Hi guys, I am so sorry for the late update! Writer's blocks are so annoying... Also, for some reason Fanfiction didn't save my work, so I had to write the chapter again... Anyways. Disclaimer. I do not own VA Richelle Mead does.

For your information: mental conversations are in Italic.

Ch.2 RPOV

Why on earth is that giant of a man staring at me? He can't know who I am, now can he.

I felt Eddie squeeze my hand reassuringly. Doesn't he look like that man who you danced with the night of the Spring Equinox? You know, the one you said was kind of decent and had a Russian accent?

I glared at Eddie. But now I thought of it, King Dimitri Belikov did look like that man. The same shoulder length brown hair, the same height, the same muscled physique... He also was a royal and came from Russia. Not a coincidence, I guess. I didn't believe in coincidences. What are the chances that something would happen at the same time another thing happened?

Dimly, I heard Lissa telling the Russian royals that we would meet them for dinner and would like to refresh in the following hours. Damn, I love that girl.

Then I heard my father chiming in, asking the retired queen - Olena Belikova - if he could get in a private chat. Maybe he wanted to talk about an alliance. I still remembered what he'd told me the moment we'd started packing. "The chances are high that Dimitri Belikov could be your future husband, so be on your best behaviour." Then he had shot me the typical Mazur glare. "Nothing funny. Understand?" Funny being no accidental outbursts of my power.

Eddie led me away, following the Belikova princesses towards their guest housing. The youngest, Princess Viktoria, fell in step with me. "So, I heard that you danced with my brother the night of the Spring Equinox. What do you think of him?"

Eddie had walked ahead to chat with the small boy who was accompanying Princess Karolina, Lissa and Christian were talking to Princesses Karolina and Sonya, so that left me alone with Princess Viktoria. "He's quite nice," I said cautiously. It could all be a ploy to know what I thought of her brother. "I think whoever will marry him will be happy."

She nodded enthusiastically. "Call me Viktoria, everyone does. Also, Princess makes me feel about as old as Karo."

I laughed.

Viktoria was nice. She followed me to my room, and made sure to ask me to visit her during our visit.

Lissa was waiting inside my suite, looking about ready to pop off a thousand questions.

"So how was your conversation with Princess Viktoria?"

"Nice," I said truthfully. "Not what I expected."

"What did you talk about?"

"She asked me to visit."

"That's all?" She sounded disappointed. I nodded.

"So do you want to do discreet or attention-grabbing tonight?"

"I have no doubt that they will all pay attention to me tonight even if I wear discreet, so just make it extra-discreet."

"Got it!"

That girl loved dress up too much.

DPOV

King Mazur and my mother had started talking in low voices, my father was nowhere to be seen, and the Mazur children and their friends were following my sisters towards the guest suites, so that left me alone. I was about to turn around and walk back to my room when I heard my mother calling me to join her and King Mazur in the library for a talk.

A talk that could probably end up with my bones broken. Oh joy.

I walked after my mother as she and Abe Mazur chatted about quite irrelevant things - seriously, who talks about the weather? - as we made our way towards the library.

Abe Mazur may have been very relaxed when chatting with my mother, but in political situations, he was uptight. Formal. His guardian handed him a few files, and Abe nodded towards him. I filed that information away for later.

"So," he started. "Relationships have been strained between Russian and Turkish people since Randall Ivashkov took the Russian Moroi throne."

"Abe, you sound like you're giving a presentation." My mother interrupted.

"Sorry, Lena. Anyways, a match between my daughter and your son would be advantageous for both sides. My daughter does not want someone who only wants my wealth and a beautiful trophy wife." I felt like the last part was said mostly for my benefit. "And I know that Dimitri can handle her, and give her the freedom she craves."

I walked out of the library with my head spinning. It's not everyday you witness your mother and father-in-law-to-be-(maybe?) talking about a possible engagement between you and a stranger in front of you.

Walking down the hallway, I decided to find Edison. He was a good friend, and I needed someone to talk to.

RPOV

After choosing a dress with Lissa and promising to let her do my hair and makeup, she'd darted off towards Christian's room, leaving me thinking of what to do. The perfect solution presented itself to me when Eddie stepped out of his room and asked me for a whetstone.

So this was how Eddie and I found ourselves asking the housekeepers to the direction of the nearest gym, our practice swords strapped to our waists, when I heard a low, musical Russian-accented male voice sound out behind us. "What's going on here?"

"Dimitri!" Eddie turned around, greeting the giant leaning against the wall, an amused smile on his face as he watched us.

"Eddie. What are you doing?"

Let me handle him, Eddie told me without looking my way. "We were looking for a gym to practice."

Dimitri Belikov laughed, a melodical sound. A sound that would render any other girl speechless, wobbly-kneed, and faint-headed. "You should have just asked me," a small smile playing around his lips.

