The ownership of all characters related to and involving the novels of The Vampire Academy and Bloodlines Series remain the sole property of Richelle Mead, the Penguin Group and any affiliates.
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A/n:
A Conflict of the Soul
Chapter Twenty-Six
Slipping the last of the buttons through the embroidered loopholes of the jacket, I checked my appearance in the full length mirror for any creases or lint before closing the wardrobe door.
Checking the time, I had ten minutes to get to Janikowski's office before I was due to report in. Picking up the gym bag I had been instructed to bring with, I pocked my key card and closed the door behind me. Almost 9pm on Tuesday, the hallways and foyers were full of guardians and Court officials. All very friendly and courteous, I was under no illusions that the Queen's Guard would be as welcoming.
Shaking off the last of the lethargy that had plagued me from the moment I woke; partly due to restless sleep in an unfamiliar bed and continued concern for Rose and Ibrahim's looming presence, most of it was caused by my own nerves for today. I had no idea of what to expect and that uncertainty left me on edge. The job requirements were essentially the same and I knew how to perform them, but the rest was unknown.
If Rose was here, she would roll her eyes at me and tell me to stop worrying, but she wasn't here, and I didn't know when I would see her next. We had caught fleeting glimpses of each other throughout the day as we completed paperwork for our transfers and supplied personal information to the administrators, but that had been hours ago. She would be with Lissa now, who had been summoned by the Queen for their first official meeting. Rose had grimaced as she told me, but she also knew that she couldn't avoid the Queen, not if she wanted to do her duties to Lissa.
Following the instructions I had been given to find Janikowski's office; the night air as I left housing was balmy and lit by a full moon that bathed everything in a pale glow. Greeting the receptionist, who directed me down the main hallway, I found the offices at the end of it. Knocking at the door to the front office, I was shown into the waiting room whilst an assistant picked up an internal phone and informed Janikowski that I had arrived.
Straightening my tie and fiddling with the knot, I checked the nervous action as a door to my right opened to reveal the head of the Queen's Guard. Finding a trim man with a receding hairline that might once have been dark but was now entirely grey, Samuel Janikowski exuded a quiet air of authority. Judging him to be in his early sixties, he had been in charge of the Queen's Guard for well over a decade and had dark eyes that were almost black beneath the fluorescent overhead lights.
"Belikov, Samuel Janikowski. Welcome to Court."
"Thank you, Guardian Janikowski." Shaking his hand, the contact was short and brisk.
"Follow me." Walking behind him into his office, he closed the door and went to sit behind his desk; waving a hand at one of two chairs on the other side of it. Opening a file on his meticulously neat desk, he read through it briefly before turning an impenetrable gaze on me.
"Your assignment to the Queen's Guard is, at the moment, still preliminary. Despite your impressive record and recommendation by Hans Croft and the Council, it's not enough for me to simply accept you into our ranks without question. You will first need to pass a rigorous hand to hand combat exercise against other established Queen's Guard, a firearm competency test and a maze hunt before I make my final decision. If I'm not satisfied, your final acceptance will be denied and a new assignment will be arranged for you, not necessarily within these grounds. Should you pass, you will be indoctrinated into the Queen's Guard later this evening. Do you have any questions?"
"No, Guardian Janikowski." Feeling a momentary flare of panic that if I botched these exercises I might be reassigned elsewhere, I fought against it; determined that I would pass no matter what I encountered. Nothing could be allowed to ruin this, not even the brief thought of my failure.
"Good. Now, I've been made aware of your recently discovered lineage to the Queen, and should you fail, you need to understand now that it will in no way influence my final decision. Nepotism amongst the Queen's family might be expected and accepted for Moroi, but not for a dhampir assigned to her personal guard."
Irritated at the insinuation, I reminded myself that it was only to be expected and was relieved to learn that I would receive no special treatment or favours. The hostility I was sure I was going to be met with would only be harder to overcome had there been any hint of favouritism.
"Understood."
Nodding at my curt reply, Janikowski turned away from me to shuffle through more paperwork before gathering a file and standing. "Right. Follow me to the training facility. You can change there."
Slinging the bag over my shoulder, I followed him through the maze of offices and out into a gardened quadrangle with stone benches and tables. Guardians, either off duty or killing time before their shifts started, were seated or gathered in small groups within in. Watching me with a mixture of curiosity and distrust, I wondered how much of it had to do with the unknown or with the fact that I was Tatiana Ivashkov's great-nephew.
Frustrated by the comparisons, which would no doubt plague me for the rest of my life, I nodded courteously to them as we passed through and out into the open glass doors of the training centre adjoining it. Similar to the Academies, it was a large room with various disciplines being honed in each section. The guardians already training didn't give me a second look; all of them intent on their routines, but a few of the instructors did. Taking a passage to the right, it led to a smaller training centre. In the distance, I could hear the muffled sound of gun fire in the shooting-range.
"You can change in there." Janikowski instructed, pointing to a door on the left. "Your opponents will be waiting for you once you're done." Walking away without another word, that was apparently all the instruction I was going to get. Feeling myself begin to bristle at the brusque treatment, I grimly reminded myself that it too was to be expected as I found an empty locker, changed and locked away my weapons.
Entering the training room a few minutes later, I found Janikowski talking quietly to three other guardians in the far corner; all appeared older than I was and hardened by a job that was supposedly as difficult as the person they guarded. Glancing up at me as I went to the middle of the mat, he said something to them that I couldn't hear, but judging from the gleam of anticipation in their eyes, it wasn't something that I would enjoy. I had known that I would be put through rigours testing to prove that I belonged within their ranks, but I had a feeling that this was going to be more about them hurting me than it was about proving myself.
Warming up, I stretched out tendons and muscles in preparation as Janikowski moved to the edge of the mat and I straightened up to face him. Handing me a fake stake, he nodded to the others. "Guardian Belikov, as part of your first test, you will face all three guardians at once in full attack. Guardians Mitchell, Troy and Tereshchenko will show no mercy as they test you. They are all veterans of the Queen's Guard and know just how important it is to fully gage that you are worthy of joining their ranks."
