Last time I checked, I didn't own Vampire Academy. Maybe tomorrow will be different, but I doubt it.
Adrian POV
Tomorow night is the Ball. Rose and I are both a little anxious about the reaction our union is going to get, so we decided to come down to the gym for a workout. Well, Rose is going to do more than work out. She's challenged my new guardian, Guardian Gates, to spar with her to make sure he's good enough to protect me. I tried to reassure her that he is more than qualified, but she's determined to make that assesment on her own. Actually, I love that Rose only wants the best guardians for me. It just shows how much she loves me and still has my safety as her first priority. I do feel bad for Gates, though. Rose is going to put him through his paces. I just hope he's up for it.
We walk in and see that the gym is pretty full of guardians doing their thing, when a mess of red curls gets my attention. It's my future mother in law. Oh joy. I nudge Rose and point in Janine's direction and Rose scowls. She was pretty disappointed in her mother's reaction to our engagement news. I grab her elbow and pull her over to at least say hello. We stand behind the small, yet deadly guardian waiting to see if she notices us, but she doesn't seem to, so I decide to start the pleasantries. "Hey Mom, how's it going?" I figure she doesn't like me anyways, why not have a little fun. She turns around with the same death glare Rose gives people when she's truely pissed. I swallow down the fear that's rising and take a step closer to Rose, just in case I need protection.
"You aren't married to my daughter, yet, so I would appreciate it if you would stick to protocal and refer to me as Guardian Hathaway, Lord Ivashkov. Even if you do actually go through with this farce of a marriage, do NOT call me mom." she says so bitterly, you would think she was sucking on lemons. I put my hands up in surrender and both Rose and l walk away to the other side of the gym.
"She seems to be in a good mood this morning." I say as we walk. Rose laughs and puts her arm around my waist.
"Yeah, I wonder if she ever smiles." Rose ponders. We continue with our workout, not talking at all about the tomorrow night's event. As we're finishing working on the punching bags, which I'm getting real good at if I say so myself, Guardian Gates walks in. The Moroi he was assigned to died of natural causes and he was sent here for a new assignment. He's a nice guy, a bit of a flirt though. He's built a lot like Dimitri but has short blond hair and blue eyes. He's hasn't met Rose officially yet, but knows of her reputation for being badass. But from what I've heard around, he doesn't really believe it since the first he's seen her was when we rescued her from Stephan. He thinks that Rose's challenge is going to be easy. This is going to be very entertaining. As he walks over to us, I notice him checking Rose out with a smile on his face. I automatically put my arm around her and pull her close. Mine. I know jealousy isn't the most attractive trait, but I can't help it.
"Lord Ivashkov." he greets me with a nod, but his eyes go right back to Rose. I'm starting to hope she pummels the guy into the ground.
"Guardian Gates, this is Guardian Hathaway, my fiance." I emphasize the last part making it clear that she's not available. He looks surprised at that, which I don't really blame him since our relationship is far from typical in our world. Rose extends her hand and shakes hands with the stunned guardian.
"So Guardian Gates, if you want to guard my man, you're going to have to prove yourself by trying to beat me. I say try because no one here has been able to do that in a very long time." she tells him. He doesn't look worried though. Sucker.
"Guardian Hathaway. I'm sure I can handle myself. I have fifteen kills." he says as he turns around to show his Molnija marks. Rose and I quietly snicker at this before Rose lifts her ponytail out of the way and shows off her sixty some odd marks along with her battle star. His face pales as he starts to realize who the hell he's dealing with. Rose gives him her sexy smile as she turns to face him again.
"Well Gates, I guess it's time to prove yourself." He walks over to the other side of the mat and starts to stretch. Rose does a few stretches of her own, gives me a kiss and then stands on the mat ready to fight. A crowd has gathered to watch since seeing Rose fight is always something to see. I even see Janine walk over to see her daughter in action. Gates and Rose start circling each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Suddenly, almost as fast as a Strigoi, Rose launches at him and lands a punch to the chest, sending him stumbling back. She doesn't let him recover as she continues her assult. In no time at all, she's got him pinned. The crowd seems a little disappointed is didn't last longer. Rose climbs off him and helps him up to his feet.
"How about best two out of three?" Gates asks. Rose looks over to me and I shrug, not really caring how many times she knocks him on his ass.
"Alright. You asked for it." Rose tells him and she gets in position again. This time, Gates is the first to attack, but Rose was apparently expecting it because she dodges out of his way easily. I can tell as they fight, Rose is taking it easy on him, letting the match last longer than the first. He does manage to get a few hits on her, but nothing too bad. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, she pins him down, again. When he gets up this time, he doesn't say anything about another round, just rubs his sore shoulder. Rose hands him a water bottle as she looks him over, deep in thought. "You're not bad, just need some fine tuning." she says to him. He looks like he wants to argue with her, but considering he's got many cuts and bruises and she's still looking perfect, he bites his tongue. "I'll tell you what, you can guard my future husband here if you agree to train with me twice a week." she offers. He looks from her to me and nods.
