Janine'sPOV
The "Court Mail" newspaper had just come through the mail slot in my apartment's door.
When I picked it up and took a look at the front cover I nearly dropped it again. No. No way. It couldn't be. But the pictures didn't lie. We had a law against photoshopping like we had a law against compulsion. So, these pictures were showing me the truth. My daughter had returned. As had Guardian Belikov. And they'd brought two children with them.
I had to hope against all hope that these children were Belikov's and his rumoured wife's, not my child's. The thing was, the photographers had managed to take high resolution close-ups of the four of them. I wasn't liking what was being presented to me. The little boy looked like Belikov's mini-me, through and through, but his age seemed to line up with when Rose dropped out of the Academy, and with the time he'd been reassigned. The little girl looked a year younger, and had both Belikov's and Rose's features.
It wasn't biologically possible, yet here was evidence the once student and mentor pair-who were supposed to become guarding partners for Queen Vasilisa when she was still Princess-had a child together. What was even more shocking, was that there was a photo of Rose with an obviously early stages baby bump evident. As if all that wasn't mind boggling and controversial enough, the photos were clear enough to reveal two rings on my daughter's left ring finger... and one on Belikov's left ring finger, a matching one at that.
It seemed as though my daughter had indeed bolted from the Academy to become a mother. And a wife. A wife to the dhampir man who was meant to be no more than her mentor at the time, and the mother to at least one of his baby's, if not both the little ones in the strollers and the unborn third.
I had to check this out. So, I changed into casual clothes, headed out the door, phone and keys in hand, and went searching for my child or Belikov. I headed straight for Palace Housing. Since Rose still appeared to be the queen's best friend.
There was a park and playground around the side and towards the back of the Palace. Figuring if Rose and or Belikov weren't in a meeting with Her Majesty, they'd likely be playing with the children. So, I headed straight for the private yet public play area.
"Mama!" a young, thick Russian accent squealed in joy.
"Dada!" squeaked a different voice, which was just as young and Russian accented.
"Ivan," warned a voice that sounded like my daughter's... yet it also carried a Russian accent.
"Don't be so harsh on him, Roza. This situation practically gives him his Academy wish," gently said Belikov. Despite his few years back in Russia, he could still ease up on the accent.
"No, Dimitri, it doesn't. You know it doesn't. I'd rather have Lissa pull strings and have him taught here before we send our special, miracle son to an Academy."
I was now close enough to see Belikov wrap his arms around a young woman's waist and rest his chin on her right shoulder. The young woman had nearly black hair that hung free in loose, very long curls. She also had brown eyes. The young woman, was indeed, my daughter.
"Rose? Belikov?" I asked as I approached. Their heads snapped in my direction. Any trace of relaxed lovebirds-and admiring and adoring yet concerned parents-was gone. They didn't have masks up, yet they were at attention, on guard and alert.
"Mom?" worriedly asked Rose. "How did you get here? How did you find us? Why are you here?"
"Mama? Dada?" The two children had stopped playing and were now looking between their tensed parents. They were still on the equipment-one on the slide and one on the rocking horse type of thing-but were now focused on their parents and just as tense.
"Ivan, Riana," Rose addressed the two little ones. "Come to Mama and Dada, please," directed Rose in a firm yet loving tone.
The two children rose from their sitting spots and ran over. The little boy headed for Rose, while the little girl went straight to Belikov, who scooped her up-causing her to giggle. The boy just wrapped around Rose's leg.
