FOUR

Christian

Going to court, as he'd expected even when he agreed to it, quickly turned from a single appearance at the function for the Queen's birthday into a packed agenda of events that Lissa had insisted on people extending an invitation to him for.

He'd suffered through the ball that was the main reason they'd been there in the first place, on the first night, but the next morning when she'd came knocking on the twin room he was sharing with Rose, urging him to get dressed because they'd been invited for dinner with a Lazar couple, his mood had darkened.

So this was how the weekend was going to go, despite the half a dozen times he'd mentioned wanting to avoid this kind of thing in the run up to it.

"You look annoyed," Rose said, coming out of the bathroom where she'd changed into a pair of black jeans and a blouse.

"I am annoyed." He ran his hand through his hair and then let it fall. "Guess I'll try and stop the no-doubt high-powered Lazar's seeing that."

He shouldn't complain to Rose, but he was starting to realize that he was used to only ever being around Lissa. There was no one else that he spent any time with one-on-one, and the temptation to be honest about his frustrations had gotten the better of him. Rose was her best friend, he shouldn't be complaining to her of all people.

"At least the food will probably be good."

"You're surprisingly optimistic."

"It's easier when it's about someone else." She made sure to smile, to show she was teasing, but he didn't doubt she was serious.

One week into the field experience, and there was nothing optimistic about Rose Hathaway anymore. It was depressing to even watch it. She made an effort around Liss, but when it was just the two of them she didn't talk or smile much at all.

He found himself trying to think of things to say to her, in the hopes it would distract her from whatever was constantly on her mind.

His determination not to get bogged down in her problems had reversed itself pretty quickly. He should have known it would, really. He'd been isolated from people for most of his life since starting at St. Vlad's, but whenever he did get close to someone, he wanted to be able to help them. And aside from Liss, Rose was probably the person he was closest to at school.

Now he was with her twenty-four-seven, and there was no doubting the fact there were things she needed fixing.

He was also pretty sure he couldn't be the one to fix them.

Breakfast with the Lazar's was everything he'd expected. The relatively young couple had fawned over Liss and when they weren't trying not to acknowledge him, made snide comments that Liss didn't seem to pick up on.

Being with Lissa had done a lot for his reputation, but that was mostly just at school. At court it was a whole other ball game. These were established royals, ones who didn't care about petty school politics, and ones who didn't yet view Liss as Queen Bee.

He'd wondered what would have happened if he'd brought up the threats he was receiving. What would they have had to say about that? Would Liss have stopped inviting him to these things if he tanked them on purpose?

But he'd kept his mouth shut. He wasn't going to do that to her.

Rose had stood at the side of the room along with several other guardians, including Eddie, and watched their table closely. Her face was completely blank, and he promised himself to ask her how to get good at that.

Eventually it was over, and Liss suggested a walk around court. Rose and Eddie hung back, and he could at least pretend they had some privacy.

"Liss you said it was going to just be the ball."

"I know, but Cara is at Lehigh at the moment and I thought you'd appreciate getting to hear some more about it, and they're around our age. You don't mind it when I talk to people at school."

"You must be able to see how little they wanted me there."

She frowned. "They weren't rude."

"Yes, they were."

"It's important for me to get to know people." She squeezed his hand. "You know that I want to be able to push for offensive magic to be accepted, and the younger people are more likely to accept it than people stuck in their ways. And your Aunt is such a big figure in that cause, people want to know about that too. They want to talk to you."

"No, they want to talk to you." He had no idea how she couldn't see it because it wasn't directed at her. Maybe she was just so used to being the center of attention that she assumed it was natural for others to fade out of the spotlight, but it was more than that. It was the curled lip the Lazar boyfriend had given him, the way he'd angled his seat away from him, had poured water for everyone else at the table except Christian.

"I think you're thinking too hard about this."

Christian glanced over his shoulder, but resisted calling Rose and Eddie into his and Lissa's fight. They'd been standing watching the whole thing, they must have seen it.

"I'm not spending a solid two days doing this stuff, so you can take me off whatever is on your schedule."

"Christian—"

"I mean it Liss, I said I wasn't going to and you've booked things anyway. People will be happier when you show up on your own."