Tereshchenko? Paying special attention to that name, it resonated more importantly than any of the others because it was a name that Emil had given me when questioned…he was one of Ibrahim's spies.
Indicating to begin with a hand gesture, the three advanced on me simultaneously at Janikowski's command. Tensing for the attack, they fanned out and rushed at me all at once. Anticipating that the stakes would be used from the start to simulate a kill, they instead started with hand to hand combat that was more brutal than anything I had ever experienced or had instructed others to enact.
Quickly assessing the weaknesses of both Mitchell and Troy, though there weren't many to be found, I fended both of them off with staggers blows that sent them sprawling to the mat with painful groans. Tereshchenko, however, was not as easy to read and proved a more formidable opponent who seemed to take personal pleasure in landing body blow after body blow savage enough to bruise flesh and draw blood.
Wincing at the ache in my ribs and kidneys, the snide sneer he gave me as the others picked themselves up off the floor and moved to join Janikowski, was full of malicious intent as he advanced again. Creating a burst of rage that sizzled through my blood stream, a haze of fury burnt though any respect that might have been due to him because this wasn't a test.
It was a punishment.
Taught to never retaliate on a personal basis, as it created a dangerous lack of judgement that no guardian could afford; one that often got them killed, I pushed aside the lessons learnt and counter-attacked with the kind of violence I rarely allowed myself to feel or use; focusing my rage on Tereshchenko, whose own brutality seemed to feed off it as we circled each other and searched for any weaknesses.
When none could be found, Tereshchenko's patience wore out and he fainted to the left before swiftly launching an attack that targeted my midsection. Anticipating it, I deflected and grabbed him in a headlock; wrestling with him as each of us tried to gain the upper hand. Wrenching himself free, Tereshchenko slung his elbow around to connect with my jaw hard enough for an explosion of white light to burst from behind my eyes. Shaking it off as he swung a lethal right hook, I ducked and countered with a left; catching him in his ribs and doubling him over. Wheezing, he stumbled back a few steps before glaring balefully at me.
Catching his breath, he bared his teeth and charged, but his anger had made him predictable and I caught him as he tried to tackle me; hooking my arms beneath his and using his momentum against him, I swung him over my shoulder slammed him onto the mat on his back with enough force to wind him. Before he could recover, I fell quickly to my knees beside him and drove the practice stake into his chest. Rising and breathing heavily as I backed up a few steps, Tereshchenko scrambled to his feet and took a stumbling step forward to charge again before Janikowski barked at him.
"Enough, Tereshchenko. You've been defeated."
Looking for a moment as if he was going to mutiny and disobey the order, Tereshchenko's pale blue eyes blazed with hatred before he backed reluctantly away from the mat and moved to the side. Flanked by Mitchell and Troy, neither of them displayed the same resentment and almost looked admiring as they frowned at Tereshchenko. Wiping away at the trickle of blood from my nose and ignoring the throbbing of my swollen right eye as it began to close, I marshalled my temper for long enough to wonder how quickly this would be reported back to Ibrahim.
Had he been ordered by him to inflict as much damage as possible as punishment for my refusal to influence his daughter, or had Tereshchenko acted alone and against orders?
"That was mildly impressive, Belikov," Janikowski congratulated flatly and without any real pleasure; almost as if he was disappointed that I had succeeded. Writing something on his clipboard, he approached with me those dark, unreadable eyes. "As you've defeated each of your opponents with a modicum of success, I suppose I've no choice but to pass you on this. Next is your firearm competency test and after will be the maze hunt. Guardian Mitchell will show you to the range. Once those results are in in, they will be sent to me. Report back to my office for your final assessment once complete."
Walking away without another word, Tereshchenko continued to glare blackly at me for a long moment before he followed after, still clutching at his ribs. He wouldn't be happy with the beating I had just given him, especially as word of his defeat reached the ears of the other QG. I would probably never know his reasoning for the savagery of his attack; Ibrahim would never confess to it even if asked, but one thing was for sure…I had just made an enemy.
Looking at Mitchell as he approached me, Troy went to a small freezer in the corner of the training room and reached in to grab an ice pack. Joining us, he handed it to me with a wry grimace. Pressing it to my split lip first, I held it over my swollen eye as I shook hands with both of them as they introduced themselves without any animosity or grudges.
"Don't worry about Tereshchenko, Belikov," Mitchell said in an American accent that I placed as Midwest, watching the departing back of Tereshchenko as the door closed behind him. "He's always been a prick and I'm pretty sure he always will be. You handing him his ass today isn't going to win you any favours, but he's no threat. He's a grunt, just like the rest of us."
"Being part of the Queen's Guard is considered a grunt?" I asked with a raised brow; ignoring the ache in my forehead and eye.
"The Queen has a few favourite guardians, and he isn't one of them."
And he never would be if she found out he was a mole. I thought darkly. I wasn't a vindictive person by nature and I still didn't know if I could use this information against either Ibrahim or Tereshchenko if I was forced to, but it would serve both of them right if I did. Right now, it was an ace up my sleeve and one that I would use only if I had no other option.
"He's never been one of them." Troy confirmed with a drawling southern accent and a lopsided grin. "That's part of the chip on his shoulder. When we found out you were joining us, and that you were related to the Queen, his expression could have curdled milk."
"My association with the Queen, however remote, is not something that I want made a priority. She's never publically acknowledged me and I don't want her to. I'm here to do my job. It's that simple."
"Yeah, we all know that, but there's still going to be lots of speculation." Mitchell voiced. "Most of us are going to be accepting of you; especially with your record, and after the others hear what you've just done to Tereshchenko, but there are always going to be those, like Pietro, who won't be as accepting. It will come with time, but you'll have to prove that."
"I have nothing to prove to any of them or the Queen. My work will speak for itself. Where is the range?"