"Sounds good. You'll have to teach me that one move you used with your elbow. That was just crazy." he seems pretty impressed by her now, which is only natural. She is amazing, and I'm not just saying that because I'm in love with her. I see Janine walking toward us and tap on Rose's shoulder to get her attention.
"That was very impressive Rose. I see you've been working hard improving your fighting skills." Wow, I compliment from Guardian Hathaway. I look out the window to see if I can see a flock of pigs flying by. But, it doesn't last long. "Too bad you're letting all that talent go to waste by getting married and starting a family." My heart breaks for Rose who looked so happy just a second ago and now has a scowl on her face because her mother can't understand Rose's choices.
"Nothing's going to waste. I'm still a guardian. It's not like we're going to have kids right away. We have plenty of time for that." Rose tells her mother a little irritated. She stands there looking at her mother and sighs. "Mom, we love each other and we aren't ashamed of it. We shouldn't have to hide our relationship because someone might be offended. It's no one's business but our own. I just hope you can some day be happy that I found someone that loves me the way Adrian does." Rose takes my hand and we walk out of the gym, leaving a speechless Janine behind with her thoughts.
"I loved your speech. I hope you remember what you just said because I think it'll come in handy tomorrow night." I tell her as we walk through the door of my apartment.
"Ugh. Don't remind me. I don't know why I'm so nervous. I faced down a pack of Strigoi before but they didn't intimidate me like facing down a bunch of hoity toity rich royal snobs." I see her tensing up again so I put my hands on her shoulders and rub. A smile creeps across my face as I think of a much more mutally enjoyable way to relax. I lead her to the bathroom so we can shower and let the hot water wash away all out sweat, anxiety and fears. I slowly help remove her clothes as I trail kisses all along her now naked body, loving the salty taste of her skin. I find her mouth again and kiss her deeply as I lift her up and carry her to the shower as she gives a little shriek to the sudden movement. We don't break apart as we turn on the shower and step in, letting the hot water cascade down our bodies. After about an hour of kissing, washing and, other things, we get out feeling much better. Now, hopefully this feeling will carry us through to the ball.
Finally, the night of the Queen's Anniversary Ball has arrived, and not a moment too soon. I think the anticipation has been worse than the event will be, at least I hope. Christian was banished from his place and had to come over here to get ready while Lissa kidnapped Rose to get ready with her. She wouldn't even let me see the dress they bought for her. Christian and I are dressed in classic black and white tuxedos. The only difference, and clue to what the girls are wearing is the color of the cumberbuns. His is blue while mine is a steel color. Thinking back to the dress that she wore when I proposed is making me eager to see her. Finally Lissa calls to let us know they're ready. It's about time. Being fashionably late is one thing, but this is pushing it.
"So, how many punches do you think Rose is going to throw tonight?" Christian jokes. I laugh at his comment while silently praying it doesn't become an issue. Rose has been doing pretty well with her self control, but I think tonight might push her past her limits. We get to the door and walk in. My jaw drops to the floor when I see Rose in her dress. She looks more gorgeous and royal than most. It's just like she wanted, strapless form fitting to the hips as it flows nicley to the floor. Simple yet breathtaking. She has her hair up, showing off her Molinija marks. I think she wants to remind everyone how lethal she really is in a subtle way. She's earned every single one of those marks and I'm proud of her strength and skill and want to show her off as well. I'm going to be the envy of every man there tonight. I barely notice the other two ladies standing there, my eyes glued to Rose.
"You look wonderful." I whisper to her as I inhale her intoxicating scent. I hope this night goes by quick so I can have her all to myself. She smiles as I offer my arm and we walk over to the ballroom to face the music. We stand at the end of the line to be announced as we walk in. Tasha goes in first followed by Christian and Lissa. When we get to the front, I lean in and tell the announcer how I want us recieved. He looks over at Rose and back to me with the shocked look I'm sure will fill the room in just a minute.
"Now arriving, Lord Adrian Ivashkov and his fiance Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway." Rose looks over a little miffed he used her full name. Just as expected, the entire room falls silent as all eyes are on us. I lead Rose to where our friends and supporters are standing. I can feel the weight of the stares and grip Rose tighter to make sure she's alright. Standing so close to her I can see how nervous she is by the way her heart is beating rapidly, but you can't tell by the way she has her head held high. She looks around the room smiling at all the wide-eyed and disgusted faces.
"What a bunch of snotty stuck up cows." she says under her breath. After a few minutes, everyone goes back to their conversations, although I'm sure the topic has changed.
"We need to mingle. Are you ready?" I ask as I pull us away from the comfort of our friends. I figure if we're going to do this, we're going to go all out and not let the crowd make us feel like we should hide.
