Thanks to RoseDimitriLoveJunky for bouncing some ideas around with me, and helping with the 'on-stage drama', as it were :)
Disclaimer: Despite making my readers wait almost as long between updates as Richelle does between book releases, I am not she.
The next morning the air was heavy with anticipation; both for the rewards ceremony and something as yet unknown. The humid air cloaked the camp like a heavy blanket, smothering us as we trooped towards the central field once again.
No longer wearing breathable, purpose-made sports gear, the fabric of my Guardian uniform clung to my back in a way that simultaneously made me want to tear my black jacket off, and never remove it in the hopes of maintaining some form of dignity whilst I waited for the verdict of the results.
I desperately envied the Guardians from the more southerly nations, all looking perfectly happy in their loosely fitting, light coloured formal wear. Those from the Far Eastern countries looked particularly badass, like ninjas prepared for camouflage against a snowy backdrop. I wondered if anyone had left any spare clothes lying around that I could 'borrow'.
That reminded me of last night's escapade, and I cast a half-hearted glare over at Jake. He'd been very apologetic after retrieving my clothes from the assault course, but he was still an idiot. I was certain that he'd undergo a personality improvement if his nose was to become firmly acquainted with my fist, but Hans would never let me get away with it. He probably still thought I was a pyromaniac with a burning desire to set our tent on fire- no pun intended.
When we reached the middle of the field, all the different groups were split up until we stood in 13 separate sections. In front of us was a makeshift stage; steps had been placed on either side of a large platform making up part of the assault course and there was a speaker system with a single wide-range microphone set up. Once more we were waiting for the Guardian coordinator to show up and address the crowd, but at least this time everyone was relatively quiet. The air was filled with suspense as people waited for the results with baited breath.
As for me, I wasn't too bothered. I already had my dream job, and I wouldn't give up guarding Lissa for the highest ranked job in the world.
Of course, my job wasn't far off that as it was.
No, so long as I beat Dimitri, I didn't care if I actually won anything today. It was all kind of pompous anyway.
I was so busy playing with the ring on my necklace that I didn't even notice the Guardian step onto the stage until a hiss of static buzzed through the speakers.
"Good morning, Guardians," we finally heard after some microphone tapping and throat clearing. "I hope you slept well and aren't too fatigued after the last two days' activities. You have all undeniably worked hard, and I hope that your effort and attention has paid off and that you will leave here with a greater knowledge of how to defend your Moroi and protect yourselves. This is the true prize of this event- the gift of survival and the honour that comes from removing dark beings from this world."
I hadn't noticed before, but this guy could probably give Father Andrew a run for his money with his speeches.
"But in addition to this, there are also individual achievement awards. There are three prizes for the overall winners, given to those who placed consistently high in each category. Flexibility and a wide range of skills is essential to be successful as Guardians, especially in light of the events of the last few years. This is a brave new world that we have entered, where the undead are no longer alone. As a result, we must work together even more than ever before. Because of this, I encourage you to be proud of your fellow Guardians and to help those less skilled than yourselves back home.
Now, though, it is time to recognise the achievements of the best of the best. Here to aid me in presenting the awards is Guardian Hans Croft of the Royal Court."
People clapped as Hans stepped up on to the stage, a strange expression on his face. He looked caught somewhere between shock and awkward humour, so I guessed that he wasn't that confident in addressing large crowds like some people were.
"They should have used us for that job," I whispered to Dimitri. "We always cause a stir when we make an announcement on-stage."
"I think that's a reason to keep us in the audience," he replied drily.
"Boring," I muttered good-naturedly. The faster this was over, the faster we could go pick out our wedding rings. Once we had that covered, I could go back to sleep again.
I started to zone out of the speech again as the Guardian whom I'd yet to see actually do anything physical continued to prattle on about pride and honour. I'd learned for myself that in this profession, you couldn't afford to put too much value in personal vanity. We had a job to do, and saving lives sometimes meant doing things that no benevolent person could ever be able to look back on with anything resembling pride.
"-Edison Castile."
I was shocked out of my daze by both the words coming through the microphone and the whooping that suddenly started up in our little section of the field. I whipped my head around to stare at Eddie, who looked dazed.
"Guardian Castile, please come up and collect your trophy."
