i'm your biggest fan;; DANTE

She was bored in the nightclub, dancing very quietly by herself in the corner. She wasn't in the mood to dance the night away or get drunk, which is why she wondered why she was in a nightclub, out of places. Maybe it was to get away from her Hogwarts friends, which was a dumb idea since sooner or later, one of them would find her.

She wasn't wearing anything too fancy, but she did look quite elegant, just the way she liked it. Her outfit was comfortable as well, so that was a major bonus. She did think her top was a bit too casual for her liking, but she liked the way it looked on her. Her blonde mane was swishing behind her as she danced to the music.

Someone caught her eye, and she felt her cheeks colouring.

---

outfit!

Dante eyed the building with scrutiny. What on earth was this place? And why was there loud music coming from the open doors? Surely that wasn't appropriate behaviour. He straightened his suit jacket and cautiously made his way inside to check out the place.

Once inside his face looked on in shock. It was worse than he imagined.

She took notice of this boy, and he certainly looked lost. She walked over quietly towards him, trying to make as little noise as possible. The loud music was tempting her to go back and dance, but she knew she couldn't. She had a pang in her heart to go help him, and so she only followed it.

"Um... are you lost?" she asked loudly but calmly, standing a few feet away from the boy. She looked at her feet before, and now she made the decision to look up. "I don't usually dress like this..." She looked down at herself and back at the boy. "You don't look familiar. I assume you don't go to Hogwarts?"

He turned at being addressed and looked at the girl. Right now he wasn't sure if he was pleased or not to finally have someone to talk to. He just wasn't used to being somewhere where no one knew who he was.

"I am knew to the area." He said to her question, his eyes still looking around at all the differently dressed people. "How do you normally dress?" He said with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sorry you must excuse me, this music isn't very good on my ears." He said giving her a little nod and turning to leave. "No i am starting Durmstrang this year."

Anna nodded. "You look kinda familiar, though," she mused. Maybe she had met him before, or saw him on the media. Either way, Anna was sure she had seen him before. "What is your name? Perhaps I have heard of it."

Anna pursed her lips. "A little more... modestly, perhaps?" she asked. "I mean... I usually just wear a T-Shirt and jeans with some flats or heels. Mascara's rubbish but lip gloss is a must, I suppose." She then realized how long her ramble was. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you wouldn't care for all of that." She looked up at him and smiled sweetly, or as sweetly as she could muster. "I'm a third year in Hogwarts," she added. She then observed him from head to toe. "I'm guessing you're not a first year."

"My name is Dante De Silva the second. It is a pleasure to meet you." He said with a little bow of his head as he held out his hand for her to take. It wasn't everyday he was free to explore where ever he wanted without having a guard to watch over him.

"Oh." He nodded. "That is good." He said, it was good to see they had more respect for themselves at least some of the time. He was beginning to miss home more than ever. He had never been away, only to visit other countries with his parents. Here he was no one.

He just nodded about her explanation about her clothing, his family were a little old fashioned when it came to clothing and traditions, but he wasn't one to go on talking about his families views because he knew others didn't believe as they did.

"I believe i will be a third at Durmstrang when i go." He confirmed.

Anna shook her head. "Nope, never heard of you. I'm really sorry though." She then looked at his over-the-top suit, which was such a pretty shade of blue. "Uh... you don't wear that sort of get up in a club." She then raised her eyebrow. "You don't happen to be... royalty, are you? I'm just guessing here, and I don't really care if you are," she smiled at him.

"You're new, yes?" she asked. "Where do you come from?" She pursed her lips, tilting her head to the side in curiousity. "You're going to go to Durmstrang. No new friend for me, then." She laughed bitterly, but not too overly so she sounded like she didn't mean it.

"Do you want to dance?" she inquired, gesturing to the dance floor. "I can teach you... i-if you want."

Anna blushed furiously, turning her head away from him.

"Get up?" He asked looking down at his uniform. "This is the correct attire in my country, if my people saw me in anything less they would begin to question my intentions." He said dusting off a bit of his jacket. "My correct title is Dante Fabio Ronaldo De Silva II Prince of Italy." He explained.

