Pavel was up, dressed, and breakfasted by the time Abe came downstairs the next morning. The house Abe had rented was best described as rustic—but it was clean, and they'd all stayed in worse over the years so there were no complaints. Abe took his time making a cup of coffee and was sitting in front of the fire, wondering how long it would take Pavel to hurry him along because Pavel was a man on a mission.
"Drink up your coffee before it gets cold," Pavel grumbled.
"Yes. It is a little cold. I might just make another…"
Pavel muttered a curse word and glared at Abe who was laughing at him.
"I suppose you want to go to visit the Belikovas?" Abe asked a little too innocently, smirking at Pavel's exasperated expression. Checking his watch, it was close to nine on Thursday morning. Paul would be at school by now, so it was safe to assume the ladies would be awake. Abe intended to tease Pavel a little more but decided against it. His long-time Guardian and friend was angsty. "Come on, then. We'll leave the others here. We don't want to overwhelm the ladies."
Stopping only to issue instructions to the four private Guardians accompanying them on this trip, Pavel was outside and had the vehicle running in moments. Ahh to be a man in love, Abe thought, noticing as Pavel checked his reflection in the rear-view mirror, frowning as though he was dissatisfied with what he saw. Abe had long since filled Pavel in about his scheme with the Moroi doctor, her dhampir sister, and controlling when and how Tatiana learned of Rose's whereabouts. They planned to keep to themselves in Baia, only spending time with Rose, Dimitri, and his family.
"She's a lovely looking girl," Abe said conversationally, referring to Karolina Belikova. "And her son is a clever lad. Well mannered, too."
"She's far too young and too good for me," Pavel said, his voice pessimistic. Usually calm and equanimous, Pavel sounding so doubtful about himself was new to Abe. "I probably misunderstood kindness for interest."
"There's only one way to find out," Abe said sagely. A witness to last night's exchange, there was no doubt Dimitri's elder sister reciprocated and encouraged Pavel's interest. Karolina had been demure, and everything propriety demanded a young lady should be, however her eyes had sparkled as she gently drew Pavel out of his shell.
"I should stop and pick something up. It would be poor form to show up empty-handed, wouldn't it?" Pavel asked.
"Why are you asking me? When's the last time I went on a date?" Abe chuckled.
"Good point," Pavel said, pulling up in the main street of Baia, thankful the van's windows were tinted so Abe would not be seen. "Stay in here. Lock the doors." Five minutes later Pavel was back with a large bunch of white roses with hot pink edged petals. Beautiful to look at, they had been the most expensive in the store.
"You got an odd number?" Abe checked, recollecting the Russian custom that an even number of flowers was reserved for funerals.
"Twenty-five," Pavel replied, putting the bouquet on the passenger seat, positioning a bag of pryaniks beside it. He started the car then drove sedately to the Belikova home—almost as though he did not want to appear to be in any haste.
Unlike yesterday, Abe and Pavel needed to knock at the front door. Karolina, who had been sitting in the front room, opened it almost immediately, wearing her best 'casual' dress since ten past eight that morning.
"Mr. Mazur, Guardian Pavel. Come in." Standing aside to let the two men into the house, Karolina smiled when Pavel presented her with the bunch of roses.
"A small token of my regard," he said, observing her reaction.
"They're beautiful," Karolina said, raising the blooms to sniff.
"They pale compared to you," Pavel replied, gratified by the pretty blush that spread across Karolina's cheeks. She hid her momentary embarrassment by closing the front door.
"Can I offer you a cup of tea? We were just about to have one."
"That would be very welcome," Abe said, pretending that his Guardian presenting flowers to a young woman was in any way atypical.
"I brought some pryaniks as well," Pavel added as they stepped into the living room where Yeva sat by the fire knitting, Olena busy in the kitchen putting on the kettle.
"They won't be as nice as the ones Karolina makes," Yeva declared, a twinkle in her eye as she regarded the nervous Guardian standing beside her granddaughter. "Old snake? Why don't you talk to an old woman and warm yourself by the fire? Karolina—help your mother make the tea."
