isabel97811 & IrinaC, Dimitri has a precise reason he's acting like this :) and maybe he will continue to do it; feelings are hard for him
Just-kiwi, you kind of nailed it. I hope this chapter brings more answers than questions
pipigrin 2, I cannot wait to write that too!
yup, Peggy, but Ivan will continue to be a little menace (I say this in the most loveing way possible) for a while, just because I love to portray him as one
russia2774 and dear guest, thank youuuu, and I hope you enjoy the chapter
see you all in a week! lots of love!
CHAPTER 11 - You can share it with me from now on
Rose's POV
Once more, I spent the night in Ivan's room, and before sleep came, we talked about silly little unimportant stuff about my art and his passion for architecture and of course, some tea from the Court.
This time, as friends, as he keeps on reminding me, we shared the bed, but not after I built a fort of pillows between us, just so that his hands wouldn't get a mind of their own and break into my personal space.
The night has been uneventful and when I wake up, Ivan is ready to go and he insists I go have breakfast with him.
In our chucking and teasing, I kind of forgot about my punishment and I was already sitting at the table when the Lord came. Oh, the face he pulled when he saw me there. I don't know what stopped him from dragging me out of the dining room because I'm sure he wanted to do that.
"Did I say you can eat? I didn't see you apologizing to Neil."
I don't want to stir up any more animosity in the house, so I decide it would be best if I leave.
But when I get up, Ivan catches my hand and stops me.
"Father, enough of this. To hell if Rose is leaving this table without eating. She was right to do what she did, and you know it too. Rose, please sit down and eat something."
As I sit, he didn't let go of my hand, and weirdly enough, it feels uneasy for me to do that, even if I guess he was doing it to show me his support. I don't feel like I should be doing that. I can't think of him in that way, I swear I can't.
Pulling my hand out of his, I make myself busy with the plate in front of me, and make sure to use both hands, just to show him why I pulled away.
The Lord eyes me for a long time, but I push through and continue to eat. The faster I finish my plate, the faster I can excuse myself.
"I see Evette's teachings didn't get to you. You're still as uneducated as the first day you came here."
I see why he was staring – he was analyzing me. I put my elbows on the table. I slouched. And I was eating fast. Not to mention the seconds I reached for. Shit. I just gave him another reason to pick on me.
"You are going to embarrass my son wherever you two go. Your mother used to be a very classy woman. I cannot say the same about you."
I want to get up and maybe slap him from across the table, but surprisingly enough, Ivan is the one to react first.
He slams his fist against the table. "Father, enough! Stop!"
"Why would I? Am I not right?"
When Ivan maintains his father's stare, I feel like I'm going to pass out from the tension in the air.
I didn't realize I put my hand on Ivan's thigh until he turns his head to look at me. The harshness in his eyes is replaced by calm assurance as he nods at me. I nod too, trying to tell him it's alright. I've gotten used to that.
The rest of the breakfast is just as tense, and we eat in complete silence, but we all survive it.
I go looking for Lissa after that terrible meal, and as we are heading toward my room, we pass next to Anton's office, and there, Ivan and his father are having a talk. As usual, I can't understand a thing they say, and I plead with Lissa to translate it for me once again. I know Ivan is getting scolded, but I want to know what awful things are getting out of his father's mouth.
"That is not the way to speak to your woman! She will get to do whatever she wants out of you! You need to put her in her place! She will start thinking she can have a word to say in everything if you continue to let her do whatever she wants and you have her back like that in every stupidity she does!"
"You're right, father. I am sorry. I will… rectify my behavior."
"You don't have to win her over with such things. You must make her obey your will, not have her own free will. Women like her shouldn't have a word to say in anything."
Ivan says something in response, but Lissa fails to translate it.
"What did he say?"
"I'm sorry."
"Don't take pity on me, Liss. You know I hate that. Tell me what he said."
"You are right. I was mistaken. It will never happen again. I will make sure she understands her place and I will do that by any means necessary."
"And what did the other bastard say?"
"That's my boy. And remember, if words fail, a slap has always worked miracles. Now go, you need to get ready. We're leaving soon."
Because Ivan will soon get out of that room, we make ourselves scarce and walk toward my room, but I don't want to go there anymore, so I stop, trying to summon an idea in my head.
"You know, maybe he-"
"Please, don't try to find excuses for him."
I start walking in the same direction we came from.
