What a Difference a Year Makes (Revised)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Later that day we found out that Jesse had been thoroughly chewed out for messing with the wards; however he avoided expulsion due to his father paying a hefty fine instead. A royal moroi gets away with it again, we all thought, but we only have to put up with him for another six weeks; let's just hope none of us gets assigned to him. I suppose Dimitri and I should really start considering where we should try to get allocated together; see if there were any families that wanted a couple of guardians. Up until February I knew where I was going to be allocated, but since Lissa stopped talking to me, for reasons I still don't understand, I was free to be requested and posted wherever; as long as it was with Dimitri that is.

Alberta caught up with us the next morning to say that the Molnija ceremony would be at 2am and that it had been agreed that we would both be given zvezdas and an extra molnija for Dimitri after he dispatched our house guest. Eddie would be receiving his first molnija which I think he feels will go a long way towards redeeming himself for not being able to help in Spokane even though I keep telling him there is nothing to redeem.

The ceremony went off like the last, however, this was the first time my new name was to be used during official business and I was both nervous and excited. The running order was alphabetical.

"Guardian Dimitri Belikov is being awarded a zvezda for his share in dispatching eighteen strigoi and one molnija for a surprise attack." Those who had been there that night gave a little titter at the meaning of 'surprise'.

"Novice Rose Belikov" there was a hum of voices, obviously not all were aware of the new turn of events "... is being awarded a zvezda for her share in dispatching eighteen strigoi." The needle bit the back of my neck but I didn't flinch. Once it was done I went to stand next to Dimitri and watched.

"Novice Edison Castile is being awarded a molnija for dispatching a strigoi in battle" and the roll went on until the last guardian from the battle got their marks, which happened to be Alberta herself.

Eddie gave me a hug then shook Dimitri's hand. "I feel kind of deflated now I have the molnija. I'm not quite sure how I should feel really" Eddie confessed.

"It's natural to be confused. A whole load of emotions were going through my head when I got my first and to tell you the truth, it doesn't change as you get more, just your way of dealing with it gets better" said Dimitri as he draped his arm around my shoulder. Eddie nodded solemnly.

We chatted for a little longer before Eddie left to find Mason. We were about to slip away too until Celeste came over. "Well I knew there was something between you two but I never thought it had gone that far" she laughed. "Congratulations, when did it happen?"

"Roza's 18th Birthday. Remember the survival training?" Dimitri said conspiratorially.

"Really? So no roughing it in the woods then or was it that sort of wedding?" she said jokingly.

"No it was in a country house hotel an hour from here. Kirova could have put a spoke in the works if it hadn't have been for Alberta. Kirova wanted more novices to come on the 'training', which would have been disastrous but Alberta suggested Castile and Ashford so it worked out well" Dimitri replied.

"Also you could argue that the mushrooms for the soup and game for the terrine were taken fresh from the grounds for the wedding meal, but that's as close as it got to living off the wild" I said jokingly, at which we all burst into fits of laughter.

"Come on then, do you have a photo on you? I'm sure you have a picture of your wife somewhere on your person?" Celeste said playfully.

Dimitri grinned and pulled out his phone and showed her the photos. "Oh Rose. Your dress, it's beautiful, you are beautiful, oh hell, I'm going to cry. You are one lucky son of a bitch you know that?" Celeste gushed.