Three days after settling into our place on the outskirts of court, which was not as big as the house in Goderich, but equally as beautiful, we had finally had some time just to be the two of us.
I arch my back up as his hot breath fans across my inner thigh, and his hands grip my hips. What started as a simple leg massage has escalated quickly into some much more pleasurable. I whimper when he runs his tongue over my sensitive nub and tighten my grip in his hair, pulling a moan from his lips.
"Dimitri," I breathe. He moves his way up my body, dragging his tongue across my skin and placing open-mouthed kisses too. Placing hot kisses on my already attended to breasts, he shifts himself over me and brings himself in line with my core.
Capturing my lips with his and kissing me deeply, I cup his face and wrap a leg around his waist, pulling his closer to me as he sinks a hand into my hair. His teeth claim my bottom lip and tug gently, and it sends a hot pulse through my body. I don't think I will ever get enough of him.
My hand moves from his cheek to his neck, and my fingers brush the fresh molnija and Zvezda marks that sit there. Yesterday we both went to get our marks and thankfully it was done without a ceremony. Well, Dimitri got his marks, I have to wait until after I have the twins.
He moves his lip across my cheek, over my jaw, and down my neck, leaving featherlight kisses there. He pulls back abruptly and I let out a frustrated growl, my hands chasing him.
"Roll over," he hums, and I furrow my brows at him. Well into my second trimester, in my opinion, I'm huge and can't lay directly on my stomach anymore. I start to roll, and he grasps my hips, pulling me up onto my hands and knees.
"Lean on your elbows," he says. I shift and lean down, getting into a comfortable position. He kneels between my parted legs, running his hands over my back and sides lovingly before he pushes himself into me. Being that Christmas morning was the last time we had had sex, I am ready to explode.
Fisting the blankets in my hands, I rock back into him, and he moves a hand over one of mine and works his fingers in between my fingers, dropping kisses on my neck. Whispering his love for me and how I am his and he is mine against my skin, I groan and drop my head to the mattress, shifting our position and cause him to slide deeper. I cry out ecstatically as I hit the height of my climax.
He thrusts into me a few more times before hitting his and lays over my back, bracing his hands beside me to keep from placing all of his weight on me before pulling out and laying beside me. I flop onto my side and curl up to him, kissing his jaw.
"That was an amazing wake-up," I giggle. Dimitri has his arm thrown over his eyes as he catches his breath but lifts it and smirks down at me. I smile up at him and reach to peck his lips before flopping my head down on his chest.
"Do I have to go?" I whine. I was formally asked to attend a meeting with the Queen, and as grateful as I am for her help, I just want to spend the day in bed with my hot Russian god. He lets out a throaty laugh and wraps me up in his arms.
"It won't be so bad, besides you can come back right after, and I'll be here waiting," he whispers in my ear and pinches my butt. I smack him in jest and whine before sitting up and dragging myself out of bed and towards the bathroom. I look over my shoulder to see him spread out in the middle of the bed.
"Really?"
"You can't get back in now," he jokes, and I shake my head and head towards the shower.
I straighten the skirt of my dress as I sit and wait for Tatiana's assistant to let me in to see her. She throws me scandalized looks as she looks at my protruding stomach that is standing out against the long dress I wear, and I pull my cardigan around me a little tighter and shift a little.
Since coming back, most Dhampirs have been kind and congratulated me on my pregnancy, and some had even congratulated Dimitri when we explained it was a planned donor. Still, most of the Moroi have been anything but kind, some have openly made comments about it. I've done my best to take it with a grain of salt, but some have been outright hurtful.
The assistant throws me another nasty glare, and I huff, crossing my legs.
"Got something you'd like to say?" I snap, and she smiles at me smugly as the doors open.
"Rosemarie, how lovely to see you. You're glowing," Tatiana says as she waltzes out of her private chambers and pulls me into a friendly hug as I stand to bow to her. I jump a little at the gesture but return the hug and smile at her when she pulls away.
"Lana, no one is to interrupt us," Tatiana says and guides me back into her chambers. Stepping into the room, I'm a little surprised to see Lissa perched on the couch, looking as much of the political princess that she is.
She flicks her eyes between Tatiana and me as I sit down beside her on the couch, and Tatiana sits on the sofa across from us.
"Thank you for joining us, Rosemarie; we have much to discuss. Now, in a year, I intend to step down from the throne, and I would like to name Vasilisa as my successor officially," Tatian says as she lifts her teacup to her lips and sips it while looking at us over the rim of the cup.
Lissa's mouth opens with an audible pop, and I match her reaction. I always knew Lissa was in line for the throne, but I never thought that would happen before Lissa was in her 20's.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Lissa stammers and tries to save face from her moment of shock. "Is that why Rose is here? So that she is prepared for when she gets reinstated as my Guardian?" Lissa adds a minute later, folding her hands gracefully in her lap.
Tatiana smiles and places her cup on the saucer and sends me a kind smile.
"No. Rose will not be reinstated as your guardian. Things are changing in our world, and it will start with you, Vasilisa. Every Queen needs a personal advisor, someone who helps the Queen with day to day needs. Now given the advisor is usually a Moroi, there is a lack of representation of the Dhampirs in Council and Parliament," Tatian explains, and I stare at her, completely lost in what she is saying. I look over at Lissa, and a smile spreads across her face.
