Chapter 42:

RPOV

We had all settled in after the buck load of information we had been given over the past few days. My mother had actually stayed at Abe's place to give us all some more space. I tried not to think about that too much. The Spirit team has been getting a lot done and Lissa was animatingly telling me about it over lunch now.

"It's amazing Rose, Oksana knows so much, and she is like the perfect in-between between me and Adrian. She can both heal and see auras. She is even teaching us how to look into other people's minds. Although she is more focused on that with me since Adrian said he wanted to use it to read the minds of girls."

I laughed. But I wondered how much of that was Adrian bravado. I could see he was pining over Sydney. I doubt he will get over her soon.

"So Rose, what are your plans now? I mean yours and Dimitri's?"

She corrected very fast. I knew it had taken her some adjusting to the fact we were now married. I know she wanted to have been there, she was telling me that almost every day, but our wedding was perfect. But we had to keep repeating that to Lissa and to Olena to get them to forgive us.

"I don't know Liss, I don't know if I can go back to my life. I mean we wanted to go to Lehigh together, but I didn't even graduate. If I return and let people know what happened I don't know how they will react? I wonder if they will let an ex- Strigoi guard a princess. And that is if they don't lock me up"

I saw she was mulling it over in her head. She hadn't considered that people might be afraid of me.

"But Adrian is probably going back to court soon and Dimitri will have to go with him."

My father, it was still weird thinking that, was walking up behind me.

"Don't worry little girl, I will make sure you get your life back. I did it before."

And suddenly it was clear to me how I didn't get expelled from the academy once Dimitri had gotten us back. But I doubted it would be that simple. Although I didn't think there was anything that Abe didn't think he could do, even if it was impossible. The man would think he could defy the gods themselves, he deems himself so powerful.

"How do you propose to do that?"

He just smirked at me. I was glad I was his daughter, because if I had been anybody else I would have been afraid of him. Very afraid.

"I will call Tatiana and explain the situation to her calmly. It concerns Adrian as well so I doubt she will make a big fuss, the members of the council are a bit more difficult but don't worry, they know better than to go against my wishes."

The way he said it made it sound that he had dirt on all of them. And I realized if he owned the council he did indeed possess more power than the queen. It had probably been this kind of thing that had kept Abe away from me. My mother and he had explained to me that even though he had kept track of me my entire life, he wasn't involved in my life because of fear of retribution from his enemies. He simply said that it was no business a little girl should be around. It was nice to know it wasn't because he didn't want me.

He whipped out his phone and pressed the button for the speed dial.

"Tatiana, it's Abe, we need to have a little chat."

Unbelievable, my father had the queen on speed dial and didn't even bother to call her by her title. I was starting to realize where her disdain for me came from. He walked into the next room so we wouldn't hear him. After a few minutes had passed he came back.

"It is settled. You will go to court and appear before the council. They will also want to examine you. I told her that was acceptable within reason. The council will not be made aware of your situation until you appear there to prevent an audience from showing up. I will be there to make sure you are treated fairly. The point is to recognize you as a full Dhampir again and have you reinstated. I haven't worked out the details yet about that one but I will discuss this with guardian Croft when we arrive at court. You may have to take your field exam, but I doubt that will pose a problem for you."

I stared at him and Lissa stared with me. That is it. We have been discussing this for days, and my father comes in and waves his magic wand and it is settled?

Before we knew it we were saying goodbye to the Belikov's and on a plane to court. We had decided to travel separately from Lissa, because Dimitri and Adrian were still kinda off the grid.

The goodbye had been brutal. Olena was crying and even Dimitri got emotional. I was also surprised at how sad I was to leave them. They had truly become my family. But we promised to visit them soon.

I was now sitting in the seat next to Dimitri and leaning in against him. I was nervous about returning so I decided to take my mind off of it. I placed my hands on Dimitri's upper thigh suggestively.

"Hey comrade, want to join the mile high club?"

He was of course reading his western novel and without looking at me or anything he said.

"Can't"

"Well, why not?"

"To small, I don't fit."

Still not looking up from his book, I gawked at him. He didn't say I won't fit. He said I don't fit As if he had tried it before but failed. There was a smirk creeping up on his face. Bastard.

"Dimitri, how many women have you been with before me?"

"And men?" came from the seat behind us where Adrian was sitting.

Dimitri turned slightly, flicking his finger at Adrian's head and then turned his attention to me.

"Why do you want to know?"

