When Rose and Adrian returned downstairs, they were holding hands with rosy cheeks. Make up sex had definitely been worth it, Rose mused, as they re-entered the hall. For the funeral, it had been filled with chairs and a small stage, but they had all been removed now. Moroi would just stand for the meeting. There were people milling around, and Rose spotted their friends standing by the wall, so they could speak with Eddie and Dimitri - the guardians were still against the walls only. They walked over, and Lissa gave Rose a huge grin, almost vibrating with excitement. When Rose got close enough, Lissa's will power broke, and she threw her arms around Rose, "You said YES!"

"Yeah, I did," Rose laughed, amused and in too good of a mood to supply a witty comeback. Christian smirked at her, hugging her next, "About time." Rose rolled her eyes at him playfully, accepting a hug from Eddie and then Tasha. Lastly, Dimitri hugged her, holding her tight for a second longer then anyone else had. When the pulled away, he didn't say anything - just smiled. That was all they needed. Rose was pleased to note that Adrian didn't look the slightest bit jealous at their hug. Maybe that mean't she could still have a close relationship with Dimitri.

"May I hold Ivan?" Lissa asked Tasha, who had one baby in a sling on her chest, and the other in a car seat by her and Dimitri's feet. Tasha nodded, and Lissa retrieved the little guy from his car seat, snuggling him against her neck.

"So who do you think is in the running?" Eddie asked, conversationally. Lissa wrinkled her nose, and Rose said, "You, obviously, Liss. And I'd bet the Ivashkov candidate is your Uncle Kenneth," she turned to Adrian, "Wasn't he seeing Naomi?"

"I think so," Adrian nodded, winding his arms around Rose's waist. She shot him a small smile, but as they continued discussing who might be chosen, more people filled the hall. Regretfully, Rose eased away, taking a position against the wall. Lissa kept Ivan against her chest, as Tasha was holding Rosine, and Christian amused himself with Rosine's tiny fingers. Lissa watched, grinning. Rose met her eyes, and raised her eyebrows, nodding slightly at the babies. Lissa blushed, and thought, 'We haven't talked about that. We'll see how today goes.' This made Rose grin wider - she never thought about Lissa and Christian having kids, but now that she was, she could totally picture it.

On the far side of the room, a man from the council coughed, waiting for everyone to quiet. This was a serious matter - monarchs didn't get chosen every day. Rose stood slightly straighter, and she resisted the urge to lean back against the wall.

"Thank you all for returning. The council has compiled a list of names, of those who are eligible to run for King or Queen. One person per family - these Moroi are chosen because of their connections and relations with other Moroi, their aptitude and abilities - but most of all, they are approved as candidates because the council believes that any of these chosen Moroi can lead out people in the years to come, in their own ways."

"If you hear your name spoken, please come to the front. I'll start with the Badica Family." An elderly man - the oldest of the family, who was obviously in the know about who was chosen, straightened up as tall as he could with his cane. In a surprisingly strong voice, he said, "Michael Badica." A noble looking man was instantly patted on the back and congratulated in quiet voices - he looked a big smug, and he walked to the front with the air of someone who had already won the crown. Rose snorted quietly - she didn't think she'd vote for him, if she could.

It went on like that for the Conta family and the Tarus family - both male candidates. When they came to Dragomir, the speaker paused, and scanned the crowd for Lissa. She lifted her chin slightly, and the man said, "For the Dragomir candidate, we choose the only eligible member, Vasilisa Dragomir." Lissa nodded - she knew this was coming. She walked to the front without changing her expression. I checked though the bond, just to be sure, but she wasn't stressed out about it. Yet.

Lazar, Zeklos, Dashkov, Voda, Ozera, and Drozdov candidates were all chosen. Since Naomi was a Szelsky, they didn't get to choose a family member. Another four men, plus two women. It surprised Rose to notice that most of the candidates were younger - or at least, they weren't graying yet. Usually, families chose older candidates who had more experience. Then they wondered why they had to redo this process so often.

When it came to the last family, Rose wasn't surprised they saved Ivashkov until the end. They were the largest Moroi family - choosing a candidate was probably a pain in the ass for the council to organize. Too many family members with too many opinions. Ten hopeful Moroi stood in a line in the front, waiting to hear who would be called next. Adrian chose this moment to lean back against the wall, next to Rose. He nodded towards his Uncle, and said, "He's over there. Watch his face - I'm sure it'll be priceless when he is called." Rose knew that Adrian himself had voted for Kenneth. A few others were watching him, as well. More supporters.