"Do you need-"
"No. I'm fine by myself."
I still don't know where I'm going, but I guess I was hoping I would meet Ivan so that I can break his nose.
Instead, I see Dimitri entering the salon, so I go his way.
"I want to ask you something."
"Ask."
"Would you join me somewhere?"
"Where exactly?"
"Out. Just out. Take me out of here. I don't know… take me to see the town. Meet the people around here. Something." Anything, but to be away from this place.
"In the communes?"
"Those are the only towns nearby, aren't they?"
"Evette will be here-"
"Please." I will beg if he wants me to.
"Are you sure you want to go there again?"
"I am. I just don't want to be in here. Please, Dimitri."
He thinks about it and I know he's going to say no. I see it on his face.
"Alright." I stop myself from hugging him when I hear his answer. "I'll get a car ready as soon as I can."
Two hours later, after Ivan and his father left, I am in the backseat of a car, next to Dimitri. In the front are another two guards, and I pull up the partition, wanting to apologize to him for last night, but I cannot find my words, so I keep looking down.
He speaks first, though.
"He didn't mean that."
"Who? Who didn't mean what?"
"Ivan. Earlier today."
"You heard that too?" he nods. "You saw me hear it too, I guess."
"I just was around."
"What did he mean then? He agreeing with his father wasn't meant to mean what it means?"
"He said it so that his father won't punish you further for what happened this morning."
"That's bullshit."
"It's not. If Ivan tells his father what he really thinks, he will get back at him through you. If he would have persisted in being on your side, the Lord would have punished you further. On the other side, if he thinks Ivan will put you in your place, he won't be the one doing it. And trust me, it's better this way."
"Yeah, because he would never hurt his precious son. But his worthless wife… he has no problem with that."
"It's not that simple. And you're not worthless, Rose."
"Aren't I? It seems to me I very much am. After all, I'm not supposed to even think for myself, not to mention anything about opening my mouth."
"But you do. You have a strong will and Ivan appreciates that. He appreciates you. I know he does. You two will rule right when the time comes."
I sigh. That thing again.
"I cannot marry him. I cannot marry Ivan." I know it is the right thing to do, but something is holding me back. I can't name what that thing is, though.
"It would bring hope to people. For a better future." I don't know if he's trying to convince me or himself with that speech. "Isn't that what you wish, for your people? For everyone else?"
"I do. But it would bring me death one day. Because you know I will fight them. The former King, the Council, and our fathers. I don't know about Ivan, but I will not be silent. I will not let those bastards rule through Ivan or me. Or at least I'll try my best. But the thing is, men like them never give up on power and if I will not stand for us to be their toys… this will bring me to my end. And if Ivan is like you say, how sure are you they won't try to silence him too? And where does that leave us? What can we change if we end up dead?"
"What if you could still do that? Fight them? There must be a way."
"How? What way?"
He doesn't have an answer for this. "Did you try to tell Ivan any of this?" I shake my head. "Why not?"
"Because he's just like his father! Haven't you heard him earlier?" when he wants to protect him once more, I stop him. "It's not the first time he says one thing to me and then goes and has those kinds of discussions with his father! If this thing today would have been a singular event, I might have excused him. But it already happened twice. A third time and it's a habit."
"He's not like him, I promise. If so, he tried all his life to not be like him. I've known him almost all my life. He's not like that man."
"Maybe you don't know him well enough."
"Rose. I know Ivan. I know him better than I know myself. Yes, it may seem like that, but he's pretending to be like him."
"Sure."
"Ivan never wanted to be king either."
"It seems to me like he's really into it."
"It was always his father's aspiration to be close to the throne and when your brother died, he obliged Ivan to give up on his dreams of leaving the damned Court and made him get politically involved in all this mess. And he thought that if it's all happening, that he could make something good out of it."
"Like letting his father rule?"
"Come on, Rose. You can figure out that unless he acts like that, like he is the same as him, he would never get to the throne. He would never get to do the good things he wants to do unless he makes some compromises now."
"But will he know when it will turn into a compromise too much? Being someone else for so long, don't you think takes its toll on people?"
"Ivan would never do such a thing. And if he would, you could help him. Help him be in his good senses. Be there and remind him of-"
The car stops abruptly, interrupting our talk.
"What happened?"
"Stay in here. We'll go check. And I mean it. Stay inside."
"I promise."
Getting his stake out for any possibility, he opens the door.
