– DIMITRI –

The days fell into a comfortable routine. Rose and I ran first thing in the morning, followed by some training, occasionally another dance lesson here and there. I had my regular patrol shifts, and sometimes she accompanied me, and sometime she stayed with Lissa and the others. With every passing day, Rose seemed to slip into her old position in our little group, and that ache left by her absence was finally filled.

The day of the Lazar Charity Gala, I knew I wouldn't be seeing Rose much during the day. I had expected her to get a little extra sleep, but just like every other morning this week, she was at the door waiting for me. After our run, Rose reminded me that Lissa had the next twelve or so hours booked solid. She seemed to have mixed feelings about the Princess's schedule; manicures were positive, final dress fitting and alteration...not so much. I had never been much for my sisters' idle girl talk at home, but listening to Roza was something else entirely. I felt like I could listen to her for hours, simply because talking about these little nothings seemed normal and unhurried. I could feel that old companionship, the trust and friendship we had back at the academy, blooming again in full force. Being with her again was like taking a breath again after being submerged under the darkness of water. Just her presence filled me with life and peace.

Thankfully, the sharp edge of not being with her all day would be dulled slightly by the fact that I would be plenty busy on my own. I was on shift for the entire gala, and would need to be there a bit early to go over final security updates with the other guardians. Before then, I had several errands that I had pushed off all week in favor of spending time with Rose and the others. It seemed like my days revolved around Rose, like they unwittingly had at the Academy, and I couldn't say that I minded. I resisted the urge to check in with her, under the guise of checking in with Lissa, all day. Eventually, it came time to put on my formal guardian attire and clock into my shift.

The large Ballroom was easily the most elaborately designed space in the entire Court. Where many of the building interiors had been modernized with clean lines and sleek furniture, the Ballroom could have easily been picked out of historical Russia, Paris, or Italy. There were thirty foot cathedral ceilings, gilded mirrors, and elaborately carved molding. The parquet floors had been restored and the old sconces and chandeliers had been wired for electricity, but it still held its awe inspiring charm.

Today, a raised platform held a twelve-piece orchestra, already warming up. It looked like they had also booked a vocal artist and I wondered if they would keep with the overall impression of the setting with opera or classical music, or if she would sing some more modern melodies. I didn't have too much time to wonder before the professional event coordinator called the staff to attention and I was regulated to my position along the wall. Thankfully, I was far enough from the music so I would be able to enjoy it without it becoming deafening before the end of the night. I sent a small sympathetic glance towards Guardian Asay who had been placed next to the stage and hoped that he would be given some relief during the night.

Eventually, I started seeing the guests file into the banquet hall. I had warned Rose that I wouldn't really be able to interact with her during the event because I would be on the clock, but I was already feeling anxious to see her. My eyes constantly drifted towards the entry, and I even found myself fidgeting to get a closer look whenever I saw someone who even remotely resembled her.

Rose was always beautiful to me. Seeing her flushed and breathless during our workouts was captivating, and it took effort to keep from outright staring at her every evening when she was sprawled out over the couches back at home, relaxing in jeans and a tee shirt. But there was something particularly special when Rose allowed herself to be draped in elegance. I had only seen it a few times, the last being our bittersweet moment on the roof before her disappearance, but it left me mesmerized every single time. I could already feel my heart racing in anticipation.

I could literally feel the shift in the air when she walked in. My eyes stole to her, taking in everything. Roza had always gravitated towards an edgier look before, preferring leather over lace, but seeing her covered in the intricate golden material made her seem divine. The material embraced her curves and made her glow, giving her a unique softness that she hid from most people. She was beyond gorgeous, she was mythic. She was the goddess that would have epic poems written in her honor, and temples dedicated to her worship. I could suddenly understand how a nation could fall because of one beautiful woman. Had I been a prince, I would have offered my kingdom just for a single dance.

I wouldn't have that honor though. Not tonight, at least. Her arm was linked in Adrian's, serving as his date for the event. I knew it was a choice that would cause quite a bit of controversy, not only due to his high royal status and kinship with Queen Tatiana, but also because he was one of the several people being honored tonight for their contribution to the Art History Museum. Most had contributed with excessive funds, but Adrian had offered his considerable artistic talent.