"I thought you were talking to my father," I said boldly. I heard Eddie sigh in my head.

The dhampir King of Russia looked at me, that smile fading.

"And aren't we finding a gym? I can practice myself if you two want to catch up," I offered.

Eddie looked towards Dimitri, leaving it up for him to choose. "I'll just accompany you."

The housekeeper, whose head had been swiveling between Eddie and I and Dimitri, recognized that as her cue to leave.

I followed behind Eddie and Dimitri as they chatted about things I never would understand - football? Baseball? Food? - playing with the hilt of my sword the whole time.

Then suddenly, Dimitri's attention turned towards me, as he and Eddie started to whisper to each other while looking back at me.

I think Eddie forgot I could get into their minds.

If you were a spirit user and could read minds, it wouldn't be the most subtle way as your subject would feel a sensation of hot and cold, then a tingle at the back of their minds. But for a dark user like me, I could slip in and out without anyone detecting me.

"I expected her to be more... haughty," I heard the Russian say in Eddie's mind. "Though if I have to know how Ibrahim Mazur raises his daughter, I would assume to look at her older brother."

I smirked internally, ambling behind them.

"Did the gym part throw you off as well?" Eddie asked.

"I never thought I'd see the day a princess hold a sword and ask to practice in front of a prince who will probably her husband."

"She's full of surprises," Eddie told him, then I felt myself get kicked out from his mind.

I grinned at his back.

Thanks for eavesdropping, sis.

No problem, Ed.

Dimitri caught me smiling at Eddie's back, and if he thought it strange, he didn't say it. "Here's the gym," he said, opening a door.

Rows and rows of equipment lined the walls, and a door led off to somewhere, maybe a running track outside?

I immediately made my way to the training ring, unsheathing my sword on the way.

Eddie was talking to the Russian, making no move to join me, so it seemed like I would have practice solo.

Halfway through my practice, I heard a gasp. I was used to it, so I pretty much just ignored it at first. Then I heard Eddie say, "It's quite normal for her to do that."

"I wonder..."

"Whatever you're thinking, it's probably halfway true."

"Does she know weaponry?"

"What do you think?"

"Which ones?"

I decided to surprise the inquisitor. Reaching up my sleeve, pulling out my dagger from its sheath, I throw it at his head. Well, not at his head, but close enough. I should say I did a good job as the blade missed his hair by a millimeter.

Very good, no?

Apparently Eddie didn't think so, as he glared at me even as the dagger thudded into the wall behind Dimitri. The Russian dhampir king looked shocked, then a smile graced that gorgeous face.

"Spar with me?" he asked, taking a sword off a rack of other swords.

Eddie shook his head. "You're dead meat, both of you. When father finds out that you danced with swords with him, Rose, he's going to blow a gasket. And Dimitri, she's quite good. I barely made it out last week."

Dimitri shot him a look, and Eddie shrugged. As if the General of Ibrahim Mazur's army hadn't just admitted to have been beaten by his sister.

I had beaten Eddie in our match last week, but that had been because he'd slipped.

Eddie's hazel eyes looked at me, pleading for me not to tell his friend.

I smirked at him. I hadn't had such fun in months, not since Lissa and Christian had gotten together.

Not today, though. Not today.

DPOV

What had I gotten myself into? If this girl had won a match over Eddie, I'd probably end up what Eddie had said - dead meat.

She eyed my blade. "That's real steel."

I nodded. "So?"

She threw her current blade at poor Eddie, who caught it before it could skewer his head. Then she walked over to the slim blades resting against the wall. And she picked one. The lightest, most intricately decorated one.

"Um, Rose, I think those swords are for decoration only -" Eddie started.

"They are for decoration," I added.

"But I use this kind of swords and they never broke in my hand," she stated. She twisted her wrist until the blade caught the light. Sliver flashed. "Can I keep this?"

I shrugged. "We never touch those, so please do. They have no use to us anyways."

She nodded, then abruptly struck. I barely raised my own blade in time. My family may not know how to use that silver sword, but she was a master of it. After exchanging a few blows with her, it was clear I would have to change my fighting style. I relied on strength and my height. She was all stealth and grace incarnate. And she was fast, damn it.

Dimly, I heard other people coming in, but I was focused on Rose Hathaway. She flicked her wrist, and a flash of silver followed. I winced, my eyes hurting from the bright light. And she used that one moment of distraction to her advantage. A kick, swiping at my legs, she knocked me onto my back. She straddles me, and positioned her blade above my heart. "Dead," she whispered.

She was walking away in a second, leaving me on the training mat stunned.

"You okay?" Eddie asked, helping me up.

I nodded, but I wasn't paying him enough attention to give him a verbal answer. My focus was on the dark haired girl striding out the door.

My only thought in that moment was to learn more about her. And get her to fall in love with me.

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