We didn't expect Strigoi, but it could have been an ambush. But there is no one to be afraid of. It's just a bunch of kids on the way that recognized the car as being the Zeklos'. When they saw Dimitri, they asked him if the future queen was inside. I guess news traveled fast and more people than should know I am here.
They didn't need to hear the answer, as a kid looked past Dimitri and saw me. After that, they decided they wouldn't let the car pass until they all saw me.
I find that so sweet of them that I just can't sit inside the car and disappoint them.
Safety-wise, that gets me a scolding look from Dimitri, but I know that deep down, he wouldn't be able to disappoint those kids either.
So instead of continuing our car ride, as we're pretty close to the town anyway, I decide I could let them walk me in town. On our way I talk to them, as much as the language barrier allows me to, and as much as Dimitri manages to translate things back and forth. I answer all kinds of silly questions along with trying not to make too many promises of playing with them because god knows when I'll be able to do that.
As we enter the town, of course, there are a lot of looks thrown our way, but people generally keep to themselves, letting us pass and do whatever as the children take me towards the middle of the town. The adults are more reserved than the kids and I honestly never expected a red carpet welcoming, but I wish their looks weren't that harsh. But after all, I am Royal. They expect me to be a heartless bitch and I cannot blame them for that.
The town is not so different from the one I would sometimes visit while growing up. It's mostly filled with mothers and their kids, raising them until they come of age to be sent to guardian school. There are a few unpromised men, and of course, the Moroi men looking to fulfill their sacred duty of bringing a guardian into this world. I wonder why anyone who put us on this earth never endowed Dhampir men with the ability to leave Moroi or Dhampir women pregnant. Maybe that would have prevented all these pricks to feel so entitled.
When the kids lose their interest in me and go play, we walk through a little market where women trade or sell crops and other handmade stuff, and Dimitri teaches me a thing or two about picking up the best green apple, that is sour just as it is sweet, and for whatever reason that gets me very excited.
I strike up a conversation with the few women that know English, I buy some fruits and vegetables trying to improve my grocery skills with Dimitri as my mentor, and I see that the kids are now crowding up around my guardians, trying to rip stories from them. I see the admiration in their little eyes and the hurt in the men's expressions, as they're not able to warn them that they will have the same brutal fate as the ones they are now looking up to. You see, it's moments like these that make me think of how selfish I am to keep on fighting against my marriage with Ivan.
Instead of children, Dimitri gets surrounded by some mothers, and they seem to know him quite well. The older women have these gestures of "oh, you've become such a nice man since we last saw you", or "oh, honey, you lost some weight, aren't you eating well?", and the younger ones are batting their eyelashes at him, probably wanting to ask for his phone number.
If I were to guess it now, from the face he just made, one of those women asked when he was going to get settled. I bet she might even have a match for him. A daughter or a niece, I am sure a lot of women would like to be Dimitri's companion. He's not a man to miss.
I feel someone pat my leg and I need to look away from Dimitri's little torture.
I turn around and see a little girl in tears.
"Hey, there. What happened, little one?"
"Mama." well, that's universal, I don't need the translation.
"Easy, sweetheart." I crouch in front of her and wipe her tears. "You lost your mama?"
She nods, even though I don't think she understands me.
I cannot calm the little girl's crying in order to make her speak to someone else, so I try to speak to some woman that is close to me, but that doesn't end up well. She doesn't understand me either. Oh, if only I could see one of the women I already talked to!
Instead, I show the girl to the woman and say the word "mama". To my relief, she gets it this time and she points toward a street. It doesn't look far and I think I will not be missed for a minute or two. I could get the girl home and come back before anyone notices I'm missing. After all, they're busy with the kids and their mothers and there's no danger in sight.
As we head down the street, the girl stops crying and seems to remember now the way to her house. I want to make sure it's the right place, so I let her take me inside.
There is a lot of fuss going on in here, and seeing the people around seem rather happy, I'm guessing they're not all over the place over the fact that the kid got missing. I don't even think they realized she is gone and that gets confirmed to me as the girl gets speaking to a woman, points toward me, and at some point, she gets scolded and sent away.
The woman comes to me, and after I inform her I only speak English, she thanks me for taking care of the girl. She then tells me they're organizing a birthday party and that the little girl got overlooked as she went out, as they thought all the children were playing in a room. She wants to offer me something to drink, as a thank you.
