Chapter 2 You Love Her??

Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own Vampire Academy or it's Characters or Plotline. They all belong to the fabulous Richelle Mead. Although if I could own just one of the character's it would definitely be Dimitri. Or Adrian??? Can't decide!

I pushed the doors open and walked past the guardian on duty. I headed up to the fourth floor. I stopped outside the door to the princess's room. I had to keep it together for a few minutes. I couldn't afford to break down in front of the princess. She was Rose's best friend, but I knew Rose had not told her about us and I didn't want to add to the princess's grief by letting her find out this way. I put on my guardian face, took a deep breath and knocked loudly on the door.

The door swung open. The princess looked tired probably from using so much spirit and now without Rose taking the darkness from her it was taking a heavy toll. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"Guardian Belikov." She cried. "Thank God you're alright." "Were you able to rescue everyone?"

She looked at me expectantly.

"Can I come in princess?" I asked wearily.

"Of course." She opened the door and I entered to find Christian whom I expected to be here, but also Adrian Ivashkov leaning against the wall.

"Where's Rose? I thought she'd be with you." asked the princess an uneasy look on her face.

She took in the sorry state I was in. There was blood all over my shirt and my clothing was torn. I had dirt everywhere. It occurred to me that I should have changed and cleaned up a little before coming here.

I glanced first at Christian who looked worried and then at Adrian who seemed to be studying me curiously. His eyes met mine and in that moment I knew he was taking in my aura. His eyes widened and then looked down at the floor. He knew what I was about to say.

"Princess." I started.

"There were a lot of strigoi and we were able to rescue many of the students that were taken including Eddie." I said quickly. A small look of relief came over her face, but it was short lived when she realized I wasn't done talking.

"Princess Rose was very brave." my voice started to waver. The three moroi in the room stared at me panicked.

"Rose is gone Princess. I'm sorry it was my duty to protect her and I let you down." I put my head down and stared blankly at the floor.

"She's gone? Rose is dead? No that's not true you're lying!" she lashed out.

She began to scream and cry hysterically. She lunged forward and began hitting me ,which of course didn't hurt since she was moroi and weak by nature. I had never seen her so angry. This is more how I thought Rose would react if the roles were reversed.

"She's not gone I would feel it." She screamed her breath becoming ragged.

I let her assault me. I deserved it. I was her sanctioned guardian and my duty was to protect her and by extension protect Rose who was important to her.

Christian came forward and pulled the princess off of me. She collaspsed against him in uncontrolled sobs.

"Shh Liss it's going to be okay." He tried to soothe her.

He himself had tears flowing down his cheeks. I knew that Christian and Rose were not the best of friends, but they had worked side by side in Spokane and again against the strigoi the night of the attack. He cared for her. I could see that.

"Okay? Okay? she yelled out. "Rose is dead. Nothing will ever be okay again! She was the only one who knows what it's like the darkness, she's my best friend, my sister." She continued to cry.

I drug my eyes away from the Princess. I couldn't watch her break down like that. Not when I felt so much like doing the same myself. I would wait until I was alone.

I glanced at Ivashkov who had been quiet through the entire outburst. He had taken a seat in a chair in the corner of the room. His head was in his hands and his shoulders were shaking. Maybe he did care more about Rose than I thought. I had always just assumed that he'd wanted to get into her pants like every other spoiled moroi royal. When he raised his head I saw pain and hurt in his eyes and they were red from crying. They were friends I knew, but I had a feeling he wasn't lying when he told her he loved her.

He spoke then. "How did she…" he trailed off.

"Lord Ivashkov I don't think now is the time for that." I said gesturing towards the princess who was having a mental breakdown. She looked up from Christians shoulder at me.

"No I want to know." She said pushing Christian away from her and coming towards me.

"Princess with all due respect I don't think I should.. " I tried to remember what I was saying but I felt funny a little light headed.

"Tell us what happened Guardian Belikov and don't leave anything out." said the princess. Suddenly I wanted to spill out everything that I've ever known about Rose.

