Okay, part 2 of the reception... One more part to go... As I said, lots happen at this reception, I couldn't believe how big this chapter ended up, so I had to split it up.... sorry.
Thanks for the reveiws everyone! They're great. Keep them coming.
Sandy

Chapter Twenty-six

Drama, Drama, Drama!

The night went pretty smooth after that....for a while; I danced with nearly every male here... Robert included. Lissa had danced a little, but she was nearly at the end of the pregnancy so she sat down a lot. My feet were killing me by this point and my back hurt, so I went to sit at the table with Dimitri's family.

"Rose, this is a wonderful wedding." Said Olena.

"Yeah, it is pretty special." I said tired. I looked at Yeva and saw that familiar look on her face....the one that said she'd had another dream and didn't know if she was going to tell me what it was. "Okay...spill it." I said lifting my eyebrows at her.

"I didn't have a dream... Just a feeling.... Ah....I think the puppet is here." What?

"What's that mean?"

"Remember I said that there was someone who could give you the answers, but she was a puppet.... well I think she's here." The words of Yeva's dream echoed in my head... There's one who holds the answers to it all, Rose... She is unaware of her puppeteer; she will try to steer you into the waiting arms of death. Shivers ran down my spine as I looked around at the people around me, people I knew, people I didn't know...a puppet would only be of any worth, if she actually knew me well enough to do her puppeteers bidding, so I discounted those I didn't know... but that still left a lot of candidates. I knew it wouldn't be Lissa or Oksana, they'd know it if anyone tried messing with their heads. Still too many options... A certain scarred, raven haired beauty popped into my mind....

"Mama, not here." Said Olena.

"No, it's alright Olena." I said. Then I turned to the old Russian with a smile... "I trust you Yeva; you still don't know who it is though?" She shook her head as she looked away in thought. I turned to the dance floor to see Dimitri dancing with the Queen.... A slow smile spread on my face as I thought about how much he'd be enjoying himself....NOT! I snickered under my breath and shook my head. The song ended and then he let her go and bowed so I got up and started to walk over to him as he waited until she walked away. Another song had started and then he turned around and smiled as he saw me. Then he glanced to my right and saw Adrian and Vikki dancing....very closely and very intimately. In an instant I saw his face change.... his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, then I looked down to see his hands ball tightly into fists. Shit! I tried to run, which was not easy in this dress.

As I reached him, I put my hands on his face. "Dimitri. Stop!" I said through my teeth, but it was too late, I could already feel the heat radiating through his shirt. I reached up and pulled his eyes away from Adrian... "Look at me.... not here, please....not here." His breathing was deep and ragged and I could see him trying to gain control. His body shook, his muscles were like rocks and his face....it burned with emotion.

"Get... him... out of...here...now." He growled through clenched teeth. I nodded but never took my eyes of his.

Lissa! Quickly.... get Adrian out of here! Please... NOW! At least get him away from Vikki.

What? Oh Crap! Coming....

"Lissa's coming. Just keep looking at me... just me." My hands were still on his face so I reached up on my toes and pulled him into a kiss, I had to take his mind off Adrian.... As I kissed him I turned him around so he now had his back to where Lissa was taking Adrian and Vikki. I could feel him getting cooler but I could see out of the corner of my eyes that everyone had seen Dimitri lose control. People were whispering and some were even backing away....afraid.

"I'm sorry Roza," he said, shame filling his beautiful eyes, "I didn't mean to lose control like that. I've ruined your day." I smiled as I shook my head.

"Are you kidding? You just stood up in front of all of our family and friends and the Queen... and not only admitted that you love me, you also told anyone who would listen that I am yours and you are mine; that is something that I've wanted to hear ever since I knew I loved you. Nothing you could ever do or say could ruin this day. Now smile and kiss me again hot stuff." He smiled softly as he shook his head and I'm pleased to say that he did exactly what I told him to do...for once.

Has he calmed down? Is it safe for them to come back? Asked Lissa....

Yeah, I think so, but just ask them to tone it down a little for now please...

Okay, but I thought I'd let you know that Vikki seems a little pissed.... Great! Just what I need....another pissed off Russian.

"They're coming back inside, alright." I warned him. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Just remember all those lessons you tried to teach me about self control." I couldn't help but smirk.... just a little. Now I was the one giving him the Zen life lesson on controlling himself... He smiled and lifted me up off the ground. I loved being able to look directly into his eyes.... he dropped his face into my neck and breathed in deep; which might I say sent a shock wave of goosebumps to cover my entire body, but I couldn't exactly make out in front of everyone so I pulled myself together. "Wanna go outside for a bit?" I asked. He nodded and put me back down and then put an arm around my waist as we walked outside into the courtyard. It was beautiful out here; winter was nearly upon us and the air was quite cold but the sky was clear and you could see millions of stars... We stood facing each other with our arms locked around our waists. "We actually did it, we're married." I said in an almost whisper. He looked at me with so much love, my heart skipped a beat.

