DANDELION || Nikolai Lantsov

49. MIDNIGHT IN THE BALLROOM

🌸 A N E E L A 🌸

The hands of the clock had already passed midnight when Aneela noticed the flame on her desk was twitching, signalling it would go out soon. She laid her pen down next to the to-do-list for tomorrow and got up from her chair, to get another candle.

Her back hurt a little, she had been sitting for a few hours now. After dinner, she had retrieved herself into her new office after wishing Nikolai a good night who wanted to go to bed earlier than usual – tomorrow was a big day for him. For her as well but there were some letters that couldn't wait and needed to go out with the first rider of the next day and now, she wanted to have a list for her wedding day in case they might miss something in the hectic. Under different circumstances, she would have joined him, but she kept working in her office until this candle gave up on her.

Aneela opened the door and was about to head towards the room across from her office where some supplies were kept but she stopped in the middle of the corridor as she heard noises. It was music, coming from close by. Who is playing the piano in the middle of the night? Whoever they are, they are really good. The melody sounded wonderful, not a single note was wrong, and the rhythm was never interrupted, this must be a skilled player who has been playing for several years.

Curious, she followed the song that grew louder which each turn she took through the Grande Palace. Finally, she stopped at the ballroom where the celebration would take place in just a few hours and peaked inside. The room was solemnly lit by a candle that sat on top of the piano which shinned at the player, making him look like an angel that brought light with his music to a world filled with darkness.

Nikolai had his brows knitted together, his eyes were focused on the music sheets in front of him, concentrated on what he was playing. His music sounded so beautiful, it was the song he had chosen for the ending of the ceremony when he would lead his wife out of the chapel.

Slowly, Aneela approached him, trying not to make a sound so he would keep going. Unfortunately, he noticed her when she was only a few meters away and stopped, looking over to her.

"I didn't know you could play the piano," she told him with a smile as she stepped next to him. "And that you play so well. I learn a new thing about you every day."

He turned towards her, grabbing her hands. "Did I disturb you?"

"No, not at all. I wish I could have heard it sooner, but the sound didn't go through my office door."

"Or you didn't hear it because you were working too much."

"Alright, that could be another reason." She gently squeezed his hands. "Why aren't you in bed? I thought you wanted to get an early sleep after this exhausting day."

"I couldn't sleep without you next to me."

Aneela's heart melted at the spot, and she pressed a kiss to his temple. Nikolai smiled at her dreamingly and wrapped his arms around her, resting his head against her belly. She pressed down one of the keys as she rubbed over his back with her other hand. "Were you taught when you were little?"

"Yes, and I absolutely hated the lessons but for some reason, I kept playing here and there after I left the palace all those years ago." He mumbled into her dress before he looked up to her again. "And now, I couldn't resist to try again, I really missed it."

"You should have started to play way sooner, I could listen to you and watch you playing all day long." She brushed a few strains of golden hair out of his tired face. "Are you going to finish the song?"

"I can't continue."

She frowned. "Why not?"

"Because when the song is over, we're officially husband and wife and I get frustrated when it doesn't happen after the last note is played."

"The wedding is tomorrow, husband." Aneela chuckled. "In a few hours, we're officially married."

"Well, that's a few hours too many." He leaned back and tugged on her waist, wanting her to sit in his lap. She obaid, turned to the side and sat down. "Although I am looking forward to it, I'm afraid the whole festival Genya has constructed will be too overwhelming."

"Always remember that I won't leave your side tomorrow. And my family alongside your sister and father are there as well to support us. They are all really looking forward to the wedding."

"How ... how is he?" Nikolai asked quietly. "Yesterday was only the second time I met him, I have ... no idea how he is as a person."

"Your father is a great man. He is very hard working and kind, generous and caring. We worked a lot together but not only on the projects, he helped a lot with my charity work as well. At first, I wasn't so sure about him, knowing that a lot of fjerdans want zowa dead but he made it very clear that he never had an ill thought towards us and sees our powers as a gift. A blessing. He made me realize that there are still good people in these lands that are filled with vile thoughts and the eagerness of wanting to destroy everything for their believes. Oh, and he can drink Anthony and Kate under the table like nobody else."

Nikolai chuckled at that.

"When he talked about his children, he spoke about his talented and intelligent daughter studying in Ketterdam, he's very proud of her. And he never failed to mention his son in the same breath. Although he said he didn't have much of a relationship with him, he wanted to reconnect because he knew that his son is a good man with courage and strength he admired greatly."

Aneela laid her hand over Nikolai's and intervened their fingers. "I thought they just had a falling out and wondered why he was always this cryptic about his first child but now knowing that Magne Tande is actually your father, everything made a little bit more sense."

"I really want to have a relationship with him," Nikolai said and brushed his thumb over hers. "I asked him to come to Ravka when you and Linnea went onto the balcony to admire the view, but he wants to stay in Weddle. He says Linnea is going to live and work there as well once she has her degree."

"I guess you have a reason more to join me on my future travels to Novyi Zem."

Nikolai nodded slowly. "Indeed."

Aneela twisted her head and pressed a long kiss to his cheek. "All of this will turn out wonderfully, you'll see. The wedding and what will come after it, I mean."

"I know. Nothing can go wrong when you're by my side." He smiled. They exchanged a few kisses before the bell of the chapel nearby reminded them of the late hour.

Aneela sighed as she pulled away. "We should get some sleep, my dandelion. Or else we'll fall asleep during the church service and I don't think the archbishop would appreciate it."

Nikolai exhaled loudly. "This is the part I'll look forward the least – the two hour long service!"

"Luckily, it's the first thing on the agenda." Aneela got up from his lap and extended a hand towards him. "And once we're done, all the other great things are going to happen."

He grabbed her hand and got up from the piano chair, standing directly in front of her. "I can't wait to marry you again."

She cupped his face with her free hand and pulled him into a deep kiss. "And to hear the last notes of the song."

Nikolai smiled and pulled her towards the direction she had come from earlier. She wrapped her arms around him as they walked past her office where the candle had died a long time ago.