loving the one you protect

Chapter 9

If there is one thing the Dragomir's taught me it was how to make pasta – the meal of lazy starving children.

We sit quietly at the table, me hovering down my plate while Adrian only took small bites here and there.

"Is there something wrong with my cooking?" I ask after some time.

He just chuckles. "You know I thought you were going to poison us all" he teases.

"Adrian, what's wrong?" I deadpan.

"Auntie wants me to start seeing suitors again. The first one is supposed to come round next week."

"What's her name?" I ask plastering a smile on my face.

"Anna or something"

"You know" I say slowly, "It could be good for you"

"Whatever Rose" Adrian says abruptly getting to his feet. "I'm going to bed".

"Adrian" I call after him. "You know you won't be alone".

The door slams in response.

My stomach clenches and twists while I hastily toss the plates in the sink. I can clean tomorrow. My head hits the pillow not a moment later. You didn't do anything wrong, I tell myself. Adrian is just Adrian I say falling into a fitful sleep.

The next few days pass as a blur. They consist of training, training, and more training, and looking after Adrian's drunken ass. He hasn't been sober since that night. From what I hear though the bond Lissa is enjoying college. Today is the day of the arrival of Adrian's new guest Miss Annabel Asher.

Dragging Adrian out of bed was painful enough, I didn't need some chick coming and making my job worse. Fate has a sense of humour. We manage to scurry downstairs with only seconds to spare. Adrian looking every bit like the royalty he was minus the scowl plastered upon his face.

"Come on Adrian" I nudge him. He just glares probably still mad at me for locking away his vodka this morning. "You can have it back after this morning" I chastise gently.

On the outside he looks gorgeous like a model that just walked off the runway only one detail missing – the usual sparkle in his eyes. Adrian would rather be anywhere but here I muse.

The trumpets sound.

"Announcing Her Lady Miss Annabel Asher" a guardian calls in a formal tone.

Her heels click loudly on the court's marble floor as she enters the building. Her lithe body is wrapped in a beautiful form hugging pink silk dress that cuts just above her knees. Annabel's caramel locks glisten in the light.

"Adrian Ivashkov" He steps forward to greet her, turning on his Adrian charm. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Lady Asher."

She giggles "Lord Ivashkov, please call me Anna" Her voice is like the tinkle of a beautiful bell. Adrian bows his head to kiss her hand.

"Then you must call me Adrian" he gazes deeply into her golden eyes a light blush colours her dainty cheeks.

"This" Adrian says pulling back and gesturing to me "is my guardian, Rose Hathaway" my heart flutters at the pride in his voice.

"Oh." Anna sneers, her nose turned up. "A female guardian?"

"Guardian Hathaway is the best guardian this court and St. Vladimir's academy has ever seen." Adrian states formally. I cringe at my guardian name, it sounds so cold on his lips regardless of the necessary formality.

"Well" Annabel began tartly "if you're his guardian then here" she thrust her purse and small carry on suitcase at me. "The rest is in the car."

Oh no she didn't. Heat rises to my face insults about to fire from my lips.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, I've had a long flight and would like Lord Ivashkov to show me to my room." Her arm snakes around Adrian's, leading him off towards the courts.

"You really need to train your guardian's better. That one is really out of control..." I hear her muttering behind me.

Resigned to my fate I set the bags down on the marble stairs and head to the car to unpack the rest of the bitch's luggage.

It's a Porsche. Of course. And the newest model too.

"Guardian Hathaway" One of the guardians at the car greets me. This one is tall with a mop of sandy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. "We've heard a lot about you" he adds.

"Rose" I say brightly offering him my hand. His head bows as his lips graze the top of my hand.

"Who knew you were so beautiful too..."

"Belikov did warn us about her beauty James." pipes up the second guardian, this one is shorter with a musical voice and deep brown eyes.

"Joey Lee by the way" he adds making his way around the car to shake my hand. "And this is James Burntwood" he gestures to the blonde. "double J" I tease

"Rose Hathaway" I add. "I know" He grins. "You're something of famous in the guardian world. It's not every day Belikov takes a student, and it's not every day that his student surpasses his skills".

"So double J" They just laugh and shake their heads at me. "What happened to the maids? Did miss prissy over there scare them away?"

They just sigh. "Rose, we uh – do things a little differently at the Asher estate." Joey starts.

"We are the help." James adds.

"That's ridiculous!" I exclaim, "We're guardians not handmaids!"

"You get used to it" James consoles, "You ought to be especially careful since you're going to be hanging 'round Lord Ivashkov there..."

I just shake my head about to make some remark about how I don't do bags, but Dimitri's voice floats through my mind. I fall still. "Patience" he would say. He wouldn't like it but he would allow it to make him a better guardian. Grumbling to myself we finished the bags.

I found them both at the bar. Adrian with a vodka and soda in one hand, a clove in the other, Annabel sitting closely to him clutching a dainty pink drink.

oȪMZ