𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐏𝐇𝐀 ▸ [OOC/Omegaverse] Novice Rose Hathaway had worked to be her best friend's Guardian for as long as she could remember. But when Lissa's entire family died in a car accident, everything changed. Now the best Rose can hope for is a...
The thing that most annoyed Adrian about visiting St. Vladimir's was the lack of diversion. Without school work, training, guarding or teaching to occupy his time, his free hours were indolent. While being unscheduled at Court had its advantages—there were dozens of bars and innumerable women to keep him occupied—a lack of distraction at St. Vladimir's proved irritating. With an hour and a half to kill before dinner, Adrian decided to pursue his secondary interest at St. Vlad's. Novice Rosemarie Hathaway.
She trained in the Novice gym most afternoons with another Novice, Castile. While watching the repetitious techniques they practiced was as boring as bat shit, it was worth going to the gym just to observe Rose in workout clothes. Her skin-tight exercise gear left nothing to the imagination. In fact, on many drunken evenings, Adrian had stroked himself to satisfaction imagining Rose's actions in a more intimate application.
A worldly man, and the Queen's favored great-nephew, Adrian understood what was expected of him. He could stay single for a time and play the field, fuck anything in sight provided he was at least nominally discreet and left no issue, and eventually settle down with an eligible Royal Moroi virgin. With his connections, he was expected to marry well. By well, that meant strategically.
While he benefited from being closely related to a reigning monarch, once his Aunt Tatiana passed, Moroi law mandated Adrian's family would be ineligible to reign again for several generations. The tacit understanding amongst his kin was that while an Ivashkov sat on the throne, each of their family should do their utmost to position the family favorably for the future. Adrian's mother, Daniella, had busied herself plotting suitable matches for her only son, starting with the ultimate prize—the Princess Dragomir—and working backward from there.
It had been a bitter disappointment to most of the Ivashkovs, bar Adrian, when a match with Vasilisa did not appear possible. Paired with Lord Christian Ozera, once Daniella recognized the Dragomir Princess was spoken for, she'd researched and promoted a long list of nubile, and more to the point politically suitable, Royal Moroi virgins for Adrian to consider.
Not that Adrian was thinking about marriage, yet. Hell—he'd never even considered more than a long weekend with a woman; and even then, she'd have to be exceptional to hold his interest for three days.
No. Adrian Ivashkov was happy playing the field. Except for Rose Hathaway. If she showed any inclination, he'd be willing to consider something further. Sadly, for him, Rose had given no indication she was in any way interested. Maybe that's what made her so tempting, Adrian pondered. He was used to women throwing themselves at him. Any woman he expressed interest in had surrendered to his attentions, and sooner rather than later. That Rose denied Adrian intrigued him even more. Rose's apathy is precisely what made her irresistible.
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"Guardian Belikov? I didn't expect to see you here?" Adrian said, unhappy to find the new dhampir Alpha in the gym training with Rose and Castile. The Novices were sparring as Belikov looked on, calling out recommendations and observations throughout.
