprise but I wasn't far enough behind that I would struggle to catch up. Turns out all the time I spent outside playing sports had kept up what fitness levels I had.

I was sitting at one of the tables waiting for Bodyguard Theory and Protection class to start. I was nervous about how this class was going to go and this was the first class I had with my classmates. Nikolaus had pulled us aside and trained me separate from them so I wouldn't be nervous in front of them but I was just nervous period.

I was too busy in thoughts I didn't even noticed when someone slid in to the seat beside me.

"Hi, you're Adrianna right?" I turned and faced her, she had blonde hair and striking bright blue eyes and if it wasn't for the red mark on her face she would be incredibly pretty. I hoped the red mark was just from training though.

"I am, how did you know that?"

"News travels fast when there's a new novice, especially with your last name. My name is Emily" she smiled at me and I instantly smiled back.

"What has been said about me?"

"Just that you grew up in the human world and Lord Ivashkov is your father, a royal Moroi. Yes some of us may have royal Moroi blood but we don't know who since most of us take the surname of our dhampir parent instead of our Moroi parent"

"So just the basics then? Yes I've had that bit explained to me, it sounds weird not to take your fathers last name. It's just common practise in the human world"

"Now that sounds weird to me" she grinned at me and I found it was easy to talk to her. "Here, pass me your timetable so I can see what classes we have together" I reached into my bag and pulled it out and handed it over.

I watched as she compared the two. "Any matches?"

"Yes, we share the same classes except for environmental studies. I take culinary science instead but one of the other girls takes environmental science. She is currently in the other novice class but I can introduce you to her at lunch?"

"Other novice class?"

"Yeah there are too many of us in our year so they have spilt the class. When we have 1st and 2nd period they have 3rd an 4th period classes and vice versus but after lunch when we join the Moroi we get spilt up even more"

"That's fair, how many girls are in our year?"

"Four including you, there's Sarah who is the girl who is taking environmental studies. There is also Lindsay and Amelia. I get along with both Sarah and Amelia but it's Lindsay none of us really get along with"

"Why's that?"

"She would rather spend her time with the Moroi, I've got nothing against them. I'm friends with a fair number of them but she will push us aside for them, especially the royal Moroi. It's almost like she's trying to get in there good graces for placement when we graduate"

"Well since there is so few of us girls and one of them would rather spend time with the Moroi what are the boys like?" I grinned at her and she shook her head at me but I saw the smile on her face either way. Before she got the chance to reply our class had started.

I spent the rest of the morning following Emily to our classes and she had introduced me to our fellow novices, I had met so many people I was losing track of their names and would have to ask them again when they started speaking to me.

Fourth period had just finished and I was following Emily and I think his name was Daniel from the classroom towards where we had our meals. I hadn't had any meals in here so I was shocked by what it was, it just a massive cafeteria but it looked so different to what I would have expected. I noticed straight away that the Moroi also sat in the same cafeteria. I froze not expecting this, I had hoped I could still keep away from them until I felt more comfortable around them. I knew I had to deal with them in my afternoon classes but I just hope I could sit with my fellow novices and that would make me forget about the Moroi.

"Adrianna are you alright?" both Emily and Daniel were looking at me, we had stopped not far from the door or the line to get food. But I couldn't answer, I just stayed silent and tried to control my breathing to stay calm.

"Adrianna?" how did I not realise that Nikolaus was in here, it doesn't surprise me though. I guess I was just shocked by everything in here I didn't take in any of the faces that I knew.

"I'm fine honestly" He raised an eyebrow at me showing he didn't believe me, how was it after a short amount of time he was able to tell when I was and wasn't lying? "This is Emily and Daniel"

"Damien" he corrected, I stared at him.

"I'm so sorry, I swear your name was Daniel"

"Its fine, my twin brother is named Daniel"

"That would make sense as to why I kept seeing you in different places. I thought I was losing it, guys this is Guardian Anastas. He's the one helping me catch up to your level"

"Nice to meet you both, I will see you later Adrianna"

"He's hot" Emily spoke as soon as he walked away, I had no idea if he was out of ear shot or not

"I know this, he is also five years older than us" I frowned at Emily and I called hear Damien laughing at us

"How often do you meet with him?"

"Before and after classes, during combat techniques and on the rare occasion during condition class as well"

"Hmm, I wonder if he's any good"

"Wouldn't know Damien, I don't have much to compare him too" I shrugged as the three of us walked towards the food line.

I made it through lunch with them meeting the Sarah girl that had been mentioned and someone had pointed Lindsay out for me and true to Emily's word she was surrounded by Moroi. Someone had given me the rundown of their names and they were all royal Moroi, being a dhampir I technically had no connection to the royal families but I also had to know who they were since they had a big part in running our world, Adrian had been the one to explain the ins and outs of the royal Moroi and how they worked, I was confused to say the least.

I barely made it through my afternoon classes being surrounded by Moroi, I just hoped this nervousness feeling I had around them would go away soon enough. I was grateful when I entered my environmental science class and noticed it was all novices and not a single Moroi in sight but what did shock was that Lindsay was in this class. I went over and took a seat beside Sarah. We were in the middle of a conversation when Lindsay made her way over and interrupted us.