"The party will start soon. The birthday boy just needs to come around."
"Oh, no, I cannot. I need to go back to-"
"Just five minutes. You brought her back safely, we need to thank you somehow."
Only that these five minutes that I promised her turn into some more as they give me some food and a drink and all of a sudden people are singing and dancing and we're having a full-on party. I can't understand a thing I'm being told as I have lost sight of the one person knowing English around here, and it is so hard for me to walk out, as each time I take a step toward the door, someone pulls me back and hands me some more food and drinks, and I cannot find it in myself to refuse them. I don't even know the words to do so. A simple no sounds rather rude, so I accept what they give me with a bow of my head.
Soon, I find myself dancing with the little girl, she being very fond of her new friend, and all I can think of is how bad I feel for not announcing Dimitri that I am leaving. I should have been more responsible about this.
But then I spot him in the doorframe, looking at me.
I excuse myself and go to him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run away, I swear. This little girl was crying as she got lost and yes, I left, but I wanted to get her home, then I wanted to leave, but they invited me to stay a little, and no matter how many times I said I can't, they didn't let me go. I'm sorry, but I didn't mean to do anything to mess this up and I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I thought I could come back before any of you would notice and... well, Russian people can be very persuasive. And welcoming. I couldn't say no, but that's a lame excuse. I know you put your trust in me with this outing, and I am sorry to disappoint you. That's all I wanted to say. You can yell at me now, I am not going to protest."
"Are you alright?"
"Huh?"
"I asked-"
"I heard."
"And why aren't you answering?"
"I didn't… I expected you to scold me."
"You said you didn't mean to run or cause any trouble."
"I didn't." but we both know how our last encounter ended.
"And I believe you. But from now on, if something like this happens, or anything else, you come to look for me first, okay? You tell me if you want to go somewhere. I cannot keep you safe if you get out of my eyesight."
"Okay." I cannot help but smile though.
"What?"
"I had no doubt you'd find me."
"Isn't that my job?"
"Yeah."
Dimitri's POV
But that jolliness of hers soon turns into shock.
"Hey, what happened?"
She doesn't answer, just keeps on staring at the person who got past me. It's a woman, around Rose's age. She has bright red hair, blue eyes and freckled cheeks, and she's carrying a baby boy in her arms.
I make her look at me. "Rose, what happened?"
"We need to go. Can we go back? This was a mistake. I want to go back. I cannot be here."
She doesn't wait for an answer, just rushes out.
I follow, in silence.
We all get back in the car and start our ride back.
I see how distressed she is and I don't dare ask her again what happened, but I cannot stop wondering who that woman was that got her like this. It takes so much from me not to take her hand in mine or something, just to comfort her.
"Can I show you something?" she speaks, at last, and I thank god that happened because I was just about to open my mouth.
"Sure."
"But first… I know I dumped one of my secrets on you yesterday and I didn't ask if you wanted to keep it. It was unfair of me."
"I will keep it."
She smiles a little. "I know you will. You're that kind of man. But now… can I dare ask you to keep another secret of mine?"
"Yes, you can." It felt good that after all our arguing she trusted me with that.
She turns her back to me and gets her hair to one side.
"I don't understand."
She then pulls down the neckline of her blouse and I see it. Two crossed little lightning bolts, engraved on her skin.
And it all falls into place. I mean, it all fell into place the second I saw her at the bar that first day, but as long as I didn't have definite proof, I lied to myself I could ignore it. I thought I could tell myself that she only looked familiar to me and I couldn't pinpoint exactly where from, but I knew clearly where I knew her from. I only pushed that thought as far away as possible, for as long as I could. I ignored it last night when she told me about the way she was raised. I could say that I was too taken aback by our closeness that I couldn't find a single second to put the pieces together, but that would have been a lie. I always knew who she was. I even tried to tell myself that her using another last name back then could still mean it was not the same person. That lie didn't do the trick either. Her name was different, but not her face. Her having short hair and it being put up doesn't make her look too different than now. Despite being four years since we first met, and her not remembering me, I still remember her. I knew all her secrets before she trusted me with them, and I tried my best to make her not trust me, but here we are. Exactly the opposite is happening and I cannot ignore it any longer. The first definite proof I chose not to take into consideration was when I saw those sketches on her wall. The second one was last night. But the third time is a charm, right? I have more than enough proof she is the same girl I met almost four years ago.