"Let me carry the tray for you," Pavel offered, following Karolina to the kitchen like a lost puppy as Abe sat in the chair by the fireplace opposite. Before Abe could open his mouth to say anything more there were heavy steps on the stairs.
"Was that the front door I heard?" Dimitri asked, noticing Abe sitting by the fire then looking around to see if Pavel was with him. The young Alpha was still pulling on a shirt, obviously rushing down once he knew there was company.
"Yes, it was," Abe said. "I'm here to help you and Rose plan your wedding. We only have today and tomorrow to prepare."
"What's to plan?" Yeva asked. "They'll go to the Church, come home, then we will share a meal."
"About that… I'd like them to wed in the human world. While the Moroi government only require a Church certificate, it would strengthen their cause if Rose and Dimitri also married at ZAGS."
"That will mean a trip to Omsk," Dimitri commented from his spot on the sofa. He was listening to Abe and his babushka as he peered through the archway to the kitchen, watching his mother, sister, and Pavel.
"Tomorrow," Abe confirmed. "I have someone preparing the documentation, and I've secured a midday booking."
"How did Karolina and your father end up being our witnesses?" Dimitri grumbled to Rose as they drove the two hours to Omsk for their civil ceremony. Rose was happy, but Dimitri wasn't entirely satisfied with the arrangements.
"Abe had to come as we need his signature since I am under eighteen—and no one else from your family could make it," Rose reminded him.
In a carefully stage-managed maneuver, Olena, Yeva, and Sonya were each otherwise committed and unable to undertake the round trip to Omsk to witness the human civil marriage ceremony required by Russian law. Accordingly, Abe and Karolina made the trip with Rose and Dimitri to witness their human wedding ceremony accompanied, of course, by a couple of Guardians and Pavel.
"He's trying to spend every waking moment with my sister," Dimitri grumbled, a picture of petulance as he glared at the back of Pavel's head. He had a point. Abe, and Pavel, had arrived early yesterday and not departed until well after dinner. His sister and his father-in-law's Guardian getting closer and closer as each minute passed, if they'd stayed any longer, Karo would have been sitting in Pavel's lap, Dimitri thought.
"Like you did with me?" Rose teased, taking the sting from her words by purring in her mate's ear. Their pair bond showed her how concerned Dimitri was about Pavel and his sister. While she, Olena, Yeva, and even Sonya thought it was a good match, Dimitri was taking overprotective brother to the extreme. Honestly, it was lucky Pavel had Abe in his corner. Still a little wary of his mate's father, Dimitri tolerated Pavel's presence because of Abe, even if it was under sufferance!
"In an hour and a half, I'll be Mrs. Belikova," Rose cooed into Dimitri's ear, attempting to distract her protective mate.
"By law," Dimitri acknowledged. Brought up in the Orthodox faith, as far as Dimitri was concerned, Roza would not be his wife until they stood beside one another on rose-colored fabric, declaring themselves in front of a priest. "Do you think you can find a wedding dress in an hour?"
The plan was for Karolina and Rose to check out stores after the civil ceremony, finding a dress for Rose to wear the following day to the Church while Dimitri bought their wedding rings. Dimitri had explained that a human marriage in Russia meant a civil ceremony at ZAGS, but those who were religious would follow it by a Church ceremony. According to Russian law, they'd officially be married after their ZAGS appointment, but both considered tomorrow's Church ceremony their 'real' wedding.
"I'm sure I'll find something," Rose said, kissing Dimitri and then giggling.
"You look beautiful," Dimitri said in an awed tone of voice as Rose descended the stairs on Saturday afternoon. He'd had no clue what Karolina and Rose had selected on their brief shopping trip after the human wedding at ZAGS the day before, but the outfit Rose was wearing was perfect. Knee-length in embroidered lace, the V-necked dress had elbow-length lace sleeves and was feminine without being prissy.
"You like?" Rose asked, doing a small twirl in front of Dimitri.