"I have lived in Italy all my life." He said before turning to look away. "There have been some complications recently. It's no longer safe there for me." He said sucking in a breath and putting on his brave prince face, like he always did to hide how he was feeling. No Prince let on how they really felt.

"I don't think my kind of dance would fit this kind of music." He said scanning the people on the dance floor and taking in all their different moves. Definitely not his kind of dance. He glanced at the people nervously, if his parents saw him now... but his parents were dead and it was about time he accepted that and did as he wanted.

"Sure, i don't see why not." He said pulling his jacket down. "Lead the way."

Anna shrugged her shoulders. She listened to his words attentively, nodding at what she hoped were the right moments. "I see," she replied. "I am descended from Bhutanese royalty, so I know the way it works." She then added, "Can I call you Dante, then? You can call me Anna. Or Elspeth. Or maybe even Tshering." Anna nearly blushed from the way she said Dante. It sounded so dreamy and... so unlike her. What was the meaning of this?

Anna noticed how much the prince was trying to keep a straight face. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," she calmly said. "You can... let your guard down a little." She looked up at him straight in the eyes. "It's tiring to keep up an emotionless pretense, don't you think?"

Anna smirked, holding out her hand. "Who said we had to dance their way?" she mused. "We can always dance the waltz. Not something I'm good at, but... I know it." Waltzing brought memories to her childhood: of seeing dancers in France, her mother teaching her how to dance, and dancing with her father at her parents' wedding. She nearly shuddered at the last memory.

He nodded. "Dante is good, i seem to have lost my title at the minute so i will have to try living like normal folk." He said looking at the guy on the edge of the dance floor. He definitely couldn't end up looking like him, he'd much rather die.

"Bhutanese? We visited them over the summer last year. Delightful people." He smiled. "I think Anna should be fine." He twirling his ring around his finger. He often did that when he got nervous, it was a habit of his.

He smiled. "I have the training of 6 masters under my belt. I don't get afraid." He said sniggering a little, all his family received the same training as soon as they were able to walk.

He looked at her in surprise before looking away again. "I don't think i can." He admitted, never had he let his guard down to anyone. It was considered a weakness in his family.

He smiled an took he hand gently. "Now the waltz is more my thing." He smiled softly.

Anna nodded at the man Dante was watching. "He does look a bit... odd," she agreed. She then smiled at the thought of her people, being beautiful. She was there last summer, and if her parents didn't drag her everywhere she might have had a great time. "Perhaps I had seen you then," she curiously wondered.

When she saw Dante fiddle with the ring upon his finger, Anna's heartbeat stopped. "Are you married or... betrothed, by any chance?" she asked curiously. Her voice was shaking when she had said those words. She had never sounded so... so weak. "Not that I mind, of course, but..."

Anna shook her head somberly at Dante. "You can't," she agreed sadly. "I know from first hand experience." She looked up at him. "I don't think I've ever been this emotional for a long time."

Anna blushed a little when he took her hand, and put her hand on his shoulder. Thankfully, it wasn't too far out of reach. "What sort of music do you like? Tchaikovsky? Mozart? Mendelssohn?" she asked, smiling.

"Odd? I don't think that quite covers him. He's outrageous, he can't seriously live like that can he?" He asked raising one eyebrow as he did one particual dance move he didn't think anyone would dare to do never mind out in public. "Perhaps, we didn't stick around for long we have a meeting with the Queen of Britain sooner after and no one leaves her waiting."

He chuckled. "No, no this is the family ring. All the De Silver male line get given a ring when they turn 11. It symbolises becoming a man." He shrugged. "Its a family tradition that stuck and my family are big on family traditions."

"You never truely know what you had until you've lost it all forever." He said turning to look anywhere but at Anna as he composed himself. His parents death still hit a raw nerve when they got brought up or he thought about them. He'd had onnly lost them a few days ago so he couldn't exactly be blamed for still mourning their deaths.