It seems that she got the tattoo eventually, sometime in this time that passed.
The youngest guardian to ever get a Molnija. I remember her ceremony. It was at the Court, to show everyone how guardians can kill at such a frail age. How they should, eventually. The King had a mission and he thought he could accomplish it by making a spectacle out of her grief. He has always tried to push up the graduation age for Guardians, and she was giving him the best example of being capable to fight Strigoi so young. He wanted to make her the image of his change, without her will. But she told everyone just the opposite. Too bad that there weren't too many Moroi to listen to her. Only a select few attended, the King's dearest, who never uttered a word about it.
"That is bullshit! Utter bullshit! This is the stuff we say to each other just so that we can sleep at night! Just to convince ourselves that we did the right thing killing our friends! And this bullshit with praising me for being the killer of my best friend?! You praise me that I'm young and I could do it? He was just as young as me and couldn't fight that Strigoi that turned him! My other friends were just as young and they died too! So many other guardians with experience died too! All just so that you could throw up a fucking party? Fuck you all! I will not accept your shitty tattoo!"
She gets off the little improvised stage and walks towards the exit.
"Miss Evans! Miss Evans, come back right now!" her instructor tries to mend things. "Stop right now!"
She doesn't stop.
"Stop her!" someone says.
Next, we're the ones supposed to stop her. I am supposed to stop her. I'm in between her and the door. I shouldn't move out of my place. I am supposed to keep the door occupied and stop her from going out. That would be the right thing to do. My job.
But looking into his eyes, seeing how he only cares about his motives and not even a little about what she had to go through to kill her best friend, I cannot do it. I've obeyed these rules all my life and I will probably continue to do so until I die. But I cannot do that today. Not to her. So I move out of her way.
"That woman…" Rose speaks, bringing me back. "The redheaded one. She is um… she's the sister of the one I killed."
She blames herself for his death, I already know it. The way she looks down, how she's kneading her hands, the guilt is eating at her.
"After my parents died, I just couldn't… I wasn't really… well. We were supposed to change schools, as there were only three of us left in that school. He told me... we were such good friends. He told me he would go with me anywhere I'd choose. So I chose a place far away from there. I changed my name and wanted nothing to do with my past life. We wanted to start fresh. And we managed that well, at another school. It has been two nice years at that place, until… one day I… we just wanted to have some fun. Take a break from it all. We went out, a couple of novices. I suggested we'd go in these woods and… I took them there, to a place I usually went to. You see, we didn't pay much attention to the night approaching as we were having so much fun. We left that place too late and the darkness caught us in those woods. I went to that place hundreds of times. But I never saw the Strigoi lair. And I… I delivered them to the Strigoi that day."
"But you were in danger yourself. And you didn't know."
"But I took them there! I was the careless one who never saw that damned cave! Guardians are supposed to know their surroundings!"
"Rose-"
"I lived and they didn't! I killed him. And I will never forgive myself for that."
I forget about my self-imposed restraints and reach my hand for hers. She accepts it and holds it tight between her cold ones.
"But that's not all, you know?" I know. It only got worse. "You know that the King is pushing the idea that Dhampirs should be sent off to duty at an even younger age? That's because of me. Of what I did after Mase… got turned. The King made me the perfect example of something I never wanted to happen. And even to this day they're pushing that law. If that passes, so many teenagers will die. And it will all be my fault."
"I think that's too much of a burden to carry on your shoulders."
"Who should carry it then?"
"You told me about it. You can share it with me from now on."
"But now that you know, don't you hate me?"
"No. I could not."
"Why not? So many Dhampirs could suffer-"
"Because it's not your fault. It isn't," I reinforce when she opens her mouth to protest. "First, you didn't put the Strigoi there. You could have gotten killed yourself."
"But I didn't. Because Mase… he… he didn't let this… he tried to protect me."
"And that was his choice."
"It's not fair." her lower lip is trembling and her eyes are filled with tears.
"I never said it was. And neither what happened after that wasn't. You didn't have a thing to say in that."
"I said some things, but no one listened."
That's not right. All of us did. So many guardians started to revolt against that law after the word of her speech got out. That's why that law didn't pass for so long. Still, I don't know for how long we can fight it.
"But you tried. And that was enough at that time."
"I could have fought more. I should have."
"You can fight now too."
She nods. "As the Queen."
"Yes. And one day, soon, you will be a fine ruler of these people."