"I love it," he replied, taking the white fur stole Vika was holding and helping Rose into it. Dimitri's youngest sister had arrived from St. Basil's only three hours earlier, and had spent the last hour with Sonya and Karolina making Dimitri do silly pranks as a 'ransom' for his bride. Meanwhile, Olena and Yeva were upstairs in Rose and Dimitri's room helping Rose dress. Once she was ready, and his sisters had exhausted Dimitri's supplies of change and candy, Rose came downstairs. Dimitri's first look at his bride in her wedding attire, it was fair to say he was impressed.
"You do look lovely," Abe complimented also seeing Rose in her dress for the first time. He'd expected something much more bridal, but the dress was true to the low-key wedding Rose and Dimitri had insisted they wanted. Still, he was glad he'd arranged for Dimitri to get a tailor-made suit; together they made a handsome cooking couple.
Olena stepped forward, taking photo after photo of the couple before passing the camera to Pavel who took various family combinations. Before they left for the church, Rose grabbed the camera and insisted on taking several photos of Karolina and Pavel together, the latter using the opportunity to put his arm around Karolina's waist while Yeva distracted Dimitri by straightening his tie.
Once everyone was ready, Pavel did a trip to the church taking Olena, Yeva, Sonya, Karolina, Paul, and Zoya before looping back for Abe, Vika, the bride, and groom.
"Most weddings in Baia are in summer. The wedding couple, and their guests walk to the Church," Dimitri commented as Pavel drove carefully along the cleared road. Dimitri was holding Rose's hand during the short trip. There would only be family and the priest at their wedding today. None of the townsfolk knew Dimitri was back in town, so there'd be no family friends to witness the nuptials. Not that Dimitri minded—the most important people in his world would be there. Rose had spoken to her mother earlier, placing a video call to show Janine her dress before she came down to Dimitri. She'd wanted to call Lissa, but it just wasn't safe.
"Are you ready?" Dimitri asked as Pavel pulled up to the church.
"It's not too late to run," Abe joked.
"I'm ready," Rose said, ignoring her father's comment. She thought she'd feel nervous, but she was calm and relaxed. Agreeing to spend the rest of her life with Dimitri seemed so natural, it didn't occur to her to fret about it. Taking Dimitri's hand, Rose stepped out of the van and walked into the church. It was freezing outside, but standing in the doorway of the Narthex, Rose was delighted to find the church itself was warm.
Olena and Yeva had explained to Rose how a Russian Orthodox wedding was conducted—not that Rose had any basis for comparison. She'd never been to a wedding before, so it amused her that her first would be her own. Her mother-in-law explained there were two parts to the ceremony; the betrothal that would take part in the entry to the church and where they would receive their wedding rings, and then the crowning.
The priest met Dimitri and Rose in the church's doorway, blessing them and speaking at length in Russian. Then rings were placed on their right hands before Yeva stood before them swapping the rings between them three times.
"It symbolizes that any weakness one of us has will be compensated for by the other," Dimitri murmured to Rose in an undertone, explaining what was going on since she could not understand what was being said. After the rings, they were each handed a candle and invited into the Nave of the Church, where the priest directed them to stand on a new piece of fabric resting on the floor.
Until this point all talk had been in Russian, however Dimitri switched to English to declare he was marrying of his own free will and had not promised himself to another. Repeating his words, Rose made the same declaration. The priest speaking in Russian again, Rose tuned out, looked at the brightly colored iconostases covering every wall. Much more ornate than the chapel at St. Vladimir's, Rose was struck by its majesty and beauty. While they'd opted to keep their wedding simple, the venue was far from that.
After some prayers, Yeva stepped forward with two garland wreaths linked by a white ribbon. Fashioned from thin, supple branches from a tree in her backyard orchard, the priest placed one crown on Rose, everyone laughing when Dimitri had to stoop right down so he could place the other on him. He remained stooping as Yeva swapped the crowns between him and Rose three times. The priest read from the bible, and there were several lengthy prayers before he held out a cup of wine to Rose.
