DOUBLE UPDATE, BECAUSE I BARELY HAD TO
CHANGE ANYTHING AND YOU LOVELY READERS
DESERVE A BIT OF MORE LOVE

Alberta thought she was seeing a ghost the moment Kate appeared with Lissa in her arms, her mind reeling back to the many times she caught both Rose Hathaway carrying either a crying Lissa, or a surprisingly drunk Lissa, back to her dorm. The same arura of overprotectiveness was felt around the two and it tricked her into seeing the late Rose Hathaway instead of the new student at the Academy.

That was until Kate rose her head and she was met with forest green eyes instead of chocolate brown.

"She needs rest and peace." Kate told them as soon as she reached them, allowing Christian to pick up Lissa with ease, it was a shocking sight for Alberta, Spiridon and Dimitri alike, to see the ever lone outcast that was Christian Ozera willingly spend time with one of the Royals that could end his life if she wished.

And what shocked them, even more, was that that same Moroi actually didn't mind spending time with the boy. Even Katherine would spend time with the two whenever she wasn't with the Novice Mason Ashford training or in her extra sessions.

"I'll take her." Christian told the brunette, holding Lissa close to his chest, his mismatched eyes sneaking a look at her as best as he could considering her face has taken refuge in the crook of his neck.

"Make sure Oscar is with her when you leave. He's our comfort animal." she pleaded kindly, giving him a short smile. Christian nods and carries her away, Alberta following after him leaving Kate with Dimitri and Spiridon in a weird silence, it was only weird because none of the three had anything to say.

Kate slipped her hands in the pockets of her pants and shifted her weight from one leg to the other, reminding the two trained Guardians that she was indeed still a novice and not a fully pledged Guardian like themselves, especially at how vulnerable she looked right there and then. Dimitri slipped his Duster off his shoulders and extended it over to Kate, watching as the brunette frowned at it, no doubt wondering and unaware that her blouse was see-through.

"The Princess doesn't need her Guardians sick." He told her, not wanting to embarass the younger girl. His voice was calm and from the corner of his eyes, Dimitri could tell that Spiridon was making an effort to keep his eyes on the Novice's face out of respect.

Kate hesitantly reached for the duster, her fingers gently brushing against Dimitri's as she pulled it from his grasp, and for a moment, both trained and marked Guardians could've sworn to St. Vladimir and his grave that they saw Kate's eyes shine red before she blinked and turned away.

The two shared a look, a confused one. Silently questioning if the other saw what they saw.

"You could've just told me that my shirt was wet and you could see through it." Kate interrupted them. Turning back around with Belikov's duster on her, a size or two too big on the shoulders, but that looked surprisingly good on her. Spiridion moved his eyes along Kate's body, watching as the duster fit her and protected her body against the cold while Dimitri merely held her gaze.

It seemed like a blessing from the gods when Mason Ashford appeared out of the blue, making a beeline for Kate and hugging her with a beaming smile on his lips, Kate hugged him back almost instantly, thankful that he had showed up and saved her "A week in hell and you're already getting branded." he teased her, pulling back and looking her dead in the eyes.

"Well," she began, casually shrugging her still shoulders, "What can I say, it grew on me." an easy and honest smile on her lips in reply to Mason, a chuckle escaped the redheaded boy.

"Don't let the Headmistress hear you say that." he told her to which Kate gave him a teasing smirk before questioning.

"How did you even find out?" A frown evident on Kate's face as she questioned the ginger boy.

"I heard rumours, but I see that it's true, so I came to tease you about the fact that you are more desiredby the Morois, and some of the Dhampirs, now because of the Molnija mark on your neck." Mason replied with ease, sliding an arm over Kate's shoulder and turning her around so that he could guide her back tot the Dhampir dorms.

"It's not a Molnija mark, its a Звезда (star/zvezda) mark." Kate replied, the Russian slipping from her tongue with almost natural ease as Mason began to guide her away from the Guardians that were standing there, despite the fact that Kate still had Dimitri's duster on her shoulders.

Dimitri and Spiridon watched as the Novices walked away from them chatting as if they'd been friends for eons rather than days, "Do you remember you're getting first Molnija mark?" Spiridon questioned his partner once the teenagers were out o hearing reach.

Dimitri looked at the American beside him for a moment as he though back to the moment he had found himself sitting in a chair to get his mark. It had been shortly after his own graduation and assignment to be his best friend's Guardian during a family outing, everything had happened so fast that both him and Ivan Zeklos, his best friend and charge, only processed what had happened hours after the incident.