She smiles faintly. "You think so?"
"I do."
"Why?"
"You care. That's more than anyone did for some people. And with Ivan… I do think you two could make this reign great. If not as spouses, at least as rulers. As partners in all this."
"Dimitri-"
"I know. I know it might be hard for you to trust anyone and especially after all you heard. But you trusted me enough last night to tell me about your secret. You trusted me now to tell me about your friend. Do you think you could trust me too when I tell you Ivan is on your side?"
She nods. "But I need to convince myself of it too."
Then I'll make sure Ivan shows it to her, one way or another.
I don't realize that we're still holding hands until a tear of hers falls onto my skin.
"Hey, what's the matter?"
She lets go in order to wipe her eyes.
"It's just something silly. I… you know, what you said earlier… I think that's the kindest thing anyone ever told me in a long while. You're kind, Dimitri. And you know… if I have no other choice, and I'm going to be Queen… I'm planning to be fucking great. Fuck all traditions. Hundreds of years of that was enough."
"Still, you should be careful with saying that out loud. People don't like change."
"Don't you want to be free? All these rules and constrictions and punishments. It's enough."
"It's all I've known for all my life."
"Well, brace yourself because I'm going to change them. If that crazy witch was right, then I'm going to be the demise of this era and I will make it fucking great. Fireworks and all."
That sounds like an ambition Rose could fulfill through sheer stubbornness.
Rose's POV
It was a nice ride back, and it felt good to have that talk with Dimitri. It is way better than bickering all the time.
But when we get back to the house, the nice Dimitri has left the building. For whatever reason, he is cranky since we entered the house and considering my past record, I feel the need to make things right.
After having dinner all alone, I sneak away from Lissa for a minute, and find him outside the house.
"Did I do something wrong again? Did I say something I shouldn't have?"
"What?"
"I mean, you're upset ever since we came back. Is it because of something I did?"
"Not everything you do affects me, Rose, you know?"
Ouch.
He leaves me there, without any more explanation and I torture myself the whole night, trying to come up with a reason for his behavior.
In the morning, though, his jolly mood seems to be back, for as I am trying to read for the fifth time the first page of this huge book Evette gave me, he comes around the salon and looks at me with a smile.
"Me? Reading a book? You'll never catch me alive doing such a thing," he cites me, word for word, I may say. "That's what you said, right?"
"Don't twist the knife. This book is heavy and I can throw it hard enough." and considering I am quite pissed at him for the way he acted last night, all I am looking for is a reason to throw this book his way.
"I'll let you enjoy it then."
There is nothing enjoyable about this book. It is about the history of Moroi and it contains shit about the Royal families. All twelve of them! It's pure torture for me, and I am dreading each page.
"Dimitri?"
"Yes?"
"Have you read this book?"
I close it and let him inspect the cover.
"I did."
"And do you think you could-"
"No."
"You didn't even hear what I wanted to ask you."
"The answer is no."
"But-"
"I am not doing the work for you. If you have to read it, read it."
"But it is so boring."
"Sometimes you have to do the boring stuff too."
"You're used to it. I bet I am the only exciting thing that happened in your career."
He'd like to say something back, maybe something to sting, but he doesn't. Honestly, I wanted him to say something stingy. I want to pick a fight with him for last night because I know for sure now that I wasn't the one who fucked anything up.
"Get used to boring then. That book has five hundred pages," he says and leaves.
Oh, he shouldn't have reminded me of that. I'm supposed to learn the shit I read too!
Not knowing what I did this time, I am in the Lord's office and he is scolding me. First Dimitri, now him. Did I start pissing people off by breathing?
But he soon explains why.
The thing I feared happened and he found out that I have a cat in my room. It happened because I would take milk and bits of food away, lying to the staff that it is for myself. It worked for a while, until Anton heard about it, and of course he wouldn't let me get special treatment in this house. So he went into my room while I was having a lesson with Evette and found Millie.
I take the blame on myself, and tell him no one else knew of Millie's presence in this house. Seeing me lie, Dimitri and Lissa deny knowing of it too. After all, I wouldn't want them to get in trouble for letting me keep her.
I even ask Anton very nicely not to get rid of her, when he threatens he will. He is ruthless and tells me no such creature will have a place in his house. I don't know if it is because of him not standing cats, or because he found a way to get back at me, but he is taking his chance.
"Please. Look at her. She's so small."