"As ready as I'll ever be." she says with a nervous smile. As we're walking over to Lord and Lady Lazar, cousins from my mother's side around my age, I see an older man with black hair and goatee with flashy jewelry staring at us. He looks familiar, but I can't quite place where I know him from. He has a smile on his face and he can't seem to take his eyes off Rose. I knew I was going to have to deal with men watching her, but it bothers me more than I thought it would.
"Hello cousins. I'd like you to meet my fiance Rose." I introduce them while I purposely stand in the line of sight of the old guy. I've always got along well enough with Robert and his wife Elena, so I don't expect an overly negative reaction.
"Adrian, I always knew you would do something to cause a stir, but marrying a Dhampir, ... didn't see that one coming." he smirks. I see Rose give him a glare out of the corner of my eye. "Of course not just any Dhampir." he says trying to save face seeing Rose's reaction. "but the most decorated guardian of her age. Very impressive." Rose relaxes a bit and smiles.
"Thank you. I work very hard to keep those in my charge safe." she says.
"Yes, I know of your reputation for being hard core. It just surprises me that you would end up with this bozo." Robert laughs, the rest of us joining in.
"It took me a couple years to charm her, but eventually I wore her down." I admit giving Rose a kiss on the cheek. We continue making small talk for the next ten minutes or so before we part ways. "That went well, don't you think?" I ask Rose as we walk around.
"Yes, Robert seems to think I'm too good for you." she teases.
"I've known that for a long time now. You already agreed to marry me though, so no changing your mind now." I stop and face her and give her a kiss on her painted lips. The shocked gasp of those around us doesn't escape our attention. I pull away and she reaches up and wipes away the lipstick that transferred to me. I look over Rose shoulder and see that same man from earlier following us. I see Rufus, or Prince Ivashkov, and his wife across the room. I know my mother would be disappointed if I didn't say hello, although my father would probably rather I didn't make myself known. I pull Rose with me in their direction. Rufus sees me coming his way and he starts looking Rose over. It's known to everyone but his wife that he has an eye for the young ladies.
"Adrian, leave it to you to start a scandal in the family." he says while eyeing Rose. Before I can say anything his wife, Olivia, interupts.
"This is highly inappropriate. You're an Ivashkov, and as such you should conduct yourself accordingly." the old biddy snaps. "You should find a nice Royal Moroi to marry and not lower yourself to the company of a guardian." Rose stays surprisingly calm during her rant.
"You do realize that Moroi men find themselves in the company of Dhampir women all the time. How else would you explain all the Dhampirs walking around." Rose explains with a wink. Olivia turns a nice shade of pink at this. Rose decides to see how far she can go with this. "I wouldn't be surprised if over half the guardians here have a Royal parent." she says gesturing to the guardians standing along the walls. I remember Rose telling me that Dimitri's father is a royal, but what really gets Olivia livid is when Rose turns her attention to Rufus. "Wouldn't you agree Prince Ivashkov." she says like she knows a little secret about him.
"I know where Dhampirs come from young lady, but proper people know to keep their affairs descreet." she huffs. Rose's cool is starting to fade as I see the anger building up inside her.
"So what you're saying is the Dhampir women are only good for fighting and fucking, as long as they keep quiet about it. God forbid they fall in love and find love in return. You might have to actually think of us as people." Rose says so loud our half of the room went silent as people around us listen in. Olivia is so shocked at what Rose said, she grabs Rufus and walks away. I hear someone laughing behind us and we turn to see that guy again. "Who the hell is that?" Rose asks me. "He's been watching and following us since we got here." I didn't think she noticed, but she is a guardian and that shouldn't surprise me.
"I don't know, but he looks familiar. Hey, there's my sister. Let's go ask her if she knows who he is." We walk over to Anna and ask her and Dylan if they know who the mystery man is. They look over and their eyes go wide with recognition.
"That's Abe Mazur. I think he came as a date of one of the Zeklos Ladies. He's not one you want to mess with. They don't call him Zmey for nothing." Dylan tells us. Rose and I both look back over to him and see him talking with a few people. He must sense us staring because he turns his head to catch us watching him. He smiles and nods at us. Okay, talk about creepy.
"I don't care who he is, he's annoying the hell out of me." Rose says as she takes my hand and walks over in his direction.
"Do you think confronting him is a good idea? I've heard of him and I don't think he'll like being called out so publicly." I try to reason with her, but she's still a bit pissed from her earlier argument with Olivia. Rose must look threatening as she walks over to him because two big guardians, and her mother, walk over to intercept us.
"Rose, Lord Ivashkov, I think it's time for introductions." Janine tells us as she stands next to Abe. Abe extends his hand to Rose who is hesitant to take it, but after her mom nods at her letting her know he can be trusted, she does. "Rose, this is Abe Mazur, your father." What the hell?
Sorry to end it there, but there is more to come and I didn't want the chapter to be too long. So tell me what you think by reviewing. I love reading what you all have to say. Thanks for reading.