The next generation- where we go from here

Decision

Dimitri pov
The next morning after Breakfast I called my family, minus the children, into my office.

I took my seat at my desk. Nikki and Delacey came in and Nikki came and sat next to me. She put her hand on my shoulder. She could tell I was tense. I leaned over and gave her a hug.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you too." She said.

My aunts and Uncles came in with my parents. Then came Rikki, he took a seat at his desk. Sage, Nick and Evie soon came afterwords. Finally Serenity arrived last.

"Alright, now that everyone's here I want to discuss what happened last night." I said.

"For those who weren't here and didn't have to woken up at three in the morning."

"I was waken at three in the morning." Nick said.

"Was it by your son?" Uncle Dallas asked.

"Yes, I'm very thankful Christiana didn't have twins agains." Nick said.

"That aside, Last night three rebels came wanting to speak with me. Dad came and got me from the safe room. I made Rikki come with me since he is one of my advisors."

"Which I think he should go through with it." Rikki said.

"And would you say the same if it was one of your daughters?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Nikki asked.

"The rebels are offering weaponry and man power for the war but in return they want Maggie to marry the leader's son. Who's a few months older than her."

"What?" Nikki asked.

"I told him we were against arranged marriages. But he proposed we raised the two together. I assume that includes frequent play dates. But I don't want to force Maggie into a relationship she may or may not want to be in. And if I agree they will most likely marry." I said.

"So your setting Maggie up for an arranged marriage?" Nikki asked.

"Yes." I said.

"The Italians are currently winning the war. We need every hand on deck. We may go as far as raising the draft to thirty." I said.

"But if you have the rebel's man power and weaponry you may not have to do that." Uncle Luke said.

"But at the possible cost of my daughters happiness. Which is one thing I don't want to risk."

"As parents all we want is for our children to be happy." Mom said.

"Exactly. And I don't know how well I can trust the rebels. We were told that the old regirme in the rebels are over and a new family has taken over. But that's not the first time we've heard that. Because fourteen years later they showed up and made me watch as they shot my friend Sam." I said.

Nikki put her hand on mine. "Not to mention in junior year I sacrificed myself for the student body." I said. "Majority of us had suffered first hand at what the rebels are capable of. So them coming and wanting our trust is risqué."

"Coming from someone who's about to go to war. If you do agree to their terms don't tell the public. and if people start asking about where the multitude of men and weaponry are coming from. Tell the propaganda us working and that the guns are coming from an anonymous source. Because if I was fighting with men and I knew that they could possible be rebels, I would me looking over my shoulder constantly, I would be scared one of my own men would shoot me." Sage said.

"He had a point." Dad said.

"So the problems you have with this is that you don't trust them and You don't want Maggie to not be happy." Evie said.