I sat in a quiet room, uncharacteristically quiet for me, but right now I needed the peace and quiet. I had recently learned that Dmitri's funeral was being held in Siberia and with Lissa attending royal decrees here we were unable, hard as she may have fought, to go to Siberia I was to stay here with her. She offered numerous times for me to go without her but it was an impossibility for me with her status now to leave her alone and hope no one try to kill her. I had been informed by Hans, a little over two months ago, that Dmitri had fought hard and strong as the God he was to protect Christian from an oncoming Stigoi attack while visiting long lost Ozera's in that part of the world, he was ambushed by three Strigoi's whom seem to ignore Christian for the most part of the fight, he tried to fight along side his guardian but to no avail since he had been weak from the sun and the trip also shortage of blood. Within seconds what seemed like the most impossible thing in the world became reality as the three Strigoi working simultaneously subdued and instead of turning him, actually staked him through the heart whispered something and left. The details I learned from Christian's letter were shocking, the Strigoi were there to avenge their fallen Strigoi master, the one Dmitri had overpowered back when I made my escape in that same country, they had been the humans waiting to be turned, Christian detailed how he had ran towards his guardian, the one who in a few short months had become his friend and as the life sputtered out of him, he breathed words of love towards me as his smile faded into death forever. It was torturing to read those words, the million apologies given by my friend who blamed himself for not saving the love of my life. After what seemed like decades, I looked up from the wall I had been staring, I had not cried, I had not wailed and I had not plummeted into this deep depression, I had just thrown myself into work as furiously as I could to protect my friend, my life Lissa. Dmitri and I had talked about this in the numerous times we had been guarding Lissa and Christian together while they met up, we always sworn to protect them over ourselves and our biggest fear was to falter when that day came. I knew he had died doing what he wanted to do, what he so purposely set in life to do and I knew I had to do my duty with honor and pride, it was the only way to honor his death. A soft knock on the door startled me and softly I mumbled to come in, as soon as I saw those jade eyes full of worry I realized I had been in here for too long. Lissa had been there for me day in and day out offering me her unwavering support, friendship and love, I had become if even possible more and more attached to her and at the sight of her my heart skipped, I had missed her comforting presence beside me
"Are you alright?" she whispered as she caressed my neck with her slim fingers, right where my promise mark was
"I am, how about you? I heard negotiations where getting heated" I said trying to dismiss my thoughts
"I'm worried about you Rose" she said as she sat next to me facing my side each of her jean clad slim long legs front and back of me
"I'm alright Liss, I've accepted what's happened and I'm just glad he wasn't turned again, his conscience wouldn't have handled that." I said shrugging as I played with her hands
"He died doing what he believed in the most" She said placing her head on my shoulder and placing a small kiss there
"How are you holding up with the whole Christian thing?" I asked still unable to believe that she had broken up with him a little over a month ago
"I'm good, he's good we just accepted to be friends, he knows that I don't see him the way I used to, it was a mutual thing" this time it was her turn to shrug. It was hard to guess at her emotions, not having the bond between us was still nerve raking but I was still attuned to her to know that she was very nervous, her pulse dictated that much
"Why are you on edge?" I asked gently, her expression looked as guilty as I had just accused her of something criminal
"No reason" she said as she blushed a beautiful shade of crimson and looked down upon our now entwined hands, her blush deepened
"Vasilissa you can tell me anything" I said raising her chin so her eyes were locked with mine, a powerful emotion surged through me, and as I tried to decipher what it was her lips crashed into mine with an uncharacteristic hunger that toppled us over. My mind raced and blanked at the same time, my body took over and my eyes closed softly as my lips returned the kiss with as much hunger as it was received, my arms flew around her as she parted my lips with her tongue begging for a given entrance, I let out a soft moan as her tongue made contact with mine and she let out a low growl. I could feel her fangs with my tongue, her carefulness with them was astonishing and I was in bliss, my lips, my body, my heart was on fire and tingling at the same time, I couldn't quite grasp what was this but my body proved I had wanted this as it reacted on instinct and not command, I pushed us off the floor without breaking our kiss and my hands darted to her neck pulling her towards me more, putting more pressure, more effort, more passion into this blissful kiss and it was her turn to moan. She grabbed my hair at the base of my neck and pulled making me break the kiss panting I felt her lips on my pulse and another moan escaped my lips, this time not from the anticipation of the endorphins that would come with her bite but from the sensation of her gentle nature breaking and her palpable desire presenting itself raw to me. She broke free from my neck, no doubt leaving a mark there and I pulled her to my lips once more, hungrily wanting more of her. After a battle of dominance we parted panting, our foreheads touching her jade eyes meeting my brown curious gaze on my face my swollen lips curled with an amused smile as she started nervously giggling. My mind couldn't form the words I wanted to speak, the questions I wanted to ask, the thoughts of what had just happened crashing into each other and as I searched her eyes for answers to my unspoken questions I realized it didn't matter what was said or what was asked, I loved her more than I could love anyone in my entire life, even while Dmitri was still alive, I had this emptiness swallowing my very soul just for being apart from her. She caressed my cheek with her gentle graceful fingers and as her breathing returned to normal and her calmness took hold I could see she felt the same way, there was only one thing I wanted to ask, it was the only thing I needed to know.
