"What?" I asked shocked. Did he just...? He was looking at me so honestly, so scared and so in love.
"Marry me." Adrian said running a hand through my hair. I pulled back.
"Why?" I asked my voice shaking with fear.
"Because it's simple Sydney; I love you. There's no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with." Adrian's voice was soft, tender, loving and I was about to shatter that.
"No." I whispered. My hands were shaking uncontrollably and I clenched my fingers into a fist.
"No?" Disbelief laced Adrian's voice. His whole world was coming down around him. I'd hurt him worse than Rose had.
"No," My voice was still shaking as I drew in a deep breath. "I won't marry you." Adrian let me go and staggered back a few steps, his eyes betrayed how he felt. My heart clenched painfully and I reached out to him. He raised his hands and moved further back.
"Don't."
"Adrian..."
"Why?" He shouted. He stormed towards me and backed me up against the wall, his hands placed against the stone on either side of my head. "Why? Why won't you marry me?" His voice was much quieter now, but it still held traces of pain.
I squeezed my eyes shut and drew in another shaky breath.
"There are a few reasons Adrian as to why I won't marry you. But all I'm going to say is this; if we're still together in a couple of years, ask me again. My answer will more than likely be a different one." I open my eyes and look up at him. He looks broken, empty and vulnerable.
"What are the reasons?" He asked.
"We haven't been together long enough, we're too young and we haven't gotten to know each other properly." Adrian nodded his head thoughtfully and then dug a hand into his pocket and pulled something small and circular out. He held it up. It was a small gold ring with what looked like intricately carved vines twining in on itself and around the ring.
"Adrian. I said no."
"I know. This is just a promise ring. I was going to use it if you said yes. But, you've said no, so this is just a promise ring. Promising that one day, I'll ask again and you'll say yes." I really didn't know what to say, or what to do. Thankfully, I was saved from having to do anything.
"Adrian? Sydney? Are you guys out here?" Came Angeline's voice as she walked out onto the balcony. "Oh. There you guys are. look, I'm sorry to interrupt-"
"Then don't interrupt and go back inside." Adrian growled. I slapped his arm and looked at Angeline who rolled her eyes and impatiently tapped her foot.
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. Sonya and Mikhail are about to cut the cake." Under his breath I could hear Adrian growling. He was glaring at Angeline, at the intrusion. I welcomed the intrusion. It saved me from having to take the ring. I'd already promised, what more did he want? Apart from the obvious.
"We'll be right in Angeline." I said smiling reassuringly at her. Angeline smiled awkwardly and turned on her heel and walked back to the reception. I hesitated a second longer, trapped between Adrian and the wall. Adrian opened his mouth to speak but I moved away and towards the double doors that led back to the wedding reception, but Adrian stopped me and pressed the ring into my hand, closing my fingers over it.
"Wear it, please." Adrian insisted, brushing his thumb over my knuckles. I shivered at the contact and then turned my hand over and clasped it with his, the ring trapped between our fingers. Adrian's expression softened and he pulled me towards him, keeping me just inches from him.
"Okay, I'll wear it. But it's only a promise ring and nothing more." I warned. Adrian nodded in
agreement, his green eyes looking dull and broken.
"For a few more years." He said smirking. He tried for a full smirk but could only manage a half-hearted one. My heart sank and I reached up and cupped one side of his face. He closed his eyes and leaned into my hand.
"Yes, for a few more years," I agreed. He lifted our clasped hands and kissed the back of mine before dropping our hands to hang between us. His free hand pried open the hand holding the ring and slid it on the tip of his finger and took my free hand.
"A promise." He said softly. His voice sounding incredibly sweet. He pushed the ring off the tip of his finger and onto mine, pushing it down so it sat neatly on my middle finger. The ring really was beautiful. I brushed my thumb against it before taking hold of Adrian's hand.
"Come on. I don't want to miss the cutting of the cake. Plus, I want to get in a few more dances with this amazing guy I know." I teased. Adrian tipped his head back and laughed. I laughed along with him and pulled him inside. His free arm snaked its way around my waist, his hand coming to rest on my waist and pulled me closer. I was still reeling from his sudden and unexpected proposal, but being back in his arms made me momentarily forget it all. That is, until the door everyone walked through burst open and the room was swamped with Guardians. They surrounded us all, just standing there and looking intimidating and quite frankly, terrifying.
"We have reason to believe that a rogue Alchemist by the name of Sydney Sage is hiding out here in the Royal Court. She is armed and dangerous. There is only one way to distinguish between her and humans; she has a golden tattoo of a lily upon her cheek. Should you see her, do not approach. Immediately seek the assistance of a Guardian." The Guardian who spoke stepped forward and walked along the front line of wedding guests. It was Hans. The Dhampir who interrogated me the first time I'd ever come to the Royal Court after I'd helped Rose and Dimitri in their escape. A movement in my periphery alerted me to the fact that someone was moving towards Hans. It was Lissa. What was she doing? I could see Rose standing not far from Lissa. Hans noticed Lissa and bowed formally.
"Your Majesty." He said.
"There has been a mistake Hans. Whoever provided you with this information has been misinformed. Sydney is not a rogue Alchemist. She has been granted indefinite leave from the Alchemists." Lissa cocked her head to one side and looked at Hans intently, a small frown appearing between her eyebrows. "Who told you this?" She asked calmly. She wasn't using compulsion to get it out of him; she was using her authority as Queen.
