"Natalia, I don't have any plans for the children at this time. You know that," Nikolai says half pleading half angry.

"Do I? How could I possibly know? you didn't share anything about your plans until just now." Natalia says innocently back.

Ivan has never been so amused. Natalia has Nikolai not knowing which way is up any more and he's loving it.

There is a knock at the door. "It's Zarin and Alexandria. They can wait until we finish this here." Natalia says coldly, but she allows the door to unlock and open. The two magical beings slip into the overly tense room wishing that they were anywhere but there.

"Did the baby survive, Alexandria?" Nikolai demands of the witch.

"Yes, my king, as you ordered I did my best for both mother and child. Already her memories about the conception of her child are being blocked in her mind."

Natalia looks at her mate with narrowed eyes.

Nikolai sighs, "One of the hunter women. She was too close to term to terminate the child. She didn't wish to have the child of rape. She was forced, all of them have been..."

Natalia gives a less than lady like snort, "And yet that's what you're proposing will happen to them."

"No, Natalia, they will be given choices and not forced. If a man forces one of the women then he'll be neutered and sold. I haven't figured out all of the particulars, but I have decided that."

"Like it matters to you. To any of the vampires, the sex trade is just another way to make money. Placing females where they have no choice isn't something new." This time Ivan winces at her ice cold and extremely sharp tone. He played the major part in setting up sex trade. Rather he set up almost the entire flesh trade.

"That is an unfortunate part of the mafia, Natalia. I can put restrictions, but I doubt I'll be able to stop it completely. It is the best and easiest way for the vampires to obtain slaves and pets. Of course I'll be able to stop all other forms of the flesh trade if you want." Nikolai is careful about keeping his thoughts shielded as do the other old vampires in the room.

Natalia knows that there's something wrong with his offer because as soon as he said it the other vampires in the room stiffened and immediately shielded their thoughts from her.

"How?"

Nikolai goes up to her and purrs in her ear as he caresses her face. "Well, love, we'll have to come out of hiding. Once those pesky hunters are taken care of and Zarin gets the magical community organized behind him the human governments will be gone. How would you fancy being queen not just of the vampires, but of the world?"

Natalia looks at him eyes wide in shock and horror. At least at first they were. "Queen of the world?"

"My children have been in place for more than a century. They just are waiting for my signal and the world's governments will be gone. The vampire's will be in charge. All continents except for Antarctica. There aren't enough people to bother and the penguins listen even worse than vampires do so we bypassed that one. Although we do have a couple of vampires there if necessary."

Nikolai likes that Natalia is shocked speechless at his words. "Father has been holding me back for more than a century. A good call on his part. Those world wars could have been avoided of course, but it helped thin out the humans a bit. It was fun watching the humans scramble around the new country boundaries.

"What do you say, Natalia?" Nikolai asks softly giving her light kisses.

"You have to be kidding me."

"We've already established that I'm not." Nikolai says amused at Natalia's disbelief.

"This is something we'll need to talk about later in more detail." Natalia says finding her old self as a human mortified at this news and her new self thrilled.

"As you wish my queen. Now, will you once more be willing to marry me?" The last comes out sounding to much like begging for Nikolai's liking, but what's done is done.

"As long as you promise, no more huge decisions without at least letting me know ahead of time, unless it's an emergency of course. We'll need to set up some guidelines on what constitutes an emergency." Natalia finally says and something within Nikolai relaxes.

The tension in the room lowers considerably.

Shortly the remaining vampires and the two witches take appropriate places and the wedding ceremony takes place. This time the marriage will be forever since there is no further death awaiting them. Nor is there divorce.

The ceremony just finishes when Rosalie slips into the room.

Suddenly Natalia stiffens and turns to Nikolai. "Have you forgotten to tell me something rather important, Nikolai?"

Nikolai looks at her in confusion. 

Natalia turns from him and faces Rosalie. 

Nikolai turns pale, "Natalia, what do you mean?"

"Rosalie stay all other vampires leave." Natalia orders leaving Zarin and Alexandria unsure of what they should do. At Nikolai's look they stay put.

"Rosalie, tell me why are you here?" Natalia orders the older vampire before her.

Helplessly Rosalie answers. "I am here to become pregnant by my father."

"To what end?"

"My father thinks it is the only way other than Zarin for me to have a child, but I need his child specifically."

"You said that your father thinks that you can only have his or Zarin's child. Is that not true then?" Natalia can tell this is the part Rosalie doesn't want to tell her.

"No, it isn't. I have found my mate, but I need my father's child for the plan to work."

Now Nikolai's eyes narrow in anger. Betrayal like he's never felt before burns inside. "How long, where and most importantly who?" Nikolai demands answers. Until that moment it was like Rosalie had forgotten that her father was in that room as well. She pales at the anger she feels emanating from him.

"I found him almost a quarter century ago. He lives in England and he's a low level vampire, not someone you'd be familiar with."

"I know all my children and even my grandchildren." Nikolai says coldly.

"He's not one of yours. Nor is he bound to you."

"Why do you need your father's child?"

"So that I would have a full child with great power when I ascend the throne." Rosalie's eyes go wide and she places her hands over her mouth to stop anymore words from coming out.

Nikolai goes over to Rosalie. Rosalie can only look at Nikolai in fear. "You knew that would never happen. I found my mate. Why would you think that you would ever ascend the throne?" By now Nikolai was caressing his daughters face.

Rosalie for her part couldn't remove her eyes from her father's. Her gaze caught in his like prey in a snakes.

"Did you have anything to do with the dark coven contacting the hunters?"

"Yes, it was my mate's idea. One I supported." Rosalie finds herself answering no matter how horrified she is about answering.

"I need your mate's name and exact location and all locations he's likely to flee to if he runs." Nikolai purrs softly to his daughter.

Rosalie manages to fight this order, but it doesn't do her any good.

"I have the information, Nikolai. Far more than you would have ever have gotten from her." Natalia tells the frozen duo.

They both turn to Natalia. Rosalie in horrified anger and Nikolai in happy complacence.  "Thank you love."

Natalia goes to the door and orders the other vampires back inside.

"Father, would you order a vampire court to convene? Even before the coronation can take place this matter must take precedence.

"It seems, father that one of my children has indeed done something that earns me shame."

Sebastian looks at his sister with fear, disgust and horror. There is very little their father would consider shameful. After the events of today, there is very little he would be this angry about.

The group files out of the room and down to the ballroom that will double as the court room.