Richelle Mead owns the VA and Bloodlines series.

This one shot started off a long time ago as one thing and completely changed over the last couple days into something totally different, but I kind of love it.

Anyway, this will be the last chapter before TFH. I've preordered it in hardcover AND I'm buying the ebook tomorrow night when it's released, so... See you in a couple days to fangirl and cry and oh! It's going to be so good!

Lissa promised that if we went public, like really public, with our engagement people would get over it faster. She swore letting people see our wedding would keep the prejudice away. And it worked. We were a spectacle, certainly, but no one was saying anything too harsh. Mostly they were just curious about our relationship, like we were some reality TV couple. So Lissa plastered our faces all over Court, not so subtly dubbing us a couple that was "breaking the barriers between races".

It was no secret anymore that I was a witch. The Moroi world was curious about witches and, by being in a relationship with a royal Moroi, I had somehow been cast as the face of all witches everywhere.

As curious as they were, most Moroi shied away from me, though I think that was more because most Moroi shied away from Adrian. Sure, most people liked him, but more than not they still labeled him a bad seed. A few had even commented how he might make Moroi look bad in their treaties with the witches.

The discovery of humans with magic was huge for the Moroi. It meant that there were other ways to battle Strigoi than just sending out dhampirs on suicide missions. It meant having someone else on their side. The witches really didn't seem to care one way or another. Many visited Court to work with Moroi on spell casting, trying to see what was possible if our races worked as a team. Others chose to stay within their covens the way they always had. But all of them, everyone, was interested in my wedding.

So it was really no surprise to me that there were dozens of photographers and videographers at the wedding, and then more still when we got to the reception. Lissa had invited half of Court, as well, meaning the vibe was less cozy and romantic and more, well, like a circus tent.

But that didn't exactly effect the huge grin I couldn't seem to shake as I pulled away from a group of well-wishers and tried to cut across the dance floor to the table they had set up for Adrian and myself. I bobbed and weaved through the crowd, trying to avoid stray feet from stepping on the small train of my dress.

The dress Lia DeStefano had designed specifically for me.

Jill was modeling almost full time now while still in school at Amberwood. Now that she was free from any rebel threats, she'd wanted to stay in Palm Springs, saying that now that she could come and go as she pleased, it wasn't any different from her old school, St. Vladimir's. She'd done a few shows for other designers, but Lia was currently trying to make her the face of her new line. Something that would include billboards, magazine spreads, the works. Jill had been wavering on the subject, knowing most Moroi wouldn't like their princess flaunting her image all over the human world, but I knew she really wanted to do it.

The second Jill told Lia I was getting married she'd said, "I've got the dress." And that was that. Neither of them had given me much option on the matter, which was why the thing even had the train at all. It wasn't something I would have chosen for myself, but Jill had helped design it and she loved it so much I couldn't help but love it too.

I flattened the dress a little bit, straightening a few wrinkles. It really was a beautiful dress, despite my misgivings about it. And Adrian's eyes had bugged out a little when he'd seen me wearing it at the wedding. I smiled a little, remembering the way his mouth had formed a perfect O shape as I walked down the aisle.

"What are you thinking about?" A soft voice whispered in my ear.

Adrian wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back against him. I leaned into his chest and closed my eyes as he kissed my bare shoulder.

"I was thinking about you, actually," I told him. "And my dress."

"Mmm," he murmured, his lips moving to my neck. "I've been thinking about you and that dress all day. Mostly about getting you out of it."

I laughed once and turned around, wrapping my arms around his neck. He pulled me back to the dance floor and we swayed to the music swirling around us. "Of course you were."

His expression became serious for a moment. "You do look amazing in it. You look great in everything—and nothing," he added with a smirk," but... Wow."

He ran his hands over the delicate silk and lace of the dress as if it were a classical work of art and a shiver ran up and down my spine. "You are beautiful. The most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Despite having heard some variation of this compliment for years, I still blushed. His fingers found my cheeks and tilted my head up to meet his, our foreheads resting together as we danced.

"I love you," he whispered. His eyes drifted closed as we slowly drifted around the dance floor. "I love that I'm allowed to say that now. I can shout it from a rooftop if I want to." He paused, his eyes snapping open, and pulled away from me a little. "I love Sydney!" he shouted, which was immediately followed by a chorus of whoops and clinking glasses from our guests. Well, the guests who really knew us at least. The others all looked somewhere between amused and scandalized. I ignored them as I'd been doing all day.