"We each need to take three sips," Dimitri muttered, translating the priest's instructions. Rose dutifully sipped at the wine, finding it sweeter than she'd assumed it would be. Dimitri did likewise, then smiling at his bride. After more prayers, the priest wrapped a stole around their clasped hands, gesturing for them to follow him.
"Now we circle the altar. These are our first steps together as a married couple," Dimitri explained.
The priest led Rose and Dimitri to the altar with a bible and cross upon it. They slowly walked around it three times, smiling at their small group of family and friends who were standing by watching. Pavel was holding a cell phone up, presumably videoing the wedding for Janine. Stopping in front of the altar, the priest said a benediction and Dimitri leaned down to kiss his wife.
"It's done!" he whispered so just Rose could hear him. "In the eyes of the law, and God, I am now your husband, and you are my wife. I love you, Roza."
Rose threw her arms around Dimitri's neck, returning her mate's kiss. "I love you too, Comrade!"
The mood at the table was festive. Even though it was just immediate family and Pavel, there was plenty of food, love, and laughter. It was exactly how Dimitri and Rose Belikov wanted to spend their first meal as husband and wife – surrounded by people they loved. Pavel was seated beside Karolina, but Dimitri was in too good a mood to be annoyed, especially when Pavel cradled a fractious Zoya so Karolina could eat her meal. Maybe it was because he was so happy to be married to his mate, the fact Pavel wasn't in uniform, or perhaps it was the generous amount of vodka he'd consumed, but Dimitri was coming around to Karolina and Pavel. Paul was at the age when he needed a man around to guide him. Maybe Pavel could be that for him?
At the head of the table, Abe had stepped in as the unofficial tamada, making toasts, jokes and generally making sure everyone was having a good time. Olena had drawn upon the generous supplies Abe had provided to create a plentiful wedding feast, everyone enjoying the food, company, and conversation.
"Paul, it's time for you to shower and go to bed," Karolina said, later than the boy would usually retire.
"Mama! I want to stay up!" he argued, angling for another hour.
"You heard your mother," Pavel said fondly yet firmly. "We're going skating on the lake tomorrow morning—you need to rest up for that."
Paul's face split into a shit-eating grin. He quickly said goodnight to everyone, congratulating his uncle and new aunt on their marriage, before moving upstairs without complaint.
"Excuse me for a moment. I need to make a call," Abe said, standing up from the table and walking outside into the garden. While he was safe enough in a backyard in Baia, Pavel stood and followed his charge, standing where he could see Abe without overhearing his conversation.
"Fedosia? It's Abe Mazur. Zmey. Is now a good time?" He felt guilty about what he was about to do, but ultimately it was for his daughter and son-in-law's benefit… even if they might not see that right now.
"Mr. Mazur! Yes, it's a good time."
"Glad to hear it," Abe said, keeping his voice calm and conciliatory. "It's time to make that call."
"I understand," Fedosia said, flopping onto a chair in the kitchen where she'd been cleaning up before heading to bed. She was alone in this part of the house so could speak freely. "What exactly do you want me to say?"
Checking Pavel was not in earshot, Abe gave her detailed orders of whom to ring and what information to share. "Give them your bank account details. Since we spoke, the bounty has increased to a million US dollars. Once it hits your account and has cleared, transfer half to this account," Abe instructed, rattling off a series of digits from a piece of paper.
"What about Domnica?" Fedosia checked after writing down the banking details and reading them back.
"She never told you Rose's location, and she's here earlier than expected—your half-sister will have no reason to suspect you. But she'll be too busy to bother you." Abe's voice held unmistakable menace. Domnica Charnley had entered his home and lied to him. Abe had suspected she would, but it didn't mean she'd escape unpunished.
"Are you sure about the money?" Fedosia asked. Half a million US dollars was a fortune.
"Transfer half of the million, and enjoy the other half with my blessing," Abe replied.
"It's been a big day… I think it's time for Rose and me to retire." They'd lingered long enough to be decent, but it was their wedding night! Vika looked as though she wanted to say something crude, but one look from Olena was enough to silence her. Abe and Pavel had left a few minutes before, Abe handing Dimitri an envelope and kissing Rose before congratulating them both.