Glancing at each other with a speculative look, Mitchel and Troy crossed the mat to a door beside the change rooms without another word. Keeping the pack of ice over my eye as I followed them, I could feel it closing already and knew that it was going to create an issue when aiming for the target. Hearing the sound of gun fire grow louder as the corridor we had taken opened into the range, a handful of guardians were already practicing on targets attached to an automated pulley system. Hearing the buzz of returning targets, the marksmanship was impressive and expected of any guardian.
Signing in at the discharge desk as I collected my weapon, Mitchell and Troy left as I threw the melting ice pack into a waste bin. Watching their departing backs as I checked to make sure the chamber of the 9mm automatic was empty before sliding in the clip, I again ran over the list of names Emil had provided. Neither of them were on it, but that didn't mean there weren't spies. They seemed pleasant enough, but that didn't mean they could be trusted.
Collecting noise cancelling headphones, I focused my concentration on the task at hand and moved to the booth to wait for the target to line up with a mechanical whirring as the instructor stood behind me with a clipboard. Widening my stance for balance, it was difficult to aim clearly with my leading eye almost swollen shut, but I refocused my left as I raised my right arm and squeezed the trigger.
Hitting the bullseye centre on every time, I ignored the vibration of pain that every recoil of the gun created through bruised soft tissue and tendons. Removing the empty clip, I turned to the instructor who nodded and completed the form before handing it to me. Briefly reading over the results, perfect marksmanship was written in scrawling letters across the outcome block. Handing it back to the instructor, he informed me that he would send the results straight to Janikowski.
Shown into a dimly lit room adjacent to the range by another guardian, it was set up with stacked packing crates that created a maze for the hunt. Handed an electronically wired vest, eyewear and a gun with a laser pointer, it was similar to a game of laser tag. If I was hit, the vest would be triggered to light up and I would effectively be dead. Hearing the buzzer sound, I ducked low against a crate and listened carefully the number of hunters I would be up against and where they were. Ducking, firing and removing each of the shooters over the next hour, I reached the end of the maze without being hit. Nodding at my downed opponents as the lights lit the maze and they removed their gear, I recognized a few of the seven guardians I had been up against as those who had been in the quad earlier.
Informed that I had passed the hunt, I was instructed to change and report back to Janikowski's office. Showering quickly, I was stiff by the time I dried off, despite standing beneath the hot water for as long as I could. Wincing as I shrugged into my shoulder holster and jacket, the reflection in the misted mirror was battered and bruised; my right eye now completely swollen shut. It hadn't been pleasant, but it least it was over and I was certain that there could be no reason's found for Janikowski to deny my place in the Queen's Guard.
Finding myself at his door minutes later, I was ushered through without any fanfare. Seated again behind his desk, he didn't look up or say anything as he read over my results and indicated absently with a wave of his hand to sit. Hiding the grimace of pain sitting created, I watched him carefully as his lips twitched a time or two before he made a few notes of his own. Closing the folder, he turned to a filing cabinet to add them to my transcript file before turning to look at me. Showing no reaction to my appearance, he sat back in his chair and laced his fingers over his stomach.
"Right then. It looks as though you were more than competent with both marksmanship and your skills to survive the maze unscathed, Belikov. That in itself is an…adequate accomplishment."
"Thank you, Guardian Janikowski." Careful to keep the sarcasm from my voice, I kept my expression bland.
"That being said, the Queen's Guard will expect and demand more of you than has ever been asked before. Protecting our Queen is the ultimate sacrifice…one that may be expected of you one day. On your days off, you will still be required to spend some time of it training and shooting, to keep your skills sharp and accurate, but for the most part, your time is your own when not on duty."
Some of the time, but not all of it. Relieved to hear that, I nodded once. That would still leave more than enough time for Rose and I to be together and once she passed her own fire arm competency, we could practice together. Once we revealed our relationship, we could also start training together again. Running with her was something I was already beginning to miss.
"Good. So it seems like the only thing left to say is, congratulations and welcome to the Queen's Guard, Belikov. You should consider this an honour." Standing, he extended his hand. Shaking it with barely suppressed irritation as he almost grudgingly accepted me into the exulted ranks; I smiled thinly and thanked him.
"Report to the front office to complete your transfer paperwork and receive your new cell number. You'll receive your pin and be officially recognized at midnight in the main meeting room. You've checked the roster for your duties?" At my nod, he sat again and leaned back in his seat. "Good. You've got the rest of the right off to…recuperate." Arching a brow, it was the first mention of the injuries inflicted, though there was no show of remorse or mention of an apology at the beating. "But before you go wandering off, the Queen would like to see you."
Not anticipating that she would, it took me by surprise. "Is that standard for new Queen's Guard? The Queen wanting to meet with them?"
Eyeing me impassively, Janikowski shook his head slowly. "Guardian Henderson will show you to her private apartments. You're dismissed, Belikov."
Rising, I slung my bag over my shoulder and left his office. Meeting Henderson in reception, he was about my age and by far the most welcoming of the QG I had met. Chattering endlessly, his eager-eyed demeanour reminded me of Eddie and as we made our way to the block of Royal apartments; asking question after question on what had happened during the exercises. Easily filling him in, I asked my own questions about the guardians who were already part of the Queen's Guard, gaining valuable information as to who might be under Ibrahim's thumb.
Reaching the outer reception of her apartment, I was searched by the hovering guardians as a precaution. Removing my stake and firearm, I was escorted to the Queen's private apartments as Henderson was dismissed. Told to wait in the dining room, I looked around at the opulent settings. Richly furnished and ostentatiously unnecessary, the Queen's tastes were said to run towards the outrageously expensive. All completely unnecessary and shamelessly wasteful, but in line with what I knew about her personality.
Turning as an inner door was opened, I found another guardian who beckoned me forward.
Following him, I was shown into her private sitting room. Finding Tatiana seated on a pale purple and silver brocade upholstered high-backed chair, she was alone but for the two silent guardians flanking her; neither of which made eye contact with me. It surprised me a little that she wasn't surrounded by her fawning minions, but she might not have wanted this exchange heard by others. Reaching the edge of a Persian carpet a few feet away from her, I bent at the waist for a shallow bow and stood with my hands clasped at my front.