A glance back at the stage revealed the trophy to be bronze- Eddie had just won third place in a tournament for the most elite Guardians in the world.
"Eddie!" I yelled, elation for my friend's recognition filling me completely. Eddie deserved this, so much.
Eddie still looked stunned, but came to life when I grabbed him in a bone-crushing hug. Releasing him after a second, I pushed him in the direction of the stage. He walked blindly forwards.
"And don't fall over!" I shouted after him, laughing at the glare he gave me.
"Well this changes things. Who wants to raise the stakes?" I heard someone behind me say.
Was everyone in on a betting pool? Worse than that, were they in on a pool that I hadn't been informed of?
A couple of people started changing their bets, with the debate over new odds flying around. I couldn't focus on the numbers, because I'd just realised why the stakes had changed.
With only two prizes left, not all of the favourites could still place.
Eddie was shaking hands with the coordinator now, and I wondered who would be following him up there a moment later. If Eddie could come third, then I had no doubt that Dimitri would also win something. He was the best damn Guardian here, and that wasn't just me being biased. He was agile, strong, and had only failed to win one of his matches- the one where he'd tied with me.
"Second place goes to Guardian Lars Jakobson."
The man-mountain I'd noticed on the assault course hauled himself up to stand even taller, a deep laugh emanating from his direction as he went to collect his prize.
I wondered if Dimitri was feeling confident about his ability to win first place in this Tournament, or if, like me, he was envisioning stacks and stacks of dirty dishes that were the forfeit for losing.
I swear, if Christian had made good on his joke to buy me a pack of flowery washing up gloves...
Up on the stage, Mount Lars did a macho fist-shake-growl-thing when he accepted his trophy, making the coordinator step back a little and Hans roll his eyes. I wondered if Mount Lars actually had a brain, or if he was using his skull purely as a place to store protein, like one of those beer helmets people wore to festivals.
One thing I'd learned over the last few days was that I needn't have worried so much about my poor grades after returning to the Academy. Considering that these were the Guardian elite, the average IQ of people here seemed lower than that of the average population. It wasn't even a lack of knowledge that could be blamed on a physical-based education; I'd met a few people that just lacked any semblance of common sense.
Maybe it was easier that way. Or maybe we'd all taken one too many kicks to the head.
Thankfully Lars was bright enough to take a hint that he had to leave the stage after his second victory roar. He jumped down to stand beside Eddie, who was still staring at his trophy with a look of wonder. It was about as adorable as it was frustrating- for all his achievements and recent progress in forgiving himself, Eddie still didn't believe he was truly worthy of his title as any kind of Guardian, especially a Royal one. There were still times when his regret over not saving Mason and killing James cast a shadow over him, and he laughed a little slower, cast his eyes down lower. He was healing, especially with Mia's love and support, but it was a slow process.
I felt Dimitri's hand on my arm, and turned to see him looking down at me.
He'll be okay, his eyes seemed to say. Like I am.
I hope so, I replied, before the coordinating Guardian spoke again.
"And now, we come to the award for first place. This is the most prestigious prize that can be bestowed upon any one Guardian in each generation- which is why it is highly inconvenient when there is a tie."
A murmur echoed through the crowd as people hastily switched their bets.
"Usually in this situation, there would be a tiebreak sparring match to find the true champion. However, today, it has been decided that this would not yield desirable results, due to the extreme weather conditions and the particular Guardians involved. I have been assured that a fight would likely result in the heat claiming a victory before either Dhampir, and as Strigoi are not fought in the sunlight, this would be a pointless test.
So for the first time since this Tournament began, there will be two winners based on their individual scores attained throughout the stages of the trials."
The entire field was silent, and the still air seemed to be holding its breath.
"Will Guardians Dimitri Belikov and Rosemarie Hathaway please come forward and receive your congratulations."
In that moment, my only thought was that I probably looked even more shocked than Eddie had. I tried to remember how to use words and string together a coherent sentence.
"No fucking way!"
Well, it was a start. I spun to face Dimitri, who looked shocked and amused in equal parts. Now I understood Hans' expression from earlier.
Grinning, Dimitri caught my flailing arms with a grin, his touch helping to ground me somewhat. "Yes, way."
"This is insane!"