I knew it was a purely platonic arrangement, but seeing her by his side still stung slightly. Logically, it made sense. Lissa was attending with Christian as her escort, and rather than Adrian and Rose attending alone, they had come together. Adrian had even relished the idea of shaking the status quo a little by bringing a dhampir as his date. Of course, Rose enjoyed the opportunity to rebel against the powers that be and eagerly agreed to his passive aggressive protest, despite warnings from every other member of our party. I had made Adrian promise to keep a close eye on her, especially if he was the one leading her into the lion's den tonight.

We had come to a silent understanding a few months after Rose's disappearance. We had both mourned her loss and the lost hope of love, but eventually Adrian moved on. He found other fleeting romances here and there, and had once fallen in love with a lovely young lady who we were all certain would be made a permanent addition to our pseudo family. It wasn't meant to be though. Adrian still insisted that he was waiting for someone who would change his whole world. Some who – as he confided to me on one alcohol induced moment of honesty – inspired the same heartfelt devotion that he could see between Rose and me the moment he had met us, the same devotion that he still saw in my aura to this day.

I could see the stares starting the moment the unorthodox pair descended the sprawling staircase. Some were more subtle than others, but almost everyone took notice in one way or another. It was hard not to. Despite being one of the most beautiful women in the room, Rose was also the only dhampir here as a guest rather than part of the hired help. She stood out in more ways than one.

She didn't seem to notice. I'm sure she was aware of the people staring at her, but she ignored them and focused on Adrian, Christian, and Lissa. They introduced her to other guests and Rose held herself regally among the royalty, engaging in short pleasantries.

At one point, I saw her searching the room and her eyes fell on me. The world stopped with her smile. Halfway across the room and with a drink in her hand, she offered me a short conversation.

"Hi," she mouthed.

"Hi," I returned in the same manner, my lips moving as little as possible.

"You okay?" Her look of concern melted my stoic guardian mask and I smiled and gave a sharp nod.

She raised her champagne flute in a toast before our silent conversation was interrupted by the orchestra starting a new song. It took me a moment to recognize it, but I realized that it was a classic Russian waltz that Rose had on the CD she had used when teaching me to dance. Since this entire event was paying homage to the nearly lost art of our kind's heritage, it wasn't out of place, though few people took to the floor. In fact, most vacated it. However, Adrian extended his hand to Rose and led her to the very center.

Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised. Adrian had been brought up in a lifestyle that had the ability to make societal etiquette such as dining and dancing a priority. It was a privilege that many, including some royal families, no longer had opportunity to take part in. But Adrian had probably learned to waltz shortly after learning to walk. Perhaps it was more surprising that he retained the ability to dance, and fairly well. He was able to lead and keep up with Roza, but she still stole the performance.

While it was not nearly as showy as some of the partner dances that I had seen her dance back in Las Vegas, it was well beyond what Rose had taught me. I got lost in watching her dance and the joy it seemed to bring her. She looked as natural there as she did in the gym, and I wondered how such a contradiction could exist. The song was a bit more fast paced, giving it a much more jovial feel than a romantic one, but within moments the other couples had stopped to watch them alongside every single person in the room. Even those who seemed most adamantly against her presence here began to get caught up in the song and when the music came to an end, the crowd broke out in applause. Adrian presented Rose, the true star of the dance, and she gave an overly elaborate curtsy before the pair laughed at the attention.

After their well-received show, Petar Lazar gave his presentation, speaking about our need to hold to our heritage and tradition and preserve them for generations to come. He ended the speech by honoring the generous donors the new gallery and Adrian himself. Adrian was given the honor of revealing the show piece artwork that he had been slaving over for months, almost to the point of obsession. His work had paid off though. It was a masterpiece. Or, technically, a recreation of a masterpiece, but it was immaculate nonetheless.

Adrian became the most sought after person once his accomplishment was unveiled. Rose stuck valiantly by his side while being systemically ignored by person after person, but eventually her patience seemed to wear thin. She slowly slipped into the background, enjoying the ambiance instead of the attention.

~ ROSE ~

I was so proud of Adrian. I had seen him grow steadily more nervous during the night as it lead up to the artwork unveiling. He kept up a brave face and a sarcastic note in his voice, but you could see his relief when he gained the support of the room. I don't think he liked to show it, but I could see how much he craved others' approval despite acting like he couldn't care less. Perhaps it was because I operated on a very similar wave length. I stood by his side as long as I could after that, but there were only so many looks of condemnation that I could endure. I excused myself and retreated to a quiet corner where I enjoy the festivities of the night in peace.

