A/N- AHH! REVIEWS! LOVE THEM! :D

I want you guys to know I read, appreciate, and take into consideration every review. :)

I know I don't reply to them though. But I want you to pretend I'm always sending you my thanks! Because, really, I am. :) Just not literally.

If you make a suggestion, ask a question, or critique my work and I want to address it, I will do so in these Authors Notes. For example, I would like to address some reviews now:

RozaDimka: 'I just think rose should be a bit more optimistic? i mean this is probably better than the strigoi hellhole. but like a bit more relieved and stuff.'
I know she isn't optimistic about it, probably should make her so, but I also have to bring into consideration that the academy is a new and scary concept. She has never been anywhere other than the Strigoi house. Once she warms up to it, I'm sure she will be grateful though. :)

Miss Persaya:'but I think Rose and Kirova should fight a bit more:D'
I wanted them to, believe me! But, like I mentioned in RozaDimka's review – Rose is new to the school, and she has never had to interact with a Headmistress before, especially one as scary as Kirova! Sooner or later, we will see the Kirova and Rose interactions we are used to, I promise. ;)

BrownEyedDazzler: 'I like how you're managing to get Rose to sound like her normal self. And you even got the encounter with Kirova similiar to what actually happened!'
Thanks! It will be a bit of a slow process – I'll probably make it quicker than it should be :P – but soon enough she'll be just like we are used to from the novels. :) And I did try to make it similar! It was hard, because she couldn't really be punished, as she did nothing wrong! But yes, she will still get the training sessions with Dimitri. –giggles –

Previously-

"I have no clothes or anything, besides these," I said, waving a gesture over my destroyed clothing.

"I'll look into getting you some stuff," he told me, pulling a piece of paper and pen out of his pocket. "For now, they'll do. I want you to find someone to give you a tour of the school and meet me in the gym in an hour and a half," he wrote on the paper.

"Sure thing, Comrade," I saluted, before he handed me the paper, shut the door and was out.

This was not going to be fun.

Chapter 4 – The Slap.

"I fail to see your point," I muttered loudly as I ran, trying hard to speak as I slowly ran out of breath. Dimitri had me doing laps for our first training session. It was the last thing I expected from 'combat lessons'.

"Running builds... up your stamina, and... obviously your... ability to run... faster and for longer," he said, not looking up from his novel, each time I passed his stationary position by the track. I stopped for a drink the next time I came around. "No, keep going," he ordered, looking up from his book, "there's no time for water breaks when you're running from a Strigoi, now, is there?"

"Wait," I breathed, "that is why I'm running? To get away from a Strigoi?"

"You have no weapon at all, nothing to kill it with. Or, if you did, but you faced it, say, now, when you don't have the experience necessary. What's your next best option?"

"Run?" I said uncertainly, even though the answer was obvious – he had practically fed it to me.

"Run," he confirmed, "it's almost as important, if not, more important as learning to fight."

I nodded, taking another swig of my water.

In one blurred motion, Dimitri flew off his chair, came to my side, and snatched the drink from my grasp. Water splashed everywhere. "Hey!" I exclaimed.

"Go," he ordered, "You haven't finished your laps."

I huffed and jogged back into a steady pace on the track. If this was how every of these sessions was going to play out, I was not going to be looking forward to them.

After an excruciating further fifteen laps, I returned to my dorm. Earlier, before I headed to the tracks, a nice spiky red-headed, freckled boy had showed me around. I forgot to ask for his name... or he had told me but I had already forgotten it. Either way, he told me not to be a stranger and sit with him if we were to have any classes together. I was glad I knew I had someone to sit with in the cafeteria if I found no one else.

I returned to my room to find a duffle bag on my bed. It had a few items of clothing and other essentials. A note that sat on top of it – in barely readable, but fancy, handwriting – read:

Miss Hathaway,
I was informed that you were lacking clothing of any kind. I was able to get you a few items to last you through until after school tomorrow. Your training session with Guardian Belikov has been cancelled and I have arranged for you to go out to town with some spending money tomorrow afternoon. I will inform Guardian Belikov of further details tomorrow for him to pass to you.
Headmistress Kirova.

