Author's Note: So I still own nothing, try as I might to raise money to buy the rights. XD (Not really Richelle Mead is the only one who can do it justice.) Thank you to my first reviewer gopherluv! For the record, all who read should review and follow the lead! Cool!
Author's Advice: Take the poll on my profile for the most awesome VA guy out there. It'll come into play later in the story. ;D
Love, Loss, and Life: Chapter 2
Dear Andre,
If you are getting this, than you know that we, your mother and I, were killed in a car accident. For some reason unbeknownst to us, it was our time to be taken. We are sorry to put all of this pressure on you at a young age, but we need you to take care of Lissa. She is fragile and this will only make it much worse.
Also, we know that this may seem something odd for us to say right now, but trust us when we say that you will rise to the challenge and be a great father figure to her so don't worry about it. Just don't be too lax because she will take advantage of it.
Also, marry Lily. Yes we are dictating this. We know that you have wanted to for a while now so get over your fear of asking her father, and yes we know what you're thinking he is the biggest mob boss but you need to get over that fear at some point, no time like the present!
We know we left you with the title, but guess what, you have a support system. Talk to Adrian Ivanshkov and get his aunt to find someone to help you. Preferably not Rufus Tarus though because they may try to swing you're views if at all possible.
As for anything else, just try your best and you will accomplish the best that you can. Just remember we are always with you. If you ever need to talk to us, contact Rosemarie Hathaway, Lissa's friend, she can see ghosts and she can contact us. However, do this as little as possible because we know you can do it.
Love to you both,
Andrew and Laura Dragomir
P.S. Tell Lily that we will miss her too, and thank you for we know she will help you in whatever you need.
I folded the note back up carefully, as to not rip the paper that was the Dragomir's last words to their son. I was in awe, of all of the things they could have said they brought me up. . . ME! I was in shock but this just made it so much worse. "Andre . . . I don't know what to say to this. . . it's just, just wow. I never thought that-"
He cut me off by kissing me, this was by no means the quick kiss that I had given him earlier. He was pouring all his pent up emotions, sadness and his need for closeness, his caring, his worry, anger at how the weight of the world was on his shoulders, but most of all, love. How he knew, in that moment, that his parents were absolutely right, how he knew then and there he was mine forever, that I was his, and everything else inconsequential.
"Look," he began as he pulled away slightly, "I talked to your father. I love you so much, and I know now more than ever that life is too short to wait to get the nerve to ask this, so Lillian Natalie Ozera-Mazur . . . will you marry me? Make me the happiest man I can ever be?"
By this time he was on his knees and ready to pull out a small velvet box from his suit pocket, that when he opened it held the Dragomir engagement ring. He was serious! I felt my cheeks flush and tears come to my eyes as he stared at me with total devotion, "Of course I will!"
He got up, and slid the ring on my finger, god that was a heavy even for a royal, and kissed me. It was a soft kiss, and when he pulled away tears of both happiness and the sudden release of emotions were in his eyes to the point where it only confused me.
When I looked back up at him, I couldn't help but smirk at the idiocy of the entire situation. "You know, Andre, I think you are the only guy that I know that will legitimately propose to a girl the day that your parents die. Talk about trying to avoid the topic."
He and I both snickered, it was so true. Then, after the end of our little 'moment' Lissa spoke up. Her voice was weak, almost scratchy in tone, but you could tell she was trying to put on a strong face for the good of the general public, "Congratulations Andre, Lily," she said nodding in both of our directions. "However, I think we have a meeting with the queen . . . like right about now. . . "
Andre looked at her and stared like she was speaking a foreign tongue, "Oh . . . that's right I do. . . "He said glancing around the courtyard. He turned to me, "Come with us? We absolutely need to alert the queen of our engagement. "
I could almost hear the sigh of annoyance from Lissa, she really did hate me. However, I was going to try and be nicer to her . . . though it may kill me in the end. "Um Andre," I whispered in his ear, "I think this is something that you and Lissa need to do on your own. I'll walk with you, and if they call me in I will, but as for the initial visit, this is something you two need to do together."
At the end I put on a sad smile but darted my eyes slightly so that Lissa could visibly relax and see that I was doing this for her own benefit. Andre looked a little saddened by the comment but Lissa just smiled a bit. It wasn't smug but more so thankful. "Alright, though I am sure she will call you in within the first five minutes."
With that little comment, we started to walk towards the palace. Turning I saw my three guardians standing there. Pavel was the same emotionless person he always was, Mikhail mouthed a quick congratulations in my direction which I promptly nodded to, and Dimitri . . . he seemed to have a wave of annoyance, or possibly jealousy, but I highly doubted the latter of the two. "Back to the palace we go!" I said to them with a mock annoyance and a roll of my eyes. I then turned slightly to Mikhail and whispered, "Good thing I didn't go back home and change, right?"
A small smirk formed across his tightly pressed lips as he whispered back, "You'd have changed back in a heart- beat."
I thought about it for a moment and spoke, "Absolutely."
We had just arrived at the palace, yet again, when Andre spoke to me. You could tell, he was back to being his secluded self, "We'll send someone to get you the second we can." He followed it by a kiss and walked inside with his sister trailing behind.
I let out a sigh, another waiting game from the queen. Then I looked at the ring that was on my left-ring-finger and squeaked a bit. This was THE Dragomir engagement ring. It was given to Andre's mother, his grandmother, great-grandmother . . . and so on. Now I had it, and there would be some girl someday that would get it from my son. All through my day dream I had been hoping that the messenger would come, but ten minutes passed and nothing did. Then, I felt my body go slamming to the ground and my vision blur.
"Lily, get down NOW!" I heard the startling voice of Dimitri who just took the brunt of an attack from a strigoi. He looked both pained and focused though the physical attack hadn't fazed him. He took the lead, calling out orders, "Mikhail, take Lily in the palace, and Pavel alert the main guardian branch! Tell Croft L-O-M-A-Q-T-I!"
Both guardians heard and fought without missing a beat, then obeyed. There had to be 14 strigoi in the area! Dimitri would not be able to live if he took them on alone. Pavel was already gone to get reinforcements but Dimitri, Mikhail and I both knew he wouldn't live to see the end of the battle. I watched him take blow after blow and stake at least five of them but he was outnumbered. Three of them were especially smart and teamed up, getting good blows on him. I wanted to help, but Mikhail was following orders and ushering me to the door. "No!" I cried as I shoved against him, throwing a bit of my compulsion into it. "You know if we don't help him, he'll die!"
Mikhail was useless against my compulsion and quickly moved aside. Dimitri, ever the exemplification of grace in battle, roared at him. "DO NOT LET HER GET HURT! YOU ARE A GUARDIAN AND NOTHING CAN HAPPEN TO HER BECAUSE I-"He was cut off by getting slammed into by a strigoi, and knocked into and knocked out by the attack.
I shrieked. I didn't know what else to do. I ran over to where the strigoi was about to rip his neck and lit him, it, on fire. The yelling that ensued was well, blood curdling at the least. I kept it burning though, until he was just a pile of ashes. Then I saw them, two that stood out above all of the rest. Their red eyes and pale skin made me want to scream, but their features made me want to run to them. The former parents of Andre and Lissa were standing right there, they were Andrew and Laura Dragomir.