It's a sad, and momentous occasion for us all: the last chapter is finished :( I won't go on and on, but what I do want to say is: Enjoy! I'll be uploading an A/N afterwards so talk to you guys then :)

Chapter 28

I wasn't officially back at work yet, though I was surprised by the large amount of people who accepted my newly reinstated guardian title so quickly. I was greeted with the respect I had gained during the years before I had been turned, which surprised me even more. It just showed you how much the Moroi were influenced by what the Council had to say.

Rose was healing more and more each day. She was gradually getting stronger and stronger, especially when walking. Yesterday, she wanted to help Lissa with something but had been a little unsteady on her feet so they decided it was best to leave it until today.

It worried me to think that she was walking about the place so soon after going through what she had been through, especially as I wasn't with her to protect her. She had promised me that she'd go back to the room straight afterward to rest and I would meet her there.

After another hour of strolling around the busy grounds of Court, I realised Rose should have been back. I walked slowly back to the room we were staying in and turned the door knob gently.

She was sat up bed, her arms hugging her knees.

"Hey," she said softly as I shut the door behind me and walked over to her.

"Hey," I kissed her forehead lightly. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," she answered wearily.

I pulled off my coat and my shoes and climbed in the other side of the bed. I lay down and she moved herself so that she was close enough to be embraced. I wrapped my arms around her body and held her close. I inhaled the sweet scent of her hair. I didn't think I'd ever get enough of her.

Before I realised what she was doing, she was sucking and kissing on my neck.

"Roza…" I warned her, knowing that if she went any further, I wouldn't be able to stop.

"Yes?" she murmured against my skin.

"We shouldn't…" I tried to convince her…and myself. "Doctor's orders."

"When have I ever done anything I'm told?" She lifted herself so she was above me and straddled my waist.

I could feel my control snapping.

"Plus, you know you can't resist me." she winked at me.

That was it.

My control snapped.

When we were finished, I cradled her close to me.

"I love you, you know." I said, kissing her temple.

"Hmm…" she sighed loudly, but contently, her eyes beginning to shut.

"Sleep, Roza." I whispered into her ear and held her while her eyes closed completely and she drifted off to sleep.

I didn't stay up long after that. It felt amazing to just be able to relax for once and just be with Rose; holding her and loving her.

I woke early the next morning. It was the first proper full night sleep I had gotten since before I could remember.

Looking down at the gorgeous woman in my arms, I reminded myself just how lucky I was.

Being a dhampir, the most I ever expected to get out of life was my dignity, dying the way most, if not all, guardians did.

Love was never an option, because there were very few dhampirs who found it. Especially not guardians.

But I had.

And I would spend every waking minute doing anything for my Roza, for giving me what I thought I would never get…and it was the most amazing gift I could ever have gotten.

Her love.

She looked so peaceful and so vulnerable in my arms: so different to how she usually looked to everyone else.

Suddenly, a stroke of sunlight shone through the parting in the thick curtains, placing a golden effect on everything its light hit.

I watched it in admiration and awe. God, I had missed the sun.

I stretched my hand out and felt its warmth on my bare skin. I turned my palm back and forth, studying it and basking in it.

"How long have you been awake?" her sleep coated voice asked me.

"A little while," I told her. I looked back to the light shining through. "I think I'm still on a human schedule. Either that, or my body just wants to be up when the sun is. Seeing it is still amazing to me."

"You should have gotten up," she said.

"I didn't want to disturb you."

She trailed her amazing fingers across my chest, sending tingles through me. She sighed happily, sending her warmth breath across my skin.

"This is perfection," she said. "Is every day going to be like this."

Perfection.

That one word summed up everything I was feeling this morning.

I tilted her head up, needing to look into the brown eyes that I loved so much.

"Not every day but most days." I answered her. If every day was going to be like this one, I would die a happy man.

I leaned in towards her, just as she did towards me. Our lips met and I felt all of those tingles come back and then some. We broke the kiss after a few minutes.

"I was wrong," she said against my lips. "This is perfection."

I smiled broadly at her, glad that she was feeling as happy as I was.

As I watched her, her eyes became distant and her soft smile slowly dropped into a frown.

"What's the matter?" I asked her.

She tried unsuccessfully to drop the frown.

"Do you think I ruin lives?" she asked me suddenly. Shock coursed through me.

"What? Of course not." I told her. "Where would you get that idea?"

She shrugged a little, acting as though it didn't bother her too much but I could see through her charade.

"There are just a lot of people whose lives are still kind of a mess. My friends, I mean." She explained.

"True." I said to her honestly. "And let me guess. You want to fix everyone's problems."

She was silent, confirming my guess.

I kissed her lips once again. "Roza, it's normal to want to help the people you love. But you can't fix everything."

"It's what I do," she admitted. "I protect people."

"I know, and that's one of the reasons I love you. But for now, you only have to worry about protecting one person: Lissa."

She stretched against me, making me hold her tighter. I caught a glimpse of her wound. Her stitches had been removed the day before, as had her bandages, but there was still a fairly angry red mark on her chest. She had been told that the mark would fade but would more than likely never disappear. She hadn't been too happy, but I assured her it didn't matter to me, and I would love her, scar or no scar.

"I suppose that means we can't stay in bed all day?" she asked me, cute hopefulness in her voice.

"Afraid not," I answered her. It was probably the only morning I had ever woke up and hated going to work.

I ran one of my hands from her waist to her hip, feeling the softness of her skin. "They come first."

Rose lifted herself up and kissed me again.

"But not for a little while." She murmured.

"No," I replied, pulling her closer to me. "Not for a little while."

We were surprisingly on time for the ceremony taking place today.