"We most certainly did Roza. You're stuck with me now." I rolled my eyes as I shook my head.

"How will I endure it...?" I said mockingly as I put the back of my hand on my forehead. He snickered slightly at my wisecrack...

"Oh, I plan on fully exercising your endurance levels, starting tonight. You're going to be amazed with how much you'll learn to endure by the time I'm finished with you." The wicked look in his eyes set me on fire, and I was just about to drag him into the bushes where I could have my way with him when we heard someone coming up behind us. I begrudgingly tore my eyes away from Dimitri and turned to see Rhonda and Ambrose coming towards us. I didn't know if they'd heard or seen what had just gone on between us, but they didn't say anything.

"I just wanted to say congratulations to you both." Said Rhonda as they approached us. "I'm glad to see you are back with us Dimitri, it pained me deeply when Rose came to see me last time." She kept looking between us like she wanted to say more. "Rose... I did a reading before I came and wondered if you wanted to know what I saw in the cards." My hand instinctively tightened around Dimitri's, unlike Yeva's visions/dreams, Rhonda's never felt good, nor did they have good endings, I most certainly didn't like the ending of Dimitri's reading she gave him. I didn't know if I really wanted to know or not. He looked down to me wondering why I reacted the way I did, but I'm afraid to say curiosity got the better of me.

"Yeah sure, why not." I said and she nodded in response.

"You will find what you're after, your hunt will be successful. I saw a large home, a familiar home where spirit once lived. Your prey hides in the trees." Well it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I still had Yeva's little warning thingy swimming in my head, now this....my head was beginning to hurt. Just then I saw Lissa and Adrian running towards us, they looked at me with the same expression on both their faces, which also happened to mirror Lissa's feelings. Confusion, slight fear... Dimitri must have seen their faces too as he pushed me slightly behind his body, then both Lissa and Adrian were at my side looking at Rhonda.

"What's going on?" I asked them both. They just stared at Rhonda like she had two heads or something, but it was Adrian who spoke first.

"There is something wrong with her aura."

Really wrong. Said Lissa through the bond. I've never seen anything like that before.

"I think you need to leave, both of you." Adrian said, Rhonda narrowed her eyes but didn't look like she was going to move. "Now." Adrian said with more royal authority in his voice than I'd heard in a long time. I saw Dimitri look at Adrian and Lissa; then back to Rhonda and then he straightened himself up into guardian mode and put himself in between Adrian and Rhonda.

"You were asked to leave ma'am, if you need help finding your way to the front door, I will gladly escort you both." Rhonda looked at Dimitri; then at me before speaking to Adrian.

"I'm sorry if I upset you; that was not my intention. Rose, Dimitri.... again, I'm glad that you have both found your way back to each other." Ambrose just stood there shocked and tense, as was I... neither of us knowing what had just happened.

Rose, there is something seriously wrong with her, move back. Said Lissa silently. I did what she asked as I could feel what she felt, but I wanted to know what she was seeing, so I slipped into her head. Lissa was still looking at Rhonda's aura as she and Ambrose walked away but I was confused with what I saw. Rhonda's aura was a mixture of colors, more so than most people, but it had black in it and was broken in places especially around her head, but the weirdest thing was... it was hard to describe... it was like her essence was leaking out through the breaks and sparks of white would flare up all over her, like little electric shocks. It was the weirdest thing I'd ever seen. Suddenly I was looking back at myself being shaken by Dimitri... Oh! I snapped back into my own head at looked at him and then at Lissa and Adrian.

"What was wrong with her? I've never seen anyone's aura like that before." I said. They all looked at me with open mouths until they realised that I'd been looking through Lissa's eyes.

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like that either and I've seen a lot of aura's." Said Adrian, I could tell he was upset by what he saw, but tried to not show it too much.

"How did you know something was wrong?" Dimitri asked Adrian.

"I was talking to Lissa when we saw them come out here. I only got a glimpse of her aura before they went through the doorway. I felt uneasy so we decided to see where they were going and then we saw what her aura really looked like. It was different from when I saw her at the church. As I said, I've seen a lot of auras and it didn't take me long to get to know good from bad, and that" he said pointing to where Rhonda had gone, ".....was bad."

I could see Dimitri thinking about what had just happened and then he looked at me and said, "Thank you Adrian." Dimitri said sincerely. All three of us were waiting to see if he'd say anything else, but he didn't, so Adrian just nodded.

"I will always protect my friends Dimitri, any way I can." He said. "Come on Cousin, you need to sit down and rest." I'd become so used to keeping up the barriers to her emotions, I reached out to her to see if she was alright, after all she only had a couple of months to go and she was getting big now. Adrian was right, she was tired but she was a little shaken with what had just transpired, and I knew that she would be trying to work out what was wrong with Rhonda's aura. We followed them back inside and went to do the cake cutting thing.... Tatiana came up to us to say her goodbyes and well wishes and her 'followers' did the same.