About a half hour later, everyone was done eating and were milling around the patio area talking. I caught Adrian's attention and asked him to walk with me. There was a door that lead to a path outside so I took Dimitri's jacket off his chair and hurried out before he would notice. Lissa seemed to be bombarding him with conversation, so I figure I had had a minute. Adrian didn't say anything as we walked so I stopped.
"You know what I'm going to ask." He groaned.
"And you know I'm not going to tell you because if you get upset then everyone is going to get upset."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"See!" I crossed my arms in a huff. "Your father is back so you know who else is here. They where originally going to come tonight but checked into some hotel room for the night."
"So they found Jill?" He nodded.
"The old man said she was terrified, but a sweetheart once she started to open up. He said she talked a lot so I knew he found the right girl."
"Wow." I wrapped Dimitri's jacket around me tighter. "I'm not to upset by it, but I didn't really know how Lissa is going to be about this. She wont letme know what she's thinking. I guess we'll have to see. She most likely is going to just deal with it, because winning the thrown was important to her."
"I really want to know what's she's going to be like here." Adrian look off at nothing in particular. "Its probably a lot to just get thrown into the circus show at court."
"Adrian..." I started apprehensively.
"Yes?"
"If you want to leave early, to go see her, the alchemist..."
"Sydney."
"Yah sorry, you can go if you want." He shook his head but seemed a little sad by his own answer.
"She's probably already asleep, and she doesn't like when I drink anyway." I hadn't noticed the scent of alcohol coming from him until he mentioned it surprisingly. "I know I've been trying to give it up but do you mind if I have a cigarette." I have him a slightly disappointed smile but shrugged. I heard my name called.
"Rose!" Adrian and I turned around. "There you are, some people are here to see you, and come back in here it's freezing." My curiosity got the best of me and I rushed inside without a proper end to my conversation. When I got in I seen Dimitri hugging someone at the patio's entrance. When he pulled away I got a good look at them and smiled. I walked over and hugged the first girl.
"Hi! Long time no see." I laughed. "Viktoria, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be half way across the world?" She laughed as well.
"Vasalisa called a few days ago to thank us for letting you stay with us last month. We talked for a little and she told me you and Dimka were settling back in, we knew we wanted to visit. I just started my winter break a few days ago, and I've always want to come see America. When I asked the princess if I could come she said she wanted me to come surprise you."
"Call me Lissa." Lissa came over and stood next to me. "Surprise."
"Our mother came because she already missed Dimitri and didn't trust all the Moroi men here." She rolled her eyes but I perfectly understood why she would think that. Earlier on in my pregnancy when I still went to the gym, Royals would all look at me with dirty glances even if Dimitri was with me. Dimitri was talking to his mother so I waited for them to finish before I greeted her. I didn't have to though because Sonya spotted me first and gave me a big hug.
"It's so good to see you again Rosemarie." I smiled. She told me almost a duplicate of Viktoria's explanation before Dimitri started asking about where she was staying and for how long. I noticed my mother was sitting alone at the table still. I walked past Lissa and Viktoria who were becoming well aquatinted and sat next to her.
"Hi." She looked up at me.
"Hello Rose." She went back to playing with the bracelet she was wearing. I waved my hand at a waiter and turned back to my mom.
"You need to have some fun tonight."
"I can't." I exhaled loudly.
"I seen you while I was way, you were worried and just trying to keep Lissa happy the whole time, you need a break."
"Rose, I don't get to have fun, that's what the promise marks we got means, they come first. We both know they are not coming home sober so it's our job to take care of them, not join them."
"You are not on duty, I wanted you to come so you could enjoy yourself, I'm here and safe, so live like your not about to be a grandma and have fun."
"Don't say that. I'm not even forty." The waiter finally came over.
"Hi can I have a water, and can you get her whatever the bartender recommends to start the party." My mother glared at me. When the waiter walked away a said two words to her before getting up. "Join them." When I turned around Christian nearly fell on top of me. It wasn't really the impact that knocked me back onto my mother's chair, but more the shock and smell of alcohol that made me gag. My mother caught me and I quickly got up and briefly apologized before grabbing Christian by the shoulders.
"Well, howdy Rose." I had never seen him drunk before and I had also never seen him this friendly and open. He was either a light weight or he drank a lot more at dinner than I seen. The waitor handed me my glass of water but I simply handed it to Christian.
"Drink this pyro." He took it and sat in the chair I was just in. He started having some conversation that seemed to amuse my mother. I was happy to see her take small sips from the drink in front of her. I found Eddie standing in the corner seeming doing the same thing as my mother and deciding to be the babysitter. "Eddie come on have a little fun. We are still in wards you can let your guard down a little, cant you? There are guys on duty here, come have fun with everyone." He gave me the same arguments as my mother but he was easier to lead astray. Lissa came over to me.
"Rose lets go dance." She was so excited I didn't really respond before we were inside and heading for the dance floor. The music was fun and upbeat but still wasn't disturbing the people dining in the main building. A few small children were running around but the space was other wise empty. Lissa and I swayed back and forth laughing at our lack of rhythm, and before we knew it everyone was coming to join us.
Seeing Christian do the Macarena while clearly intoxicated was hilarious, but the laughing soon stopped when a slow song came on. Christian offered a dance to Lissa who at this point was slightly buzzed as well, and they were the first to pair off and sway on the dance floor. Eddie surprised me when he walked out with Viktoria and started to dance with her. Dimitri came over and extended his hand. "Woah comrade, ready to show off your dance skills, I haven't seen you take one side step all night." He smirked, but I still took his hand and and followed him.
We dance for a few minutes because the slow music didn't look like it was going to stop for a while. I leaned into him and swayed back and forth until I yawned. He stopped and pulled away. "Is my little Roza ready for bed?" I shook my head.
"Not quite." Dimitri led me to the side of the dance floor where we silently watched everyone dancing. I nearly laughed out loud when I seen my mother being twirled around by Adrian, who was clearly having fun with how awkward he was making my mother feel. He seemed to be enjoying how uncomfortable she looked.
"Rose, I want to make a promise to you." I turned to look at him and seen a hard look on his face. "I promise no matter what, I will never miss things like this." He gestured around us. "I promise to stop living by 'they' come first." He turned to me. "They don't, you come first, you come before everything, because I love you." I smiled at him.
"I love you too." Dimitri seemed to just be getting started.
"I promise I won't leave again and I'll help you because I want to be a good father." I couldn't help the stupid grin on my face.
"Between the two of us you are definitely not the future parent to be worrying about." I was trying to joke a little, but he stopped me.
"No Rose, it terrifies me that I won't be good enough. I would rather be put up against a hundred strigoi then do anything to hurt you again, or be a bad father, our hurt my family. I want to promise you that I'll try my my hardest to make you happy." I was a little nervous by Dimitri's frantic speech because he hadn't had a drop of alcohol all night.
He took my hands and dropped onto his knee. I couldn't move, the whole world stopped. "Dimitri what are you doing?!" I felt tears forming in my eyes. Dimitri pulled out a box from his pocket and opened it.
"Roza, will you marry me?"
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