I wake up, heaving and panting. My clothes stick to my body, sweat glistening my pale skin. I wait until my heart slows down and I'm not breathing too heavily to get up. I then flip on the lights and start to strip out of the clothes I'm in, damp with sweat. It is probably the third time I have changed today, but I can't stand being so sweaty.

When I look in the mirror, I'm grateful that my hair looks fine. Usually sleeping makes it greasy. Luckily not this time. I take what little clean clothes I have and hang them up in the closet. The maid only comes twice a week, and I really can't afford to waste another outfit from sweat or something. It does more harm than good. Plus, I really don't want to have to wear a potato sack until Tuesday.

I fix my hair, tying the loose strands back into a knot. It's a decent-looking bun. It's not like I have anyone to impress. I take one more look in the full-length mirror before opening up the door.

I am surprised to see Julius standing in front me.

"Oh," I breathe, looking up at his face. Any remainders of hurt or distress is hidden deeply, and I can't help but want to reach out and ask him if he's okay. I resist though, knowing that I need to stay away from him. "Hey, uh. . . Do you need something or. . . ?"

Julius clears his throat, careful to avoid my eyes. "My Aunt Vivian would like to speak with you. She's in the study."

With that, Julius turns on his heel and walks away. I hesitate before taking a few quick steps. "Julius, wait."

"What?" Julius spins around to face me, his face pained. He fixes his eyes on me; an uncomfortable glare. "What?"

"Julius, I'm sorry," I say without hesitating. "I was upset earlier. I didn't mean to hurt you."

I make sure to avoid talking about Wren. If I started talking bad about Wren, I know who's side Julius would take. She's his cousin, and I'm just a guardian. It's an obvious choice, and I make sure to tread carefully around the subject at hand.

"So you took the anger out on me?" Julius asks incredulously. "Rose, all I have been to you is nice. I've been trying to help you get comfortable here. I have tried so many times to reach out to you, and all you do is push me away! It's obvious you do not want to be here."

I sigh. "Julius, it's not. . . wait. Did you just call me Rose?"

Julius throws his hands up, rolls his eyes. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"No," I reply, "I mean. . . yes. But that's not the point, Julius. I-"

"Save it, Rose," Julius says, his eyes wide and raging. Vexation floods into his voice and I cannot held but grimace.

"I'm done with you," says Julius. Without thinking, I reach my hand out to his hand, but I recoil.

I shake my head in response instead. "I'm sorry, Julius," is all I can say. What else is there to say? I have hurt him, and sorry is the only thing I can do.

The anger in his face, in his eyes, disperses in moments. His body relaxes, the tension disappearing. I didn't realize how angry he was until now. I want to reach out to him again, but I am scared that if I do, I will regret it. I don't want to regret it.

"She's in the study."

I don't have time to respond because Julius walks away then, towards the staircase leading to the third floor. I have the sudden urge to follow him, to make him say something that does not hold hostility or anger.

He needs to blow off some steam, Rose, I remind myself. I force myself to turn away from him, and slowly and calmly walk down the marble staircase. My mind dares me to look back. I can only wonder if he's doing the same, or maybe he already lost to what his body wants. I wonder if we both want to look back.

Don't look back.

Downstairs, Alexis and Henry are busy watching a cartoon show. Wren sits on the couch, a fashion magazine placed in her lap. Wren and her brother look up at me, while Alexis' eyes stay fixated on the TV, and surprisingly, I see that Wren has an upturned leer on her lips. I hate the way she smirks at me, everything in my mind and body wanting to lunge forward and rip that funny little smirk off her lips. I stop myself, knowing it's unprofessional and I can't afford to lose this job. For Lissa's sake.

But something comes to mind as I stare at Wren. Flashing back to Julius, I realize he was coming from downstairs. Had Wren said something to him? Was that anger held towards me not all my fault? I ponder over it. Maybe Wren said something to him to look at me in such a malicious way. It's possible, seeing as Wren hates me.

Wren and I have a stare-down, my eyes daring her to look away. Not once do I blink, and I wait it out as she stares back at me in an unpleasant manner. Henry has long since lost interest, and I just stand there, tense and waiting for the right moment.

Wren's eyes narrow and she blinks rapidly, turning back towards the TV for a minute.

I intertwine my fingers behind my back and disappear into the hallway with a look of pride on my face, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. The small victory of showing Wren I won't take her adolescent drama. I do not want to take any of her crap. After all, I am Rose Hathaway, and there's really nothing to staring down a childish girl.

Vivian's private study is a hidden room off the library. I never really noticed it until now, but when I enter through the grand oak doors, I can only mouth a wow. The study is modern, with white furniture and great big windows letting in lots of light. Tan walls and a bookshelf with pictures of the children and stacks of clean-cut papers scattering across the room.

"Rose," Vivian smiles. She gestures to a seat near the white desk. "Please, take a seat."

I look around to make sure we are the only two in the room, then take a seat in the hard chair. I scoot around in it uncomfortably for a few minutes before eventually settling down. I allow my arms to rest on the arms, made of the same hard material. I also manage to keep that guardian air about me, the one that makes me seem alert and ready to take on an army of hungry Strigoi.

"Rose." Vivian takes a seat in her comfortable desk chair, tucking her legs under it. She places her elbows on either side of her, intertwining her fingers and resting her chin on them. "I cannot help but notice that you are. . . lacking as a guardian here in my household."