He gently placed his other hand on her waist and lead her into a gentle waltz, ignoring the tempo and sound of the music playing. To him it was just him and her now on the dance floor, no one else mattered. "All of the above." He smiled. "Anything of that kind i love. Beethovan is great also. How about you? What kind of music do you listen to?" He asked spinning her out gently before twirling her back in.

Anna looked at the man with his outrageous dance move, looked back at Dante to hear his remark and started bursting into laughter. It was shrill and loud, and to the Ravenclaw it sounded like white noise. Maybe it was because she had never laughed in so long. Long enough to be estranged for it. "Merlin, Dante, you're hilarious!" she said, trying to stop for breaths in the middle of all her laughter. She nodded in comprehension at his explanation. She widened her eyes at the mention of the Queen. "You've actually met the Queen of England?" she asked curiously. "Is she a friendly person? She seems a little hostile on the telly, don't you think?"

Laughing hesitantly, Anna mentally blew a huge sigh of relief. At least, one day, she could have him. The thought alone made her shudder, but it also made her smile. At Dante's next words, her iris expanded and shook her head in mock disappointment. "What is with men and proving their worth to being a... man?" she chuckled nervously. She thought about what her father do to achieve that, and the fact that she knew made her tremble more. "I suppose you have a better reason than others; family tradition is important. Because I hate my father, I'm out to break his family traditions, though I already broke one. It's custom in his family to not leave until you are of age. Well, I did. My parents live in the suburbs. I live in West End. D'you know where that is?"

Anna nodded her head grimly at Dante's words. "Indeed," she bitterly agreed, thinking about all she had lost. Her sanity. Her friends. Her emotions. "But sometimes, as they say, it's better to have something and lose than never to have had it at all." She swallowed and coughed quietly, thinking about what she had never had. A stable life. A real best friend. Trust. She could tell Dante was upset about something else other than his words; being observant was one of ehr positive traits. "Are you okay?" she asked, taking his hand and squeezing it gently, "you can talk to me. I've got your back." She doubt she had ever been this gentle in her life, but never mind about that.

Being in Dante's arms gave Anna a new sort of high she had never felt before, even when she was drunk. It was so much warmer than the usual sort she had felt. Her mind forgot about everything but this dance she had right now. If her hands were the locks, his were the keys, because they fitted perfectly against each other and everything had felt so right now. "Beethoven was a genius," she agreed. "My father loves him. One of my middle names is Elise - like Fur Elise - but I don't use it often." She twirled away from him. "I listen to rock and classical most of the time, but give me something like the Phoenix Tazers and I'll run for the hills." She twirled back towards him and gently slipped her hand in his. "You?"

---

(ooc: let's assume the phoenix tazers is a real wrock band, okay? ;] )

He raised an eyebrow, not sure whether to be offended or amused at her laughter. "I am? I didn't say anything." He said looking away nervously as he ran his hand through his hair.

He nodded glad of the change of subject. "Yes more than once actually. I think three times in total. I went jet skiing with Prince Harry once. That was fun." He smiled. "Oh no shes very welcoming, they all were. Although Prince Phillip is slightly weird." He smiled.

He shrugged. "You have to prove you can take care and treat a woman as she should be treated. And in my case run a country, my father has to make sure he's leaving the country in capable hands... well he would have done." He trailed off.

"You've broken from your family? But why?" He asked, no one broke from their family until they were married and even then they didn't go far. "Why do you hate your father?" He asked before shaking his head, he had no idea where that was.

"I've never head that saying before but i guess it makes sense." He said. "Have you ever lost someone Anna?" He asked looking her in the eyes for the first time since meeting.

He thought for a few seconds before finally saying it. "How do you live in a world you know nothing about with people you don't understand?" He asked. "I don't belong here, i don't know anyone. I don't even know what i'm doing anymore." He admitted holding onto her hand. It felt nice to trust someone, he just hoped he was trusting the right person.

He nodded and placed his cheek against her head, screw what his parents would say about posture. It just felt right. "Its a shame he went death towards the end of his life. Imagine loving something like music and then having to live the end of your time without it." He said, a bit like his own life really only he had a lot longer to live without it.