"Since when?" I asked softly, amused by how wonderful and right she felt against me
"When you broke the bond, I...I thought I had lost you, I thought you were dead and it's when I realized you are my world, my life... the mere thought of you not existing makes my heart ache with pain so palpable, I couldn't take it, yet you survived" she said with pain in her voice I gently embraced her and kissed the top of her head, while still in my arms I ventured another question
"Why didn't you tell me anything?"
"With all that was going on? Coronation? The age decree, the battle strategies, you and Dmitri, Christian and I... it was not the right moment for me to spring this upon you. For the first time I was so glad the bond wasn't there, I was so scared you would know my feelings and abandon me" she mumbled sadly
"I will never leave you Vassilisa, I will never ever leave your side" I vowed as I looked into her eyes, her heart seemed to swell at this and I pulled her in pressing my lips to hers gently this time, a sign of love and affection rather than lust. My body tensed up as someone knocked on the door, we parted and she looked frustrated at the door. I rose from my spot on the floor and pulled her up with me. As I opened the door I saw a confused Jill at my doorstep, I smiled and told her to come in, Jill and Lissa had fallen into their family roles pretty well after the initial shock of the situation and acted just like they had known each other all their lives.
"Um, I was just looking for you sis cause the council meeting has been postponed for tomorrow" she said as she sat on my bed looking quizzically between me and Lissa
"So, we have the afternoon free?" Lissa asked taking up the space beside her sprawling beautifully in my bed, her golden hair clashing with my white sheets
"Yeah, when I couldn't find you I'd figure you'd be with Rose" she said with a smile, she was so mature yet so fragile like her older sibling, yet she was so unprepared for the Royal world and was doing such a great job at her duties as the second last Dragomir Princess.
"You figured right" Lissa said with a huge smile on her face her eyes closed making her look like the Goddess she was meant to be, I turned towards the door at the sound of a second knock and as I opened the door a pensive looking Christian stood there.
"What's wrong?" I asked alarmed, I could feel Lissa sit up on the bed as the words left my mouth
"It's not the end of the world Guardian Hathaway, at ease, I just have a hang over" he explained as he walked into the room "I lost track of the Dragomir's, figured the Princess would be looking for her sister, and you would be in her room" he directed towards Lissa
"Wow, does everyone just assume that I'm with Rose when I'm missing?" she asked incredulously making me smile
"Yeah" Jill and Christian answered making me laugh
"Is it a party in my room, is anyone else coming?" I asked looking to either side of the hallway before closing the hall. It was then when I saw the younger Dragomir whispering to her sister and in turn Lissa blushing and nodding Christian had a sly smile at the information being exchanged and I suddenly felt very left out "What's going on?"
"Jill and I assume Christian as well wanted to know if I had told you how I felt towards you yet" Lissa said turning crimson once again as I gaped at the three of them
"Are you telling me you knew!" I directed towards Christian
"Of course I knew it's why we broke up!" he said laughing "I noticed she was madly in love with you, called her out on it, and she caved in, we stayed friends but it wasn't my place to tell you, only hers"
"And I'm her sister, I get dibs" explained Jill
"Why must I be the last one to know everything?" I groaned childishly as Lissa stood up
"Because you needed time" she said and winked at me as she past towards me "Now Jill go get changed, you too Christian we're taking a road trip this whole Royal bullshit is driving me insane"
"But the council" Jill protested
"What about the Decree?" Christian asked showing me how much he had actually matured since we first hated each other
"We'll be back before council, we're just going to the mall, or the movies something normal for a change, I haven't had the time to breathe and I need to clear my head. As for the Decree, it needs the signature of the 12 families before mine, and the Ivashkov leader as well as the Zeklos family are away on business they return tomorrow night" she said as if she had been counting with the Council to postpone from earlier in the day, Jill semed excited to do something normal for a change and with a quick kiss on Lissa's cheek left to get changed.
"As you wish your highness" Christian joked and vowed "By the way what are you gonna do with the Royal guard at the movies?" he asked as he left snickering closing my door behind him
"He's right, what am I gonna do with six other guardians while we're at the movies?" she seemed genuinely worried about this
"You dress them up in casual clothes, like you would do with me Liss" I said as I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards my bed with me "Everything will be fine"
"Rose, is this too sudden?" she asked pointing at her and I as she towered above me one leg on either side on me as I held her by the hips
"No Lissa this is just right, true I recently lost Dmitri, I've accepted that, we both had accepted our deaths long before they happened, you and I... he would've understood" I said knowing he silently would've, knowing she believed so too. She lowered herself on me placing light kisses on my lips as she played with my hair, I couldn't believe the amount of emotion I felt for her as our bodies intertwined and her lips touched mine, it was bliss, it was love.
"I love you Liss" I said with a sigh after she gave me one last lingering kiss
"I love you too Rose, more than you could ever imagine" she said smiling
"This is going to be hard, isn't it?" I asked knowing the answer
"It will, but we will have each other just like we have always had each other." she said as she gave me this amazing passionate kiss that seemed to carry all the desire she had for me, her hands roamed my sides setting them on fire her lips moving hungrily with more drive than before and just like that she got up from me leaving me panting, hot and bothered "get dressed, and that Guardian Hathaway is an order from your Queen"