"We were all leaving the caves when at least 8 strigoi jumped me, Rose, Janine and Stan. We were down to the last few when one grabbed Rose. I tried to get to her, but there were two very large strigoi restraining me. He bit her and then ran off with her. I tried to follow them, but they were too fast and I lost their trail. I don't know if she was dead when they left." I said without hesitation.

Then I broke down. "It's my fault. I let my feelings for her cloud my judgement. I can't say no to her. She has this power over me. I shouldn't have let her go there. She should have been safe here with you. She is just a child she should still be alive. Oh my Roza." Tears leaked out of my eyes as I fell to my knees.

Then slowly as if coming out of a trance I felt like myself again. I was confused. I was on my knees and I was crying. I stared up at the petit blonde royal in front of me in disbelief. She had used compulsion on me.
She gaped at me her mouth wide open. Ozera and Ivashkov were standing behind her a similar expression on Christian's face although Adrian didn't seem surprised at my outburst. Then I remembered he already knew about Rose and I.

Then something strange happened. The princess looked deep into my eyes. "You love her?" she whispered.

I didn't respond. She compelled me again. "You're in love with her?" she asked more forcefully.

"Yes, I am."

"Was she in love with you?"

"Yes."

"How long."

"Since the first day I met her."

"Did you guys ever….

"Lissa stop that's enough." said Ivashkov stepping forward and coming between the princess and I breaking the hold she had on me. He put his hands on her shoulders.

"She wouldn't have wanted you to do it that way." He said.

I stood up embarrassed, but relieved that the truth was out.

"I knew it. I knew there was something she wasn't telling me. The way she acted when you were around. I'm surprised I didn't see it before." said the Princess.

"So you didn't see her die?" asked Christian. I had almost forgotten he was in the room.

"Christian." Said the princess disapprovingly.

"No I mean maybe they took her to feed off of. Maybe she's not really dead. We could find her."

The princess looked at me her tearful eyes filled with new hope.

"Princess." I said turning towards her and putting my hand on her shoulder.

"There's nothing I'd like more than for Christian to be right that she is not dead, but in all reality that is probably what happened. Even if she were alive for a few hours after they took her. They don't keep feeders around very long." I said sadly thinking of what Rose's last minutes must have been like. If she was still alive now she would be at peace with all of those strigoi endorphins in her blood. I shuddered at the thought of what would happen to her body. She didn't deserve such a cruel, humiliating death.

"You're just going to give up. I thought you loved her." She yelled at me.

"I love her more than anything in this world and I would do anything for her to be here right now alive and well and kicking my ass, but that's not possible." I growled my usual composure had gone right out the window and I didn't even care that I was yelling at the Dragomir Princess at the top of my lungs.

"I would feel it if she was dead." She said again like a petulant child who would not accept the reality of the matter.

"I just know I would. Please Guardian Belikov let's just see if we can find out more information." She begged. I wanted to give in to her wishes. Anything that would keep hope alive that she would come back to me, but I didn't know what we could do. Strigoi didn't leave trails.

"I don't see how we would." I said. I was tired and beat up. I noticed there was blood dripping out of my open wounds all over the carpet.

"I'm sorry about the mess." I said glancing down at the floor.

"Don't worry about it." She said coming forward. I was about to object when she placed one hand over my mouth and the other hand on my chest and healed my wounds. I felt a rush of hot then cold as she proceeded to do so to the rest of my body.

Adrian was staring at her or rather her aura.

"Is there darkness?" she asked.

"Yes." He said looking tired and sad. Then his brow furrowed and his eyes lit up.

"It's gone." He said.

"She took it!! Rose took my darkness. She's still alive." The princess cried excitedly.

"Adrian can you dream walk her?" she asked.

I was still new to all of this Sprit magic stuff and I was always uncomfortable when he went into her dreams, but this would be the exception.

"I can try." he said lying down on the couch. He closed his eyes."

I prayed to God that she was indeed alive and that she could tell him where she was, but deep down I knew the chances were slim.

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