I let Dimitri tug me towards the stage, still convinced that this was a joke. I mean, what were the chances of this happening? We were both undeniably badass, but to be badass in equal measure?
The universe was definitely treating me like a real-life sitcom character.
After focussing all my attention on making sure I didn't trip going up the steps, I worked to project my usual cocky attitude and not let anyone know how shocked I was about this. The only thing people hated more than self-professed arrogance was what they perceived to be false modesty.
The event organiser stood beside Hans, smiling politely as he held a gold trophy in the shape of a stake, engraved with all the Guardians' marks. The lack of imagination wasn't surprising, considering how single-minded most Dhampirs were. The Guardian shook our hands with his free one, the trophy resting in the crook of his arm.
"I hope that the two of you can come to an agreement over who gets to take this home," he said in his best approximation of a joke.
Before either of us could answer, Hans laughed, proving his uncommon sense of humour.
"I don't think that will be a problem, Guardian Markov. If it does become one, then it'll be their divorce attorney's problem."
Hans' words echoed around the now-silent field, the microphone in front of us amplifying the words tenfold. He looked pleased at his joke for all of a second before realising what he'd just revealed.
It was also for only a second that I was able to hold back by laughter. Hans looked mortified. Removing the microphone from his slack fingers, I addressed the crowd myself, since I was clearly the only one competent enough to be trusted with the task.
"It seems that the duty falls to us to try and distract from Guardian Croft's lack of propriety in this moment."
Stretching up on my toes, I caught Dimitri's unsuspecting lips in a hard kiss. He was still standing frozen from Hans' revelation, but loosened up enough to kiss me back for half a second before pulling away. There was some catcalling from the assembled audience, with quite a lot of whistling going on.
"Is that really going to help matters?" Dimitri asked, loud enough for the microphone to catch the sound of his voice.
I nodded, looking back at Hans. "Yep. Guardian Croft is more angry than embarrassed now, so everything is back to normal."
That spurred a laugh from the Guardians gathered, and even the coordinator cracked a smile.
I didn't get to find out what his opinion would have been, because at the exact same moment he opened his mouth, a far-off rumble of thunder echoed through the camp.
Coordinator Markov frowned, raising his own microphone once again. "It appears that the weather forecast was slightly off. There's a series of storms heading our way over the next couple of hours, so we'll have to cut this ceremony short to ensure that the tents have been properly dismantled before the rain hits. Congratulations to our winners- in both victory and any other news- and I hope that this has been a useful learning experience for everyone."
Markov's smile was slightly strained when he handed us the trophy and congratulated us for our 'other news', but clearly both our reputations and our performances here were enough to prove our dedication to our duty. We both carried the scars, both physical and not.
Unlike when I had been choosing my wedding dress, I didn't care if anyone saw my scars here. They had as much meaning as a promise mark or Molnija, evidence of both my dedication and a soul that couldn't be saved.
Dimitri and I received a mixed reception as we left the stage and made our way back to our group. Some of the rapidly dispersing Guardians gave us dirty looks, but I wasn't sure if that was because of the trophy in my hands or the ring that they couldn't see but knew had to exist. Either way, it was jealousy rather than condemnation in their eyes, and I was more than used to that. I just smiled back and moved a little closer to Dimitri.
"Belikov, go collect the exit permits from the guard near the gate. I don't want to have to queue there forever before we can leave. Castile, help me shift this, quickly!"
Hans fell into full boss-mode once we got back to our tent, issuing orders left and right. Guardians scampered around us in each of the small camping pitches, all trying to pack up before the rain came. Clouds were visible in the distance now, but the thunderclaps were still very far apart. It was only due to sensitive Dhampir hearing that we could detect them at all.
Soon, everyone had instructions expect for me. After making sure that the trophy was safe inside my bag and wrapped up in rolls of clothes, I went to confront Hans.
"Sir, you didn't give me an assignment." After the on-stage kiss earlier, I figured it was a good idea to be respectful for a bit.
He didn't look up from his clipboard. "I assumed that you'd just follow Belikov."
"But..."
He glanced at me, eyebrows raised. "Do you require permission? Go."
I didn't need to be told again.
As I jogged away, I rolled my eyes. I'd just won the most prestigious award a Guardian possibly could, and he was still being as crabby as usual. It had been the same following the raid just after Lissa became Queen- but at least then he'd broken out of character long enough to praise me.