Viewing me dispassionately, her hard eyes flicked over the length of my body with an assessment that was almost insulting. Bristling beneath it, I disciplined every muscle and emotion from showing any reaction. Lingering for a moment on closed right eye, she made no comment on any of the bruises or injuries inflicted by a sadistic member of her own guard. Crossing her legs, the silk pantsuit she wore rustled softly in the silence before she broke it.
"Well, apart from the height and the rangy build, you don't look very much like your father. I'm assuming it's your mother's side of the family that you favour?"
Nodding once, no one could accuse the Queen of skirting around an issue as she got right to the point…a sore one for me.
"Who is your mother?"
"Olena Belikova, Your Majesty."
"Do you have any siblings?"
"Three sisters."
"Where are they?"
"Baia, southern Siberia."
"Baia…yes, that was the town he loved to frequent when he was younger, and I suppose we all know why now. Are your sisters all full-blood relations or do they have different fathers?"
Infuriated by the insinuation that my mother's morals were as loose as her nephews, I ground my back teeth together to keep my voice even. "Full-blood sisters."
"Do they have vocations, or are they all blood whores?"
Stiffening again as the insults continued, it was becoming more difficult to keep a leash on my temper. "They all work alongside humans in the village, Your Majesty. No member of my family relies on the generosity of the Moroi for their livelihoods, not even my grandmother."
Either choosing to ignore the snide way I implied that the actions of some Moroi were reprehensible or simply not hearing it, Tatiana examined her perfectly manicured nails before she frowned and picked at a piece of lint on the leg of her suit. Flicking it off the end of her finger, she tilted her head before addressing me again.
"I've heard the stories circulating about the attack on the Academy earlier in the year and the subsequent rescue in the caves. I believe that you were instrumental in the success of surviving both."
More than happy to shift the focus away from my family, I nodded solemnly. "I was a small part of a large group of very brave guardians who were instrumental in that success, Your Majesty. Everyone executed their duties admirably."
"Including Rosemarie Hathaway. She was in earlier with Vasilisa."
Not liking the way she said Rose's name, or the way her eyes narrowed and her thin mouth pinched and pulled at the side of her mouth in dislike, if she knew that it amplified the wrinkles spreading over her face she might not do it so often. "Yes, she was, Your Majesty. All of the seniors played their part." Not wanting to draw too much attention to my pride in her actions, I made it sound more like a group effort, which wasn't a lie.
"Most that I have spoken to about her have voiced the same opinion, although now that she has been officially assigned to Vasilisa, there will be no more reckless actions allowed on her part that could potentially endanger the last of the Dragomir's. I wasn't pleased to hear that she had been appointed by the Council to be Vasilisa's primary guardian, but I was persuaded that she was the right choice. Do you agree?"
"Absolutely, Your Majesty. There is no one better suited to protect the Princess."
"Not even yourself?"
"Guardian Hathaway may not have the experience of a more seasoned guardian, but she is better equipped than any other guardian to protect the Princess. We would all give our lives to protect the Moroi, but none more so than Rose would for Lissa."
Narrowing her eyes in sceptical scrutiny, the Queen didn't give much away, but I had a feeling she was calculating something because of what I had said. Maybe the familiarity of how I had so casually named her and Lissa, but I couldn't be sure of it exactly and what it might mean later.
"And now that Ibrahim has publically declared her as his daughter, you don't think the scandal will taint the Princesses image?" Not sounding at all surprised by the knowledge of who had fathered Rose, it made me wonder just how long she had known.
"Guardian Hathaway had no control over her choice of parents, but no, I don't think it will. She seems heavily reluctant to have any association with her father and certainly won't want the Princess anywhere near him. You can't blame her for either of her parent's decisions, Your Majesty."
"No, I suppose you can't fault the child for the parent's mistakes."
Not liking the reference that Rose was the mistake in question, I waited in irritated silence as the Queen gathered herself.
"She was your student, wasn't she?"
"Yes."
"You know her well? Consider her a friend as well as a fellow guardian?"
"I do." I tried to keep the hesitation from my voice, but I didn't think I fooled her.
"Good. Then perhaps you can ferret out her true intentions for my great-nephew? I had warned her before not to set her sights on him, and that perusing him was pointless, all of which she denied, but I've never believed that her denials were truthful, especially considering the timing. She arrives at the same time that Adrian does? She's up to something. What have you witnessed between them? Is she using Vasilisa to gain access to him?"
Taking a moment before I answered, I assimilated all that she had said; noting that she made no reference to him being my cousin, rather just her great-nephew. It was laughable really that she believed Rose was chasing after him, and made a bit more sense as to her animosity towards her because she believed that she was Lissa as a way to accomplish that. If she only knew the truth, she might not disapprove of Rose as much as she did, but she couldn't, not yet and so I had to convince her some other way.
"I can honestly tell you, Your Majesty, from what I've seen, that Guardian Hathaway has absolutely no interest in perusing your nephew; either on her own, or through Lissa. As for the timing, arriving together had everything to do with graduation and nothing to do with seeing an opportunity."
"You don't really expect me to believe that, do you?" Clearly disbelieving of my explanation, Tatiana sat back in her seat with a scowl.
"From my observations, it's the truth. He constantly pursues her, not the other way around. She has doggedly discouraged it at every opportunity, but he won't be deterred."
Scoffing, Tatiana shook her head. "A girl with her reputation does not discourage a Moroi; especially a Moroi of Adrian's standing."
"Reputations have a way of being twisted out of proportion." Though Tatiana was certainly living up to hers. "And Guardian Hathaway's' is underserving." Pointing out that Rose had been a virgin until fairly recently might have been a step too far in my defence of her, but it was something that I wanted to strongly portray. I was tired of the general populous' perception of Rose as some kind of femme fatale. Adrian's own reputation wasn't helping matters with it.