He shrugged. "I've only ever listened to classical. It is the only music fit for a royal." He frowned, only now did he realise how much he had been missing out on life.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Anna replied, trying her best not to sound too angry, "but you're actually making me sound poor. Ugh." She shook her head and shuddered. "And... wait, what? You go skiing with Prince Harry and you somehow know Prince Phillip is, as you say, kinda weird. You live one hell of a life." She sighed. "I spent most of my childhood travelling all over the world that I can think of. Except for... um, Antarctica."

Anna nodded, "That's... so much more complicated than I thought. I... I don't know what to say except... I... I wish I was there." She frowned at the mention of being broken from her family. "You... you do not want to know," she replied. She wanted to explain, but a golden rule of hers was only to explain things to the people that mattered to her. Dante mattered to her of course, but not enough. Not right now. She shut her eyes, trying to shut away the memories of her father and what he did to her two summers ago. A tear rolled down her cheek which she quickly wiped away; crying, like apologizing, was a sign of weakness, and weaknesses must be kept hidden.

"I come from a past that may seem rather idyllic, but what goes on behind the scenes... not so pretty." She sighed as she looked up at him to look at those beautiful, striking eyes of his. "I've lost someone, of course. She was my best friend and she was one of the only things I cared about," she began, biting her lips so she doesn't burst into tears. "Losing emotions is a lot harder. Besides, we cannot feel sorry for ourselves; one of the most useless human emotions is self-pity."

Anna nodded her head in true comprehension. "No one understands me anymore because... because I changed." She then shook her head. "I used to be one of those soft little girls, but I'm not anymore. I can't trust, or love properly, or have faith, or confidence. Point is, I don't know if I can feel anything anymore." She sighed, feeling the warmth of his hand run through her arms. "Maybe... I don't know. I can't feel much anymore. This is why losing emotions are so damn hard." She shook her head. "I can't get them back. I know that. I will have to remain emotionless forever. Or at least, make do with what I have, which isn't much, frankly."

Anna tried to hide her blush when Dante rested his cheek on her head. It also made her feel somewhat intimidated by her own size. He was only about a couple of inches taller than her, but Anna was easily intimidated and easily jealous. Her eyes widened in astonishment when he said he had only listened to classical. "No offense, but you have a lot in life to work on," she sighed. "I can introduce you to some of the better bands, if you want."

"Oh." He said stopping their dance for a few seconds. "Forgive me, it was not my intention to make you feel... poor." He said slightly ashamed, he knew people weren't as well of as he had been but he often forgot that. He wasn't used to being around normal people or even people of his age for that matter. His only comapany for years had been his nanny and tutors.

"Yeah, its not as great as it sounds. They expect you to be this person and if your not, you are deemed unacceptable. Being cast out of your family is the greatest dishonour for someone like me. If my parents disowned me, i would be cast out of the family, shunned by my people and sent to live elsewhere. That can't happen. Its a lot of pressure and i had no childhood." He said looking off to stare at the wall opposite. "And the real world is hidden from you. They make you believe the world is this perfect little sphere when in fact there are people out there suffering, yet they do nothing about it. Why is that?" He asked wiping away an angry tear.

"People think its a great life being royal, but they've not seen what its like behinds closed doors." He said leading her to the sitting down area, he didn't think he could stand dancing much longer. Not now he knew his whole life had been a lie. "Okay." He said giving her a nod, he knew they were strangers but it still hurt that she couldn't trust him even after he'd trusted her. He sat down in one of the booths and turned to look at the mand playing the music, it was easier that way.

He nodded. "Losing someone is the worst kind of pain because it can never be fully healed. But that doesn't mean we should stop feeling. Feelings are what make us human." He said looking back into her eyes. "In time you will learn to love again but for now try not to shy away from them, they are a part of you."