"So you think because you actually know who your father is and he claims you as his own, you think you're better than the rest of us and that warrants you your own teacher?" I looked up at her, in normal situations I had no problems handling myself. I had had some Moroi make comments about Adrian and how they thought I thought better of myself but I had stayed quiet. But this time round there were no Moroi around to make me nervous.

"Are you jealous because I actually have royal blood where as you are just a wannabe?"

"I do have royal blood"

"Oh really and who is your father?" but I got no response. "Exactly, you don't know who your father is and I don't hold that against you since most dhampirs don't know who their Moroi parent is but what I find sad about you is the fact that you pretend to be better then you actually are. When we graduate those Moroi you throw yourself at won't want to know you. I may not know everything since I'm behind but you seem to be even more clueless then me"

"And you're just a sad little pathetic excuse of a dhampir, I don't know a single Moroi who would want you as their guardian. Maybe you should just go be a blood whore already" she smirked at me, the comment made no affect on me but everyone else in the room gasped in shock.

"And you say that like it would have an effect on me"

"Oh come on, I've heard about what you did at Court. You and that one or was it two royals, a Tarus and a Lazar. There were rumours you let them feed off you" this got everyone whispering, I was already big news amongst the novices I had yet to meet and this just added fuel to the fire and it wasn't even true. Me having the no self control I normally have I stood up and punched her.

I expected her to being able to block the punch or do something back but she really was more clueless then I was. The teacher walked in just in time to see me punch Lindsay and I was sent to Alberta's office while she was just sent to the hospital.

"Miss Ivashkov, I heard you caused trouble in Australia and I hoped you could make it through the first week without having to be sent to my office"

"She told everyone in the class that I let two royal Moroi feed off me. I had enough trouble getting through lunch and my afternoon classes, I doubt I would have let a Moroi feed off me at Court"

"No but weren't you found drunk and in the bedroom of another novice during your stay at Court"

"How do you know about that?" I managed to speak after being shocked. Rose had found me in the guy's dorm, I don't even know if Adrian knew. Either she told or the guy did, I can't even remember his name.

"News travels amongst Guardians just like it does with students"

"Great, what about the fact she called me a blood whore?" I still had no idea what the severity of the word meant but her reaction to it was enough to justify it was a bad comment.

"Do you know what that term means?"

"Nope but I'm assuming by the reaction of the novices in the class as well as yours it isn't a good term"

"No it isn't, it's not exactly a term we throw around lightly. They are similar to prostitutes, sluts or whores but with the aspect of letting the Moroi feed of them during sex. A dhampir letting a Moroi feed off them in general is taboo but during sex is even worse"

"Great so now all the novices will be talking about how much of a slut I am now" I shrank into my chair not wanting to go back to classes

"We all know about how uncomfortable you feel around the Moroi, I will be speaking to Miss Reynolds about what she claimed during your environmental science class and she will be punished"

"What about my punishment?"

"Guardian Anastas has something planned for you. You should head to the gym instead of returning to class. I believe he is already in there waiting for you" I didn't say anything else, what more could I say? I wasn't exactly sorry for punching her and now knowing what a blood whore is I was even more furious, she was glad I only punched her once.

When I made it the gym I found that both Adrian and Nikolaus were waiting for me, just great. How fast did gossip travel in this bloody place for Adrian to be here?"

"What were you thinking punching a fellow novice for no reason?" Adrian was pissed and I could understand since I'm his responsibility but he didn't even know the story.

"Are you kidding me? Where the hell did you hear that lame fucking story? She called me a fucking blood whore and told everyone that instead of being with the one novice I was found with two fucking royal Moroi and I let them feed off me. I had enough fucking trouble making it through lunch and my afternoon classes that I was finally glad when environmental sciences came along and I found there were no Moroi in there" the anger that was written across his face instantly vanished as soon as I finished talking.

"I'm sorry, I just assumed..."

"What that since I caused so much trouble before hand that I would punch someone on the first day and send them to the hospital while I get sent to Alberta's office?"

"I was in the hospital when she came in Dri. She told us you punched her for no reason"

"And what you believed her? Are you kidding me, I have never done anything like that just because I could. I always did it because someone said or did something first but no ever believed me why should that change now"

"Dri I'm sorry. I should have come to you first"

"Yes you should have. How do you think I feel knowing everyone now thinks I'm a blood whore and have let two Moroi feed off me?"

"Did you make friends today?"

"Yeah but what's the point?"

"That's the point. You made friends, obviously before those comments were made. If they start treating you differently then they don't matter"

"It's bad enough I'm not in their practical classes"

"Speaking of which, we need to begin and you have punishment I'm meant to deal with" Nikolaus spoke causing both Adrian and myself to look at him. I had almost forgotten he was in here, almost.

"Very well, Dri we will speak about this later"

"Can't wait" I gave him a fake smile before he left. I turned and faced Nikolaus and I was not ready for this session and the punishment it would bring. But I sucked it up and did everything he requested knowing just how much I would hurt in the morning.