"Perceptions are easy to defend when you have nothing to gain from the truth. Adrian already has enough to deal with without the trouble a dhampir girl could bring him."
Hearing for the first time the concern that I didn't think her capable of, it was clear that whatever her faults, Tatiana was fond of Adrian and worried about him. His drinking and self-destructive behaviour might have been tolerated more openly than most because of who he was, but that didn't mean that it had escaped her attention entirely. Maybe this might be the opportunity to push her to do something about it?
"With having spent so much time with Lord Ivashkov because of his association with the Princess, I would, of course have to agree with you that he has issues to deal with. Issues that are of no concern to any of us, but rather to his family. His pursuit of Guardian Hathaway – encouraged or not – is not going to make any difference to those issues unless they are addressed and resolved." I wanted to add that the only person to blame here was Adrian, but that would be telling her a truth she wouldn't like to hear.
"Hmmm." Assessing again, the hard, cold look was back in her eyes. "It's very interesting to hear you express…concern, if that's what it could be called, for Adrian, when from what I've been told, you had an altercation with him last week when you were at Court that bordered on potential violence."
Because your nephew, Randall, couldn't keep his mouth shut. Grimly cursing his continued interference in my life and my duties, there was no point in denying it. "We had a very…loud conversation."
"As you did with your father."
"Yes, Your Majesty." There was no point in correcting her even as my blood boiled because she couldn't know that I hated him being referred to as anything other than Randall. Were Rose and I both destined to forever live in the shadows of the men that had fathered us…men neither of us wanted anything to do with?
"Both of which are Moroi."
"They are."
"You don't feel as though your behaviour towards them was a direct contradiction to your duties?"
I should have expected that question because, if I was honest with myself, it wasn't an unfair one. "No, Your Majesty. Despite our argument, there was never any danger of physical harm to either of them." Although with Randall, it had been very, very close. "I will always do my duties towards the Moroi. Nothing else will ever interfere in abiding the oath I took."
"And I suppose that would now include me, as you've passed all of Janikowski's stringent requirements to become a part of my personal guard. He sent his report ahead of you." Flicking a hand towards a file on a small coffee table beside her, Tatiana arched a dark-grey brow. "Did you request this assignment once you had been made aware of your lineage?"
"No, Your Majesty. I put in a request for transfer a few months ago. It was the training centre I applied for."
"A step up, wouldn't you say?"
"It's an honour to be considered." It didn't really feel like one right now, but it was necessary in order to stay close to Rose.
"Yes…an honour." Looking over me once more, there was calculation in her eyes. "Tell me, Belikov, are you expecting anything from me, considering that you are also my great-nephew, albeit a bastard one?"
"Absolutely nothing, Your Majesty." She couldn't have mistaken the sincerity in my voice.
"Good. Then you understand your position and what is expected of you perfectly, because you need to understand that I will never acknowledge you as anything other than a dhampir guardian who has been assigned to personally guard me. Do you understand me?"
"Perfectly."
"Then I won't keep you any further, Guardian Belikov. You're dismissed."
Bowing shallowly again, I turned to leave with a twist of my ankles and a clipped stride. Collecting my weapons again, once I was outside of her apartments and away from the eagle-eyed guardians, I blew out an angry breath and tried to govern my temper at both her attitude and her disdain. I had hoped to never have any kind of direct contact with her, other than when performing my duties, but I supposed that the conversation could have been worse. She had acted exactly the way that I had expected and I was only glad that she would never see or acknowledge me as anything other than a guardian.
Making my way back to the admin block, by the time I had completed my transfer paperwork, it was almost 11pm. Spending the next half hour wondering around the gardens to clear my head before the induction ceremony was due to take place, the various injuries had begun to throb more viciously. The Queen's Guard initiation was now beginning to feel more like something that I had survived rather than earned.
Passing by a variety of those who lived at Court on my walk, I was only happy that right now, Rose wasn't one of them. If she saw me, she would be outraged by all the injuries, and would rant at me that it had been a beating, not an initiation; which I couldn't argue wasn't true. She would also go straight to Lissa, who would be equally enraged and lodge an official complaint. Right now, that was the last thing that I needed to deal with. I was already viewed as being appointed due to favouritism by the Queen. Adding the Dragomir Princess so that list wouldn't do me any favours.
Trying to relax both my mind and my body, by the time I had a modicum of control over myself, it was time to officially join the Queen's Guard and hopefully begin my duties without any further drama or interruption…duties that meant nothing more than what was expected of me and what I expected of myself.
…..
A week after arriving at Court, I had been fully indoctrinated into the Queen's Guard and had been accepted by most that I now worked with. Many of the guardians had treated me with a polite distance at first, but within a few days, their natural curiosity had compelled them to begin conversations that had revolved around the attack and the caves at first, and then around myself. As I was still building on who I could trust and who I couldn't, I was more than willing to give them just enough to satisfy their curiosity, but never enough to endanger either myself or Rose.
Tereshchenko was the sole guardian who refused to even acknowledge that I was now a member of the Queen's Guard, but as we never seemed to be on the same shift – either by coincidence or design – he could be easily ignored. I had wondered over the last week what it was exactly that he had reported back to Ibrahim, but I supposed that I would eventually find out for myself. There was still no sign of him, but he was definitely expected in the next week or two.
Straightening my lapel, the red pin tacked to it briefly caught the overhead light of the meeting room where I sat completing my weekly paperwork. The official ceremony welcoming me to the Queen's Guard had been short and without fanfare. With only Janikowski and a few other guardians present, it had felt a little anti-climactic, and I had been glad once it was over and I could begin my duties.
For the most part, those duties had been spent on rotational shifts as the Queen entertained foreign Moroi visiting the States. True to her word, she never directly addressed or acknowledged me, even when I stood watching over her no more than a few feet away. I had achieved exactly what I had wanted…duties that were without distraction or any real effort. My sense of loyalty and duty had thrived on it, but it had also almost stagnated from the lack of any real effort, and for the first time in my life, I found that I was almost bored.