It was like whatever I did, he would never treat me the same as the other Guardians at Court. He'd always have a sarcastic comeback to whatever I said, whereas if another Guardian had said it, Hans would just ignore it. If I failed to do something, he'd always look at me like I should have known better. If I-
Oh.
Maybe- just maybe- he was trying to treat me as an equal. Not just someone lower than him in the chain of command to be ignored and ordered around, but someone that he respected enough to let get away with inappropriate comments and banter back with, someone that he had high expectations of.
Hans didn't have any real friends that I'd ever seen, and his life revolved around his work. As the Head Guardian of Court, all his colleagues were below him, and more than a little scared of him. Despite this, the Moroi still looked down on him as a second-class citizen in all the meetings he had to attend.
Hans was caught between two worlds, with neither actually treating him as a person. He didn't have any real friends, but Dimitri and I had invited him to our wedding. Maybe he had been happy about that, grateful to be included, but just didn't know how to convey that.
In the future, I'd have to try to look beyond Hans' outer grouchiness and see if I was onto something here. After all, I'd first misjudged Dimitri as a cold, heartless slave driver, whose only goal in life was to make me work until I almost regretted being born. Then I'd seen a chink in his armour and glimpsed the warm, gentle, beautiful soul inside.
Not that I expected quite such things from Hans, of course. I didn't plan on digging that deep.
I glimpsed Dimitri up ahead and sped up to catch him. He'd spirited his duster away from the overstuffed bag it had been hiding in and was now wearing it. He turned when he heard me approach, the end of the coat swirling around his legs and completing an image that belonged solely in a cowboy movie. His smile, however, could have been from a sneak preview of Heaven.
"I thought you'd finally got bored of me," Dimitri said
"I had to show some reluctance to come and get permits, or people might start thinking I had an ulterior motive for following you," I joked.
Dimitri wrapped an arm around my shoulders and I leaned into him. "I don't think that's a problem anymore."
Leaning my head, I looked up at the gathering clouds. "I can't believe Hans blurted that out. I feel kind of sorry for him, really. His first public exhibition of wit, and he goes and says that."
Dimitri nodded. "I know. I half expected reprimand, but I suppose that our story is quite well-known already. They know our commitment to our charges and don't really care if we're married or dating."
"That, or they're just too tired to show it right now."
"That too."
We stepped into the small building about half way between the campsite and where the coach was parked, and I watched the news on the small TV whilst Dimitri dealt with getting the permit. The reported was giving a weather warning for the region, warning that though the storms were moving quickly and wouldn't stay in an area for long, they would be intense.
With that warning in mind, I was suspicious of the heavy purple clouds that were hanging overhead when we left the building.
"Make sure you put the permit somewhere waterproof," I said. "I feel like we're going to get rained on."
Dimitri didn't look particularly bothered, but started walking a bit quicker anyway. "It'll be fine in my pocket. Let's just get to the coach and wait there."
"Fine. But I don't want to get soaked and then spend the next three hours on a coach."
"Don't worry-" the rest of Dimitri's words were drowned out by an almighty crack of thunder, heralding the arrival of the rain. Large, heavy drops pelted down from above, instantly relentless in their assault.
"You were saying?!"
Dimitri had the good grace to look guilty, shrugging his coat off and holding it above his head. I ducked under the makeshift umbrella too, and together we started to run to where the coach was waiting.
The wind was strong across the flat meadow land, changing direction so fast that it was like standing inside a carwash; water spraying every patch of skin from absolutely everywhere. I was infinitely glad for my lack of makeup as another drop attacked my eye. How did water hurt so much, and why, in the middle of summer, had the temperature dropped enough for it to feel like winter?
Finally our vehicle came into view, but I couldn't speed up because the well-trod ground was so muddy that we both would have ended up falling face-first into it.
"Hans said the doors are unlocked," Dimitri shouted over the howling wind. I guess if you were going to leave your car unlocked at any time, then on military property surrounded by Guardians and CCTV cameras was as good a place as any.
However, someone else had apparently disagreed. After practically crashing into the door and wrenching the handle, nothing happened. I tugged harder. Still nothing.
