The Queen's Protégée

CH10

DIMITRI

It had been a whole week since I had seen Rose. I can't believe we had only just met, but I was missing her so much already. Thankfully the gossip of what happened had died down along with everyone talking about us. I guess we were only worth about a week's worth of their time. They moved on to other topics which now included Rose and Shane being a couple and that's why they got into a fight because he was cheating on her. Lissa and Adrian, the queen's great nephew, being a couple and that's why she went to court with Rose to be with him.

Speaking of Shane, turns out Rose gave him a concussion, so he was sitting out of practice all week. I don't know what the Queen said to him, but he was being very quiet about the whole situation. I was worried when Rose did return that he was going to do something to her.

Christian wasn't handling things very well himself. The day they left I had taken him out to the little pond that was on the outskirts of the academy. When I said he needed to blow off steam, I meant it. He used his fire magic to heat up the pond, it was the safest way for him to get out all his frustrations without setting things on fire. He was doing better till he received a text from Lissa, saying that she couldn't be friends with him anymore. She was going to be the future Queen and didn't need to be associated with someone with parents like his.

I told him that it didn't sound like lissa. Granted I had only known her for a short while,but she seemed to genuinely like Christian and was a good person. I reminded him of what the queen had said and that what Lissa wrote was eerily similar.

ROSE

"Do you think that Christian will talk to me after Tatiana made me text him?" Lissa asked. We were on our way back to the academy from our week away at court. It had been an intense week for us all trying to figure out a solution for me. What we finally came up with was silver jewelry that was infused with Spirit to help with the darkness. Both Lissa and Adrian made me the jewelry so as not to overload Lissa. The first time I put on the ring I felt immense relief. Lissa still needed to watch how much magic she was using, but this was a start.

Tatiana was a super bitch the whole week we were there. She made Lissa text Christian and tell him they couldn't be friends and then took her phone so she couldn't text him. She tried to take my phone, but my dad was not having it. I was going to text Christian myself, but Lissa said she would rather talk to him face to face. I told her she needed to be careful because the Queen had spies everywhere.

"Liss, just tell him the truth. I think he will understand that the Queen made you do this."

"What if he doesn't believe me?"

"He will, I think he likes you enough to believe you. If he doesn't I'll just make him see reason."

"Rose, you won't beat him up will you?"

"Not if he listens and accepts your apology."

"I'm being serious Rose."

"So am I."

"So violent, I love it." I forgot to mention that Adrian was coming back to the academy with us.

"Really, Adrian?"

"What? I think it's kind of sexy that you would beat up a guy for your best friend."

"Adrian, would you stop, I thought we established that Rose doesn't like you in that way."

"Still doesn't mean I can't try."

"It does." I said with authority hoping he would get the hint.

"Why? You have some other boyfriend I don't know about?"

"No, I just don't like you very much."

"You're lying, I can see it in your aura. There is someone else." Damn spirit users.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop lying, you know I can see right through you."

Just tell him. He's going to figure it out anyways and maybe he will leave you alone.

"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"

"I can't promise that little Dhampir, you have a special place in my heart." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Laying it in a bit thick aren't we ivashkov?"

"Just tell me, it isn't Shane is it? I heard the rumors that you two were dating and he cheated on you and that's why you kicked his ass."

"Seriously they will come up with anything, but the truth."

"They can't know the truth." Lissa piped in.

"I know that, but still to come up with that."

"Well, they could have said you were dating me. That I wouldn't mind being true." He wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"But the rumor is me and the princess here are dating and that's why I'm always around the academy."

"Adrian, I've already told you that I'm not interested in you. Plus Lissa met someone else." Lissa's eyes got wide, she didn't want me to say anything about Christian. But it was Adrian, he was nothing like his aunt. Even if he couldn't have me he wasn't going to go after Lissa. In a weird way he thought of her as a cousin.

"Yeah, yeah, but you still haven't told me who this mystery man is, well men." I knew I had to tell him, he was going to figure it out as soon as we got back to the academy.

"Fine, the runways."

"Scandalous, I love it. My aunt will hate it, which makes me love it more."

"Adrian, please don't say anything. Your aunts already threatened me and took away my phone."

"I'm not going to say anything, I know how my aunt can be. I also know you can't help who you like." He said that last part while looking at me.

"Adrian."

"Little Dhampir, I know you don't like me the same way I do you. I would never force myself on you. You're fun to flirt with and the fact that it annoys you makes it even better. Just let me enjoy it and try not to break my heart too much. I'd rather be friends with you then nothing at all." He was so sincere it kind of broke my heart. He was annoying, but I didn't hate him. We had what felt like a brother and sister relationship, where you fight like cats and dogs, but we're there for each other.

"Don't make me cry, Ivashkov."

"Cuz, I won't tell her about Christian, I've got your back ok."

"Thank you."

We arrived back at the academy during the day time, which was when everyone was asleep. It was planned this way to lesson all the talk of the other students. I said my goodbyes to Lissa and headed to my dorm room. I really needed to get to sleep so I was ready to face everyone tomorrow. Adrian had other plans.

"Little Dhampir. Wait up."

"Come on, I just want some sleep, we already had a heart to heart."

"I know, but I really need to talk to you about Lissa." That woke me up.

"What's going on? Is she ok?" That was always the first thing with her. Was to make sure she was ok.

"She's fine, for now, but when she hears my aunt's idea she's not going to be happy."

"She's kind of used to it by now. She hasn't really had a life of her own since her parents died."

"This one's a doozy."

"Just tell me already."

"She wants me to pursue Lissa, romantically. She wants us to start dating and when she graduates the academy to propose. She wants us married before she becomes queen." This didn't come as too much of a shock, we had already talked about this.

"Lissa already knows, well she had a feeling your aunt wanted you two together."

"There's more." He sat down on one of the benches and patted the spot next to him and I sat down.

"She's been lying to Lissa about her inheritance. Her parents never wanted her to wait till she was twenty one. They wanted her to have access to it the whole time. If something ever happened to them, then it would go to Andre, then Lissa. Since Lissa was the only one that survived it became hers, the problem is my aunt was made executor of their will. Her dad only did that to ensure Lissa used her money wisely, they never intended on my aunt not giving Lissa any of it. She using that money as a way to control her. I only just found out because I was spying on my aunt and a conversation she was having with her lover."

"She has a lover."

"Focus Rose."

"I am and I'm pissed. Wait till I tell my dad, he will fix this."

"You can't tell your dad."

"Why? You know who he is and what he can do."

"I'm begging you not to. She caught me spying on her and threatened that if I ever said anything about it she would…"

"What Adrian? Tell me please, you are scaring me."

"She would kill you."