Reminding myself that this was what I had wanted because it meant time with Rose hadn't really helped matters either, because aside from catching only fleeting glimpses of her at events or in passing, we hadn't been able to find any real time to be together as our schedules constantly conflicted. We had both known that there wouldn't be much time spent together in the beginning, but it was still difficult to adjust to it after spending so much time together over the last few months.
I missed just being close to her. It was that simple.
Our main link of communication had been via our phones. Exchanging numbers during a few stolen minutes in the gardens on Wednesday night, she had also given me the numbers for Lissa, Eddie and Christian. More than happy to just see her, she hadn't been as happy to see me as the harsher bruises; deeper cuts and black eye were still faintly visible. Knowing first hand just how quickly we healed, she had been able to figure out almost immediately that the injuries inflicted had been severe, and as expected, she had been incensed by them and had demanded to know who had been responsible for them.
Managing to calm her down as quietly as I could, Rose hadn't been happy, but she had agreed not to involve Lissa or even tell her about them. Briefly outlining that she and Lissa had already met with the Queen – something that I already knew – she had sourly complained that Tatiana had again warned her away from Adrian, who had been strangely absent from Court life since we had landed on Monday. Maybe she had taken what I had said about his issues seriously and was forcing him to seek help for his addiction, but I would never find out.
Relaying that I had also met with her, Rose had seemed as surprised by it as I had when being told she wanted to see me. Running over our conversation, Rose had snidely commented that I was the only member of her family that she should have acknowledged because I was the only one worthy of any kind of preferential treatment. Reminding her that I didn't want anything from any Ivashkov, her expression had softened as she gently kissed the healing cut on the side of my mouth. Distracting her from it, I had asked how the visit to Lehigh had gone and she had laughed in response, saying Lissa was counting the days until they left and that keeping an eye on her was going to be more difficult than normal because she wanted to do everything and be everywhere on campus at the same time.
Before we had been forced to part, Rose had asked the one question I had hoped she wouldn't…had I spoken to Janikowski about Tasha's behaviour? Knowing that I was about to lie to her, and hating myself for it, I had instead told her that I hadn't had an opportunity to. Guessing that I was hedging, Rose had urged me to talk to him about her; reminding me that I was now directly responsible for the Queen's safety. Making no promises, we had gone our separate ways a few seconds later as we both heard footfalls on the pathway approaching us.
Having more than enough opportunities to do so since then, I still hadn't talked to him about it because it wasn't Tasha's face that crept into my mind when I made the decision to do it, but Christian's. If she was investigated, it would be unpleasant and traumatic, but the greater trauma would be for him, and after everything he had already been through, I wasn't prepared to put him through that.
Checking the time now as I finished the last of my paperwork, it was a little before 10pm and I was off duty for the next two days. Due to meet Mitchell and Troy for a drink at the bar at 10, I had no idea of what I was going to do with myself after that. I had contemplated going for a run – my first since arriving – but without Rose, it was only a way of passing empty time. Placing my file in the outbox, I left the admin block and took the shortest path leading to the dining room; checking my cell for any messages or missed calls from Rose on the way, but there only Court notifications and a message from Troy reminding me to meet in the lounge.
I didn't know if their willingness to spend time with me outside of the work environment stemmed from being genuinely decent men or because they had seen first-hand what I could do in hand to hand combat, but whatever the reason, I took advantage of it to build on the information I was always gathering.
"Belikov!"
Finding them already at the bar as I walked into the dining room, I politely greeted the Moroi I passed and took a seat to the right of the pair.
"We thought you were going to bail on us." Mitchell ribbed, passing me a shot of premium Vodka, which I accepted without question, but with a touch of inner amusement. Did they think that Russian's only drank Vodka? Tossing back the shot, I refused the next and instead opted for a cognac. Both looking surprised at my choice, they switched to the same and stated up a general conversation that didn't stick to any one topic for very long. Watching them far more closely than they did me, I made note of their colouring. Both dark haired, Mitchell had light green eyes very similar in colour to Lissa's and Troy's were as dark as my own. Neither of them was as tall, but both were well over six feet.
"I hear from the ladies in Admin that we can expect some important dignitaries in the next week or so." Troy indulged, taking a swirling drink.
"That's not the only thing you hear from the ladies in admin, Marcus." William snickered, waggling his eyebrows comically.
"I'm sure that I don't know what you're talking about, Mitchell." Troy sniffed indignantly before grinning into his drink. I already knew from the information I was gathering that Marcus Troy considered himself something of a ladies man and that William Mitchell never missed an opportunity to call him on it.
"Who should we be expecting?" I asked casually, knowing already that Ibrahim was on the roster.
"A couple of old European's, from what I've heard. Ibrahim Mazur being one of them." Turning to me with a raised brow, Mitchell took a drink. "Rose Hathaway is his daughter, right?"
"She is, but I wouldn't let her hear you say that." She really wasn't going to be happy that he was arriving soon, even though she knew from Kon that he was to be expected. She was going to go out of her way to avoid him, but I had a feeling that he wouldn't allow it here. At the Academy, he hadn't been able to manoeuvre her, but here, where he was all but allowed free reign, she wasn't going to be as easy to wiggle free of his company.
"Why isn't she happy about it?" Troy asked in clear confusion. "He's got more money than he knows what do with, and has almost as much influence as the Queen does. What's the story there?"
"Not one I can share, I'm afraid, so I wouldn't push for it, especially with her." Staring him down with an unflinching gaze, he balked a little before turning to his drink and draining it before ordering another. Chuckling beneath his breath, Mitchell shook his head at Troy's inquisitive nature.
"Don't mind him. He loves to gossip as much as he loves to…well, I'll let you figure the rest out." Understanding his meaning instantly, I shook my head and stared into the warm amber liquid in my glass. In some ways, the pair of them reminded me of Dustin, in others, Emil, and as much as it irritated me to admit, I did miss him. His betrayal aside, I missed the banter and the ease in which we had been able to talk. I hadn't been able to do that with anyone, Rose notwithstanding, since Ivan, and that loss infuriated me because none of it felt real. It had only been a manipulation for information.