I disregarded the letter and instantly went for the shower. I grabbed some pyjamas, a towel and toiletries from the bag and headed to the female dhampir dorms bathrooms. (A/N– I don't remember whether they had ensuite or dorm bathrooms, but I assumed the latter, hence why I went with it.) They were empty, and I immersed myself in the exhilarating warmth and power that the strong showerhead delivered without having to worry the length I spent in it.

After a good while of simply enjoying the shower, I washed my hair and used some shower gel. When I hoped out I found myself face-to-face with a little Moroi girl. "What are you going here? I thought these where the dhampir bathrooms?" I asked, looking around, unsure. Maybe I had accidently walked across to the other side of school to the Moroi bathrooms...? It seemed highly unlikely though.

"They are," she simply replied.

"Okay... then why are you here?" I gripped the towel tighter around my bust and shifted my feet uncomfortably. I had left my clothes on the benches outside the shower cubical, seeing as there was no one else inside.

She shrugged, "I heard about you. Wanted to meet you."

"Well... this doesn't seem like the most appropriate time. Why not, say, introduce yourself in classes tomorrow? Or some other time? Not walk halfway across campus to see me hop out of the shower?"

She shrugged again, turned on her heels, paused a moment, then walked on out.

Odd, I thought to myself. I took a moment to recover before I dressed and headed back to my dorm.

The next morning I heard a loud knocking on my door, "Rose! Rose! Rose!"

"Urgg! What do you want?" I screamed back.

"You're late for training!" It was Dimitri. I reluctantly stood up and opened my door. "Did I wake you?" he smirked, looking down at my pyjamas. I wore some stripy green PJ pants and a red singlet, and I could only imagine the state my hair was in. I would have blushed, if I wasn't so tired.

"Yes, you did. So can I go back to sleep?" I murmured, heading back and climbing under the covers.

He cruelly let me settle in first, before stomping over and pulling the cover off.

"Hey!"

"Your classes start in just under two hours. I want you at the tracks as soon as possible. No matter how late you are, there'll be ten minutes warm-up, thirty minutes track, and a ten minute warm-down. I suppose the time you decide to get there will determine whether you are late to class, and whether you will have time to shower. Up and at-em!" he whipped the pillow out from underneath my head.

My head hit the headboard, "Oww!" I whined.

"Time is in your hands," and with that he was gone.

I stayed lying in my bed for a few moments, before I figured I should head over. I did not want to smell for my first day of classes. I quickly got dressed into some gym clothes that I found in the duffle bag without a shower. I would obviously need one afterwards. No point now.

I entered the gym to find Dimitri lounging in a comfortable banana lounge, of course, reading the same novel he had yesterday. I was about to ask him about it, but he didn't give me a chance. Glancing at his watch, he tisked, "Ten minutes late. I'll let it off this time. But from now on – every minute you are late is an extra minute on the track or an extra lap. Depending on whether we are doing time or quantity."

"I thought all this wasn't compulsory! What the hell is with all the strictness?"

He shook his head as though I was an idiot. "Just because it's not compulsory, doesn't mean I am going to make it easy. You want to catch up with your peers and be in the right classes for your age, than you are going to have to put in the effort. Stop complaining and do as I say."

"Yes, Boss," I said with an exaggerated bow. "How may I please you this fine morning?"

He showed me my stretches, I ran my laps, and he showed me the warm-down stretches. I was exhausted by the end of it.

While I was doing the last set of warm-down stretches, I asked him about the note from last night. "So, you know what's happening after school?"

"Huh?" he said, peering away from his novel. I swear, every moment he wasn't doing something he was buried in it.

"Kivora left me a note last night. Got me a few clothes and shit, but that I'd need to go out and get a decent amount. Said you'd have the details."

"Right. Yeah, I'm taking you after training."

"What?" I whined, "The note said that I'd have no training. Please, a break?"

I put on the puppy-dog eyes. It was clearly faked, with the shaky pouting lip. But it made him laugh and he nodded. "Fine. We'll all go after school."

"All? Who else? I know no one else here."

"You know Vasilisa."

I groaned, dropping my head into my crossed-legged lap. "Seriously?" I whined, again, looking back up at him, "Lissa, you and I?"

