A.N: Hey guys!!
So here is the last chapter I know it's sad right BUT there is an extra extra long epilogue coming your way. And my new pretty OOC (probably will be rated M for language lol) VA story is going pretty well I'm working on chapter 4.
Anyways if you want to see the wedding dress, the wedding bands or the bridesmaid dresses you can find the links on my profile =D
The song is The Reason by Celine Dion you should check it on you tube it's awesome .
Anyways don't forget to review.
Take care Steffy =D
Chapter 27:
"You're feeling better?" Asked Adrian with concern as soon as I was out of the bathroom.
I nodded. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that but I still get nauseous from time to time but usually I don't go vomiting on people," I said laughing trying to hide my discomfort.
"You don't have to feel sorry my Rose," he said coming up to me, kissing my forehead. "You did nothing wrong and even if you did vomit on someone more lovable you shouldn't feel bad about it."
"Yeah but…" I started.
"No buts," he said shushing me with a kiss. "Come on let's go," he said taking my hand.
I nodded and was relieved that the Queen wasn't in the corridor anymore.
We took another set of stairs down and ran into an older moroi and I figured, from the way she was dressed, that she was the housekeeper.
"Master Ivashkov." Said the woman bowing her head a little.
"Ingrid, let me introduce you to my fiancée, Rose," he said kissing the hand he was holding. "Rose this is Ingrid the eyes and ears of this house," He said chuckling.
"Nice to meet you Miss Rose," she said with a nice smile.
"Nice to meet you too," I said smiling back. Her eyes expressed so much kindness.
"Have you got any idea where my father could be?" He asked still keeping my hand in his.
She chuckled. "Where he always is!" She said, shaking her head. "As for your mother, she is in the kitchen looking over dinner… It's a special day," she added winking at me.
"His office… I'm sure the man spends 85% of the day in there! Thank you." Said Adrian trailing me off behind him.
I waved to Ingrid as we strode along the endless corridor holding many painted portraits.
"Family?" I asked pointing at them.
"Yep, old pride" he said and even if I couldn't see his face I was sure he rolled his eyes.
"You know you were impressing with the Queen," I said quietly beside him. "I know you wouldn't destroy people lives but you were heroically scary," I said pretty sure I was not making sense.
We stopped in front of a massive wooden door but he turned around to face me resting his hands on my neck.
"I would do it Rose… I could destroy her," he said looking deep into my eyes.
I looked at him with incredulity.
"If anyone ever tried to hurt you or made you unhappy on purpose, I'll do it. I'll destroy his or her life in a heartbeat." He rested his forehead against mine. "I thought you understood by now that you are everything to me… My whole heart! If anyone just intends to hurt you, so help me god, I'll destroy everything they cherish."
I didn't know what to say. It made me feel all fuzzy knowing that he loved me that much but it was also scary to see that he could go to the extent to destroy someone's life.
"I love you," I said kissing him.
"That's the whole idea," he said laughing knocking at the door.
"Come in," said a deep masculine voice.
As soon as the man saw it was Adrian and I, he closed his laptop and walked to us quickly.
Adrian father was really impressive. He was radiating power, intelligence…the same as his son. I did see him once before at the lodge but the circumstances were different now.
Adrian didn't look much like him except for the emerald eyes. He actually looked a lot more like his uncle Andrei.
His father looked at me with a very bright smile. Ok, that was something they had in common an alluring smile. I thought smiling back.
"Dad, this is my Rose." Said Adrian pulling me closer to him. He had so much tenderness in his voice.
"Rose…" Said his father looking so deep into my eyes that it made me blush. "It's so nice to finally and officially meet you." He said taking my hand in both of his.
"It's nice to meet you too Mr. Ivashkov," I said trying to sound brave.
"Call me Karl please." He said warmly still keeping my hand in his grip. "Adrian, please, would you go get your mother I'm pretty sure she is driving the cooks insane." He said winking to me.
Adrian looked from his father to me warily but nodded.
He gave a warning glance to his father and kissed me quickly.
"I'll be ok…" I said smiling to him.
"Of course she will!" Said his father chuckling.
"Yeah…" said Adrian retreating.
As soon as Adrian closed the door his father gestured me to the big leather sofa.
"I wanted to have a word with you alone," he said nicely, "but I didn't think it would be manageable." He added laughing gesturing to the door.
I forced a smile sitting beside him, as I didn't know what to expect maybe his warm welcome was just a pretend and he was about to threaten me too.
"I know... He is very protective of me." I said not able to conceal the fondness and love in my voice.
"You love him don't you? I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your voice." He said taking my hand that was resting on my lap.
"I just wanted to tell you that I'm happy he found you and…" he smiled, "I wanted to thank you for truly loving him."
"You raised an amazing man, you know." I said smiling back at him sincerely this time. "There is nothing not to love in him! He is so, so precious." I added sincerely.
"He is lucky to have found you." Said Karl nodding.
"But you really don't mind?" I asked truly curious.
"Mind what?" He asked arching his white eyebrows in confusion.