"Have you met him?" Mitchell asked, looking around as the lounge began to fill.
"Yes." It was a meeting that I wouldn't soon forget. "Briefly. Why is he flying in? Does he have business or is it normal for him to simply visit when he's in the country?"
"Nothing seems normal for him, and as for business, most of us don't want to know anything about his business, so we don't ask. From what I'm hearing, his upcoming visit is as much a surprise to the Queen as it is to anyone, and she makes it her business to know when and why he's arriving."
Meaning it was Rose he was here for. He had told me he would visit once we were here, and true to his word, he was determined to convince his daughter of the benefits of having him in her life. Staring broodingly into my glass, Mitchell and Troy continued to talk around me about the upcoming week's events, though I wasn't really paying attention; more concerned about how I was going to keep Ibrahim from creating potential problems for his daughter.
Taking the last sip of the cognac, I turned my head to the right slightly to thank the barman for the drink when I spotted something out of the corner of my eye that sent my heart hammering in my chest with excitement…Rose.
Standing in a shadowed alcove leading to the bathrooms, she was half hidden by a large, potted palm tree and smiled when she saw that I had seen her. Secretly beckoning me towards her, she disappeared around a corner. Forcing myself to remain in my seat for a few seconds longer when all I really wanted to do was rush to her, I excused myself to Mitchell and Troy and walked with a measured pace towards the alcove. Stopped briefly by another of the guardian's I had been paired with on shifts, it was difficult to talk to him without letting my impatience show, but he thankfully didn't want to talk for long.
Finding Rose at the entrance to the woman's toilets, she went in briefly to check that it was empty before waving me towards her from the doorway. Slipping quickly inside whilst looking for anyone that might spot me, I rested back against the doorway to keep it closed as Rose launched herself at me. Catching her with a laugh, we kissed deeply but for far too short a time before I had to release her and set her gently on her feet.
"Lis has been asked by the Queen to help her with the Moroi visiting this week, so I'm not needed. I'm off duty until the weekend." Rose whispered against my neck as she inhaled deeply before kissing my throat. "Please tell me that you have time off?"
"The next two days."
"Finally." Pulling my head down for another quick kiss, she found the pin on my lapel. Flicking it, she looked at it proudly now and not with a scowl. When she had first seen it on Wednesday, all she had been able to see was that it had led to my injuries. Moving away from the door to make room for her, she poked her head out again to check that the hallway was empty. "How do we get away?"
"I'll go out first and re-join Mitchell and Troy. Wait a few minutes and then come into the lounge. I'll see you, introduce you to them and stay for another drink. Find some excuse to leave and I'll wait another half and hour before I do the same. Change for a run and we'll meet at 11pm at the end of the gardens; by the Orange tree that leads into the fields adjacent to the construction site."
Nodding quickly, she grinned as she shoved me out the ladies room. Backtracking a few steps so that if anyone saw me in the corridor, it would look like I had left the men's room, I took a deep breath and tried to control my rioting heart and emotions. Almost giddy with anticipation, I looked for Rose as I re-entered the lounge, but she nowhere to be found. She might have slipped out through the kitchens – which none of the staff would wonder over as guardians patrolled all areas of the property at random times – in order to take the pathway that would lead back to the dining room.
Taking my seat again at the bar, the conversation picked up whilst I counted the minutes…five, then ten and still nothing. Resisting the urge to turn towards the doors every time they opened, I ordered another cognac to pass the time and as I took the first sip, I heard Troy ask from the other side of Mitchell. "Hey, isn't that Hathaway?"
Twisting in my seat, I kept the muscles in my upper body tightly coiled so that it looked like mild interest and not heart pounding joy. Watching as she walked through the lounge and towards the dining room, Rose frowned, making it look as though she was searching for someone she couldn't see as she began to pass the bar.
"Belikov," Troy whispered loudly; making no attempt to be subtle about it. "Ask her to join us."
Hoping for just such an invitation, I nodded as casually as I could and called out to her with a wave. "Rose."
Turning to the sound of my voice, Rose smiled in greeting before holding up a single finger for me to wait a moment before she disappeared into the dining room. Hiding my smile at her acting skills – which had improved over the last few months – I turned to the others. "It looks like she's meeting someone."
"Damn." Looking disappointed, Troy peered around me towards the dining room. "I was hoping you would introduce us."
"Why?"
"Well, she's your former student, right?" At my nod, he grinned. "And…she's hot, so maybe you could have put in a good word for me."
"Jesus, Marcus." William complained in disgust. "She's a guardian, not a piece of meat and she's only eighteen years old. Try and keep it in your pants for longer than a minute, will you?"
"What?" Squabbling, it was a good thing that neither of them were paying attention to the fact that I had stiffened and that the expression on my face wasn't friendly. He wanted me to introduce him to Rose so he could flirt with her?! Taking another sip of the cognac, I forced myself to calm down and reasoned that it was only natural. Rose was beautiful, young and no one knew about us. She would be seen by any red-blooded man on these grounds as fair game.
The thought didn't calm me though; it only further infuriated me.
"Besides," Mitchell reminded him with a condescending smirk. "Do you really want to mess around with Abe Mazur's daughter?" Paling at his reminder, Troy gulped down a mouthful of his drink and shook his head with wide eyes and bulging cheeks. Grinning into my own drink, my temper gave way to amusement as Mitchell deflated his ambitions to chase after Rose and the person in question chose that exact moment to walk back into the lounge and slid into a stool at the bar besides my own.
"Sorry, Dimitri. I was looking for Spears. He wanted to go over something for the scheduling for Lehigh, but I can't find him anywhere." Slipping off her jacket, she slung it over the back of the stool and smiled at Troy and Mitchell around me. "Hi. I'm Rose Hathaway." Holding out a hand to shake, the pair was momentarily tongue-tied before they gathered themselves and almost pushed each other out their chairs reaching for her hand.