"Some ass must have locked it by mistake!" I shouted back, the wind snatching my words away.
Dimitri came to stand beside me, pressed close to the side of the van in an attempt to only receive a soaking through 180⁰. I stood under the duster once again, but could still feel the rain hitting one side of me. I was starting to shiver now, so wrapped my arms around Dimitri's waist, pressing close as I did my best to keep warm whilst shielding as much of us as possible.
Here in our little fortress, I didn't mind the rain. Every time he exhaled, Dimitri's warm breath kept one of my ears from freezing. I suddenly had a great idea as to how we could generate even more heat.
Tipping my head back, I stretched up to kiss him, but was interrupted when a particularly strong gust of wind blew the hair that had worked its way free of its tie across his face. The damp strands stuck there, blocking my access to his lips despite his attempts shift them by shaking his head.
Reaching up, I gently brushed the hair back behind his ear and let my hands linger on the side of his face.
"Bobby pins," I suggested with a grin, before covering his mouth with my own and pressing myself closer to him.
One of Dimitri's arms remained in the air holding his duster above us, but his other hand cupped the back of my neck, instantly warming the exposed skin there. I arched my back, trying to get closer; always closer. His lips soon warmed up under mine, the heat of his kisses igniting a fire inside me. The raindrops pounding down above our heads became the patter of falling stars as the moment morphed into something out of a movie or a fairytale.
"I swear, I can't leave you two alone for two minutes."
Dimitri broke the kiss and I reluctantly turned to face Hans. His talent for cock-blocking was second to none.
"Sharing body heat is survival 101," I pointed out.
"Just be glad they didn't take off their clothes for more effective heat exchange!" Tamara called from the back of the crowd, making Hans' cheeks turn pink. Dimitri , too, looked scandalised.
Considering how stoic Tamara had seemed when I'd first met her in the Badica house, her sassy personality was an amusing surprise.
"The good lady has a point," I agreed, before pushing my way through the crowd towards her. The rain was beginning to tail off now as the storm continued on its way across the country. Hans had probably scared it off.
Tamara stood a little way off from the Court group, surrounded by the other four Guardians that had come here on the other bus. Maxim moved off in the direction I had just come from, probably to say goodbye to Dimitri.
Tamara lifted her arm in preparation for a handshake, but I pulled her into a hug before she could complete the movement.
"It was really nice to get to know you," I said. "I'm sure I would have drowned in the sea of testosterone otherwise."
Tamara laughed, relaxing into the hug. "It was good to see you again too, under better circumstances. It's amazing how far you've come in such a short time."
No kidding. "If you're ever at Court, drop by the palace and say hi. If you pick the right night, you might get to try some of Christian's dinner."
She stepped back, looking shocked. "Dinner made by the King?!"
I snorted. It was still funny to hear people refer to Christian as that. To me, it was still inconceivable that he was king of anything other than Loserville.
"Yep, dinner made by and eaten with the King, if you're less lucky. Believe me, he'd be ecstatic to try out a recipe on someone who's response was more than a 'very nice, love', a polite nod, or inhaling it as quickly as possible. And Lissa would be happy because having guests means less chance of a food fight between myself and our wonderful king."
Tamara laughed, grey eyes filled with a gentle light that had been absent as she kneeled above her mentor's body back at the Badica house. "Then I might just take you up on that offer. Anything to please the monarchy."
We exchanged numbers- something all Guardians had been encouraged to consider for business purposes anyway- and headed back to our own respective transport.
I hugged Maxim briefly as we crossed paths, him giving me his best wishes for the wedding and me giving him a similar offer to come and visit if he was ever at Court.
Everyone was already on the coach by now, so naturally there was a sarcastic cheer from Eddie and a couple of others as I finally stepped up inside. Jake, I noticed, was unusually quiet.
Dropping down onto the spare seat at the back of the bus, I turned to meet Dimitri's gaze.
"You're amazing," he told me sincerely.
Only he could take the time to compliment me when he had just won the same award.
"Last time I checked, it was a tie, Comrade."
He shook his head smiling. "Someone always has to come first. But you beat the record for the assault course by a long shot. That's amazing."
Reaching out, I wrapped an arm around Dimitri's and Eddie's shoulders and pulled them both into a half-hug.
"We're all amazing. We totally deserve the cool seats at the back of the bus."
