Transforming Tradition (AKA What Happens Next)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

And this was the routine until graduation. I sat out in combat, which I missed tremendously. People would bug me about being pregnant, which I hoped would have died down. Sadly, the bet of the paternity was going strong and what was sad was that Adrian was winning. When Dimitri found out about the bet, he almost blew his cover because he wanted to beat the spirit out of Adrian. Dimitri and I spent little time together, trying to keep up those damn appearances. There was times where I wanted to say "Fuck the secret" and jump him because I was so damn horny. Stupid hormones almost blowing our cover. The only night that wasn't hell was my 18 birthday. Technically we could spill the beans then, but here was still a chance Dimitri would get fired and I wouldn’t be able to graduate,  so we held of till graduation. That night was one to remember Liss threw me a small party in her dorm room with all of our friends, but what I really loved was when Dimitri snuck me out to the cabin where we had first made love and conceived our miracle. He had set candles all around the room and there was a heart made out of roses on the sacred bed. The best part of the night was when he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. Of course I said yes after a bunch of screaming and crying. Thanks again, hormones. Until graduation I had worn my engagement ring on a chain around my neck so nobody would notice.

I didn’t think that time would pass this quickly, but it had. Graduation was finally here. Lissa and I were cooped up in her room getting ready for the long-awaited event. Yesterday was trials for all of the novices of the academy, well, all except me. It made me sad that I had to miss the thing that I had been training for for the better half of my life. I was graduating tonight with all of the moroi and I would take my trials to be Lissa's guardian after my baby was born which was still six months away. Lissa was curling my hair as I was applying mascara leaning close to the large mirror in her bathroom. We only had 25 minutes until we had to line up to walk so we were multitasking to get ready on time. After we were groomed to perfection, we quickly slipped into our dresses. Lissa wore a pale yellow dress that accented her jade eyes. I was wearing a blood red dress that cinched at the waist and went out at the bottom ending mid-thigh. I was only about three months pregnant but still had a bump that was a little larger than normal. Dimitri and I were going for our first check-up together a few days after graduation. I had already been to one with Lissa a few days after I found out, but unfortunately Dimitri wasn’t able to come. Lissa and I sprayed on a bit of perfume and I took my engagement ring off its chain and onto the appropriate finger. Lissa gasped when she saw this and when I explained my birthday she was jumping up and down with excitement and I could already hear her brain thinking of wedding plans and I was already exhausted for the planning days to come. I rolled my eyes at her excitement and we went to line up for graduation. While I was waiting for my name to be called I was looking into the crowd. I saw everyone's parents with proud looks on their faces. I felt Lissa's sadness through the bond and knew she wished her parents could be there. I scanned the crowd and took a double-take when I saw that my mother was sitting there. What was even more bizarre was that she was seated next to a moroi that was not her charge. This guy had tan skin, odd for a moroi, and this ridiculous rainbow scarf. I wondered who the hell he could be but was distracted when I heard Lissa’s name being called. After we all got our diplomas it was time for the award ceremony. I knew Lissa would probably get an academic award and she did not disappoint me. But I was not expecting what happened next. Alberta came on stage, which was weird because all the novices had graduated yesterday. Except for me. Oh shit.