I didn't know if I did, but this wasn't the first reference he made to former lovers. Dimitri had been my first, last and only, but I knew he had women before me. I knew he was happy with me and wouldn't want anybody else. I mean our sex-life was amazing, but I still wondered.

"Well, you know all the people I have been with, just because there isn't much to tell, doesn't mean you don't have that information."

Adrian turned around again, his eyes wide.

"You were a virgin? You lost your virginity to your 7 year old mentor? Wow."

Now we both glared at Adrian. Why was he listening to this conversation? Well maybe we should have done this in private but now I wanted to know and so did Adrian. He was standing up a bit. Hanging over the back of our seats. His head resting on his hands.

"Sooooo. Tell us about your conquests, big Dhampir."

Dimitri sighed.

"Very well. I have been with… (he was counting them in his head) five women before Rose, both Dhampir and Moroi."

"So what were they like?"

"Unlike someone I know, I don't just sleep with women when they offer." He was eyeing Adrian, one dissing Adrian about his previous choices and two boosting saying 'yeah, that is right. They offer a lot.' The hidden message didn't seem to be lost on Adrian. I thought it was cute this sibling rivalry.

"I actually had a relationship with most of them. But I suppose it always meant more to them than to me. I just never found the right one. I was always more concerned with my duties as a guardian or my studies and eventually that took its toll."

"Did you sleep with Tasha?"

I had no idea where that came from. But I needed to know.

Dimitri took my hands in his.

"No, I never slept with Tasha. We went on one date and at least I realized that it wasn't going to work."

"So who were they?"

He sighed. He hoped I would have let it go.

"My first was Natalia, when I was sixteen. She was a nice girl, Moroi, and she had been hanging around Ivan and I. Her best friend was trying to get Ivan's attention but she was focused on me. Ivan was making sure I had enough alone time with her. But after we dated for a little bit, we both went our separate ways after Ivan and her friend broke up."

"Were you her first?"

"I think so. That is what she told me. And she wasn't particularly experienced, but neither was I so I wouldn't know."

"and then?"

"Rose, do I have to tell you about all of them?"

I thought about it. I didn't want to know. Five wasn't a big number for a 24 year old gorgeous sexy guardian. But there was something I really wanted to know about his previous experiences.

"No, but I just want to know, who thought you all those things, who did you try to have sex in the airplane bathroom with, who gave you… you know what I gave you last time in the shower?"

Understanding crossed Adrian's face. He broke into a big smile.

"Lucky you."

Dimitri gave him the death glare and he settled back into his seat.

"Rose, can we talk about this later?"

"No, I want to know."

"It was one of Ivan's friends. A rich Moroi girl. She had been around Ivan for a while and liked to hang out in his scene, but she always had an eye for me. I was young and well… frustrated. When I said I had a relationship with most of them, well she was the exception. Anna was experienced even if she wasn't much older than me. She was kind of, well… the female version of Adrian. We would hook up whenever she was around and I was off duty. Ivan and I moved to a different college and I never saw her again."

"Was she good?" My voice sounded small, why was I so insecure all of a sudden. Dimitri placed his hands over mine.

"She knew her stuff, I'll give her that, but Anna and I were just physical and even then, because she was Moroi, I felt I had to hold back."

I understood. I knew how some of our sessions ended and he was right he did have to hold back with Moroi. The poor girl would have ended in the hospital. I still couldn't fully rest my arm on the armrest after our session last night. I am sure Olena is glad to have some peace and quiet back in the house.

He picked my hands in his own and brought them to his lips.

"Roza, I love you, I married you. I didn't marry any of them for a reason."

I rolled my eyes.

"yeah, great love you too, but I know that. That is not what I am asking. I know I am the only one you ever loved, I want to know if I am the best you have had?"

The last part was a whisper. Most of the people on the plane were asleep, them being on a human schedule and wanting to avoid jetlag. We had the opposite problem. So we stayed awake. But it did mean we didn't have an audience for this conversation except for Adrian that is.

There was a smirk starting to creep on Dimitri's face.

"Without a doubt yes. And it has nothing to do with experience. Just like in regular life you bring out the best in me. I don't have to hold back with you and you match me every step of the way. You are more adventurous then I am but I like that. You want to try new things and experience them with me. And don't even get me started on your body. God sway your hips right and I will do anything you ask… Yes Roza, you are the best I have had, because with you I feel complete."

"Ahh."

"Shut up Adrian." We both said at the same time.

We spend the next few hours on the plane hand in hand, slowly stroking each other. Sometimes we would move closer to more sensitive areas but nothing too raunchy.