"I received this information from Jared Sage." He stated. My mouth dropped open and Lissa turned to look at me. I stepped forward into Hans' line of sight. His posture went rigid and he withdrew a gun.
"Jared Sage?" I asked in disbelief. "My father?" Hans nodded his head.
"Yes. Your father. He told us you'd gone rogue because they wouldn't let you be with whoever you wanted."
"That's a lie!" I yelled in outrage. "Donna Stanton gave me permission to leave the Alchemists so I could be with Adrian. I haven't gone rogue." At my side, Adrian had his arm around me protectively. My own father was trying to make it look like I'd gone rogue just so that the Guardians could find me, bring me back to the Alchemist facility and send me off to a re-education centre. I dug around in my purse for my phone. I found it at the bottom and pulled it out. I flipped through my contacts and clicked on Donna Stanton's name, pressing the call button and putting the phone up to my ear.
"Stanton."
"Ma'am? Sydney Sage. We have problem." I said.
"What sort of problem?" She asked. I sighed and Adrian pulled me even closer, his thumb brushing over the promise ring on my finger.
"My father has told the Guardians I've gone rogue and am armed and dangerous." There was silence on the other end as she processed this information.
"Are you positive?" She finally asked her voice slightly unsure.
"Positive. I have one of the Guardians here now. I'll put him on and he can tell you the full details." I handed the phone over to Hans and he pressed it to his ear.
"Ma'am?" He asked as he turned and walked out of the room. I hurried after him, Adrian, Jill, Lissa, Rose , Eddie, Dimitri and Angeline right behind me. I stood a little ways back and could only hear Hans' murmured voice as he explained what was going on. His eyes kept flickering in my direction and finally he sighed,
"Yes, ma'am. Understood. I apologise for the misinformation." He walked over to me and silently handed back my phone. I take it and put it back up to my ear.
"Ma'am?"
"It's alright Sydney. You're in the clear. Your father though...I'll be having words with him. I believe he's doing this because in his eyes you left the Alchemists to mingle with vampires and abandoned us."
"But that's not true!" I said. Everyone was looking at me, Adrian standing right in front of me, arms crossed and frowning. I gave him a small reassuring smile. I got a tight smile in return. I reached out and laid my hand on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"I know it's not. Your father knows it's not. He's just lost and confused that you've left to be with vampires."
"You know he's doing this so I get sent to a re-education centre, right?" I heard Stanton sigh on the other end.
"That's what I was afraid of. Don't worry Sydney; I will deal with your father. Now, go back to the wedding and enjoy the rest of your night." Stanton hung up and I put my phone back in my purse and turned to the others.
"What's going on?" Adrian asked the tone in his voice suggesting he didn't like me being accused of being rogue.
"My father was behind it all. Stanton's going to talk to him. He did it because according to him I've abandoned my calling."
"That's bullshit!" He said.
"I know it is," Adrian's arms were still crossed, so the hand that was resting on one of his arms slid down to his hand and pried it off his arm and clasped our fingers together. "They'll take care of it all. Now can we please go back and enjoy the rest of the night?" I pull on Adrian's hand and head back to the reception just as the band version of My Immortal by Evanescence came on. Adrian, back to his usual self, spun me around and pulled me into his arms as we danced. And again, he sung the words softly so only I could hear. As I danced and listened to him sing I realised something; I did love Adrian. He was always there for me, always the first to register an opinion on something and could always make me laugh, even when he was being difficult. I also realised I did want to spend the rest of my life with him. Maybe we could make it a long engagement? I tilted my head back, my lips brushing Adrian's ear.
"Yes." I whispered into his ear. Adrian stopped singing and stood still.
"Huh?" Came his reply. I stood on tiptoe and whispered it again,
"Yes," I kissed the underside of his jaw. Adrian watched as I slid the promise ring off my middle finger and onto the ring finger on my left hand. His mouth dropped open and then closed. He looked down at my hand, then back up to me.
"On one condition." I said. Adrian nodded enthusiastically. "We make it a long engagement. We wait a few years." Adrian was still nodding, his face alight with excitement, love and it was all there and it was all for me. All of a sudden, he let out a loud cry and picked me up and spun me around.
"What made you change your mind?" He asked breathless as he set my feet back on the floor, though he kept a tight hold on me.
"I realised I did want to spend the rest of my life with you." Adrian kissed me and then raised my left hand to his mouth and kissed the ring.
Feedback sounded loud and annoying from the speakers and Mikhail's voice floated out over the speakers.
"If everyone could please move out to the balcony, the fireworks will be beginning shortly." As one, everyone began moving out to the balcony. Adrian pushed our way through so we could be at the front. We reached the railing and I placed my hands on it, with Adrian wrapping his arms around my waist. I let go of the railing and held onto Adrian's arms, leaning back into his embrace. The firework were let off and sounds and colours exploded, filling the night sky with bright colour, loud cracking sound and the smell of smoke.
"A few years, Mrs. Ivashkov-to-be. A few years and we can be together for the rest of our lives." He whispered in my ear, his fingers fiddling with the ring. I turned in his embrace and threw my arms around him, crashing my lips to his as everyone else watched the fireworks display. My thoughts consisting of nothing but Adrian Ivashkov, the man I'd just agreed to marry.