Alrighty then... Sorry for the delay guys... I've been writing Ch 35 and it was HUGE!!! I'm sorry to say that
it was just too huge to have it all in one chapter so I've had to split it up. It ended up being 10,428 words! hehehe
I got creative... LOL!
So now there will be Ch 35 Part 1 - 4674 words
and Ch 35 part 2 - 5754 words... :-)
Okay, thank to my beta and my dear friend Lisa A.K.A Purple An'gelic... You worked hard today! LOL...
Anyway... enough babble, on with the suspense!
Thirty Four
Rose's Point of View
I felt myself waking and I yawned as I stretched my body out of its slumber. I laid there for a few more seconds relishing in the quiet...quiet? No, I could hear someone else breathing..... I opened my eyes to find myself staring into a pair of beautiful brown eyes that I'd grown to need more than I ever thought I would, the smile that was on his face calmed me like nothing else in my life.
"Good morning my love." He whispered.
"Good morning to you too." I smiled. He leant forward and kissed my lips softly. "Why are you here and when did you get here?"
"I'm here because I love you and I got here a few hours ago." I glanced at the clock on the bedside table behind him and saw that it was 3 pm... The sun was well and truly up and everyone would still be asleep. He reached out and pulled me on top of his body and I could feel every muscle he had under his flimsy white tank top. I rather liked waking up this way and I gathered that he liked me waking up this way too. He reached his hand up into my hair and pulled me down to his lips...oh God.... he was going to be my undoing.... I knew I should stop, but I just couldn't seem to do it... Things got more and more heated until neither one of us could or wanted to stop. I definitely loved waking up like this.
My body came alive as he touched and kissed me and all my troubles cleared from my mind for the next half hour or so.
"You're a much better alarm clock than that one over there." I said as I laid in his arms. I smiled as I heard and felt the chuckle emanating from within his chest.
"Cock-a-doodle doo!" He said while still laughing softly. "You know, I could be your alarm clock every morning, as well as your sleeping pill. Just say the word..."
"Don't tempt me..."
"Ah... you know what you've just done don't you?"
"No...What?"
"You've just given me the green light to tempt you any way I can." I tried not to smile, but I couldn't help it, I rather liked the idea of being tempted, especially by him.
"I don't want to get up." I said quietly. He took a deep breath and lifted my face up to his.
"I'd stay here all day if I could, but even I know that they'll send a search party for you before too long." I found myself just staring into his eyes then his lips, his jaw, his cheekbones... I would never get tired of oogling him. "Come on, first one to the shower gets....." That's all he needed to say and I was up and running...
"Gets what Comrade?" I said as I stood under the shower waiting for the hot water to arrive. I felt his hands wrap around me from behind and I shivered as his warm breath tickled my ears as he spoke.
"Well, seeing as you're the first one here, I guess you're going to have to tell me..." I sort of felt a little guilty for having such a wonderful morning with everything going on....sort of.
Hope's Point of View.
It took a while for my heart rate to slow after Vasilisa left my room. I've never seen her so scary before, she really put the wind up me. Not enough to stop me in my endeavour to eliminated Rose from my life though. Hopefully it won't be long before my Aunt would step forward and tear her world apart for me. I had to know what was going on and I couldn't do that from here so I pressed the buzzer so that a nurse would come in to me.
"Lady Ivashkov, is there something that you need?"
"Yes, I wish to leave." She looked a little puzzled at first.
"Ah, I don't know if that's going to happen just yet but I'll go get the doctor for you." I nodded to her and waited for the person who could let me out of this place. It was only a matter of minutes before she arrived which was good.
"Lady Ivashkov." The doctor greeted. "I hear you wish to leave?"
"That's right. The princess healed me, so I don't see the need to be here any longer. What's the time by the way?"
"Ah, it's just past curfew. Why don't you stay here for tonight seeing as it's so late and you can go in the morning?"
"I'd rather sleep in my own bed if that's possible." She looked at me like she knew I wasn't going to give in, so she nodded to me.
"If that's what you would like. I'll just go get the paperwork together and call a guardian to take you back to your dorm." Then she turned around and left my room. By the time she'd come back, I was redressed into the clothes that I'd come in and was ready to go. "Guardian Blake will be here shortly to escort you Lady Ivashkov. I don't think you will have any problems, but here are some tablets if you should experience any headaches." She gave me a little bottle with a couple of white tablets in them and handed me some papers to sign. The guardian soon arrived and then I was soon back in my room. I would have to wait until the morning to see if anything was happening because of my visit with my aunt, and the excitement of it nearly kept me up all night....nearly. I woke with the beeping of my alarm clock and I quickly jumped into my shower and got ready for my day. As I walked down the stairs to go to breakfast, I noticed that nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The Moroi who lingered in the building were talking quietly amongst themselves. I thought it was a little weird...maybe they hadn't heard yet.