"What I am? …A dhampir." I said, deciding that honesty was the best bet.
"Well…" He looked away for a few seconds before concentrating on me again. "I can't say I was thrilled at first," he said, as matter of fact. "That you are a dhampir was not an issue, per say, but I know how our society works and when it's your child, you don't want their life to be harder that it has to be right?" He asked rhetorically.
I just nodded biting my bottom lip.
He squeezed my hand. "But when he came here to talk to me about it, face to face, it changed everything," he said and I could hear the pride in his voice.
I was confused and it made him smile.
"Well, the previous version of my son was, well…" He cocked his head to the side to try to find the right words I presumed. "Well, he didn't care about anything or anyone besides himself really. He never fought for what he believed in, since he didn't believe in anything, and nothing meant enough to him to be worth fighting for. He was just going with the flow but when he met you…" he shook his head and I could see fondness on his face. "You changed him. He was ready to sacrifice it all just to be with you Rose. He didn't care about all those material things, which used to mean a lot to him. You became everything and you helped him to become the man I always knew he could be so…" he padded my hand, "I do approve of you, totally and unconditionally. True love, if it does not face hardship, then it was never true "
"I would do anything to make him happy you know," I said seriously trying to easy the last doubts that could subside. "I would sacrifice everything to make him happy, to spare him any pain."
"I know you would... I know how you sacrificed your position by the Princess' side." He smiled. "I can see it in your eyes when you look at him, I'm not worried I know you love him as much as he loves you and with a love like that" his smile widened "the whole Moroi/Dhampir issue become irrelevant…at least when it's only the happiness you are looking for."
"Thank you…for me, for him," I said sincerely. "I know it would have been heart wrenching for him to be rejected by you just because he was in love with me."
"You are a good person Rose… I'm so happy he chose you." He added standing up as Adrian walked in with his mother.
"It's nice to finally meet you Rose," she said with a reserved smile. I could see she had a lot more doubts about this union than her husband but she was not against us and it was already a good point. Moreover I could understand her reticence. Adrian was her baby boy and her last child and any mother in her right mind would worry.
The dinner went really well and they took the pregnancy pretty well too. Well, at least, as well as it could be taken.
At the end of the meal his mother even pressed us to set a date for the wedding, as we needed to be married before the pregnancy was too obvious.
It made me chuckle. The woman was worried about a pregnancy when it was going to be the first wedding of an official royal (not disavowed and member of the top ruling family) with a dhampir in the history! Adrian was right when he told me that his mother really didn't have the same priorities than the majority of the people.
____________________________________________
Two months later:
I was standing in front of the mirror adjusting the white flowers in my hair. The wedding dress we chose was specially designed for pregnant women and my baby bump was still fairly small as I was only 19 weeks pregnant.
''Ready to go Rose?" Said Chris from behind me in his black tux. "They are all set. It's our big entrance now," he added with a smile.
Chris was leading me to the altar because our little group already had roles and it would have been just plain cruel to ask Dimitri to do so. He was of duty tonight which seemed to please him.
I turned around and smiled to him. "Yeah, I've never been more ready or more sure of anything in my life."
"That's good… I can see you're radiant! I hope to have this effect on a woman one day." Said Chris approvingly. "You are such a beautiful bride do you know that? I'm proud to walk you to the altar," he said intertwining our arms.
"Thank you for doing that." I said gratefully.
"I told you, it's an honor." He said bending down to kiss my cheek.
We were getting married in the garden of the house Adrian's father bought for us just outside Hanover.
It was still summer and it was warm enough to get married. We managed to negotiate a small wedding with only close friends and family. We were about 60, only, but it was far enough for Adrian and I.
Lissa was my maid of Honor, of course, and Jade, Adrian cousin and Melinda, Adrian's sister, as bridesmaids.
I immediately got along with his sister, as she helped me organize the wedding, and I considered her a friend already.
Adrian chose Christian as best man and it surprised us a bit, as we were sure he would chose his older brother Aidan, but Adrian said that without Christian, we probably wouldn't be together now. He was the one who stopped him from leaving and it changed everything.
So, with Christian as his best man, Aidan and Eddie were his ushers.
As I made it to the bottom of the aisle seeing Adrian waiting for me in his Armani tuxedo under the arch arranged in a mix of little lights and the same flowers that I had in my hair, it took my breath away but it was not what really stunned me. It was the flow of emotions I could read in his eyes as I slowly walked to meet him. There was so much love, pride, tenderness, want… I felt like the most beautiful and loved person on this planet.
I kept my eyes locked with his, as I was pretty sure that my eyes were reflecting his. I loved him so much that it was the scariest thing I ever experienced.
When we arrived under the arch, Chris took my hand and placed it in Adrian's and went to sit beside Adrian's Uncle Andrei. If it wasn't the most emotional and beautiful moment of my life, I would have laughed since the room was a perfect mix of Moroi and Dhampir… That was a first on so many levels.
Adrian kissed my hand as I faced him.
"I love you," he mouthed to me and I mouthed 'I love you too.'
