Disclaimer: Again I do not own the dialogue from VA, or the characters. That is given to Ms. Richelle Mead.
Chapter 2:
I stood near the landing strip as we waited to board. I saw Rose muttering to Vasilisa, who insisted to be called Lissa, and practically laughed. Did they really think I'd be that stupid? Rose was smart. It's not a compliment, just a fact. I mean she had managed to keep off the radar with the princess. So I wasn't very surprised to see she was already plotting another escape. I leaned over to Jacob, watching the girls intently as if they would run off any minute.
"Don't let them talk to each other," I said. "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan."
This earned me a proud look from Rose, and then she marched to the back of the plane. I sat in the seat next to the princess.
She seemed tense throughout the flight. Her fingers clutched a bottle of water, probably attempting to stop herself from shaking, which I noticed when she tried to untwist the cap and it fell through her fingers on to the floor. I stopped her before she could grab it and picked it up, handing it back to her.
We were about forty-five minutes away when I decided to go talk to Rose. I didn't want her to be angry at me when I was just following orders. This was my attempt at a treaty. I moved back to Jacob, gesturing him to my seat. He moved away without asking and I took over his seat. Rose turned to the window, and when I say turned I mean literally shifted her body so her back was facing me. In all honesty it kind of irked me that she was being so childish. Nothing really got under my skin but her attitude was and I decided it was just the lack of sleep over these last few days. I steadied myself and turned to her.
"Were you really going to attack all of us?" I tried to sound conversational.
No answer. Really? I guess I'll try again then.
"Doing that…protecting her like that—it was very brave." I stopped realizing I was fueling her vanity. I recovered, "Stupid, but still brave. Why did you even try it?" This finally got a reaction. She was still agitated, however.
She looked over at me, brushing a bit of her hair out of her face so she could look me in the eye. I noticed her hair was dark brown and not black like I had thought.
"Because I'm her guardian." And with that she turned away and I knew out little chat was over. I returned to the front of the jet. And not long after we landed. The girls were quiet as we rode to the school. We started our walk to Kirova's office, cutting across the lawns. The sun was starting to sink into the west, signaling the morning for the school. I was surprised to see Rose catch up to me.
"Hey, Comrade." I didn't look over at her; I just kept walking, with eyes set for
"You want to talk now?"
"Are you taking us to Kirova?"
"Headmistress Kirova," I corrected. Okay I was kind of being a hypocrite but her attitude from earlier still bugged me a bit.
"Headmistress. Whatever. She's still a self-righteous old bit—." Rose's insult trailed as she realized where we were going. Kirova had instructed we lead them through the commons. She stated that it was the fastest way, but I knew she wanted to parade the girls through breakfast as a way of publicly displaying their humiliation. In all honesty I felt a bit sorry for them, but orders are orders. I paid no attention to the room, but kept my eyes focused forward as we passed through the commons. We ended in Kirova's office, Alberta and I moving to the wall as we watched the events unfold.
Kirova was sitting at her desk. I could tell her lashing words were on the tip of her tongue, but before she could speak, Prince Victor Dashkov stepped out of the shadows.
"Vasilisa." And with that, I could see some of the earlier tension melt away from Lissa. She ran over to the prince, throwing her arms around the man's sickly form.
"Uncle," she whispered, tears starting to brim in the corners of her eyes. He smiled softly and patted her back. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa." His gaze shifted to Rose. "And you too, Rose." Which she merely replied to with a nod. Kirova led Lissa back to her seat. She started scolding Lissa for her reckless behavior and self-centeredness. I mainly watched Rose. She was obviously spacing, not really paying attention to Kirova's speech. But when the tables turned on her, she kicked off auto pilot.
"You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise of our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust. A trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; you nearly enabled them to do it."
"Rose didn't kidnap me." Lissa spoke up. "I wanted to go. Don't blame her." But Kirova merely tsked at the two of them and started to pace her office, hands folded behind her back.
"Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still her responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out. If she'd done her duty, she would have notified someone. If she'd done her duty, she would have kept you safe."
It didn't take an idiot to see that Rose was angry. No, not angry, just extremely pissed off. I still flinched, as did Alberta when she sprang up from her chair.
"I did my duty!" She shouted. "I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of you—," she gestured to all of us—"could do it. I took her away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren't going to." Kirova merely stared at Rose.
"Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there's something you aren't telling us?"
Rose didn't answer but bit her lip as if she had said too much.
"I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left—aside from the novelty of it, no doubt—was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance."
"No, that's not—"
"And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible."
