Now... Say the name of this chapter fast.... :-D I'm so happy that you all liked the wedding so much... The story continues...
Sandy

Chapter Twenty-Five

A celebration: Aura party.

Lissa had organised for the reception to be held in one of the queen's banquet halls. She'd had people in to decorate and it looked amazing. Over the dance floor were three mirror balls throwing little star light spots all around the room, red, black, white and gold was the theme and there were balloons and streamers of each color. We walked in on a red carpet and under a small gazebo thing entwined with ivy, ferns and red, white & nearly black roses. There were large Rose bushes in pots all around the room and each table with its gold table cloths had bouquets of the same roses. It looked like..... "A fairytale." I whispered to myself.

Dimitri squeezed my hand and I looked up to his smiling face. "You deserve your fairytale maya krasaveetsa." As we walked in everyone clapped. I couldn't believe that people had accepted our decision to marry. Normally two Dhampirs marrying was looked down upon; they were made to feel as though they were committing some serious felony against not only their own kind, but against the Moroi as well. Why were we any different? Just then my eyes rested on Robert whose smile reached his eyes and lit up his whole face, a smile I'd never seen on his face before. I wonder? Could he really have done all this...? I thought to myself

Wonder what? Who's done what? Lissa said from behind me.

Eavesdropping again Liss? I'll tell you later.....

You'd better! I smiled and continued to say hello to everyone. There were a lot more people here than were even at the church. A lot of Royals that I knew by sight, they were all treating me like I was one of them.... someone whose wedding was to be celebrated by all.... Again I looked at Robert and he still had the same expression. I looked at him with narrowed eyes and shook my head; I knew he'd played a part with this, now I just had to see if he'd admit to it. Obviously reading what was going through my head, he started to laugh and then winked at me. I knew it. "Dimitri, I'll be right back, I need to talk to Robert." He nodded to me and continued shaking hands with everyone.

"How did you accomplish it?" I asked him.

"Accomplish what Rosemarie?"

"I would have thought by now you'd realised that I can work you out. How did you get everyone to accept this?" He bent forward; wrapping his arms around my shoulders and kissed my cheek.

"I once told you that you literally saved my life when you came for me, and that I'd never forget it. I think this is the least I can do for you, after all, what's a life worth?"

"Yours? A lot." I was very close to Robert, I loved him a lot. He was more than just a friend, almost like a father, but somehow....more. I owed him my life because without him, I wouldn't have Dimitri or this baby, I wouldn't be married, and I wouldn't have this life... I would do anything for this man. "Save me a dance?" He smiled as he nodded.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? But you'll be the first on my dance card Rose. Oh, by the way, I got a phone call from Guardian Montague just before sundown and Yelena is on her way; she should be here by lunch time tomorrow." He looked behind me and smiled, "But you need to go right now, you have people to meet and greet. And I think your husband wants you back." I smiled as I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and grabbed the skirt of my dress; I loved hearing that word when it applied to Dimitri and walked back to my 'husband'... In the next half hour, I'd lost count of how many "Thank you's" we'd said and my cheeks were starting to hurt from the constant smiling. Everyone took their seats, and to my dismay, Queen Bitch sat at my table. Lissa had organised an amazing menu; one that I didn't have to guess what anything was... I normally went home hungry from those events, and then Dimitri and I went to take our first dance together as a married couple.

"Just keep your body close to mine Lastochka." He whispered in my ear. I knew how to do a lot of things, but dancing wasn't one of them; Dimitri on the other hand excelled....as usual. The music started and the rest of the room disappeared, it was just me and Dimitri. The next thing I knew, I felt someone tapping me on the shoulder, I turned away from his eyes to look up to my father.

"May I cut in?" Dimitri nodded and then walked in the direction of his mother. "You look absolutely radiant Rose. I can't believe I'm looking at the same girl....woman that I found in Baia."

"Thank you dad. You're looking pretty hot yourself you know." He grinned.

"Yeah, it's a curse....but then someone has to be this good looking I suppose." I couldn't help but laugh...we really were two peas in a pod.