"Everyone changes, people need to change in order to adapt to the surviving world. I've changed, i no longer know who i am or who i used to be, the world isn't as black and white as people make it seem. But one day you'll find someone and they will show you you can do all of those things again. You'll know as soon as you find them who they are." He smiled softly, he would have loved for his mother to meet her. She was perfect, the perfect forbidden fruit he could never taste.

"I know, theres a whole world out there that was hidden from me and i know nothing about. You will have to teach me." He said turning back to look at her. "I will be in your debt if you teach me about normal live. I can't live in a world i don't understand." He said looking at her pleadingly.

Anna shook her head. "No... no, it's okay. It's not your fault," she frowned. "I get jealous of others much too easily. Really." It was true. She could think of more than one instance in which she got extremely jealous and did something absolutely outrageous that ended in disaster. "And being rich isn't everything; with money, you can lose happiness sometimes."

Anna nodded. "I am the total opposite. I've seen too much of the world I shouldn't." She shook her head in sadness. "I've seen about every single place in the world and I've seen people suffer. I can't stand any of it. Yet I cannot imagine not knowing what the real world looks like. The real world, it keeps you grounded." She sighed and nodded. "Some people, they care too much about politics and corruption and other shit to help others," she frowned. "I know, because my father is obsessed with politics, and look what happened to him." She grabbed Dante's hand, and gently dabbed his face dry where his tear used to be. They were total opposites in terms of their upbringing, but they knew what it was like to be trapped. She was finally, for the first time in years, not alone.

"I agree," Anna nodded. She knew nothing about royal life, but being treated like a queen was close enough. She walked slowly beside him and sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I can't trust you... it's just... I told you. I can't trust. My trust... it has been wrecked by my parents, and when your own parents break your trust... how can you trust anyone?" She looked at where he was looking and sighed loudly, louder than before. "I'm sorry, Dante. I just... I... I like you. I like you a lot. I feel terrible. I've never felt terrible since her funeral..."

Anna sighed, nodding her head solemnly. "Merlin, I know you're right, but I can't help being emotionless. It was about to happen to me anyway," she replied bitterly, trying to blink back tears, "I don't know how it got delayed by about eight years, but it happened to me." She shook her head. "I wish I could believe you, but a part of me... it likes this state of mind. I can't let it go completely and go back to being the old me." She thought about her old self and bit her lip in contempt. "You would have liked her a lot more than me, Dante. You would have chosen her over me and you would have chucked me in the dumpster. But perhaps, I will love again. And even then, I cannot be the same."

She smiled sadly at him, her eyes still torn with bad days. "Or you can use your self confidence. And Mother always said to me, 'It doesn't matter who we were. It only matters who we are,' and I know who you are, Dante. You're one of the most... philosophical people I've ever met." She was going to say beautiful but that was going to be absolutely embarrassing. "I want to know how to love again, but in my own way. You'll help me, won't you?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"No. You will never be in my debt. I will teach you, of course," she chuckled lightly at that. "I wish... well, it's a bit complicated. You go to Durmstrang, and I, Hogwarts. We can't meet up in lessons every single day like other people, but I will try my best to see you as often as we could. This can be a project. Don't know what to call though. Umm... Operation Normal?"

"You shouldn't. You are perfect the way you are. Never forget that and never change for anyone. Just be yourself and that is what will make you great." He said gently squeezing her hand reassuringly. It wasn't every day you met a girl worth saving, but today he was pretty sure he'd found one. "Being rich is nothing without family and friends to back it up." He frowned, he'd learnt that the hard way.


He nodded. He knew the world wasn't a great place for many people but it had now only just occurred to him how bad things were for some people. "I'm sorry you've seen the world for what it really is. No one should have to see that. I'm going to try and help as many of those people that need help, once i get my title and country back. Right now i'm useless, i have no power to help."
He nodded. "I understand, you place your trust in the ones you love the most only to have that trust torn to piece by lies and deceit. It seems our parents have left us in the same boat, so to speak. Just don't through away what relationship you have with your parents because one days its going to be too late to go back.You might even find yourself regretting it." He said leaning his cheek against the top of her head. Contact usually wasn't allowed but it just felt right, here with Annabeth. "Who's funeral?" He asked sitting up so he could look at her.