"Excuse me?" I ask in utter shock. I quickly reevaluate what I just said. "Sorry. I mean, what. . . what makes you think that?"

Vivian shrugs. "In some areas of being a guardian, you seem to be absent in knowing your duties as one. There is a precise way of running this house, Rose, and you are not doing it correctly."

I gulp and nod in response.

Vivian continues, "I have had to make many arrangements with Jack concerning guardian duties. It is not only for the lack you are showing, but also for the safety and protection of my children."

I bite my lip. Is everyone turning on me today? "Miss Vivian, if I may speak, I-"

"You may," Vivian says, motioning with her hands.

I nod. "I really don't think I'm lacking as a guardian. My training underwent some very difficult procedures, and I know exactly what I'm supposed to do. It's a possibility that because you do not see me often around the house, that you think I am absent most of the time."

I try to sound as professional as I can in this situation. "Believe me, I am as concerned about everyone's safety. I assure you that whatever you have heard or seen is incorrectly regarded."

Vivian tsks me and leans back in her chair. "Are you saying that someone in this house is influencing my opinion about your duties?"

My face goes slack, my mind freezing. "Um, o-of course not, Miss," I struggle to speak. "I'm only saying that I am doing my best as a guardian."

Vivian thinks about this for a moment, staring blankly before her at the clean desktop. I wait for her to speak, playing with my fingers until her mouth opens, then closes. I'm dead, I think to myself. I'm so dead. I'm gone. This is it. Goodbye, Montana mountains. This is what I wanted after all. To go home. To go back to Lissa and St. Vladimir's. Maybe I'll finally get what I want, for once.

"Perhaps I can give you one more chance, Guardian Hathaway," Vivian says with a wink. "I only hope you will try harder. I hope you understand why I needed to speak about this matter."

"I understand completely."

"Well, with that out of the way!" Vivian says cheerfully, closing the file in front of her. "Rose, I am very excited that you are our guardian."

I'm confused at her sudden change of attitude, emotions. All of a sudden I just went from lacking in guardian duty to being a good one. Strange, but I decide to play along with it.

"Why is that, Miss Vivian?" I ask, squinting up at her as she stands. The sun blinding my sight.

"Oh, please, call me Vivian," she says with a laugh. "Well, because. . . actually, I think I want to announce this to everyone at once."

Vivian starts to scuttle out of the study. I follow her through the library and down the hall, her red heels clicking and clacking against the beautiful flooring. I quietly observe as she switches off the TV (much to the children's appeal), and calls in Jack Chang and, as much as I despise it, Julius.

"Okay, everyone take a seat!" Vivian instructs.

I stand on the far wall beside Jack Chang, taking the exact stance and posture as him. As much as I want to sit down, I really want to prove myself to Vivian now that she's called me out for something I haven't done. Julius and I make eye contact, and he mouths something that I cannot understand. I fixate my eyes on the distant wall and don't look at anything except Vivian.

"Alright!" Vivian claps her hands together. She takes a deep breath and starts. "Children, Rose, Jack, Julius," she addresses all of us. "I am so excited to announce that all of us are going on a trip!"

"Where to, Mommy?" Alexis, the little darling, asks. Vivian smiles sweetly and looks back at Jack and me.

"We're going to Court!" Vivian announces, looking thrilled about it.

"What?" I breathe.

And then all hell breaks lose.

"The Court!"

"Since when?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Are we taking a private jet?"

"But I don't have any clothes to wear!"

"I'm scared of flying!"

"Oh, shut up, Alexis!"

"Will Johnny Depp be there?"

We all look towards Henry, puzzled expressions on our faces. He puts up his hands, palms upwards. "What? Who doesn't like Johnny Depp?"

"Okay, okay!" Vivian raises her hands for calm and quiet, and she talks in a soothing tone of voice. "There is a lot going on right now, and a lot of the Royal families will be going. I will mostly be in meetings and attending to business matters, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun. Either way, we are going to spend the entire week there."

"Speaking of which," Vivian turns to Jack and me. "You both will be off-duty most of the time we are there. There will be some checkups on the children now and then, but you both are allowed to enjoy the entire week without any stress of being a guardian."

I gap. Did not we just have a conversation about how I am "lacking" as a guardian? A scowl crosses my face, but too fast for anyone to notice. As soon as we know Vivian is done talking, everyone starts up again, voices overlapping each other.

"Will Queen Tatiana be there?"

"I need to get highlights before we go!"

Words here, words there. No one stops talking, yelling, shouting, questions all at once. Early symptoms of a headache show, but I refuse to allow it to ruin this news. The Court. Moroi. Lissa.

I need to find out if Lissa will be there.

I step away from the wall and walk up to Vivian, tapping her on the shoulder. "Do you know if Vasilisa Dragomir will be there?"

Vivian shakes her head. "I don't know, but I'm pretty sure she will be. You will just have to wait and find out!" She shouts above the children's high voices. I nod and return to my place by the wall. I glance over at Julius, noticing for the first time he has bags under his eyes. He almost looks depressed, but I can see a tiny hint of anticipation leaking through his hard exterior. I tear my eyes away from him, reminding myself that just a little while ago we were arguing.

"Wait!" Wren screams above everyone else. Henry and Alexis stop talking, and Henry shoves Alexis' shoulder. She cries out, but Wren shushes her. She looks towards Vivian. "When are we leaving?" She asks.

Vivian smiles. "In two days."

For the rest of the day, the house is in complete and utter elation.