"Your Highness, before we can crown you and your mate you need to marry her again." Nikolai fixes his deadliest stare onto the officiant that had performed the marriage ceremony just hours earlier.

"Just what the hell are you talking about? Natalia is my wife, we are already married." Nikolai's voice is cold and sharp.

"Yes, as a mortal you were married. That ended at her death. Now you need to be married in the permanent ceremony." The officiant does his best to not offend Nikolai any more than necessary.

Nikolai's eyes darken. He'd forgotten the words of the ceremony are until death. Well at least that won't be a problem again.

Nikolai looks to his father, "Well, it looks like you get to escort Natalia a second time down the aisle."

Nikolai isn't ready for the head shake and small smile Ivan gives the two before him. "No, Natalia gave me the honor once, this time let's give her the wedding she wanted to begin with. Just those of us here if someone will go get Sebastian and Samantha to join us we can do the ceremony now." Ivan is gratified to see a truly happy smile grace Natalia's face at his words.

"Thank you, Ivan. I know you'd have preferred the other," Natalia says softly.

Nikolai is thankful that so far most of Natalia's human traits have followed her through her change. Most vampire's prefer luxury to simplicity. He doesn't care either way, but he fell in love with the human version of Natalia. The part that makes her unique will always be there and he's glad that the majority will remain the same as well.

They had received word that Samantha had awakened about an hour ago. Both babies had survived the transformation as well. That is the part that has Ivan smirking the biggest. Full vampire's will be born not just the half vampires that they had expected. Finally a legitimate heir for the throne. 

That is even more important now that he'll be stepping down. Nikolai needs to make sure that his successor will be ready by the time he's ready to step down. Although, Ivan doesn't think Nikolai has any intention of stepping down any time soon. He's had to force Nikolai to hold off on putting his plan into action for years. 

Ivan frowns as he realizes that he's not had to fight with Nikolai about that once he found Natalia. He smirks, well Natalia will have to deal with his headstrong son full time now. He wishes his new daughter all the luck in the world on that one.

He can't wait to hold his grandchild though. He thinks waiting over a thousand years is more than long enough to wait for a grandchild.

"You have thousands of grandchildren." Natalia says in disapproving tones.

"They are merely products of boredom. They aren't -"

"They are children of your son, they are your grandchildren. You have lost so much by refusing to have a relationship with them." Natalia says a bit harshly intruding on Ivan's thoughts.

Ivan gives Natalia a gentle smile. To tell the truth he feels a touch afraid of the new vampire. She is very powerful and is already showing signs of a power. Something that shouldn't be showing for years yet.

"You are correct and yet incorrect my dear. Come sit by me?" Ivan says patting the place next to him on the couch as they wait for Sebastian and Samantha.

"Why do you not..." Natalia trails off, unsure if this is a taboo topic or not.

Ivan makes it easy on her, "Why do I not acknowledge them as my grandchildren? We are all products of our upbringing. Bastards had very little anything back in my time." Ivan shrugs, "It just never crossed my mind that they are anything other than vampires. 

"Your child on the other hand will be my son's through marriage and not just bedding."

"Ivan, have you ever doubted Nikolai's love or faithfulness to you?" Natalia demands, Nikolai had told her that Ivan had never church married his mother. They just had a common law marriage.

"Never. He could have taken over the vampires years ago. He controls the bonded vampires, his children are the rulers we left behind. At his word they will move. Time after time he deferred to me when I told him no. It would have been easy for him to oust me and take over. That he hasn't even after what I put him through as a child never ceases to amaze me."

"I love you father, of course I'll respect you." Nikolai says coming over to the two sitting on the couch.

Natalia looks at Nikolai and gives him a warm smile full of love. "What about Sebastian, have you ever doubted his loyalty?"

Ivan looks at her in shock, "Never. Sebastian would rather die than betray Nikolai."

"What about you? Do you think he'd betray you?" Natalia demands.

Ivan smirks at her knowing what she's doing and shakes his head, "He and his sister both have given their absolute loyalty to Nikolai. As long as Nikolai remains loyal to me they would as well. To the point that they would watch me kill their father as long as he didn't break with me."

"That loyalty could have been yours as their grandfather." Natalia says softly.

Ivan looks away from the penetrating gaze of the new vampire. In a voice just above a whisper he replies, "I know. I've known for centuries that I have missed my chance for a relationship with many of my son's children. I was doing so deliberately." Ivan looks up and speaks in a more normal voice, "There must never be any doubt as to the rightful heir is. I didn't try to stop my son from having children. It was after all a power play on our part, we needed them. At the same time it muddies the line. I couldn't allow that. It must be clear that the only ones to be heirs to the throne are the children of his mate."

"That is the reason you never acknowledged any of your grandchildren?"

"It's the reason I've never had any other children or yeah, acknowledge any of them. They have been incredible, not one has ever done anything for me to be ashamed of. Sebastian especially he's an exceptional vampire. He deserves the bonus that Nikolai gave him earlier."

At Ivan's words Natalia looks at him in confusion. "Nikolai gave me a bonded pair of the hunter clan responsible for yours and Samantha's deaths." Sebastian says from the doorway. All emotion wiped from his face and voice. A state Natalia has never seen on the older vampire in all the years that she's known him.

"Come here!" Her command is soft spoken but can't be ignored.

"Of course my queen," Sebastian immediately loses the relaxed pose he had in the doorway and starts walking to his queen.

"You are pleased by Ivan's words?" Her question wasn't and Sebastian understood what she wanted him to say.

"I always thought he only tolerated me and Rosalie because Nikolai forced him to accept us." Sebastian couldn't bare to look at the vampire he'd looked up to for centuries.

Ivan smiles sadly, "I have hurt you and your siblings from my lack of acknowledgement, I know. Just know that you would make any man proud. All his children have done nothing but make him and therefore me, proud."