"That's true; after all...anyone who had me for a daughter must be pretty hot!" Just then I happened to see Dimitri dancing with Tasha and as stupid as it was, all my insecurities flared up again. Dimitri looked a little tense and Tasha's face looked....weird. I could feel the jealousy tugging in my chest. My father felt me stiffen and followed my line of sight. I looked up at him and he had his eyebrow raised in question. "I just don't trust her; I wouldn't be surprised if at this very moment, she was trying to talk him out of this marriage." Just then I thought that with her compulsion ability, she could very well do that.

"Do you want me to go break up the party...?" I didn't say anything straight away while I thought about it, so he took that as an answer, he nodded and let my hand go. "I won't have my girl feeling bad on her big day." He said. As I stood there watching him walk over to Tasha & Dimitri I smelt the familiar mix of alcohol and clove cigarettes in front of me.

"You're looking a little green there, Little Dhampir." I turned to look into Adrians knowing smile.

"Who me? Never...." I could tell he was looking at my aura, so he knew exactly what I was feeling at the moment. "Well, maybe a little." He shook his head as he held out his hand.

"Can I have this dance?" I nodded and instantly felt better. The anger was still there, but not as bad. "It had to happen you know Little Dhampir..."

"What?"

"You go 'off the market' and I get swamped with girls batting their eyelids at me..." seeing my expression he smiled and continued. "I was talking to Vikki before and Mia walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist and kissed me. Apparently she missed me; her aura was a little...colorful too."

"Mia kissed you? Well, then...that must have been....nice for you." I said with a smirk. I'd ask him more about Mia later, for now I had other things on my mind. "Adrian? Have you spoken to Tasha today?"

"Only a little, why?" I didn't like to be the jealous type, but I didn't trust her. He looked over my shoulder to where I knew they were for a few seconds and then looked back to me.

"I don't know their conversation just before looked a little strained." He looked back to them for a few seconds and then glanced at me. "What? Can you hear what they're saying?"

"No." I could tell by his face he was lying. I was almost going to pull him up on it when he continued to speak. "Dimitri's aura tells me he's not all that happy, her aura's a little messed up though.... Do you want me to ask what her intentions are?" I screwed my face up at him, but decided not to let her affect my wedding. I shook my head to clear it and then concentrated on dancing. At the end of our second dance, I felt Adrian stiffen slightly and I looked up to see him looking over my shoulder again.

"May I have my wife back now?" said Dimitri. His tone was not all that nice; nor the look he was giving him, and I could see that getting him to accept Adrian in Vikki's life was not going to be easy. Adrian nodded and then smiled at me.

"Thanks for the dance Rose." He gave a small bow and walked away. I looked up at Dimitri as he pulled me into his embrace.

"That wasn't very nice." I said to him as we danced, but he just shrugged. I couldn't help but smile a little as I once again saw jealousy in his eyes. "By the way, would you tell me the truth if I asked what Tasha was saying to you?" He tried very hard to hold onto his blank face, but I knew him way too well. "Yeah.... Just as I thought. Let me guess.... She spoke of.....what your wedding would have been like if you'd married her. Or....that there was still time to back out of this..." I held up my hand with my wedding band and wiggled it in front of him. He just looked into my eyes and said nothing... I was really starting to hate Tasha Ozera.

"She might have said things along those lines." He admitted. "But I set her straight. I told her that I was exactly where I wanted to be."

"I'm happy to hear that, but what lines did she speak about?"

"That she and I were closer in age and our relationship wouldn't run into any interference from the Moroi, not like yours and mine would." I was so mad I really felt like going and smacking that pretty little head of hers clean off her shoulders. But then I reminded myself that I wasn't going to let her ruin my wedding, so I took a deep breath and smiled at him.

"Too bad, you're mine now. And everyone knows how stubborn I am; I'm not letting you go now I've got you." He smiled that beautiful smile that reached his eyes and melted my heart.

"Well that's good to hear." Then he kissed me softly. Even though we'd eaten, I was still hungry, but I knew this hunger....it wasn't for food. I nuzzled into the crook of his neck and he smelt so good, his aftershave that I loved so much smothered me. I made a mental note to go talk to the new doctor about the cravings, they were getting stronger.