I was thinking…. Would you guys be okay if I made it so that Dhamphirs could have children with each other? Just a thought. Let me know.

Chapter six

Rose

He was taller than she remembered. It had been years since she'd seen him. Rose stood quickly and wrapped her arms around her old friend. Once she'd released him he scooted onto the empty stool beside her.

"I almost didn't recognize you Rose." He laughed. "Look at you!" Rose smiled.

"Oh trust me I didn't pay for it." André lost his smile.

"Are you still stealing Rose?" He chastised. Rose turned back to her drink.

"Yes," She said. "But I didn't steal it… It was a gift." André looked at her for a few minutes but waved his hand.

"Doesn't matter. I don't want to know." He paused. "How have you been?" Rose picked up her mug and took a sip. She sighed.

"Peachy. How about you?" André's face seemed to fall. He took a while to answer, ordering up his drink.

"Did you hear about my parents?" Rose nodded slowly and André looked up at the ceiling. Three years ago they'd died and it felt like just yesterday. "Lisa and I were suppose to go with them, you know. Even though it was a business trip for Father, Mother had planned on making it a small vacation." He shook his head, thinking. "Lisa got sick. Someone had to watch her and Mother really wanted to go with Father." Rose rested a hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him.

"It was fate, André. You both are lucky." He gave her sad eyes.

"Are we? I've been questioning that. I have to take the parent role for Lisa. I have to find her a husband…" He shook his head again. "I shouldn't be telling you this." Rose was just happy to see her old friend again. She gave him a hug.

"Sometimes you need to vent. Really, don't worry about it." His drink arrived and he set the coins into the hands of the bartender. He muttered a thank you.

"What are you doing today? I meeting Lisa in the park… you wanna come?" Rose stuttered at the answer. André knew the answer before she spoke and rolled his eyes. "She wants to see you Rose." He put a hand up to stop her from interrupting him. "I know because she told me so don't try to argue your way out of it." Rose ground her teeth as she thought. Sighing in defeat, she smiled at him.

"Will this meeting include lunch?" André snorted.

"Lunch it is."

Dimitri

"Would you please just wear it Dimka?" His mother asked. Dimitri turned away from the mirror. "You're going out in public. I want you to look nice." He thought about an argument to give her; that he'd be completely surrounded by guards, that no one was really going to see him, but like usual he couldn't bring himself to argue with her. That slightly aged face and bright eyes always tore his defenses down. Dimitri dropped his shoulders and nodded, looking down at the royal uniform. He'd wanted to try and blend in with the crowd today. He'd even considered sneaking away from his guards.

"Ya, Mama." He sighed shrugging off his nightshirt. He bent down so his mother could plant a kiss on his forehead.

"Thank you." Olena looked down at her own clothes. She still wore her long nightgown and pink silk robe. "Well," She sighed glad to have the argument over with. "I am going to change. I'll see you in an hour." We watched his mother waltz out of the room. He knew she was excited about the festival. It was one of the rare times she got to go out into the city. She got to speak to her old friends. Dimitri smiled at the thought of his mother. She was a good lady. He hated how his father treated her and knew that under all the makeup she already had on were a few bruises from the previous night. He'd heard the fighting and so had his youngest sister Viktoria, who'd run to his room for comfort.

"Hey Dimitri!" He looked up at Karolina who strode in holding her son Paul in her arms. They were both dressed in their nicest clothes.

"Hi Kare, Paul." At his name the little boy giggled. Paul squirmed out of her grasp and raced into his uncle's arms, burying his face in Dimitri's chest.

"We are going to party Uncle!" He exclaimed. Dimitri laughed and picked up his little nephew. He raised him above his head and spun him in the hair. Paul screeched in delight.

"Dimka please, it took me forever to get him changed." Karolina sighed, slightly annoyed. However the tips of her lips were curved in a slight smile. Dimitri set the belly-laughing boy down on the couch and began unbuttoning his nightshirt.

"Sorry Kare." He said smirking. She muttered 'boys' as she turned to leave the dressing room.

"I'll be back in thirty minutes. I'm going to find my fiancé." She laughed slaphappy. Fiancé. She liked the sound of that. Although Paul was already five years old, it had taken Eric until the previous night to propose. Karolina was ecstatic. (If anyone remembers his name let me know and I'll fix it. I've looked in everything and can't find anything on him though I know he was mentioned in one of the books.)

Dimitri watched his sister skip away humming happily to herself and he shook his head. He was happy for her. He couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled so much.

Dimitri slipped his decorative shirt on and slipped on his new pants. Once he was finished changing and looked at himself in the mirror, he searched for Paul, who'd snuck off once again. He found him over by the crown display looking up at the huge pedestal. It was the crown for his coronation. Only God knew when he'd get that burden. He walked into his bathroom with Paul close behind him and brushed a comb through his hair, tying it back into a ponytail. He then brushed Paul's hair, which had gotten disheveled when they'd been playing.

"I'm excited for the party, Dyadya." Paul said, speaking uncle in Russian. Dimitri smiled.

"Me too kid. Me too."

Olena

(thought it was only fair since I did Rose's mom)

Olena sat in her chair, as a servant braided her black hair back behind her ears. She played with her jewelry on her vanity, trying on different things and decided what would look good with her outfit. She hummed to herself, smiling softly. It didn't last long though.

"What are you so happy about?" Her husband snapped as he came into the mirror's view. Olena felt her servant's hands slow at his voice. Olena swallowed and pursed her lips.

"The festival today." She answered, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "I like the people you know." The king snorted.

"You used to be one of the people." He sneered. "Makes sense you'd want to be with them again." She tried to ignore him and focused back on her jewelry, slipping a few bangles on her wrists and putting on some long diamond earrings that matched the gold flowers being put in the crease of her braid, in the center of her head.

"Thank you Emma." She said to the servant. "You may leave." Olena stood slowly and circled in the mirror. Her husband pulled her to him, chest against chest. She looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"You look gorgeous you know." He whispered huskily, kissing her on the cheek before releasing her. She could already smell the booze on his breath.

"Th-thank you." She answered going over to the balcony. "I convinced Dimitri to dress up." She spoke normally, as if he hadn't insulted her a few moments ago.

"Oh?"

"I want him to find a girl, Alek. You know he needs one soon." Alek sat on the bed and nodded slowly.

"I'm very much aware of it Olena." Olena watched the people in the city, setting up tents and already beginning some of the festivities. Torches lit the way to the drawbridge to the castle. 'Any time now.' She thought to herself.