"And Adrian, Christian, and some other guardians."

"Not Adrian! I thought he stayed at the Courts? And who the fuck is Christian?"

"Yes Adrian. He's coming to live at the Academy for a while. Help Lissa out with her Spirit. Christian is Lissa's boyfriend."

"I'm not coming," I protested, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You need clothes. So I don't see you really have a choice. Besides, it's either this or training."

I groaned and dropped back onto my back. "I'd rather be back with Witmoore," I whispered to myself.

I headed back for a quick shower – I had half an hour until my first class – and dressed into the boring outfit Kivora had left me. It was a pair of light blue jeans, a – of all colours – pink t-shirt and a grey hoodie. I liked the jeans, and figured I'd keep the hoodie for gym. But I felt like a freaking fool in the t-shirt with 'Princess' in glittery writing printed over the bust. I reminded myself to keep the jumper on all day. No way in hell was I going to let anyone see me wearing it. Not the first impression I wanted to give.

"Hey, Rosemarie," I heard someone from behind me. I turned around to see the red-headed boy who showed me around yesterday. I smiled at him as he approached. "Mason, remember?"

"Yeah, sure. Oh, and it's Rose," I smiled lightly.

"Okay. Rose, we have first class together, want me to walk you? I bet you don't know where it is."

"I don't," I agreed, "Thanks."

We started walking towards the gym. "I'm leading today's session," he told me. "Want to know a little about the course?"

"I completely forgot what class it even is," I shrugged.

"How'd you expect to get there then?"

"Good point. I guess I knew you'd come get me. Great intuition," I joked, with a wink.

He laughed, "Maybe. The class is 'Advanced Guardian Combat Techniques'. Pretty much involves bashing the shit out of the rest of the class," he nudged me.

"Looks like I'm already failing then," I shrugged. I couldn't honestly care less, though.

"Hey, now, I'm sure you aren't that bad!"

"We'll see."

I was completely right. I had my ass handed to me on a silver plate by every opponent I battled. And in barely any time at all.

The bell rang for the end of class, the moment I was thrown to the ground for the fifth time by Mason – my last sparring partner. "Told you so," I grunted, and he leant out a hand to help me up. "I'm going to be sporting some very nice bruises tomorrow."

"Have you ever had any training?" he asked as we began walking out of class, a little bit of worry lacing his voice.

"No," I admitted, "but I am getting some extra sessions. So... I don't know."

"Extra sessions with who?"

"That tall guy. Dimitri."

Mason stopped walking and stared at me. "You're putting in extra time with Belikov?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"So the man is a god."

"Exaggerate much?" I asked.

"No, I'm serious. I mean, he's all quiet and antisocial usually, but when he fights... wow. If you think you're hurting now, you're going to be dead when he's done with you."

The running was looking very good right now. No way did I want to start sparring with him.

My next class was 'Bodyguard Theory and Personal Protection 3'. The teacher was Guardian Stan Alto. He seemed an ass and the type of teacher who made fun of a student every chance he got. I knew I'd already be dreading every class. I simply slumped quietly in my seat and kept my eyes off the teacher. It did the trick. But not for long.

"Miss Rosemarie Hathaway?" he called out, with about twenty minutes of class to spare.

I looked up at him as he motioned me over to the front of the class.

"You, by far, have spent the most time out of this entire room with Strigoi. Care to enlighten us on any useful information?"

I shook my head, blush forcing its way to my cheeks. This didn't seem entirely fair, and I didn't want the rest of the school to know about it all.

"No, please, Miss Hathaway. We are dying to know. How did things work at the Stigoi property? I've never heard of them living in groups among humans and dhampirs, and of course Moroi. What was it like?"

"I... Um..." I didn't know what to say. There was nothing to say. I knew my face was completely flustered now, and my body was burning with embarrassment. I looked around the room, looking at my classmates expressions. It was then that I saw Dimitri standing along the walls of the classroom among many other guardians. His expression was blank though, but I saw something in his eyes. "It was... Um..." I willed the tears of embarrassment to stay welled up in my eyes. This was not the first impression I wanted everyone to gather.