"I know its hard but once you let go and drop those walls you've built it will get easier. I promise. Besides you don't have to go through it all alone. Im here if you need me. You have an owl right? We can keep in touch if you want. I'll help you get your feelings back because if you think the old you is better than this you then i have to see it to believe it. Because you are pretty amazing now."
He smiled softly. "Then that is enough, as long as you know who i am i shall be fine." He smiled. "I will always be there should you need me and I'll do everything i can to make you happy again. There is nothing worse than losing a part of your self no matter how small."


He smiled. "Sounds good to me. Operation Normal, it is. You know, seeing you everyday would be perfect. Its like a dream come true." He said looking at her from the side of his eye. It was a little embarrassing talking about these kind of things. "I've always dreamt of finding the right girl, i just never imagined id meet her. I always thought i'd be paired with someone my mother chose. A princess from somewhere most likely." He said his face turning into disgust. He hated the thought of marrying some high and might princess who demanded the world.

Anna nodded. "Thanks. You're too bloody kind," she replied snappily. He had a point. Everyone had always told her to be who she was. And where had that got her to be? Possibly the most pessimistic person alive. She nearly flinched when Dante squeezed her hand, but she made sure she relaxed because she had to remind herself it was a sign of endearment. Anna agreed with Dante's words. Hell, she would agree to anything he said even if it meant her falling off a cliff at some point in the future. She won't let herself think about that, though.

"It's very noble of you to help people, Dante. It's very noble and generous of you," Anna agreed, her brain fizzing with thoughts. "If you want, I will help you." She held up her pinky, hoping that Dante would know enough about child's play that he would curl his pinky around hers to signify a promise. "Now... about your power and your title. How will you get it back? I mean... you're living and studying in Russia, and... won't people suspect you of being unpatriotic or something?" Anna asked, raising her eyebrow. She didn't know much about how the royal court works, but she didn't want him to go through danger just for trying to save others. But that was one had to do to do just that, right? At the thought of Nat, she shook her head, trying her best not to cry. "My best friend. My ex-best friend." She buried her head in Dante's chest but in a position so Dante's cheek in still on her head, not wanting to look up at all. She wanted to die.

Anna nodded. "Yeah. I've an owl. It's brown... and striped... and... well, I don't use her often." She pursed her lips. "I can always give you my address. My apartment address, I mean. During the summer, if I'm not in Hogwarts... you can owl me, still. I'll probably be home trying to study, if I'm not at Diagon Alley." Shaking her head furiously at the next sentence, Anna thought to herself. Did she even want to be her old self anymore? Dante did just say she was amazing. "On second thought... I think I like who I am." She smiled sadly at the boy, and tried to not bite her lip. If only she could convince herself she was telling the truth. Good news? At least it wasn't a lie.

"You met her? The perfect girl?" she asked, her face almost falling into a grim expression. She was absolutely clueless about these things, also known as love. If he was talking about her, why her? She wasn't worthy of him with her many faults. If he wasn't talking about her, why not? What were her faults? That she wasn't a princess of some fancy country? That was her problem. "Umm... over-the-top spoiled princesses? Did you find an exception?" She mentally flinched, trying not to beat herself up on the words that were going to come out of his mouth. She could imagine them so clearly in her head now, and it came to her like a whirl of thunder.

He frowned, had he said something to offend her? He had thought he had spoken with good terms, but perhaps she perceived them wrongly. "I meant no offense, i simply meant it to be a compliment. Forgive me if i spoke out of turn." He said looking her in the eyes. If his parents had taught him something about the real world it was to treat the women of the world with respect and almost like Queens.

He smiled a soft smile and tilted his head to the side slightly looking at her. "If that is what you wish, then i shall be glad of the company." He smiled before it slowly slid off his face. "I have men, not a lot at the minute but they are regrouping and preparing to fight again as soon as they think the Dothraki have let their guard down a little." He explained. "My people will understand i haven't abandoned them. My men practically kidnapped me from my home and people would have saw that i wanted to fight." He said hoping against all hope that his words were spoken from truth. If his people disowned him he didn't know what he would do.