"We'll clean up down here," Olena volunteered on behalf of herself and her daughters. Yeva sat beside the fire grinning at them. Thanking his mother and sisters, Dimitri grabbed his wife's hand and led her upstairs to their room.
"I'd like to shower," Rose said, strangely anxious. It was her wedding night, so despite being familiar with Dimitri as a lover, she was nervous.
"That's fine. It's cold; I'll prepare a fire for us." Taking Rose into his arms, Dimitri kissed her tenderly. He lowered the zip at the back of Rose's dress, running a finger down the exposed skin of her spine, making her shiver in anticipation. "I've left something for you in the bathroom. If you're comfortable, I'd hope you'd like you to wear it."
Curious, Rose slipped into the bathroom Dimitri and Vika shared. On the counter was an alluring set of underwear. The bra neatly folded on top, Rose recognized it as one she'd tried on in Agent Provocateur what seemed like years ago. Grinning at Dimitri's surprise, she slid her wedding dress from her shoulders, adjusting the taps in the shower and waiting for the water to reach the perfect temperature.
'I'm seventeen and a wife,' she thought as she stepped under the spray, suddenly freaking out. In just a few weeks her entire world had changed. It wasn't that she regretted anything – she didn't – but it was as though everything had suddenly hit her all at once. A mate. A father. A marriage. It was a lot to take in!
'You can do this… You have already done this,' Rose reminded herself as she used her rose and petunia scented body wash on her skin. Technically, they'd been legally married since yesterday. So why was she nervous now? Starting to freak out majorly, an image of Dimitri as they walked around the altar slipped into Rose's head. She loved him. He loved her. They were meant to be together, and marriage was a natural part of that.
Calm and happy, again, Rose finished her shower and stepped out from under the spray. After drying off, she picked up the filmy underwear Dimitri had gifted her. Slipping the straps over her shoulders, it fitted every bit as well as it had when she'd tried it on weeks ago. Picking up the matching panties she stepped into them, sliding the pretty lace up her legs. Her minimal makeup now gone, Rose cleaned her face and prepared to step out into the hallway and go to their room. No one should be up here, but just in case Rose wrapped a towel around her before exiting the bathroom.
"Hey," Dimitri crooned. He was lying on their bed illuminated by the firelight. Wearing nothing but his boxer briefs, he was an extraordinarily appealing site.
"Hey," Rose replied, dropping the towel to the floor. She closed and locked the door.
"Fuck," Dimitri groaned. Rose in the Agent Provocateur lingerie he'd bought her was even sexier than he'd imagined. "Come here, Roza. You're finally mine!"
Yeva was the only one up. At a quarter past two in the morning, it was hardly surprising. She was knitting, her needles clicking rhythmically as she made the repetitive stitches. Tonight she was making a bonnet—part of the layette for Sonya's girl. Her second youngest granddaughter maintained it would be a boy, but Yeva knew better.
She stood before the knock at the door. Indeed, she was waiting even before she heard the vehicles approach. Opening the front door, she held a finger to her lips, warning the Guardians to be silent. Gesturing them into the warmth of the house, Yeva pointed for one to add another log to the fire.
"We're here for Rosemarie Hathaway," the oldest declared softly, looking at Yeva with apprehension. A classmate of Karolina's, and originating from Baia, he'd known and feared Yeva for as long as he could remember.
"On whose orders?" Yeva challenged.
"Her Majesty. Queen Tatiana Ivashkov has requested an audience with Rosemarie Hathaway. We have orders to bring her to Court immediately."
"Belikov," Yeva corrected, unconcerned by the many Guardians standing in her living room. "She married my grandson this afternoon. Rosemarie Hathaway is now Rose Belikov, and tonight is her wedding night. I don't care who you are, and on whose orders you're here—this is my home, and you will not disturb a bride on the night of her wedding!"
If you'd like to see Rose's wedding dress, head over to my Facebook page:
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