I sat Alicia on my knee at lunch to give Sonya a break. She thanked me with a sigh and ate peacefully while she told me how to feed her. After a demonstration, I was able to feed her on my own, and it placed a smile on my face.
Dimitri watched me from where he sat, next to his mother.
I stuck my tongue out at Alicia and she giggled, which made me giggle with her.
"She's so adorable." I told Sonya.
She sighed. "I know. I love her to pieces. She's one of the best things that have ever happened to me."
I smiled back at Alicia.
It was surprisingly hard to eat lunch with Alicia on in my hands. But I managed.
She eventually fell asleep in my arms, after I finished juggling her around while trying to put a hamburger in my mouth. I placed her in her stroller carefully, failing to keep the smile off my face.
I saw Viktoria eyeing me and Alicia, but when I caught her, I raised an eyebrow at her, and she looked away instantly.
"So, Roza," Olena smiled at me. "Are you thinking of having kids?"
I had had my soda sucking up a straw and into my mouth, but that was sprayed to the side, my preferable place to spray my drink instead of in someone's face. I coughed into the back of my hand.
Dimitri cringed. "Mother…"
She looked innocent. "Okay, I'm not meaning anytime soon, or that you and Dimitri could have one, since your both Dhampirs…but one day? Rose?"
I had finished chocking on my soda and had stuffed some hamburger in my mouth to try and avoid the question. I knew it wouldn't work, that was obvious, but at least I had time to think about it.
"Umm…err…yeah….I guess. But not until I've had a good enough life as a Guardian. I know I might be able to go back someday…after, but…I have beliefs that the mother shouldn't just send her child off to an academy. It's not nice, not that I am pointing any fingers at my mother."
Olena nodded, and then slowly, she turned to Dimitri. "And you?" she asked with a small smile.
I had never seen Dimitri look more uncomfortable. It was one thing to ask your son's girlfriend, but a mother asking a son? That was almost never heard of. It was surprisingly enjoyable from where I was watching, although I pitied his uncomfortable face.
I cupped my hands over my face, my elbows on the table, to cover my smile. Sonya, apparently, had the same idea as me. She snorted, though, which was why she started to cover her mouth in the first place.
"I suppose," Dimitri said, looking thoughtful, but I knew he was embarrassed, especially saying this in front of me. "But only if the circumstances where perfect."
Viktoria snorted and started giggling like a little school girl. She got up from the table and left, rounding the corner to laugh.
Dimitri was hoping that was the last of the questions. He was wrong.
"Circumstances?" Olena asked. She was just teasing now, but I could sense real curiosity and worry behind her words. She truly cared about what would happen to her son.
Dimitri nodded after a moment, choosing his words carefully. "No terrible danger to the world. And like Rose said, I would have to make sure that I was ready for it. But, of course, if it were to happen without me knowing…" his eyes flashed to me so quickly that I was questioning myself if I had actually seen it. He was referring to me cheating on him. As if. "And there was no other choice for me, morally; I would certainly give it up."
He was trying to keep his mothers options open. He didn't want to say my name, since his mother had not mentioned me in the question. It would be strange if he had said my name, but the intentions were clear to me.
Viktoria joined us then, sitting down silently, her eyes looked like she was crying from laughing so much. She couldn't keep the grin off her face, though.
I smiled at Dimitri and him to me. We were pleased with ourselves, dodging the questions whilst answering them. It takes a very smarticle person to do that. Like us.
Olena looked back to me. "Well, when that happens, Rose, I want you to call me the instant you find out, and I will fly back here in an instant, probably Sonya too, to help.
My smile faltered. "When?"
She laughed. "If. Let's say If."
I breathed out.
She laughed.
I hadn't noticed that Dimitri had gotten out of his chair, and was now standing behind me, his hand on my hip, and his lips at my ear.
"Come on. There's someone I think you should see."
I nodded and said my goodbyes to them all, including a small kiss on the head for Alicia. We walked away hand in hand.
He took me to Tatiana's old room, which would now be renovated for Adrian. We knocked on the door, and Adrian greeted us. The renovations were quick.
"Rose! Come on in!" he said cheerfully, taking my hand and leading me inside.
When I saw Denis sitting on a bed, talking to Lissa, I grinned.
He saw me, and reflected my expression. He got off the bed and hugged me, swinging me around, my feet off the floor.
"Oh, my god, Denis!" I squealed and hugged him.
He laughed, and pulled me off him slightly. "Now, now. Wouldn't want to make Mr. Macho jealous, would we?"
I looked back at Dimitri who was smiling and shaking his head.
"So the test results came back?" I asked.
He nodded. "I am now officially your best friend's brother. That makes us related! Kind of."
He was almost exactly like Adrian, but he had that special touch of Denis that I liked.
"So the council must be taking it hard," I mused. "Their first Dhampir royal."
Lissa got up. "Kind of, but they'll manage. They managed you two, didn't they?" she looked at me and Dimitri.
"I guess we're breaking all the rules now." I said.
Lissa and Denis laughed. "I guess so." Denis smiled.