"Im sorry." He said holding her close to him. He knew better than anyone that you needed a hug or something when you were upset. Unluckily for him though, he never got it. He had to be strong and conceal his emotions from other if he wanted to make a great king.

"Good. Then you have no reason not to owl me." He smiled sliding a finger beneath her chin and making her look up at him. "You owl will know where i am just as mine will you. They are very clever creatures." He said looking over his shoulder as a pacing couple brushed against him. He wasn't used to being in such confined spaces with so many people he didn't know. He smiled. "Good, me too."

He nodded. "I have never seen such a perfect sight. The way her lips curve when she smiles..." He said cupping her cheek in his hand and lightly tracing her lips with his thumb. "... the way her brilliant eyes glisten in the light." He said looking at those very eyes.

He nodded once more. "Have you ever met a princess?" He asked. "Not the greatest company, they seem more bothered about who has the biggest country and money than anything else." He frowned, in a way he was glad his mother had died. At least now he didn't have to put with with an arranged married she had prepared for him. He shook his head. "No i found something much better than a princess Annabeth. A perfect Queen in her own right." He smiled.

Anna raised her eyebrow. "No... I accept it, but... I tend to swear nowadays. A lot." She bit her lip. "You're going to have to get used to it, because I'm not used to it either." She looked into his eyes, tilting her head curiously at them. They were blue. Very blue. But unlike hers, they were really, really... clear. Hers, on the other hand, were completely icy. She looks at herself in the mirror and she can't even look at them without getting the heebie jeebies.

"The... the what?" she asked curiously. "Yeah. You got a bunch of men who are preparing to fight these... these Dothraki people. Umm... do you mind, um, I don't know, elaborating?" She mentally cursed herself for sounding so snappy, and she knew that if she made him any angrier he might as well pack up and leave. "Sorry," she said, a little too quickly. Her eyes widened at the mention of kidnapping. Who, in their right mind, would dare kidnap him? Well... on second thought, Anna would. "Why. Would. Anyone. Kidnap. You?" she asked questioningly. "I mean... that's horrible! At least you tried to fight." Now, flashes of Bertram kidnapping Dante were all over Anna's mind, and she couldn't get them out of it.

"S'okay," Anna sighed. "It's okay, Dante. It was nearly a year ago. I made it through." Not totally unscathed, she mentally added, but stable, all the same.

"Well, how else do owls know where to send a letter to someone?" Anna mused, smiling slightly. Every time she smiled nowadays, she could always feel her heart thumping in her chest. Maybe it was because those motions in her muscles, those nerve signals being sent to her brain, were unfamiliar to her. Yes. It had to be it. But she was looking up at Dante - quite possibly her favourite person in the world right now - and his finger was under her chin. His finger. Was under. Her chin. Her. Anna Tshering. Ravenclaw's Snow Queen. That made her feel like the world flew off her shoulders.

Anna had to try her best not to bite her lip when Dante traced them with his thumb. It felt so fucking ticklish. Did her lips even curled when she smiled? No idea. Her cheeks were blushing furiously, and she wasn't surprised if Dante felt his hands were dropped in a frying pan. Was he talking about her? Not bloody likely. Her eyes certainly didn't glisten. They were ice. Ice don't glisten. They just shine and scare everyone with their coldness.

"Umm... no, but you make them sound bloody terrible," she replied. Rolling her eyes, she snapped quickly, "Oh for goodness sakes, call me Anna!" Her eyes dilated at the mention of a perfect Queen. She knew right there and then he couldn't be her now, could it?

He ignored her comment, it wasn't important to him. Instead he returned her gaze. Looking right back into her bright blue eyes. The windows to her very soul. A soul that must be bright, if her eyes reflected its light. They were beautiful and he just had to shake himself to stop himself getting lost in her eyes.