Eddie smirked, but there was none of his usual I'm not good enough doubt in his eyes. "Since I only came third, maybe my seat belongs to that Lars guy."
I shook his shoulder gently and held his gaze for a long moment.
"Eddie, that guy only beat you because he was able to bench press the equivalent of the entire population of his country. Guaranteed in a real fight he'd be too busy pummelling one guy into the ground to notice two more sneaking up behind him. Plus, he's probably on steroids or something."
Eddie glanced around the bus. "Rose, you can't say that!"
I waved his concern away. "Nobody's even listening, and they were probably thinking the same thing."
"Steroids aren't effective on Dhampirs anyway," Dimitri pointed out.
"Maybe he's half human, half caribou," I suggested dismissively. "No crazy Moroi metabolism there."
Dimitri and Eddie exchanged a look, and I released them before they ganged up on me to pick holes in my theory. Eddie settled back in his seat, about ready to go to sleep, and Dimitri took out his cell phone and went about switching it on.
A minute later, after the bus started moving, he looked back a t me, a knowing smile on his face.
"What?" I asked. "Why are you giving me that look?" It was like there was some great secret he was dying to share; a funny one at that.
Dimitri handed me his cell phone. Damn. In the shock of actually winning this thing, it had completely slipped my mind that I had to call and tell Lissa so.
I briefly considered calling her now, but decided that I wanted to tell her in person. She'd be so happy for us, it wouldn't be fair to inflict her squeals of joy on others. I was used to them- I liked them. For so long, she had been my one-girl cheer squad.
"Read the latest message," Dimitri said, still clearly trying to keep his mirth in check.
I brought up the messaging page, and almost choked when I saw what he was talking about. Thoughts of Lissa flew from my mind.
"Yeva can text?!"
This time, Dimitri allowed his laughter to escape. "Of all the surprises there, that's the one you choose to comment on?"
To be fair, there were a lot of strange occurrences in just one short message.
Congratulations on your success, children. And thank you, also. This will show those young Guardians not to bet against a woman with the Second Sight.
Eddie was reading the message over my shoulder.
"What's so surprising about that? Aside from the creepy prediction, I mean."
I turned to look at him like he was crazy, but then remembered that he hadn't yet met Yeva.
"The prediction is the least surprising part," I explained. "It's shocking that one- she can text. Two- She's actually being nice to me. Three- She's written this in English, so clearly cares if I can understand it. Four- there are people in Baia who are sceptical enough about her abilities to actually bet against her, and five... well, she has a cell phone!"
Dimitri laughed even louder, this time at my expense. "So are you finally admitting that you believe in her gift?"
"Not necessarily," I said primly. "She could be saying 'well done' to us coming 10th and 20th for all we know. And I said it's surprising that people in Baia bet against her. You lot are all a lot more open to believing her stories than I am."
"That, or you're better at ignoring the evidence that's right in front of you."
"'Ignoring' isn't quite the right word. Try 'providing an alternate explanation for'."
"And that explanation is?"
I frowned. "Something perfectly logical and more easily explained."
"Coming from the girl who could speak to ghosts."
He had me, and the smug smile on his face told me that he knew it. I glared, but infuriatingly, it never had the same effect on Dimitri as it did on others. I turned it on a sniggering Eddie instead, making him shut up instantly.
"You'll meet her soon," I warned. "Then you can come up with a better theory yourself."
Eddie looked more scared than if I had told him to face down six Strigoi alone. "I'm actually happy to go with the psychic witch explanation. That way, if it's true, maybe she won't turn me into a toad."
"My friends are idiots," I groaned, "and I'm marrying into a family that people fear has the power to turn people into toads. I'm screwed."
My words sparked laughter around the coach as we turned onto the highway, with Dimitri being forced to convince people that no, he had not inherited Yeva's gift.
And despite my mournful words, it was a little less than five minutes later that I found myself removing the engagement ring from my necklace chain and putting it back on my ring finger- back where it belonged.
Sorry for the wait again guys, but revision and exam related stress are killing my muse. She's left my brain to go on holiday until the whole thing's over and done with. Here's to hoping she can come back to something that isn't a depressed mess of disappointment and failure.
Review and Yeva will welcome you into the family ;)