"I need this in simpler words; I have pregnancy brain lately," I say, looking between them and Lissa grasp my hand in hers.
"What I believe Her Majesty is saying is that not only with I have an advisor for the Moroi, but I will have one to help me properly represent the Dhampirs and Guardians," Lissa says, looking over at Tatiana.
"That is correct. When I formally announce my successor, we announce the advisors as well," Tatiana says, and I nod and twists my fingers after pulling my hand free from Lissa.
"I would be honoured, Your Majesty," Lissa says sweetly, and I look up to Tatiana and bite my lip. This is a huge step, and I don't know how I want to approach this.
"Do I have to make this decision right now? This is something I want to discuss with Dimitri," I say hesitantly. I have been told since I was a kid that I was supposed to do is be a Guardian, to be what is between my charge and any threat. She is offering me a position where I have an opinion that can change things. It's a lot to process.
"Of course," Tatiana said, and I looked over to Lissa to see her beaming at me. I didn't need the bond to know that she was completely ecstatic over the fact that we would be working together instead of me working for her.
Lissa and Tatiana continued talking, but I ended up tuning them out, most of what they were talking about made no sense to me. It was mostly about protocols and Moroi statistics.
"We do have something else that needs to discuss," Tatiana says, drawing me out of my thoughts. Lissa gives her her full attention, setting the teapot down back on the table.
"Did you discuss your findings of who assaulted you, Rose?" Tatiana asked, and I winced. I hadn't told Lissa or Christian about Tasha being the one to send me the package. I didn't know how to tell either of them without hurting them. They deserve to know, but I'm a little worried that they wouldn't believe me.
I shake my head and bite my lip, looking down in my lap.
"I didn't know how to explain it," I say quietly.
"What do you mean?" Lissa asks softly, placing her hand on mine folded in my lap. I look up to Tatiana, silently pleading for her to tell Lissa instead of making me do it.
"Tasha Ozera's fingerprints were found on the photos, along with inside the wooden box," Tatiana said calmly. I slide my gaze to Lissa to gauge her reaction. Her face is painted with shock and a little bit of denial. Lissa shakes her head and stands up, smoothing her hands over her long hair as she paces behind the couch.
"Are you sure?" Lissa asks meekly, her voice shaking as she stops at looks at us.
"Afraid so. There were multiple sets of her prints found," Tatiana says. Lissa sits back down, composing herself and nodding in understanding.
"Is it possible that this isn't the first?" Lissa whispers a few minutes later, pulling both Tatiana and me from our thoughts.
"What do you mean?"
Lissa fidgets, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"When you asked me about the necklace you gave me, I said I didn't know who it was, but the longer I don't wear it, the more I can think about it. Then there was the car crash, and it was deemed a targeted event by the Guardian Council. Then someone tried to assassinate our monarch. What if they are connected? All of these events were to harm you," Lissa says.
I think things over in my head for a moment; it makes sense. The stake that stabbed Tatiana was mine, I was driving the car and took the most damage, and I was the one that was affected by the charmed necklace.
"Well, it's not that far fetched. She did compel Dimitri to kill me," I say before placing my hand over my mouth, mentally kicking myself for saying that. I hadn't told anyone besides the ones who needed to know.
"SHE DID WHAT?!" Lissa shrieks and I jump, covering my ears due to her proximity.
"Yea. She compelled Dimitri to strangle me to death. It was pretty bad - if Mom and Abe hadn't come in, he probably would have," I say quietly, looking down at my lap and rubbing my bump. I hated admitting that out loud that Dimitri very well could have killed me, and I wasn't able to fight back. I'm a trained Guardian and I couldn't stop him.
"How come she isn't in custody yet? It shouldn't matter that she is a royal; she should be arrested. Not only did she put you in harm, but another Guardian!" Lissa explains, and I place my hand on her arm, trying to pull her back down into her seat.
"We can't find her. She has practically disappeared. She is on every watch in the Moroi society, and the alchemists are putting a beat out in the human society," Tatiana says cooly.
I have to give it to Tatiana; she knows how to keep her composure when necessary. I can see that the topic of what has happened distresses her and she is keeping her feelings in check for not only Lissa's benefit but for mine too.
We continue discussing the aspects of what will happen when Lissa is announced as a successor and what role I will play in the lead up to her being crowned.
"I would like to announce this by the end of next week, will that be enough time for you, Rose?" Tatiana asks. I nod my head and stand up as my little girl sends a particularly strong fist into my side. I walk around for a bit, listening to the two of them talk before Lissa gasps.
"How am I going to tell Christian about Tasha," Lissa says, and I sigh. "We'll figure it out."
I close the front door and drop my bag to the floor, and lean back against the door. I run my hands over my face and sigh heavily. I'm exhausted.
I kick my shoes off and wander down the hall, look for my dotting fiancé. Finding him sprawled on the couch with one of the books I bought him for Christmas, I maneuver myself under one of his arms and curl up around him on the couch.