A low guttural hum emanated from the Russian Dhampir while a small sad and longing smile broke through his Guardian's mask, showing Spiridon that it was a bittersweet moment or rather that it was related to his last charge. 

"Fancy a sparring session without any novices? I'm sure you have to hold back quite a lot with Alistair." Spiridon offered, giving his partner a teasing smirk.

Dimitri's dark eyes refocused on him at his words and a small frown took over his face, Kate was actually a worthy opponent as he had come to find out, him and all the other novices. She was a fast and dedicated learner which was surprising given she was raised as a human for the majority of her life.

Still, he nodded nonetheless, knowing that the Moroi quarters would be guarded by talented Guardians and that if anything were to happen that he would be promptly informed, "I hope you haven't been sitting on your ass this past week."

His tease made Spiridon chuckle wholeheartedly and shake his head. "I don't have to sit on my ass Belikov. I can't even check the perimeter that Viktor will be on the other side of the courtyard."

It was common knowledge to the Moroi and Dhampir communities, that Dhampir Guardians were single-handedly the second most lethal beings on the planet, falling just behind the Strigoi who were majorly led by bloodlust, the same bloodlust that caused them to be unpredictable and undeniably fast and strong.

So it would come to no shock to anyone who entered the St. Vladimir's Academy gym and saw Dimitri Belikov and Spiridon going head to head in a heated yet balanced battle, well, that is, if they were expecting it or if they had seen this scene before.

The two trained Guardians were equally trained and talented, which meant that their fights were usually well balanced out, nothing new or unexpected happed and even though that's how they liked it, they knew that was not how they should train.

Strigoi were anything but predictable in their moves, and whilst they weren't stupid their bloodlust was what drove them in battle, was what usually got them killed.

"Is the new Novice as skilled in the extra lessons as she is in classes?" Spiridon questioned as he ducked one of Dimitri's punches and faked left to avoid the other, their fighting routine ingrained in his mind.

"She is," Dimitri replied, matching his footwork to his fluent moves, "If she continues like this, she could give Queen Tatianna's Guardians a run for their money."

For someone who had not watched Kate Alastair fight and only heard the rumours, Dimitri's claims would seem too farfetched and arrogant for it was impossible that a Dhampir that grew up as a humane with no knowledge of Morois, Dhampirs and Strigois until meeting the Dragomir Princess to be talented enough to catch Queen Tatianna's attention, at least in the good way.

"Her footwork is weak now but if we keep training it will get there quickly." he informed as the mental image of him tripping Kate and making her fall on the matress because she hadn't moved her feet fast enough.

A chuckle left Spiridon as he side kicked Dimitri, just hard enough for him to feel it but not hard enough for him to get a bruise.

"Her persistence and craving for knowledge is astonishing, I think it's started to rub off on Ashford." Spiridon admitted, "It has even impressed Stan, and you know nothing impresses Stan. I've heard him claim that he had not seen anyone with this much passion for learning more and new ways of protecting the Moroi's since Diana Owens."

The name made Dimitri frown momentarily as Spiridon's fist came flying towards the Russian's face, something he caught last possible minute. "Diana Owens?" the Russian Guardian echoed, wanting to make sure he heard the name right, dropping Spiridon's fist and walking over to the bench where their water bottles sat.

"Yeah, Dhampir that went missing 21 years ago but turned up about 15 years ago." Spiridon reminded, following Dimitri and picking up his cold water bottle, " Won't talk about the time she was MIA. Lost her charge during that time as well." Dimitri watched as his fellow Guardian gulped his water desperately, looking as if he was attempting to quench his thirst with the River Nile.

"Do you know the name of her charge?" Dimitri questioned, a feeling of hope blooming in his chest as he felt like he had uncovered a deep, dark yet extremely important secret.

"No." Spiridon replied almost apologetically, "Only that she was part of Zmey's family. Whoever he is." his words made Dimitri hum in reply before he moved his eyes to the other side of the gym, a variety of people coming to his mind, all of them having uttered at one point or another the name Zmey when he was in Russia.

"We should get some shut-eye, well at least I should. I'm going to be following the fastest sick Moroi I've ever met." Spiridon claimed after a few moments of silence, earning no reply from Dimitri before he walked out of the gym, leaving the Russian man alone with his thoughts.