He nodded. "Yeah, well they were my fathers men but now i guess they belong to me. The Dothraki tribe." He said thinking back to the story he'd been told many times growing up. "They are a tribe that live on the outskirts of Italy. It's a long story but basically: Centuries ago one of my ancestors and a man went head to head for the leadership of Italy. It was a tough time then and the people turned to those with the most power to guide them through it. My ancestor won and became King. The man was so annoyed he tried to kill the King but failed and then was outcast. He was forced out of the country along with his followers and they started the Dothraki tribe. Ever since they have been biding their time to take over." He said recalling the story he was told repeatedly as a kid.

"I wouldn't leave. Not without getting my throne and home back. So they carried me away." He shrugged. "They are still looking for me though. They wont rest until i, the last member of my family, am dead. They can't truly claim the throne until then." He frowned.

"Oh they can be." He smiled. "Nothing worse than a girl brought up to expect to get everything she wants. It makes them so spoilt and stuck up. I prefer a girl that is down to earth. One like you." He smiled and let his hand drop to hers. "But i like your name. Annabeth, so elegant and beautiful like it's owner."

Anna stared at Dante's eyes for a brief moment, appreciating it's beauty while it lasted. Wow... was this what it felt like to be with someone you... liked? (Well, it was liked, right? Anna had no idea how to describe this, what she felt with Dante.) She had never done it with anyone like this before. She looked away after a while, because the silence was scaring her. Who knew she would be afraid of silence?

Pursing her lips, Anna nodded with every word Dante had spoken. Not only did she know now about the Dothraki tribe (and perhaps do a project on them), she also observed how beautiful his voice was. It was the sort of voice Anna would have lingering in her head for absolute days, trying to get it out. Of course, the slight difference this time was that she wasn't going to struggle against keeping it away. She was only going to let it lull her to sleep. "I see," she noted. "You know this story pretty well, huh?"

Anna narrowed her eyes. "I won't let them get to you," she snarled, mostly at those Dothraki people than at Dante. "If they want you dead, I'll kill them first. I am, after all, pretty handy with a dagger." She then smirked cheekily at him.

In most times like this, Anna would yell and shout and tell him it wasn't real, but... she couldn't refuse. She knew about conduct and like most people, she intended to keep to it. She knew that lapses in personality were not to be taken lightly by your friends, and definitely not by your enemies, but screw all of that. Without another thought, he took his hand. "You're... you're too kind," she mumbled,

He nodded. "My mother used to tell me it every night before bed. I guess now it was in preparation for times like this. We alway knew the time would come when they came to seize the throne. We just thought we'd be strong enough to fight them off." He shrugged.

He smiled and lightly traced the back of his hand against her cheekbones. "You are far too kind but i wouldn't let you anywhere near those animals. I would never put you in danger to save my own skin. I wouldn't put anyone in danger to save myself. Not by choice anyway." He said thinking about his men out there that were already fighting to save his life. Those he could do nothing to stop.

"I have the best training the world could give me but even that is not enough if faced with those monsters alone." He frowned.

He smiled and brought her hand up to his lips. "E 'nel mio sangue il mio angelo." He said before kissing the back of her hand.

Anna laughed lightly at the thought of a little boy curled up in his room, trying to get him to sleep. And apparently, his bedtime story was a violent tale of a violent tribe. Well, that certainly beat her old childhood tales. Anyway, it was a strong, vivid tale, scary, in fact. "Wow... well, that didn't turn out quite right, now did it?" she deadpanned, trying not to sound sarcastic.

"Well then, it's not your choice to go after those barbaric beasts, it's mine," she plainly replied, trying to keep her cool. It was hard to keep your cool when: a) the boy you fancied had his fingers trailing across your cheeks and b) when you were talking about war. "And if I die, it's for a noble cause." She then snorted at the mention of having the best training ever. "Have you ever faced a real life situation in which you have to use your skills, though? That's the best sort of training."

Anna giggled when Dante took her hand and kissed it. Trying not to look so overjoyed, she pressed her hands together and put the back of her kissed hand on her cheek. "What does that mean?" she asked, her voice light and flighty.