He moves his head to place a kiss on my forehead and puts his bookmark in the book before placing it onto the table.
"How did it go?" He asks, shifting so that he is laying on his side to give me more room, holding me close to him so I won't fall off.
I sigh and rub my nose against his chest, breathing in the smell of him and sighing again. "Well, it definitely wasn't what I was expecting."
He hums and rubs his palm on my lower back, resting his cheek on my head. "How so?" he asks. I tilt my head up to meet his gaze, trying to decide how to explain how the four-hour meeting went.
"Tatiana is stepping down, and wants to name Lissa as the next Queen," I say, bitting down on my lip.
"But we both knew that she was a contender for the throne," Dimitri says, placing his lips on my forehead, and I smile up at him.
"Yes, but Tatiana has decided things are changing, and that she will have two personal advisors. A Moroi, and a Dhampir – me."
Dimitri sits up and looks down at me, his mouth gaping. He stares at me for a moment, and I burst into laughter, leave it to me to make the man speechless.
"You're serious?" he asks after I calm down and nod at him. A broad grin crosses my face, and he pulls me into a hug.
"What?" I ask, muffled by his shoulder. He pulls up to look at me with a sheepish expression.
"You're probably not going to like my answer," he says, scratching the back of his neck. I narrow my eyes at him, waiting for him to elaborate on what he could possibly say to make me not like his response.
He shifts to sit up, pulling me with him and taking my hands in his, running his thumbs over the back of my hands.
"If you take the position as an advisor, you won't be on active duty. I love how strong you are and how good of a guardian you've become, but a little part of me hates the thought of you being hurt. And now with the babies…" he says softly, reaching a hand up to cup my cheek.
I understand where he is coming from, a part of me worries about him every time he walks out the door, whether it be to do a simple meeting with Abe, or when he is doing the border patrols that he picked up when we came back to court. As guardians, we live lives of uncertainty and looking back at what happened Christmas Eve, I can relate to that fear. I lean into his hand and smile at him, squeezing his hand that is still in mine.
"Dimitri," I say softly, and he opens his mouth again to plead his case, but I move and kiss him sweetly.
"I'm not mad. I know that fear, remember? I was frantic Christmas Eve; I get where you're coming from. I wanted to talk to you before telling Lissa and Tatiana that I want to take the job," I say quickly, trying to prevent the speech I know that was going to make his way out of his mouth.
"You want the job?"
I snort and lay back down on the couch, throwing my legs into his lap, stuffing a pillow behind me to prop myself up. "I have the opportunity to change things, to give people, us, the voice they deserve."
Dimitri smiles, running his hands down my shins before taking my feet and rubbing them gently.
"You are remarkable, Roza. It's one of the reasons I love you so much," he whispers. I smile again and tilt my head back, enjoying the feeling of him working on my tired feet.
I drag myself into a sitting position and lean against the headboard, glaring at the snoring beast beside me. Whether it be because I'm having a rough time switching back to nocturnal schedules, or solely because I have a hard time sleeping, I have been awake for hours, and Dimitri is asleep next to me - snoring like a bear! I nudge him with my foot and he stops mid snore, rolling over and resting his head in my lap, his arms winding around my legs. I huff and ruffle his hair softly before he starts snoring again.
I groan and let my head fall back against the wall. I might as well tough it out now, Dimitri will have to be up in an hour for his shift at the border. I look around our dark room as I spy the book on Dimtir's end table, and I carefully reach for it. I lift the book and flick my lamp on and get a little more comfortable in bed while being trapped in place. I turn to the first page of the book and start reading.
Not that I will ever admit this to a living soul, this book is not too bad. Kind of good actually.
The sound of Dimitri's alarm startles me and I lean over to shut it off. A small groan escapes his lips and he rubs his face against my thigh before opening his eyes. He lifts his head up and kisses my belly and then sits up to kiss my cheek.
"Morning," I yawn and he nestles his face against my neck, his arm winding around me and pulling me closer to him. I set the book down on the duvet and stroke his arm.
"Morning. You're reading?" he mumbles into my neck. I snort and shuffle to lay down. "Yes, I couldn't sleep with the chainsaw next to me."
Dimitri props himself up on his arm and looks down at me. "Why didn't you nudge me?"
"I did. Three times. The last time you rolled over onto me."
Dimitri shakes his head and lays back down beside me, rubbing my belly gently and running his nose against the side of my head. I have to say, I will always love and apricate 'just awake' Dimitri. Extremely cuddly.
I turn my head to catch his lips, sighing against our lazy kisses. "You should probably go get ready for work," I say and I get a smirk. Dimitri kisses my nose and pulls himself out of bed and starts to get ready. I smile and flop down into the middle of the bed, pulling the pillows around me and tucking myself into a comfortable position. I start to drift off the side of the bed dips and my senses are filling with the smell of Dimitri's shampoos, aftershave and the general smell of him.
Dimitri tucks my hair behind my ear and kisses my cheek, whispering something to me in his native tongue and turns the lap off beside me before shutting the door behind him. I snuggle deeper into the pillows and finally find the much-needed sleep.
A/N: I apologize if there are any errors, I am the only one to edit this chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.