I walked over to the commons and as I walked inside, everything was as it is normally.... I was suddenly getting a weird feeling that nothing had happened and that's why everything was normal. I saw Trudy and Mia sitting at our normal table so I went over to them.
"Good morning Hope, sleep well?" Mia asked.
"Yeah I did."
"How are you feeling this morning? I was so worried after I saw what happened between you and your brother." Okay... now I know that my Aunt has done nothing.
"I'm fine. Do you know if my Aunt is still here?"
"Yeah she is actually. She was meant to leave last night, but she heard about what happened and was worried about you. She was going to see you this morning before she leaves though apparently." I couldn't work out what was going on at first, but then it hit me...Adrian must have compelled her into forgetting what I told her; she wouldn't have let this go otherwise. Alright then, now what do I do? I sat for a while pretending that I was listening to their normal morning ramblings, when I got the answer to my question.
"Um, I haven't fed yet so I'll see you later, alright?"
"Yeah, sure." They both looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders as I walked away. I had a lot to do and only a short time to do it, so I had to feed first. I went into the feeder's room and signed in. Luckily most Moroi had already fed so I could just go straight in. From there I went back to the library and reprinted my letter that I'd written to Guardian Petrov, if she wasn't going to pay any attention to it, my Aunt would. I had to get it to her without me having anything to do with it; I couldn't compel anyone to do it either as Lissa told me she could tell. As I walked out of the library I saw a group of Moroi students talking before classes started. I took a second to work out how I was going to achieve my next objective and once I had the answer, I started jogging towards them.
As I got beside them I 'accidently' dropped my library books that I had in my hands. "Oh great! I don't have time for this..." I said loud enough for them to hear. Sure as shit, one of them came over to help me. I looked up at the Moroi that had come to help me. I'd seen him in the commons before from time to time – good looks to die for, golden blonde hair...blue eyes – shame he wasn't Royal.
"Let me help you." He said kindly. "You seem to be in a hurry."
"Yeah I am." I said with my best flirty smile. "I have to see Guardian Petrov before class and I was just given a note by someone to give to the queen; which I really don't have time to get up to her quarters to give it to her."
"I'll take it for you if you'd like." He said with a smile. I smiled back but my smile was in satisfaction of an acting job worthy of an Oscar.
"Thank you, but I can't ask that of you, you'll be late for class."
"No, no... It's no trouble at all, I won't be late, don't worry." Oh, I won't....
"Well... alright, as long as you really don't mind. Thank you very much. What's your name?"
"You're welcome. My name is Marcus Rinaldi." Rinaldi hey.... I wonder?
"Hi Marcus, I'm Hope, Hope Ivashkov."
"Yeah I know." With that we stood up and he gave me the books that he was holding.
"Ah, I really have to be going... Thanks again Marcus." I said over my shoulder as I jogged away. Shmuck!
I was sitting in my last class before lunch, daydreaming as I stared at nothing in particular out of the window. Suddenly the phones of the guardians in the room began beeping all at once.
"Everything alright?" Asked our teacher.
"Ah yes, we've been called for a meeting Ms Conta." It was yet another of her admirers, Ashford I think it was. She nodded to him and then all the guardians left bar one so I turned my head back to the window to continue my daydream. As the class finished everyone made their way towards the commons.
"Hey Hope." Trudy said from behind me. "How's your day been so far?"
"Boring... I could think of a million other things that I could be doing right now other than being here." She obviously thought I was being funny as she and Mia started to laugh.
"I know what you mean. So many shops....and not allowed near them!" I smiled at their silly thoughts. After all this mess is over, I too could go back to silly thoughts. How I wished that day would come soon. As we were about to go into the commons, we heard shouting coming from the administrations building. Whatever was happening... it seemed to be serious by the sounds of it. Could it be? I smiled to myself.
"Wow... I wonder what's going on in there? Sounds like someone's in the shit." Trudy said inquisitively. Or the shit's hit the fan... I thought to myself. "Should we try to get closer to see what it's all about?" she asked.
"Yeah, let's get closer Hope." Who was I to deny them their fun...?
"Alright, but if we get caught, I'll make sure they know who's idea it was." They both laughed like they thought I was joking! Stupid girls.... As we snuck around to the side of the building where the shouting was coming from, we found a good hiding spot so that we could listen in without being seen.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU WANT!" That was my Aunt yelling....