We wrote our own vows and when Adrian talked his voice was quivering under all these emotions and his eyes were glistering with tears of happiness.
He took a deep breath and tightening his grip on my hand. ''I, Adrian Tristan Ivashkov, take you, Rose Elena Hathaway, to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children and my wife. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity to come my Rose.'' He slid the ring to my ring finger and kissed my hand. ''Marriage is not only the beginning of our relationship but also the end of the life long search for the other half of my soul,'' he added as a single tear fell down his cheek.
I smiled to him but my lips were trembling under my emotions. ''Adrian. My Adrian…'' I whispered to him as I needed just a second to be able to speak loud enough for the others to hear. ''I, Rose Elena Hathaway, take you, Adrian Tristan Ivashkov, to be my partner, loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know. I eagerly anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the man you will become, and falling in love a little more every day. I promise to love and cherish you through whatever life may bring us.'' I slid the ring on his finger with difficulty as my hands were shaking with the feeling of this moment. ''You'll always be the only man in my life. My love for you grew all over my heart like a jungle, impossible for any other man to ever find the way through. They could try, but would only get hurt, because you're a very special man no one could compare with and I feel very special you chose me to be your wife.''
Then the preacher declared us husband and wife and as the guests applauded Adrian hugged me tight.
''I finally get to kiss my bride,'' he whisperer against my lips. ''Since I saw you walked down the aisle I wanted to kiss you.''
''So shut up and kiss me you fool,'' I chucked.
''My wife…'' he trailed off before kissing me passionately. The world disappeared in an instant.
I didn't know for how long we kissed exactly but I heard Lissa clearing her throat.
''Umm guys time to retract the tongues… I mean we know you desire each other just ask Rose's belly…Tristan,'' Christian whispered chuckling.
I blushed as we parted and he took my hand tightly.
''I won't apologize for enjoying kissing my wife,'' he said jokingly to Christian.
''Yeah, I love kissing my husband,'' I added smiling it was just hard to register it… "My husband,'' I repeated loving the sound of that. We walked up the aisle to the reception tent. ''You are mine now'' I said squeezing his hand.
Adrian laughed and wrapped his arm around my waist. ''I was yours since the instant you set your eyes on me and said 'Yeah?' ''
He recalled my first word to him back at the Lodge! I thought astonished.
As people greeted us, I had a quick look around I knew I didn't have to expect anything and I tried not to but I couldn't help to look if my mother showed up.
Adrian squeezed the hand he was holding and gave me a small smiled.
''I tried to make her come my Rose I really did but…'' he shrugged slightly. ''I could have forced her but I--''
''No, it's ok thank you so much for trying.'' I said sincerely. ''Forcing a Hathaway is never a smart move,''I said forcing a chuckle. ''Plus I've got all the people I need right here and as long as you are with me… Nothing can go wrong,'' I said reaching up to kiss him.
''You are so cute! The cutest couple I have ever seen!!'' Said Paul Conta, who was the man that Adrian imposed to the Queen as her successor.
He was the one of the few who continued his friendship with Andrei Ivashkov after he was disavowed and Adrian knew it was a man with a good heart and not as stubborn on traditions as the Queen.
''Thank you,'' said Adrian wrapping his arms around my waist. ''It's mainly because I have the most beautiful wife in the world.''
''That's possible…'' said Paul with a chuckle. ''Well, youngsters it's time for you to show us what love looks like,'' he said with a wink as the DJ called us to open with the first dance.
''So what song did you choose?'' I asked curious, as I promised to let him choose our first dance.
''You'll know in a second Mrs. Ivashkov.'' He said pulling me on the dance floor.
As the first note played I smiled it was The reason by Celine Dion
I figured it out
I was high and low and everything in between
I was wicked and wild, baby, you know what I mean
Till there was you, yeah, you
Something went wrong
I made a deal with the devil for an empty I.O.U.
Been to hell and back, but an angel was looking through
It was you, yeah, you
It's all because of you
''I love you with the breath, the smiles and the tears of all my life.'' I said as he tightened our embrace.
''God's gift to me is you and you are the air that I breathe." he said making me twirl.
You are the reason
You are the reason I wake up every day
And sleep through the night
You are the reason, the reason
In the middle of the night
I'm going down 'cause I adore you
I want to floor you
I'm giving it up
No more running around spinning my wheel
You came out of my dream and made it real
I know what I feel
It's you
It's all because of you
You are the reason
You are the reason I wake up every day
And sleep through the night
You are the reason, the reason
In the middle of the night
I'm going down 'cause I want you
I want to touch you
I want to floor you
You are the reason, baby
I used to laugh at the romantic movies when they were saying that love came in the most unexpected form and that it could conquer it all.
Now, twirling on the dance floor, secured in the arms of the man I meant the world to, looking in the eyes of the man I loved so much it hurt. The eyes of my husband Adrian Ivashkov I knew that I would never make fun of these movies ever again.
And remember…once in a while right in the middle of an ordinary life love gives us a fairy tale.