I could tell Rose was chomping at the bit to talk to me from the second Adrian and I had entered the Moroi court in our beaten up wedding finery. She had the decorum to hold her tongue on the walk to our appointed housing and even had the decency to leave us to our first night of safety without too much pressure from Dimitri but I knew the minutes until she hunted me down for the whole story were ticking down.
After being detained in re-education for months and then being on the run from the Alchemist's, this new found feeling of freedom was a little overwhelming. "So what should be do, on our first night as husband and wife?" Adrian asked, with a wiggle of his eyebrow. The terms husband and wife were still so foreign to me but with every second that passed, I could not imagine my life not being Mrs Ivashkov.
"Would you hate me if I just wanted to take a long hot bath, followed by binge reading all the world news I have missed out on in the last few months?". Adrian laughed out loud and shook his head. "If you are happy, I am happy my dear. Come, let's get you bathed and ready for a night of current affairs". He grabbed my hand and led me to the small bathroom that accompanied our small apartment. Daniella sat in the living room, trying her hardest to not notice the fact that Adrian had locked the door behind us.
"Adrian! Your mother is right on the other side of the door". I wanted nothing more than to lose myself in Adrian's soft kisses but a life of prudish behaviour was hard to shake off. Adrian looked back at me with a look of shock, "Sydney you are my wife now. I would never expect our first time sleeping together as a betrothed couple to be in a cramped bathroom. I simply came in to run you a steaming hot bath and undress you slowly. You think so little of me".
With a sly smile he moved to run the taps and as the bath began to fill, he emptied a large amount of shampoo into the tub. "No bubbles, I have to improvise". He slowly began stirring the water around with his hands, creating a small amount of foam to sit atop of the bath water. I attempted to reach behind to begin the process of undoing the thousands of buttons that held my formally beautiful wedding dress in place.
"Stop right there. As much as I love this stunning dress and how heavenly you look in it, nothing would give me greater pleasure than removing it from you. Now turn around". I gave him a soft smile and complied, who was I to deny my husband the simple pleasures in life. Adrian's smooth hands moved to my shoulders, slowly unlacing the delicate lace fabric that held the corseted dress so close to me. My husband made quick work of the buttons, leading me to believe that he had quite a bit of practice with this sort of thing. Shaking the imagine of Adrian and his past conquests from my mind, I relaxed as Adrian moved his hands to my shoulders and rubbed them softly before kissing just below my earlobe.
"If I get to spend every night of the rest of my life readying you to bathe, then I will die a very happy man" he said with a content sigh. I leant back against him and rested my head against his muscular shoulder.
"You, are a very easy man to please Adrian. I think this pre bath ritual is something that I will be more than happy to indulge you in for the rest of our married days". I turned to face him and he took my face in his hands.
"After everything we have been through Sage, the simpler our routine the better. Now let's get you bathed and ready for bed". He let the tattered wedding gown fall to the ground and used every ounce of self-control he possessed to not let his eyes fall to my near naked body. He kissed me softly on the forehead and then walked towards to door, looking back to give me a devil may care grin before leaving me to my bath.
I smiled back and found myself unable to remove said smile from my face. I was married to the only man I had ever loved and could not imagine ever being apart from him ever again. Sure we still had lots of issues to overcome, like the Alchemist's hunting and watching our every moves and the fact that we were now unable to leave the Moroi court. But right now the only issue I wanted to think about was the most recent New York Times that Adrian had left folded beside the tub. Lowering myself into the steaming water, I did not feel the heat as it scolded my skin. After re-education, I would never take heat or warm water for granted ever again.
After what seemed like a life time, I finally left the bathroom feeling like a new woman. The lights had been switched off in the living room and there was no sign of Daniella. I crept back into our designated bedroom to find the lights dimmed down and Adrian on the phone. He mouthed out loud that he was on the phone to Jill and I asked him softly to say hello for me. I could not remember the last time I'd had a proper night sleep that wasn't in a cramped aeroplane or dingy motel room. Not knowing or caring if we had been provided any form of sleepwear, I dropped my towel and made my way to the bed. Adrian tried his best to continue his conversation with Jill but his concentration was understandably disturbed.
I crawled under the sheets and closed my eyes, breathing in the comfort and tranquillity of the luxurious bedding. Before Adrian could even finished the phone call, I had drifted off and I only slightly stirred when I felt him slip into the soft bed beside me. I slept a dreamless sleep and woke up feeling like a brand new woman. I reached out beside me to find and empty bed. I sat up startled, scared that the Alchemist's had taken Adrian when I slept but I found a hastily written note in his artist's writing on the bedside table.
