Shadow Rider (Vampire Academy Fanfic)

Chapter 14 - Rose

Lissa's lounging room was awesome. It looked exactly like something you'd find on a page in an IKEA catalogue, except everything was expensive instead of cheap.

Lissa and Christian sat on a vintage kashmir loveseat, both wanting to simply relax for a while. The plasma TV attached to the wall was playing some abstract movie nobody was really paying attention to. Lissa had discarded the royal dress, and was now dressed in comfortable yet fashionable black dress pants, with a pearl white silk top. As soon as she'd come in, she'd set her crown down on a poofy wine-red pillow, it too made of the finest kashmir fabric.

While Lissa was tired but excited, Christian's good spirits were nowhere close to being restored.

'I don't get it,' Christian complained. 'It's like the whole world wants to pair you up with someone that's not me. First Adrian, and now this prince charming.' He was silent for all but one second. 'At least with Adrian, it wasn't really any of his doing. This Casimir guy? Not only does he look like a freakin' viking, he's also good with offensive magic and everybody likes him. He's been here like, a day, and already he's been dubbed the hero that will save us all from the Strigoi.'

Lissa giggled, laying her head on Christian's lap. The maneuver made his features soften just a little, and he reached down to stroke her hair.

'You know that you don't have to worry. Not about Casimir and not about anyone else either,' said Lissa, gazing at him fondly. 'Besides. Have you noticed that he looks a bit like...me? I mean, the eyes and hair and all is different, but his face...it's a bit like mine.' She frowned. 'He reminds me of Andre. I guess that's it. It would feel really weird to be with a guy that resembles my brother that much.' Suddenly, her face fell. 'Andre. I miss him.'

The memory of her long lost brother caused Lissa's mood to plummet entirely.

'Liss,' Christian murmured, pulling her into an embrace.

I was glad Christian was here. He could offer her the sort of comfort I couldn't. Yeah, I was her best friend, and she could tell me everything. But I hadn't lost my family. Christian had, and he knew how she felt.

Both Dimitri and I took our queues and pulled back from the two of them, offering some privacy. I was guessing we'd soon have to leave the room altogether.

Unfortunately, it soon after seemed that wouldn't be the case. Commotion in the hall alerted us to some intruders of the peace.

'I'll go check,' Dimitri said, and I nodded.

After a minute, he stuck his head back in through the door.

'It's lord Andrijevic.'

Lissa darted up from the loveseat. Christian sighed.

We entered the meeting room, and I eerily flashbacked to a time ages ago, when Queen Tatiana had brought both Lissa and me in here to "interview" us. Well, she'd interviewed Lissa. As for me: she'd called my mom a slut, she'd called me a slut, and she'd told me to stay away from Adrian, even when it was he who had been chasing after me.

'Casimir,' Lissa breathed. 'It's nice to see you again.' Christian rolled his eyes behind her back. 'You too, guardian Thanatia.'

Casimir smiled brilliantly while greeting her, but then gestured to his guardian, who looked pale as a ghost. Actually, she looked like she had seen a ghost. Whatever the case, her tan skin had a greyish pallor, her eyes a little too wide.

'Your Highness,' said Thanatia, voice flat. 'It is actually guardian Hathaway I wish to speak with.'

'By all means,' said Lissa, stepping aside.