The New Beginning (Fan Fiction_Richelle Mead Last Sacrifice) Completed

Epilogue

Epilogue (Dawn's POV)

I stood by the side of the double doors, peeking out into the ballroom. There were so many people. Dhampirs and Moroi both, though dhampirs certainly outshine the Moroi numbers this time.

A few minutes ago, I managed to miraculously slip past the dozen guardians rushing around me. My parents being part of the dozen. The whole situation was suffocating me. They rushed around, giving orders and instructions to people I cannot see-seeing as they are either on walkie-talkie or in the next room.

Since all dhampirs are required to attend today's ceremony, Moroi who don't feel safe without their guardians are welcome to either attend the ceremony itself or stay a couple of days in Court. The best idea-according to my parents, were for the higher ranks guardians, in other words, royal guardians and the overall in-charge to multi-task. Their multi-task being guarding me and Aunt Lissa, overlook the ceremony, plan the security, and take charge of the whole safety procedures among a few more other stuff. It's no wonder I could slip past them.

Glancing back at the ballroom, my heartbeat increased. Today is my crowning. Once again, miraculously, a book was dug out of the ancient guardians' office in Court on the ceremony for Dhampir Crowning. Turns out it has to be as huge of a ceremony as a Moroi Crowning would be.

Miracles seemed to happen so much after the Jewel is restored. My hand lifted itself to the piece of stone hanging around my neck. It felt smooth and warm, like it is meant to be there in the first place.

It just seemed too absurd. Just weeks ago, I was still practicing combat with Edmond on the sly. But now, he's gone. And I will most probably finish school under heavy guarding, with my parents breathing down my neck at everything I do. All because I am still seventeen. The legal age to be considered an adult is twenty-one, according to the book from Dhampir Crowning.

Which means, either the Moroi monarch had, at one point of time in the past, changed the rules to push dhampirs out at the age of eighteen instead, or they had used compulsion to force this onto dhampirs. When this was realized, Aunt Lissa had turned pale. Now, she took it upon herself to go through all past documents on dhampirs legal guarding age. Guardian Croft had been diligently helping her in this, effectively excusing himself from being part of the multi-tasking group. Thank god for that.

As my eyes continued sweeping past the crowds, I noticed not only guardians and Moroi. When they say dhampirs, they really meant dhampirs. Novices lingered around, talking to guardians and making friends. Damn. If that is the case, how many people are going to be out there later? Most dhampirs would come early, but few will enter the ceremony hall unless it is time. The math and numbers raced past my brains while I tried to gauge the amount of people present right now-

"Dawn!"

Oops. Caught.

Spinning around, I saw Uncle Eddie walking briskly towards me, mumbling something into a walkie-talkie. Most probably informing the other guardians that he found me.

"I hope you know your parents are going to give you an earful for slipping out." Uncle Eddie said the second he reached me. I shrugged. My mom and an earful does seemed to match, but dad and an earful? Nah. And in cases like this, my dad is certainly the one I have to be afraid of, so I'm safe.

I gestured out through the door. "There are a lot of people. Too much. Why are there even novices doing out there?" I asked.

"It's been centuries since dhampirs have their own monarch. It's very, very, very important. Today is a very important day, and you are a very important person. You are not just Dawn Belikov anymore, you are going to be Queen of Light, queen of the dhampirs. Of course people will come." Uncle Eddie reply. After awhile, when he thinks that I have what he said processed, he continued.