I felt his presence behind me before I saw him. It was heavy and made me uncomfortable, but not nearly as uncomfortable as when I felt a hand brush against the small of my back, dangerously close to grabbing my ass.

I spun fast on my heel to face him, not bothering to hide the prominent scowl on my face. I was tired of the looks and whispers and I didn't have it in me to pretend that they didn't bother me anymore.

"Step back. Please." My demand grit through my teeth. I didn't want to create a scene – Lord knows I've been the center of attention too much as it was – but I didn't want there to be any room for misunderstandings here.

"Well aren't you a pretty little thing? You dance divinely, my dear." He either didn't hear me, or he didn't care. My money was on the latter. The man seemed to be in his early forties with dark hair that was just starting to show its age. He wasn't exactly unattractive, but the way he looked at me made my skin crawl. His hand started to reach out towards me again and I pulled away from his grasp.

I could see a few people already starting to stare in our direction. Walk away, find your friends. It became a mantra as I started stepping back, trying to see anyone out of the small group that I had come to know and respect. Every step I made backwards, the Moroi man advanced. Eventually, I hit a wall with nowhere else to go.

The man – who still had yet to ask my name or give his – pinned me between his hands on either side of me, before letting one trace down my forearm and grab my waist. "What do you say you and I get out of here? I'd love to see how you look underneath that lovely dress."

"Let's not." I forcefully removed his hand from my body, stepping around him and ready to run if needed. Before I could get too feet away, I felt his hand lock onto my wrist.

"Feisty, aren't you? Well, I'm used to getting what I want, sweetheart, and tonight, that's you."

Before I could even process how appalling his words were, I was pulled back towards him. His mouth was on mine and his tongue forced its way between my lips. Nearly gagging, I gave a true knee jerk reaction and felt him break away with a small pain-filled cry. My palm cracked against his face seconds later.

In my right mind, I probably would have run at that moment, however I was frozen in place, staring at a man who had so brutally assaulted me in front of hundreds of witnesses without a single hesitation. How could something like that happen? Why were these people staring at me like I was the one who was in the wrong? Didn't they see what he had tried to do to me?

"You bitch!" The man lunged at me again, only to be stopped by someone finally stepping in.

"Get away from her!" Adrian pushed the man to the ground in front of him. "How dare you force yourself on this woman?!"

The man gave a sinister smile from where he lay, giving him the appearance of a viper ready to strike. "My apologies, Lord Ivashkov. I didn't realize that you had an exclusive arrangement with your date tonight."

It took me a moment to understand what the man was suggesting, and it shocked me into silence. The others had warned me that by accompanying Adrian, some would take it the wrong way. I had assumed that rumors would fly about some unnecessarily scandalous relationship between the nephew of the Queen and a lowly dhampir. I didn't realize how wrong I was. I wasn't seen as Adrian's date, romantic or otherwise. I was seen as his toy; a plaything to show off at the gala before entertaining him in our own private after party later.

Adrian, however, understood right away. I had never assumed that Adrian would be willing to get his hands dirty, but they were soon covered in the blood of the other man. Adrian had broken his nose and seemed oblivious to the shouts around us as he continued to attack the older man. I could see some of the nearby guardians working their way towards us. Some looked familiar from my time at the gym, but I didn't know any of them by name.

I tried pulling Adrian away, but when he saw the dhampirs moving coming closer, all he did was tell me to run and promised that he'd take care of it. One of the Guardians started to break up the pair. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and realized that I had done exactly what Dimitri and Eddie had warned me not to. I had assaulted a Royal Moroi. I would be probably be taken in and charged with some ridiculous crime for having the gall to defend myself. I turned on the man who would most likely be the one to subdue me, and was surprised to see he was one of the few other guardians that Dimitri had introduced me to. Tanner, I think. As I was debating whether my limited training would be enough to take on what I assumed would be his considerably more advanced skills, he tilted his head ever so slightly and whispered one thing: go.

I took off towards the exit he had pointed me to, and didn't stop until I reached the sanctuary of Lissa and Christian's home.

Author's Note

Uh-oh. Looks like Rose in a bit of trouble. Not that it's her fault in the least. A swift knee to the groin and a slap across the cheek means that bastard got off lucky. Thankfully, Adrian was willing to amend that. But where's Dimitri?

Thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. You guys are angels and I'm so grateful for the extra time you spend to let me know what you think. Don't forget to favorite and follow me and this story, and stay tuned for next week because this is all leading up to a very big moment :)