Adrian smirked at me, clearly pleased with himself, and I had to laugh. My heart was beating so hard at the prospect of being allowed to shout about our love. We didn't have to hide it anymore. We hadn't hidden it in a while, but still. We'd never have to hide it again. We were married, husband and wife, a family. Legally and in front of God and all of our friends. I was Mrs. Adrian Ivashkov.

Mrs. Adrian Ivashkov. Wow. Who would have guessed I'd ever be that person? I'd thought about marrying Adrian for years now. Almost immediately after we started dating I knew, deep in my soul, that he was the one. He just was, because if he wasn't then why would I have fought so hard to stay with him all these years, through all the persecution and threats? If he wasn't the one it wouldn't have been worth it.

And, oh god, was it worth it to be here, in this moment, while Adrian twirled me across the dance floor in my custom made wedding dress. The song we were dancing to ended abruptly and Adrian pulled me to him. Jill got up and said a few words about dinner and when we were going to cut the cake, but I really wasn't listening. Adrian's hands were skimming my lower back as we stared into each other's eyes. The only sound in my head right now was the throbbing of my heartbeat, which was picking up every time Adrian's hand crossed the patch of bare skin my dress left revealed.

"I'm not all that hungry," he whispered in my ear. "You?"

I shook my head, trying out my own devil-may-care smirk. It must have worked because Adrian sighed and dropped his head to the crook of my neck for a moment, his lips barely grazing my skin there.

"Alright, let's get out of here," he breathed and then took my hand before dragging me out of the reception hall.

"Wait," I said once we were in the hallway. "What about...?" I gestured back toward the door. "Everyone will wonder where we've gone."

"Sage," he said, pulling me close so I could hear him over the music. "I'm sure they'll be able to guess where we've gone."

I smiled at that, but it faded quickly as a thought occurred to me. "Adrian, my parents are in there!" I shouted over the persistent beat of the song the DJ was now playing.

"Relax," he said, pulling me further away from the door. I let him lead me to an alcove near the exit of the building. I leaned back against the cool wall, glad that the music wasn't quite as loud over here. "Everyone will think we're off taking pictures or something. Jill will handle it." He pointed to his head with a smile, indicating that she'd see this all through their bond. "Come on, today's supposed to be about us, but as far as I can tell all it's been about is sticking to everyone else's schedule. Photos at ten, church at midnight, more photos at one. We need a half hour to ourselves, even if it's just to go outside and talk."

I smirked at that, knowing whatever he wanted to do outside certainly wasn't going to involve a whole lot of talking.

"Okay, fine," he admitted with a laugh. "Maybe not talking, but I just want to kiss you, without having all of Moroi society watch like we're some guinea pigs in a lab experiment."

I sighed and combed a hand through his hair. It had been styled back out of his face earlier at the ceremony, so I lovingly mussed it back into his usual messy style. "They really haven't let us have a moment to ourselves, have they? I was just so glad no one was balking our marriage I didn't care that they'd basically taken it over."

Grabbing my wrist, he gently guided my hand down to cheek, turning his head to place a kiss in the center of my palm. "I know. I still don't care. Let them have today for whatever their political or social motivations. I couldn't care less, as long as I have you. But I've been sharing you with the cameras and the guests all day. I want you to myself now."

I smiled, and he dropped his forehead to mine. "Okay, a half hour and then we have to come back. I promised one of the reporters we'd give her an interview after the reception."

"Deal," he said with a wicked smile and led me outside past a couple of the guardians patrolling the perimeter.

True to his word, Adrian got us back to our reception a half hour later. But when we walked in from the dark and entered the bright hallway, I couldn't help the scowl that crossed my face as I glanced down at my dress.

The train was dirty and stained green at the edges from the grass. The grass stains didn't stop there either. I found a few more spots all over the skirt, even though Adrian had placed his suit jacket on the grass for me to sit on. When I glanced over at Adrian I realized his jacket had grass all over the back, his shirt was untucked and his tie was completely missing, probably still out beneath the stars where I'd thrown it when we'd started making out.

"This," I said, pointing to my dress, "is going to cause a riot when the photographers see us."

"Hey," Adrian said, throwing his hands up defensively. "You said I had to get you back here in half an hour. You never said what condition you needed to be in when we got here. Besides." He smirked and leaned in close, his lips barely an inch from mine. "You didn't seem too upset about it when we were outside."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, but if any of the reporters ask me why my dress is ruined, I'm telling them it's because my husband is insatiable."

He smiled at my casual use of the word husband. "That doesn't seem too bad a punishment."

Now it was my turn to smile. "Oh, it's not," I said sweetly, threading a hand through his hair. "The real punishment will begin once Jill sees the way you've mistreated her precious dress."

Then, with a laugh at his horrified expression, I pulled away from him and walked back into the party.