***interval***
I hated to admit it, but a month flew by quicker than I had expected it too. I had met with Oksana, had lunch with her and showed her around. I hung out with Viktoria again, this time was a little less tense as she told me she had rethought her motives and placed them as desperation. She had thanked me she had not made that mistake.
I let it go on for a whole fifty days, just to be safe. It seemed like a long time, on paper. In reality, though, it was really only a month and two thirds. Not long at all.
I scrawled a letter and hid it under my pillow for Dimitri. That way, it wouldn't be obvious if someone came in and there was no worry. If they looked for it, though, afterwards, they would definitely find it.
I need this to stop. I am desperate! He's out there. I don't know what else to do! I will kill him mentally. No one will be safe until I do.
I love you, Dimitri. And, I'm sorry.
-R
I tuck it neatly under my pillow with a tear sliding down my face, before lifting my chin and walking out of the room, deciding to not lock it. As if anyone would steal anything here.
I walked down to the front gate alone, seeing Gary standing on duty.
"Can you let me out, please?" I asked him.
Gary looked wary. "I don't know about that, Rose…With Dashkov and all…"
"Please, Gary? It'll be totally safe now. It's been more than forty days. He's moved on."
He bit his lip, and then decided to trust me.
He opened the gate, and I stepped out.
There was nothing at first, so much so that I thought he had moved on. I looked around, even stepped away from the wards in case they were interrupting the transmissions. There was just….nothing.
Then I noticed a glitter from behind a tree. That familiar, smirking grin…it sent shivers down my spine.
"You're supposed to be moved on." I told him.
He laughed, but it was really weak. "Yes, I am. It is taking me a lot of energy just to stay here, let alone talk to you."
"Then why stay? Piss off."
He laughed again. "Not without doing this."
He floated towards me quickly, just as quickly as before, but he didn't go all the way through me this time. He stopped and stroked my face. I flinched away, but you couldn't really avoid a ghost.
"What?" I asked in a hiss. "What did you do to me and Lissa?"
He smiled. "It's a little game in your mind, Rosemarie Hathaway."
"I'm not playing any game!"
He smirked. "You have no choice." He said with a smile. "I know what will happen to you. Your whole world will twist again, and you will have to decide. Whether you choose what you want more than anything, or what is best, is up to you. Either way, you will not come back."
He launched himself at me and I screamed louder than I ever had before. It felt like a million machine guns piercing me at ever part of my body, shooting super sharp, poisoned razer blades.
He disappeared after about twenty seconds of my pain, laughing. I collapsed on all fours, sweat dripping down my face, but I did not pass out.
I was pulled within the wards by Gary.
I leaned against the wall, standing now.
What did he want to do? I wasn't infected. I felt Lissa, she wasn't either. Was it to inflict pain? Was that it?
A game? What…? And my future…
What would he know?
"Roza!" Dimitri screamed.
I looked up at him with a smile. I felt perfectly fine now, like nothing had ever happened.
He glared at Gary, but before he could go off his nut, I interrupted.
"Don't. It's not his fault."
Dimitri turned on me. "What were you thinking?"
I swallowed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
He shook his head, his face filled with relief that I was okay. "What I wouldn't give to see in your head right now."
I laughed. "You'd need therapy if you could."
He cracked a smile and kissed me.
"He's gone." I told him. "He disappeared."
"That's good." Dimitri nodded.
"It is." I agreed. "I just hope…" I cut myself off.
He waited. "Hope…?"
I smiled. "It's fine. We're getting there."
He smiled. "Yeah. We are. And you know what?"
I frowned. "What?"
His lips were so close to mine now that they touched mine briefly when he talked.
"It's worth the wait. I love you, Roza. I will always love you. I would die for you, and I will, when it comes to it."
"If." I corrected.
He smiled. "If." He agreed.
He swallowed. "Roza?" he whispered.
"Hmm?"
"I want you to marry me." He whispered.
My breath caught, and my life suddenly was a lot brighter. But was I ready? I wasn't so sure.
But I was happy at that instant.
I hoped it would stay that way.
Forever.
PLEASE READ! SO IMPORTANT I WILL DIE IF YOU DON'T!
I know I am so evil, but guess what?
No….keep guessing…keep guessing…..keep guessing…..Guessed enough yet? No? Keep guessing…..keep guessing….keep guessing…..all good? Okay.
THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER IN THE BOOK! YES! YOU READ RIGHT! I HAVE OFFICIALLY FINISHED THIS BOOK! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!
Yes, the new book will be out soon. I will add another chapter to this book for those who have just added this story as a favourite book, and not me as a favourite author. I would suggest that you do add me as a fav. Author, just in case :) But yeah, you will get a notice about the new book when I put out the new chapter, and make sure you get to it quickly! It won't be up forever.
Love to get your reviews on this chapter, and also about the whole book! Any suggestions for the new one will be put into serious thought and 9/10 times, will happily be put into the book.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ROSE AND DIMITRI? WILL SHE SAY YES? OOOOHHH…..
Thank you for all the support! You guys are like family to me!
Lauren, signing out for the last time in this book (officially!)
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