"Isn't that your Aunt, Hope?" Mia asked. I didn't want to miss anything by speaking so I just nodded my head.
"You don't get to choose what you want missy! You are here for one thing and one thing only. To serve and protect US! Do you understand?"
"Aunt, that's not fair." Of course he'd be there... I could see the girls looking at me out of the corner of my eye so I just put my finger to my lips to keep them from asking anymore questions. I had a feeling that this conversation was going to be the highlight of my life.
"And YOU! You've always been too soft when it comes to her. You're a Moroi Adrian, a Royal Moroi at that, and my nephew. You can't let yourself be taken in by someone like her... You come from the most regal family in our world; you are expected to keep some decorum. I know your reputation; I know you've slept with anything that has a pulse, but to go against me ....over a Dhampir? I just don't understand you."
"She's not just a Dhampir; she is the person who would lay down her life for you."
"That's what she's bred for Adrian, that's what they're all bred for. Open your eyes boy, this is our world. They need us to procreate, so it's in their best interest to protect us. Without us, they won't survive."
"Without them, WE won't survive. You're the one blinded here. Think about it Aunty, if we weren't around anymore, how long do you think it would take for the Dhampir's to die out? A year or a lifetime? Now on the other hand, if they were to die off how long do you think we'd last? A year or a lifetime?"
"Enough of this nonsense. My decision is final. She should think herself lucky that I'm only banishing her. If it wasn't for her 'bond' she'd be flogged within an inch of her life and jailed for the rest of it. But we all know that any harm that comes to her will also hurt the princess."
"If you banish Rose, then you banish me too." Ah, she is there.... no show without Punch.
"WHAT?"
"You heard me. Where Rose goes, I go. First and foremost she is my sister," I heard my Aunt snuff in disgust at that. "Second she is my best friend and lastly she is my guardian as she will always be, no matter what you do. And if I have to leave to keep her in my life, then that's what will happen." What was with these people? Why would they risk their lives for her! Trudy and Mia were staring at me with their mouths and eyes open to their maximum. They were speechless. I was only just containing my excitement, had the girls not been here, I would have done a little jig! Finally... she was gone!
"And you..." I couldn't see anything from our hiding spot and I was dying to know who my Aunt was talking to now. "You know the rules as well as anyone. You are brought up with these rules told over and over..."
"Yes we are, and I'm only just seeing now, how truly twisted you are." OH NO! DIMITRI... "We really are nothing to you but guard dogs, aren't we. Something to be thrown in front of those who mean you harm. Well you can count me out; I'd rather protect those who would appreciate my sacrifice."
"Oh really? And who would that be? Humans...."
"If they needed my protection, yes. At least they would appreciate my help. But with the way this is heading, I would expect there to be a few Moroi who will be joining us." Us? He's going with her? No.... he can't. Not after everything I've done to keep him with me...
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"You have no idea just how much Rose is loved Aunty. If she is banished, she is not the only one you will be sending out. I will be joining her." No...
"As will I." Said the princess... no surprise there!
"And you can count us out as well." It was that Ashford guy....
"NO Mase... no...." Oh, now she's trying to protect them... a little late blood whore!
"Rose, she's not only insulted you, but every guardian that will and has laid their lives down for them. I will not put my life on the line for people who think so little of our lives."
"Nor will I...." I had no idea who that was, but there were a few more people who said the same thing. One that surprised me the most was Guardian Petrov.
"I've spent my life in servitude." She said. "I've watched the man I loved killed and lost a child of my own because of those who don't deserve my sacrifices. No more! You have taken enough of my life; I will give you no more." I could hear crying and wondered who it was. Surely it couldn't be my Aunt...she would never let herself be seen crying.
"Fine." My Aunt said, by the sound of her voice, it was definitely not her that was crying. "Anyone who wishes to follow this....Dhampir can do so. I don't want the likes of you protecting me anyway. I expect you all to be out of this Academy within the hour."
"Hope..." Trudy whispered to me. "Let's go... if we get caught here we'll get in so much trouble." I was riveted to the spot... The realisation of what had just happened, of what I've just lost, hit me like a tonne of bricks!! Not only did I succeed in getting rid of Rose, but my brother and Dimitri too. My brother would be outside in the world...where he would be without the safety of wards; he could be killed or turned. Oh my God... What have I done? I've lost everyone... everyone I've ever loved, they're all gone... All because of HER! I'm going to kill her.... Banishment is no longer what I want...it's not enough. I want her DEAD!