I gathered myself up and turned to Guardian Alto. A pure evil grin planted itself across his face, he was enjoying my discomfort. My embarrassment immediately took on a new form and I slapped it off his face. "Fuck you," I spat.

His expression turned back in a matter of seconds, with a hint of irritation embedded. "To the Headmistress' office, now," he ordered.

"Whatever," I grumbled, and stalked out of the room.

I was barely out of the room when a tall figure fell into step with me. I glanced a look up and saw it was Dimitri. "That wasn't fair," I told him wistfully, dropping my gaze back to the ground.

"I agree," was all he said.

We walked back to Kivora's office and I slunk into a chair as Dimitri took form at the wall. The same moment as the previous day, except under different circumstances.

"What brings you back here, Miss Hathaway?" she asked, not looking up from her paperwork.

"I slapped Guardian Alto."

She looked up, almost uninterestingly, propping her glasses down on her nose to look at me over them. "Why may that be?"

"Do you know him?"

"Yes."

"Well be creative," I battered.

"Miss Hathaway," she scolded.

"He's a fucking ass and I refuse to go back to any of his classes."

"Miss Hathaway!" she scolded, this time yelling.

"Sorry," I grumbled, looking away.

She sighed and I saw her shake her head out of the corner of my eye. "Guardian Belikov, care to shed any light on the situation?"

I turned to see him back away from the wall. "Guardian Alto was asking her questions about her life before she came here," was his simple answer.

"And..." she probed.

"Miss Hathaway became, rightfully, angry. She however, wrongfully, slapped him to withdraw that anger."

"I see," Kivora mumbled as she scribbled something down on the notes in front of her. She looked up for a moment, "I don't care the slightest the reasons behind your action, Miss Hathaway. Disrespect to your superiors is not tolerated." She continued with her notes and, without looking up, she told me, "Your training sessions are no longer compulsory. Other then medical reasons or under Guardian Belikov's request, you will attend every session morning and afternoon. And you still must attend Guardian Alto's class." She looked up again, "Understood?'

I nodded my head.

"Yes, ma'am," she prodded.

"Yes ma'am."

"Only this evenings session is still cancelled and you may go shopping for your essentials. These rules begin tomorrow. You may leave now," she said, again returning to her work, and waving us away with a hand. I stood up and walked out, Dimitri falling, once again, into step with me.

I heard the bell ring to indicate the end of the period. I still had two more classes, then lunch, and then a further four – which I had been told were alongside Moroi's – training, or father today was shopping, and then finally the day would end. It felt like I had already endured a week's worth of classes. I was sure the day would never end.

I hadn't even realised that Dimitri and I had completely walked in silence all the way to my next class. "See you after school," was all he said before he left. I held a breath and walked into my next – surely – daunting lesson.

When lunch finally rolled around I was starving. I only ever used to feel this way after gaining consciousness after... Witmoore. I had never had to endure such a full day of events.

I piled my tray up with as much as I could, along with a bottle of water. I was happy to find an empty table to sit by myself and quietly indulge. I knew after Alto's class that everyone knew. Well, they didn't know exactly the details, yet they knew I had – at the least – lived with Strigoi for some time. I could feel all eyes on me.

"Rose!" someone screamed a couple of tables down. I looked up to see Mason waving a hand for me to join his table. "C'mon Rose!"

I smiled a little and picked up my tray to join him.

"Rose, Rose!" he chimed, standing up to introduce me. "Everyone, this is Rose. Rose, this is everyone." He started introducing me to everyone, but I wasn't really paying attention. Not until he motioned to the little Moroi girl from the bathrooms.

A/N- So sorry for taking so long! And I know this is a bit of a short one. But I was having a bit of writer's block. When I began this story, I really only had the basic idea for the first two chapters. Then when everyone liked it so much, I had to come up with an actual plot!

The plot is still forming, but I think I'm gathering up some ideas.

I will try to make up for how long it took me to update and the short length with a quick update and long length! I will really try! I hope for get a new chapter in the next three days, but please be patient!

Kisses for you all!

Oh, and who do you think the little Moroi girl is? I have some ideas on who she could be, but I'm still not a hundred percent sure who she should be! Any and all ideas appreciated, and if you come up with a good idea, you may see it in the next chapter! :O :D