"I'm Marcus Troy."
"William Mitchell."
"Nice to meet you both." Turning to me, she asked innocently as part of our normal charade. "How's your week been?"
"Relatively uneventful. Yours?"
"Same." Looking around again, she checked her watch. "I wonder what's keeping Spears?"
"Maybe he got held up? Would you like to join us for a drink whilst you wait for him?" Mitchells scrutiny of her might not have been as blatantly sexual as Troy's, in spite of his earlier warning about her father, there was still interest there that raised the hackles on the back of my neck.
"Maybe." Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out her cell. "Oh, he sent me a text." Pretending to read the screen, her mouth twisted in false disappointment. "He got caught up with something and can't make it."
"Well, hey, you're here now. Stay and have a drink. It's on us."
"Thank you, but I can only stay for one. I still have some paperwork to complete." Answering Troy with a deliberate lie, Rose turned to the barman, who smiled at her with matching male appreciation that set my teeth on edge. Ordering a virgin Blackberry Mojito, she viewed our glasses with curiosity before Troy leaned eagerly towards her over the counter.
"It's cognac. Would you like a glass?"
"No. She's eighteen. She can't drink in this country until she's twenty-one."
Arching her brow at my quick response, Rose replied tartly. "As opposed to in Russia, when you can start drinking at 9?"
"10." I fired back succinctly as the three laughed. "We're not trying to set a bad example, Rose."
"How's your first week at Court been, Rose?"
"Great, Guardian Troy. Learning all of the Court procedures has been very different from the Academies, but interesting. When you're a senior, you're treated like a child in most ways. Here, you're treated like an adult and that's refreshing. I've especially enjoyed the firearm training and can't wait to take my final exam."
"Oh, please," he grinned with broad charm. "Call me Marcus, Rose."
"Abe Mazur." Mitchell whispered from beside him, which wiped the grin from his face. Thanking the barman as he set her drink down, Rose, Troy and Mitchell made more small talk as I covertly checked my watch. Only ten minutes had passed and I knew that I would have to wait at least another half an hour after Rose had left before I could make my own excuses, but I was already impatient to go.
Draining the last of the Mojito a few minutes later, Rose checked her watch as she smiled in apology. "Thank you for the drink, but I have to go."
"No." Mitchell protested.
"Stay…just for another." Troy cajoled, smiling broadly again.
"No, no, really. I can't." Sliding off the stool, Rose hooked her finger through the loop of her jacket. "It was great meeting both of you." Turning to me, Rose gave me an almost absent wave and began to pivot towards the door when suddenly she stopped in her tracks. Muttering beneath her breath, she turned slightly to catch my eye as I followed her gaze and found Lissa, Christian and Eddie walking towards us.
Forcing myself to smile at them, though I was muttering under my breath as much as Rose was, I saw our window of opportunity to slip away close as rapidly as the trio approached us. Throwing a desperate look at Rose, she didn't seem any happier to see them as her shoulders drooped a little in disappointment. We weren't going to get away as quickly as we wanted tonight…if at all.
"There you are. Just because you're off duty, doesn't mean you can ditch me at the first opportunity, Rose. I'm still your Moroi." Smiling mischievously, Lissa bumped her shoulder against Rose's as she smiled weakly in response, but said nothing as Eddie slung his arm around her shoulder. Smiling with a little more enthusiasm at him, the pair struck up a conversation as Lissa approached me.
Sliding off the stool, I caught her as she hugged me around the waist. Watching both Mitchell and Troy as they stared wide-eyed at her show of affection for a dhampir – something that they wouldn't be used to seeing around here – I introduced them. Turning back to Rose, Lissa kept an arm around my waist as Christian moved to the bar. "I've been looking all over for you." She admonished with a fond smile. "Where did you disappear to?"
"I was supposed to meet Spears, but he bailed on me."
"His loss. Dimitri's here, so let's go to dinner."
"Ah, Lis. I have paperwork to complete. I can't stay." Scrambling for an excuse, Rose and I both knew that it was a weak one that Lissa wasn't going to accept.
"Oh, come on. We haven't had dinner as a group for a week. You're off until the weekend and have more than enough time to fill in boring paperwork until then. I invited Mia, but she's going to wait until Konrad's shift ends at midnight to join us, so we'll all be together. Please, Rose." Almost pleading, Lissa's big green eyes first turned to her, and then on me as if to help with convincing her. Meeting Rose's eyes above Eddie's head as he helped with the cajoling, the communication between us was silent, but as normal, in sync.
We were going to have to wait a little longer until we could be alone and there wasn't anything we could do to change that at the moment.
Sighing in reluctant compliance, Rose forced a smile as she hooked her arm through Eddie's and then Christian's whilst pulling him away from the bar and towards the entrance of the dining room. "Sure, Lis. The paperwork can wait for a few more hours. Let's go to dinner."
Almost squealing in delight, Lissa turned those compelling eyes on Mitchell and Troy. Introducing themselves with the respect befitting a Royal, they seemed a little dumbfounded by her natural warmth as she asked if they wanted to join us for dinner. Looking at each other, they were momentarily stunned by the invitation before each stammered out an acceptance. Hooking her arm through mine, Lissa pulled me toward the dining room as the rest followed after.
"How has your week been?" Lissa asked curiously.
"Good. Yours?"
"Busy. Between the Queen and visiting Leigh, it's been non-stop. Court is fascinating. There's so much more here to see and do then at the Academy. Rose has been complaining about being dragged around everywhere with me, but I know she's enjoying it." Casting a look back over her shoulder, Rose and Christian were talking quietly and missed it.
"Tell me about Lehigh." I invited, disappointed that Rose and I wouldn't be able to get away, but charmed as always by Lissa's effervescent enthusiasm as she begin to tell me about the university. She had a zest for life that was always contagious and almost made up for the frustration that I would have to endure for a few hours more.