He doesn't care.
"Such creatures don't belong inside here," he repeats. "People live inside, and animals outside." he gives the kitten to Dimitri. "Here. Take this thing out."
My pleading didn't work with Zeklos, but I am hoping they would work on Dimitri.
They don't. I didn't say anything to him, but I begged him with my eyes, on the verge of tears. I get nothing in return. His face is cold and expressionless, and he goes out to do what he has been told. It's like he tries to prove to me I was wrong to think of him as a nice man.
Dimitri's POV
The first thing she does when she gets out of Anton's office, some minutes later, is to come to me. She asks me where the cat is and I tell her I let go of it over the fence. I wish I could tell her the truth, but the Lord followed us out and he is listening to us. He wants to see I am on his side. And I need to be if I want to be sure she's safe. I have no other choice.
She laughs. "Great. Fucking great! You know what? I'm taking it back. You're just as bad as him." She gulps her tears down. "She was so little. You have those big dogs out in the garden, and outside the stone wall, there is that forest and... She was my little friend," she says, with a strangled voice, then leaves.
Later in the evening, she is in the garden, looking for the kitten. She will never find it, so I go to her, to end her useless search.
"Please, keep your opinion to yourself. Shove it up your ass if you have to." she's mad at me. Understandable. "I don't care what the Lord will do. If I'm finding that kitten, I am taking it back."
"Would you come with me?"
"Where?"
"To my room."
"Definitely not!" the indignation is understandable too. It seems like a shitty proposal.
"You can enter by yourself. I won't get in if you don't want me to."
"Why would I?"
"I want to show you something."
"Fine. But if you think that you can show me something that will make me feel better, you're so wrong."
We'll see about that.
I take her to my room and as agreed, she enters by herself, but not after I go inside first, to make sure Millie will be easily seen. I put her on the bed.
As she enters, her eyes eventually fall on the bed.
I remained in the doorway, and she turns on her heels and hugs me tight.
"I'm so sorry."
"What for?"
"What I said earlier. You… you didn't get rid of her."
"How could I have? Haven't you seen how small and cute she is?"
Plus, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself knowing I took Millie away from her. At times, this kitten was the only thing that made her smile. She would come out of her room, excited, and tell me about this trick that she taught Millie or how she got meowing in the middle of the night and she thought she would get caught.
She smiles. "Thank you. Thank you, Dimitri."
We get inside and play with the kitten, sitting on the floor as Millie has full reign of the bed.
"Does this mean I can keep her?"
"Yes, but what if we talk to Lissa to hide her? The Lord might expect you to go take her back so I am guessing your room will be searched in the next few days. And if he finds Millie in there again…"
"We might get in a lot of trouble." She nods. "Alright. And thank you, honestly."
Millie hopped off the bed at some time and turned herself into a bagel on Rose's lap.
"It's so nice of you to have saved her from… you know…" she yawns, for the third time in a row. "Oh, no," disappointment fills her voice.
"What?"
"I'm kind of sleepy."
"And?"
"And I don't want to bother her. Look how nicely she's sleeping."
That makes me laugh. "Millie?" The cat instantly listens and lifts her head. "It's time to go to bed."
Like on cue, she gets off Rose's lap and waits on the floor as we get up.
Rose is more than amazed by this.
"You're the cat whisperer, comrade? How did she listen to you? She hardly listens to me."
"I don't know."
She pouts. "She has always liked you more."
Rose's POV
I haven't done anything stupid in the past few days and people are starting to get worried when I tell them I am bored. I am especially bored thanks to that book Evette is pressing me to finish. I guess it should piss me off that people have so little trust in me, but I find it kind of funny, to see them so clueless about what I might do next.
So, one day, Ivan gets appointed to be the courageous one and he asks me what I would like to do. He promises me he will try to make it happen. Of course, within boundaries.
"I want to go shopping."
"For clothes?"
"Not really. Maybe that too. But my room is pretty bland. Can I redecorate a little?"
"I think so. Yeah. Sure." I guess that a little DIY for my room would keep me busy.
"Can I get some painting supplies too?"
"Of course."
"Can we go tomorrow?"
"Maybe. I'll have to sort things out with Dimitri first. He'll take you."
Great. My opportunity to make his life hard again. I mean, I haven't done it in some time and let's be honest, my guardian shouldn't rest on his laurels. It would be a pity for his skills to get dull.