Mrs Ivashkov,
I have left to procure us some of the basic essentials we may need to survive (clothing, food, prophylactic's). Rose dropped by earlier to beg me for information, she guised her visit to drop some personal items off for you but she was like a blood hound sniffing around for gossip. I left some clothing on the chair for you and I arranged for some breakfast to be delivered, it should be waiting for you in the kitchen. Sleep well and enjoy the time to yourself because you will have a tough time getting rid of me.
Mr Sage (sorry I realised that would be your father and that is both gross and confronting)
Your loving husband
I placed Adrian's letter down and smiled to myself. Night one as a married couple was blissful and I woke this morning happier than I had been in a very long time. I stretched around in bed before finally rolling out. I grabbed the clothing that Adrian had left for me, another very brightly coloured shirt and some soft, curve hugging denim jeans. The old Sydney took over and I thoroughly made the bed, ensuring the corners were tucked according to hotel standards. I made my way to the living room where an array of fresh breakfast foods had been laid out. I reached to grab an apple when I heard a soft knock at the door. Due to the overwhelming fear that the last few months of imprisonment had ingrained in me, I contemplated making a break for one of the windows. Breathing slowly, I let common sense take hold of me and convinced myself that there would be no way that the Alchemist's would have been able to make their way into court, let alone this close to me. I crept slowly to the door and peered through the peephole.
"Sydney Sage I can hear you breathing in there. Open the door now, you know I am strong enough to break it down". Rose's haughty voice calmed my nerves and I let myself sigh out loud. I unlocked the door and opened it slowly but Rose pushed it open and made her way inside before I could even think to make up an excuse to get rid of her.
"Please, come on in" I said with a laugh as Rose made her way into the living room and took a seat on the couch. I closed the door softly and ensured I locked it thoroughly. I knew I was safe here but I could never be too careful. I slowly made my way to the living room and took a seat beside Rose on the couch, being very careful not to make eye contact with her.
"So I have been here for approximately ten seconds and you have yet to spill on any of the details of your new romantic entanglements. You have a lot of talking to do". Rose picked up some grapes from the table and placed them slowly in her mouth, gazing expectantly at me with a bemused smile upon her face.
I took a deep breath, knowing that there was no chance I was going to get out of this without having to give a little information away. "What do you want to know Rose? The Alchemist's are bad news, they kidnapped, tortured and held me captive and if I had not married Adrian, I would have been locked away and tortured by them again".
Rose, clearly not impressed by my answer, placed the grapes back on the table and rolled her eyes at me. "That's all your giving me. You, Sydney Sage, hater of all things Moroi related and prize Alchemist, are going to tell me that you married out of protection?. You need to give me some details and you need to give them to me now". She crossed her arms and gave me an unforgiving stare.
"You have to understand why this is awkward for me Rose. You and Adrian used to date, I don't want to talk about this stuff with his ex-girlfriend".
Rose almost laughed out loud and rolled her eyes at me again. "Okay, so first of all, whatever happened between me and Adrian lasted for like one month and it was nothing in comparison to whatever is obviously going on between the two of you right now. Adrian only ever thought he was in love with me because I broke up with him. He wasn't used to not getting the girl he wanted. But I see him with you Sydney, I saw how he was when he went on the meds and when he went back to school. And I saw how he was when you were taken. That guy is head over heels in love with you, he would die for you. I feel really stupid for not noticing it sooner. Secondly, Adrian and I are friends. And right now, my friend is absolutely besotted with you, head over heels with you. So my question is, is it mutual? Or is this just about protection from the Alchemist's?".
I don't think I had ever heard Rose speak about Adrian in such depth before but she obviously saw how he felt for me and cared about his happiness. I took a deep breath and decided to just lay it all out on the line.