There was a short vigil and then a massive procession leading from the church to the palace building where the actual crowning was taking place. I was on duty for extra protection. Court was buzzing with people from all over the place, coming to see Lissa be crowned.

I don't think I've ever been quite as proud of Rose as I was when I watched her walking with Lissa and the rest of the Royal Guard. I would, however, be lying if I said that I wasn't a little apprehensive about having her out of bed so soon. This was Rose though. She could handle it…not to mention the fact that she'd never agree to being holed up in bed while possibly the most important day of her best friend's life was taking place.

Guardians lined the walls of the palace building, me among them, while we waited for Lissa and her guardians to enter. Musician's played. People cheered.

All in all, the atmosphere was quite uplifting, despite recent events.

The Royal Guard entered the room, causing heads to turn. Each of them made their own way to join the guardians lined at the walls.

I watched Rose's face as she studied the people in the room around her. It mainly consisted of the Council, some Royal families and some people that Lissa had specified to be here: myself included.

Rose's gaze moved upwards to the lighting, studying the chandeliers absentmindedly.

I watched as her parents approached her and her father gently nudged her shoulder.

Rose turned and looked to who was trying to get her attention. She said something and conversation between the three of them broke out.

After a few minutes, I decided to join them. I hadn't spoken with them properly over the last few days; I had been too worried and scared about whether Rose would be okay.

On my way over, my footsteps sounded louder than normal, and my palms felt like they were sweating. I didn't quite understand why I was so nervous about talking to them. It wasn't like I hadn't spoken to them before…then again, I wasn't involved with their daughter…that they knew of.

As I reached them, I deliberately didn't touch Rose.

"Mr. Mazur," I greeted her father and nodded my head to both him and her mother. "Guardian Hathaway."

"Ah, Belikov," Abe replied and shook my hand. "I'd been hoping we'd run into each other. I'd really like to get to know you better. Maybe you can set aside some time to talk, learn more about life, love, et cetera. Do you like to hunt? You seem like a hunting man. That's what we should do sometime. I know a great spot in the woods. Far, far away. We could make a day of it. I've certainly got a lot of questions I'd like to ask you. A lot of things I'd like to tell you too."

I resisted the urge to gulp.

I saw Rose shoot a look at her mother.

"Actually," Janine said. "I'd like to come along. I also have a number of questions – especially about when you two were back at St. Vladimir's."

"Don't you guys have somewhere to be?" Rose cut in quickly. "We're about to start."

Looking up, I realised that we were about to begin, saving me from the, albeit scary, conversation.
"Of course," Abe replied. He leaned in and kissed his daughter's forehead, leaving her looking quite stunned. "I'm glad you're back."

He turned and winked at me. "Looking forward to our chat." I reminded myself of why I was going to put myself through, what would no doubt be, a frightening chat. Rose was more than worth it.

And just like that, my fears went away.

Abe and Janine both left to stand in their places.

"Run," Rose spun around and said to me as soon as they were out of earshot. "If you slip out now, maybe they won't notice. Go back to Siberia."

"Actually," I corrected her. "I'm pretty sure Abe would notice." The man had eyes like a hawk. "Don't worry, Roza. I'm not afraid. I'll take whatever heat they give me over being with you. It's worth it."

"You really are the bravest man I know," she replied, almost comically.

I gave her smile and then noticed people getting excited behind her.

"Looks like she's ready," I murmured to Rose.

"I hope I am." She whispered back to me. I wanted to hold her hand. To squeeze it and reassure her that everything was going to be okay now. But of course, guardian protocol would not allow it, and I had to keep my hands to myself as Lissa entered.

The small room fell silent as Lissa walked in. It wasn't anything that she did, it was just something that naturally happened when she entered a room.

The herald stepped forward. "Princess Vasilisa Sabina Rhea Dragomir," he introduced grandly.

Lissa stepped forward, wearing a beautiful dress and leaving everyone awestruck. Christian, my new charge, was escorting her. The look on his face showed exactly everything he felt for Lissa and more. His pride and love were the most evident.

They reached the base of the throne where Ekaterina was waiting patiently. She gestured to the satin cushion on the floor in front of her. "Kneel."

Lissa obeyed and knelt down carefully. Everyone listened as Ekaterina read out pieces from the coronation book.

When she was finished, Ekaterina gestured for Jill to come forward, which she did with the crown. Reaching up on her tip toes, she placed the embedded crown delicately on Lissa's head.

"Rise," Ekaterina instructed Lissa, her voice ringing out in the silent room. "You will never kneel to anyone again." She took Lissa's hand and they both faced the small crowd in the room. "Queen Vasilisa Sabina Rhea Dragomir, first of her name," She declared.

On cue, we dropped to our knees in front of Lissa and bowed our heads.

"Rise," Lissa said after only a couple of seconds. Ekaterina then led Lissa around a decorated table to sign some papers and make it official.

Afterwards, Lissa made her way to the throne and sat proudly with her head held high. I applauded with Rose and the rest of the room as Lissa was officially declared Queen.

Lissa smiled brightly at the applauding audience and I saw her make eye contact with Rose. In response, Rose grinned back at her.

"What's so funny?" I asked her, loving the way her eyes shone when she was happy.

"I'm just thinking about what Lissa would say if we still had the bond," she told her.

Looking at her happy face, I decided to abandon the guardian protocol that had been drilled into me since I was young. We had been through too much to let silly things like what people thought of us to get in the way. I grabbed her warm hand and pulled her to me. I wrapped her up in my arms.

"And?"

"I think she'd ask, 'What have we gotten ourselves into?'" she replied.

"What's the answer?" I asked her, her pure happiness seeping into me, making me feel warm.

"I don't know," she replied, leaning her whole body against me, causing my arms to wrap tighter around her on instinct. "But I think it's going to be good."