"I…what?" Okay, my earlier anger towards her dried up. She was being sent away from Lissa. Did Kirova not know…?
Lissa stood up next to Rose. "You can't do that! She's my guardian."
"She is no such thing, particularly since she isn't even a guardian at all. She's still a novice."
"But my parents—" Lissa tried to interject.
"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn't deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave."
Rose merely gawked at Kirova. I almost did too. "Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone? Or maybe you'll send me off to my father?" Again I felt sorry for Rose. Judging from the way she spoke, she didn't really have a relationship with her mother, but who did with Janine Hathaway. She was the perfect example of a perfect guardian. And as for Rose's father, she didn't know him, which wasn't uncommon when it came to dhampirs.
Rose's voice was cold when she spoke again, "Or maybe you're going to try to send me off to be a blood whore." That term I loathed. "Try that and we'll be gone by the end of the day."
"Miss Hathaway," Kirova hissed, "you are out of line." Really? Because a lot of what she had just said kind of destroyed the line. I took this as an opportunity to end this.
"They have a bond." I said firmly, eyes still locked on Rose. She turned to face me. Eyes wide, surprised at what I had just said. "Rose knows what Vasilisa is feeling. Don't you?" It wasn't really a question. I already knew the answer and judging from the look on Rose's face I was right. Now Kirova gawked at the two of us. "No…that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries."
Rose looked away from me.
"That is a gift," murmured Victor from the corner. "A rare and wonderful thing."
"The best guardians always had that bond." I added. "In the stories." I felt that I had to at least help Rose stay for Lissa's sake.
Kirova was angered that her plan now had a huge hole in it. "Stories that are centuries old," she exclaimed. "Surely you aren't suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after everything she's done?" Kirova stared at me incredulously.
I merely shrugged. "She may be wild and disrespectful, but if she has potential—" I was then cut off by Rose, even though I was trying to help her…so much for chivalry.
"Wild and disrespectful? Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?"
"Guardian Belikov is the princess's guardian now," Kirova said. "Her sanctioned guardian."
"You got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?" She exclaimed. Ouch. Did she realize I was trying to help her?
Kirova threw her hands up in exasperation and turned to me. "You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and very raw potential in the world can't make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian."
"So teach her discipline. Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again." I retorted. Even though she's being a pain in the ass I knew she needed to do this if she wanted to be Lissa's guardian.
"Impossible. She'll be hopelessly behind her peers."
"No I won't." She tried to say but Kirova and I went on without glancing at her.
"Then give her extra training sessions," I said. It was a pretty good idea.
"Who's going to put in the extra time?" demanded Kirova. "You?"
I stopped. Oh shit…bad idea…bad idea! "Well that's not what I—"
Kirova crossed her arms smugly. "Yes. That's what I thought." I frowned at her and then looked over to Lissa and Rose. They looked hopeful. Why shouldn't they be? Rose's career hung in the balance and I had willingly challenged Kirova to set it back down.
"Yes," I said finally. I had to do this. "I can mentor Rose. I'll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones." God help me…
"And then what?" Kirova retorted, angry that I had duped her once again. "She goes unpunished?"
"Find some other way to punish her." I stated calmly. I really just wanted to call Kirova out on how she wasn't aiming for the greater good but shooting to maintain her satisfaction. I knew she hated Rose, but she was acting childish now and I wanted to roll my eyes at her. Instead I pulled out the facts. "Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular." I refused to say anything relating to the filthy term. But even though I hadn't spoken the words a shudder ran through Rose.
Prince Victor spoke up from the corner. "I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent." Well now Kirova was stuck. I had the backing of a royal Moroi. She stared out the window. When she turned back, Lissa met her eyes. "Please, Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay." She said in a pleading voice. It must have been the icing on the cake because Kirova cracked. She let out a sigh.
"If Miss Hathaway stays, here's how it will be." She turned herself to Rose. "Your continued enrollment at St. Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line once, and you're gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have—before and after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent…away."
Rose let out a harsh laugh. "Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart?" She nodded towards Lissa. "Afraid we'll run away again?"
Rose had a point. These rules were a tad harsh. But they kept her here.
"I'm taking precautions. As I'm sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for." Kirova's lips tightened to a straight line. "You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it."
I watched as Rose started to protest but then our eyes locked. I pleaded silently that she should just shut up and take the opportunity for Lissa's sake. She looked to the floor. Then at last she exhaled and looked up at Kirova.
"Fine. I accept."
Holy long chapter. I think I have a kink in my neck from trying to type and read the book at the same time. How's that for multitasking? Any who I'm extremely happy to see that you guys like it. I hope to hear from you more!