Chapter 50 - One year after the war.
Chapter 50 - One year after the war.
Nadia
A year later, we were preparing for the festival again. I couldn’t believe that a year had flown by so fast! Lucca and I celebrated our one-year anniversary in private because we had the festival coming up. We were celebrating the coming together of all of our people. We were celebrating the fact that anybody could move to any part of our beautiful country without having to ask for permission or run for their lives.
We were one people. We were free. We were celebrating the new lives we now had as well as the ones we had lost and, for our first year, Lucca had suggested I plan a memorial that people could visit to speak to their loved ones if they wanted. At first, I thought he was a little insane, but when I saw what he was planning, I thought it was the best idea ever.
So, on the first day of the festival, Lucca and I planted a tree in the middle of the clearing right in the center of our country. Right beside the tree, we placed a small antique bench that had a small plaque on the back. It stated that date the bench was put there together with the details of why. We wanted people to come here and remember those they loved.
We wanted them to come here and remember the past and how far we had come since then. People cheered when Lucca revealed the bench. I just knew that many of them would come here and future generations that might not have lost someone would one day come here and see what we had to do to pay for their freedom.
The festival we had after our mating ceremony was a huge success the previous year, but this one outdid that festival by a mile. People came from all over the country. They sold their products in the market and bought from others. All around people were just happy. I still sometimes wondered what happened to those that died now that it seemed as though ghosts no longer existed, but I would always push those thoughts to the back of my mind.
I missed Gillian sometimes because he was just such an incredible ruler for his people, but something told me that he was watching over us from wherever he was. There were all kinds of food available for everybody and Lucca and I made sure to greet as many of the people as we could. Since we were the only official leaders left after the war, most people looked to us for guidance.
It was a role we took seriously. Now that we were finally living in peace, it was something both Lucca and I loved doing. We travelled from one end of our country to the other end, which was probably the thing I loved most about our lives, but we also spent time at home in the castle. Lucca and the wolves who moved there with us got rid of everything vampire and turned it into a home for us.
My parents were living in their old home with some pack members. They had turned it into a beautiful place after the war. The forest no longer smelled like blood and mud, but was slowly recovering after the war between our pack and the vampires.
I had a surprise for Lucca and our people and when he finally started his speech to officially open the festival, excitement was brewing inside of me. He finished his speech and introduced me even though I didn’t need an introduction. I thanked everyone for coming and then turned to look at Lucca.
“I have a gift for you, Lucca.” I grinned. One of the omegas rushed up the steps with the box and handed it to me. I personally wrapped the test results in a gift box and Lucca was looking a little confused as I handed him the box.
He put it down on the podium and unwrapped it slowly, to everyone’s frustration, before pulling out the envelope that was lying on the soft velvet inside. He frowned at me and I nodded. He opened the envelope and I told him to read it out loud. His eyes grew wide as he read my pregnancy results. The doctor had told me verbally that I was pregnant so I already knew. Lucca’s eyes found mine.
“Are you serious?!” A multitude of emotions flashed in his eyes and I grinned at him.
“Well, if the letter says so, it must be.” I shrugged, but before I could utter anything else, he closed the gap between us and his lips found mine as he pulled me close. Around us, cheers and applause erupted. Lucca and I weren’t officially trying to get pregnant, but people were starting to ask questions since we had been together for a year and there had been no announcement yet.
My parents were the first to congratulate us and all the other people soon found their way to us to congratulate us. It turned out exactly like I hoped it would. My little surprise had just given everybody that extra reason to celebrate. The festival was a huge success and Lucca became even more attentive than he had been before, making sure I had whatever I needed.
It was a very special festival, and for a week, we were walking around the festival grounds talking to people to catch up and just all round enjoying the fun. It was a bit anticlimactic when it all ended, and I felt sad to see everyone pack up to go home. The festival had become the one thing everyone looked forward to in the year. It made me wonder if we shouldn’t perhaps have more festivals like it during the year, but I haven’t said anything to Lucca just yet.
He was faffing around me and I knew until our little one was born, there was no way he would let me arrange another festival. Not that he could stop me if I really wanted to, but I let him be. Our lives were good, and I didn’t want to rock the boat unnecessarily.