"The Ivashkov family.." the speaker said, and he double checked his list. He frowned slightly - Rose was willing to bet he wasn't happy about this candidate. This made her frown too - Kenneth Ivashkov was sure to have a few enemies, but overall he was a pretty nice guy. They'd spoken the few times Rose had guarded Adrian during a dinner with his family, and she'd always appreciated the fact that he was willing to speak with the "hired help", so to say. She was roused from her thoughts when the speaker finally opened his mouth again. As she looked up, she noticed a few key individuals from within the Ivashkov family staring in their directions. She realized why just as the speaker said the name.

"Adrian Ivashkov."

Rose felt her jaw dropped. She probably looked shocked - but then, every face that had just turned towards them looked the same. A few prominent Ivashkovs nodded to Adrian - she figured they must have nominated him. How the process worked, Rose wasn't quite clear on the details. But the higher up you are in the family, the more say you had. Ana was through the crowd a ways, and her husband was waving his hand in front of her stunned face. Finally, Rose looked at Adrian.

He looked like someone had slapped him across the face. This must have never occurred to him, she thought, as she gently pushed him off the wall. She whispered, "You need to go up to the front."

"Rose-" He started, but Rose shook her head, gently prodding him forwards. He went up front slowly, weaving his way through a still-silent crowd. All of the other candidates had received a bit of applause, but Adrian was such a surprise that no one thought to give him the same courtesy. Once he was in place, the speaker said, "One of these Moroi will be your future monarch. I strongly suggest you start showing them the respect they might one day deserve from you. The tasks will start in two months - in four, we will have a leader once more." This woke the crowds up, and there was applause and a few light cheers. Everyone began mingling once more, and Eddie shifted over to Rose, asking, "Did you have any idea?"

"No." Rose replied. Tasha smiled, "I don't think Adrian had any idea, either. Look at him." He was walking over with Lissa, who was pulling on his sleeve to get him to move with her. He was pale - but his eyes were distant, lost in thought. As they reached the group, Rose went straight to Adrian, taking both of his hands.

"Adrian?" She asked, wiggling his hands to get his attention. He looked down at her, and said, "I'm the Ivashkov nominee."

"Yes, you are," Rose said, unable to stop the small smile from reaching her lips. He glared, "Are you laughing at me?"

"Of course not," Rose chuckled, "I can't believe its you."

"I'm going to talk to someone about this.." Adrian grumbled, but Rose caught him before he left. She frowned, "Why are you angry?"

"Because this is a joke! I'm not smart enough to be King. I don't have the skills."

"Adrian. Of course your smart enough," Rose replied, "I didn't expect this either. But, that doesn't mean I don't agree with the choice. I know you can do it if you want to."

"I've never done anything important before," Adrian denied, and Rose took his face in her hands, making him stare into her eyes. She softly said, "You were important in starting the Offensive Magic Committee, which will help our races thrive against Strigoi like you can't imagine. You got me, something you had pursued for years. I'll help you, Adrian, if you want to do this. I'll be by your side every step of the way. That's what finacees do, right?" Adrian had a tiny smile on his lips, and Rose knew she was getting through to him.

"Stick it out. We can work together," Lissa smiled, from where she stood in Christian's arms. Dimitri nodded, "You'd have our support, as well. You too, Princess." Lissa and Adrian both smiled at Dimitri.

"If you still want to go back out, you can," Rose finished for everyone, "It's your decision." Adrian stared at her for a long moment, then sighed, smiling, "I guess I'm going to have to try, aren't I." Rose nodded, grinning at his choice. He hugged her, and mumbled, "If I didn't have you with me, I would back out right now."

"I'll be with you forever, Ivashkov." He kissed her, and they exchanged a smile. As they talked with their friends, and any Moroi who came up to congratulate Adrian and Lissa, Rose mulled things over. Well, she thought with a smile. Out of one big adventure, and right into the next. Life wasn't boring when you were engaged to Adrian Ivashkov.

Fini

A/N: The end! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and supported Last Sacrifice - Forever. It's been quite the journey to write, and I cannot wait to get started on the sequel! I have two other stories I am focusing on at the moment, but rest assured I am working on the next story as we speak :)

I really hope you've enjoyed this story. Even if you read it, and didn't write a review, THANK YOU! Support from readers on this website is what keeps aspiring authors going :) See y'all in the sequel.

PS. One last time, for old times sake... please review! :D