"When I was sent to Palm Springs, I didn't realise it would involve spending so much time with Jill, Eddie and Adrian but with everything we encountered out there, I really needed someone to count on and Adrian and I developed this connection, this friendship based on understanding and desire to protect and better each other. I think I was the only person who was truly honest with him and he started working on bettering his life, for himself. And then we came up against so many obstacles and dangerous situations that we were pushed to depend on each other. I was not used to trusting people and then I was somewhat forced to discover that I had some abilities that were scary and daunting. But Adrian was there for me, supporting me and encouraging me. We fell in love with each other so gradually that we did not even notice, well I didn't. Adrian realised it after we were attacked by Strigoi but it took him a while to clue me in. And once he did, well I guess you could say I was reluctant to admit my true feelings. I had never been in love before, so I just thought I was confused. But the more time that we spent together and the more Adrian just appreciated the good in me, something that no one had ever done before, the deeper I fell for him. Before I knew it, what I felt for him was an all-consuming love and was worth throwing away everything I had spent my life building. We tried our hardest to keep in under wraps but I guess we were not careful enough. My sister Zoe found out and told my father, and that's when I was sent to re-education. Rose, I cannot begin to explain the things they did to me. They tried to turn me against you guys, they honestly thought they could retrain my brain to hate you all, to want to hurt Adrian and your people. I just bided my time and waited for Adrian to find me, and when he did, we escaped and ran from the others, to protect them. But the Alchemists are everywhere and they found us pretty quickly. Adrian realised that we could almost guarantee our safety if we tried to return to court as husband and wife. So we got married. But then the Alchemist's found us again, hence the standoff on top of the helipad. So a magic standoff ensued and then we got out of there. And now we are here". Rose was silent for a moment and took her time to take in my words.
"Okay so let's just put aside that I am learning that you somehow managed to learn how to wield magic. So you and Adrian fell in love. What's next? Are you guys going to just stay together for a while and then once the Alchemist's back off, you will divorce? And are you guys just going to live here forever? With Adrian's mother?". Rose trailed off, still not satisfied she had the whole story.
"Rose, this isn't about the Alchemist's. Sure we probably pushed up the date by a few years, but I have no doubt in my mind that we would have eventually gotten married and to be honest, I cannot imagine not spending every single night and morning for the rest of my life with Adrian. I never believed in soul mates or needing someone to complete you but he centres me. I never knew I could feel the way I feel, or see the world the way I see it now. I crave him every time he is not near me, I miss him the second he walks out the door and my centre holds when we are together. He is my everything, and whatever comes next, whatever drama we face, we will face it together".
I jumped at the noise of hearing a door close behind me and I am surprised to see an elated looking Adrian locking it softly behind him. The smile plastered across his face is evidence that he has overheard most of what had transpired between Rose and myself. He made his way over to the couch and brushed my face softly with his hand.
Rose shifted uncomfortably in her seat and groaned out loud. "Guys, just so you know. I am one hundred percent on board with this relationship. I am even more on board with two of my friends finding love. I am even okay with the fact that you two are breaking centuries old taboo about Moroi and Humans engaging in relationships. But as okay as I am with everything, I do not need to see you guys pawing at each other. If you will excuse me, I have to find any excuse to leave now before this gets even more uncomfortable". I laughed out loud and followed Rose to the door. She unlocked it and turned before leaving.
"Sydney, I know I joke around a lot but I you need to understand how happy I am to see both you and Adrian so overwhelming happy. You guys both mean the world to me and the fact that you have managed to look deep into Adrian's soul and help unleash the greatness that has been hidden inside of him, well I cannot even express the gratitude that those who care about him feel. You both deserve all the happiness in the world but you need to understand that not all my or your people will feel the same. Please be careful and understand that your love is greater than their hate. Please take advantage of the safety that court has provided for you both, but do not let it affect how you see the world. There is so much more out there for you both, and we will do everything to help you find it. Just be patient. And enjoy your honeymoon". Rose turned to walk away but I grabbed her arm and enveloped her in a bear hug.
All of this begun because of her and I used to hate her for getting me involved with her world but now I realised it was for the greater good. Without helping Rose in Russia, I would never have been dragged into any of this mess and I would never have met Adrian or reached my potential outside of the Alchemist's. I could sense that Rose was taken aback by my hug but she quickly returned my affections. When I finally released her, she squeezed my arm with a smile and turned to walk off down the hall.
I locked the door behind me and turned to face my smiling husband on the couch. "You crave me when I am not around?" he said with a grin. My cheeks flushed softly with a blush I walked over to join him on the overstuffed chaise. I grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. Walking slowly towards our bedroom, I turned to face him with a wicked smile.
"Mr Ivashkov, let me show you how much I crave you" I said whilst slowly backing my way over to our bed. I kicked off my shoes and laid myself down suggestively on the bed. Adrian closed the door with his foot and walked over to me, like a lion stalking its prey.
"I think I am going to enjoy married life" he muttered and laid himself over me. He traced the golden lily on my cheek with his soft fingers and then turned his attention to my lips. "I think I am really going to enjoy married life" he repeated and then lost himself to my embrace.
AN- and there you have it! The conversation between Rose and Sydney that I could not believe was omitted from the bloodlines series! This was my first time writing from Sydney's perspective, I hope everyone enjoyed it!