"I want you to support me with this."

"I want to support you, but not at these things. You don't need my support, anyway. You're great on your own."

He wanted to be able to just kiss her cheek and accept it, to put a smile back on her face, but he couldn't keep backing down. He'd end up doing this for the rest of his life, and slowly going insane.

He tried to hold onto Rose's words. She would have her own friends at court soon, and she wouldn't need him to go with her. She would have plenty of other support, and he could focus on doing what he wanted to. Studying offensive magic, maybe teaching, maybe going into something else entirely.

Studying at Lehigh, a tiny campus in the middle of nowhere instead of the University of Pennsylvania. Or somewhere else entirely.

He looked away. "What is next on your calendar?" He made sure the question didn't get her hopes up that he'd be joining her.

"I'm going for a spa date. You weren't invited to that one anyway. In half an hour."

"Then I'll let you go and get ready." He gave her a peck on the lips, to let her know he wasn't angry.

"Oh. Well, I'll see you later, I suppose."

"See you later."

He walked back toward Rose. "Liss has a spa date," he said, by way of clarification. "So I guess we're on our own."

"Didn't fancy a pedicure?"

"I definitely didn't fancy one with whoever Liss is planning on having one with." He stretched and sighed. "So, what is there to do at court except network?"

"I suppose we're about to find out. I'm sure they have plenty of gyms," she teased.

"I wouldn't particularly mind punching something."

"I think I might get into trouble if I take you training in the dhampir gyms of court, unfortunately."

"Then we'll just have to find something where I can let out my frustration just as much."

They ended up at a bowling alley. It wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind, but it would do.

What he liked most about it, was that nothing about it screamed opulence. It was just a standard bowling alley, like he might have seen in the Eugene when visiting Aunt Tasha.

"Perfect."

They bought drinks and then went to their own lane at the end, putting their names in.

"I haven't bowled since Portland," Rose admitted. "And even then Lissa used to not want to go, she was rubbish at it."

"I'm sure I'll be more competition."

His frustration did disappear as they played and he found himself laughing along with Rose as they both hit more gutter balls than pins.

"You would have thought with our better reflexes we'd be great at this," she complained. "I haven't even got a spare yet never mind a strike."

They had one bowl each left, and it was neck and neck. Just one point in it.

"Well, now is not the time for you to suddenly get good."

She laughed, picked up her ball and took her shot. It got the rightmost pin, and the second ball got the leftmost pin. "Yikes," she said, looking at the mournful animation telling her she'd scored just two. "Gutterballs for you then, please."

His first was a gutterball, and he pulled a face.

They really should have been uber competitive, them being who they were, but instead this was the most relaxed he'd felt in a long time. It helped that Rose had a genuine smile on her face.

With the second ball he was tempted to gutter it on purpose, in the hopes she would keep the smile, but ruled that out pretty quickly. He gave his best shot instead.

A strike.

"No way," Rose whined. "That is too lucky. I can't believe it."

"Oh look, it means I get another go, too! I guess I've well and truly beaten you."

"Getting one lucky shot at the end means nothing," she teased back.

His final shot was another gutterball, but it didn't matter.

"I'll be getting a print out of that one," he said, taking a seat opposite her at the high table opposite the lane.

She rolled her eyes. "I guess that means we're going to have to go and do something else competitive that I'm good at next."

"It has to be something we're both bad at, otherwise it spoils the fun."

She finished her drink. "You look happier."

"I feel happier."

"Good."

"You look happier, too."

"I also feel happier."

"Then maybe what we need is a rematch. Bowling is good for our mood."

She chuckled.

"Now I don't feel like I'm going to set someone on fire over it, though, I wanted to ask you whether I was making it up. I mean, they didn't want to talk to me. The guy was making every effort to slight me when he could without being rude."

"Yeah, they were being obnoxious," she agreed. "Did Liss not see it?"

He shook his head. "She doesn't notice unless someone blatantly says something. She thinks I'm imagining it."

"I'll mention it to her next time we're alone."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." He held his tongue on saying more. They'd sworn off baring their souls, and he was intending to stick to the arrangement.

"So," he said, "Another round?"