Lidiya Balev Extra

This was requested by Lexi on Twitter. Its just a continuation from the last chapter of Forever After. It shows Lidiya adjusting to life in the Volturi and her engagement and wedding. I really hope there are no continuity errors in this, i have a bad feeling ive said something and this just goes back on it. I apologise if i have, count this as truth.
Some pictures:
Ring:

Dress:

Lidiya Balev 

2042

I knew as I put on the robe there was no going back but I didn’t hesitate and I smiled at my sister as we did it together. Tony copied but I could tell he was uncomfortable. I hoped that he relaxed here soon. I already felt bad bringing both my mother and sister here, Tony doubled the guilt.

Don’t feel guilty Lidiya, you deserve to be with the man you love.

I smiled at my sister as we followed Matthew into the throne room. The guard fell silent in the room and all stood watching us. I stood with my sister but Matthew reached out for my hand so I took it and went to stand next to him instead.

I had met many of the guard in this very room before but it was strange now it was official.

I was their queen.

“Thank you all for being here out of hours, I wanted you all to meet the newest members of our family” Matthew began and I liked that he called his guard his family.

“This is Lidiya, Anelie and Tony. They will not be part of the guard however they outrank even the darkest of cloaks. They are given the highest authority and you will obey what they ask at all times. I wish you all welcome them with open arms and hearts because they’ll be here for a while” he said before turning to wink at me.

“are there any questions?” he said turning to the guard, a few hands raised and Matthew went through them all by name, most of them were asking whether or not our abilities were going to be used, if our mother would be around at all, if Tony was a wolf etc. I waited for the questions to die down before stepping down from the stage to talk to them personally. I wanted to make sure I learnt every name, every face, their stories, their families and make sure they knew that I was here for them.

“Signora” a young girl said with a bow of her head.

“please call me Lidiya” I said, I had various guard members already calling me mistress or ma'am and even queen in either Italian or English.

“I just want to say thank you for coming and making Matthew happy again. We all see a different side of him when you're here” she said to me nicely.

I made my way around them all before Matthew finally pulled me up to the throne and put me on his knee whilst everyone continued to talk. We sat there and watched. He kissed my neck and collar bone and it made me realise how much I really missed him.

“so when are you showing me your bedroom?” I asked him with raised eyebrows.

“you already know where it is. And its yours now too” he said in between kisses.

“then why aren’t we in it?” I said more suggestively and he chuckled.

“later amore mio.” he whispered. “we have some things to do.” he said before gently moving me from his lap and standing up. The guard was pretty dispersed now, only a few remained. Matthew took my hand and led me to my sister and Tony.

“would you like me to show you to your rooms? Tony, I have arranged for your own personal guard to bring you dinner, it is entirely up to you when or where you eat. This is your home now. We have a chef here to cook for the hybrids and humans on site and he is at your service too. If not you are welcome to cook yourself”

“I don’t cook, my mom tried to teach me before I left and I failed miserably, so im happy to hear there is a chef” Tony laughed. I smiled at seeing Anelie's memory of walking into Renesmee and Tony in the kitchen laughing at Tony’s awful attempt at a lasagne.

“very well, follow me and ill show you where your quarters are. I’ve sort of made it so you have your own area, like Lidiya and I do. Its the top floor, you have your own rooms each, adjacent with a connecting door, the door can be locked on either side. Their are access doors to your rooms from the outside but they can be locked, when walking through your rooms there is another door to your own private sitting area, balcony and small kitchen.” Matthew explained as we made our way through this magnificent castle.

“woah, we didn’t stay anywhere like that last time we were here”

“well I knew you'd be moving here eventually I wanted to make sure it was somewhere private to yourself. Im afraid it adapted from old guards quarters hence why your front door is technically your bedroom door. Its accessible in case we need you. But of course you are not guard members, the others will only disturb you if you request it.”

“or its me” I interrupted with a smile to my sister.

“of course, or if its your sister or I but we will knock.” he said with a smile as we reached the part of the castle he had renovated for my sister.

Once Matthew had shown them around their mini apartment. We left them to get acclimatised, their luggage had already been brought up and I assume so had mine. I knew my sister made her relationship out to be complicated but I had a feeling the pair would be in one room by the end of the year.

Matthew led me with a smile up to the viewing tower of the castle.

“I thought we were going to our room” I said. He smiled at me.

“not yet” he said and I heard his heart beating faster as we climbed the stairs. Reaching the top it was lit up with a thousand candles, outside you could see the lights of the town surrounding us and the city of Volterra not that far away.

“wow” I mumbled. I turned to Matthew who wasn’t watching the view, just me.

“you know why I brought you here don’t you” he said as he pulled me into his chest.

“yes, finally. I was getting tired of waiting” I teased him. He smiled the biggest, happiest smile id ever seen on his face.

“Lidiya Balev, will you do the honour of becoming my wife?” he asked me I felt a ring slip on my finger. I giggled and leant up to kiss him.

“isn’t that why im here?” I teased.

“you really going to cheat me out of a yes?” he asked.

“hey you’re the one that’s already put the ring on my finger” I said before looking down at my left hand. The ring was gorgeous. It was rose shaped in gold, I was in awe. “yes” I whispered to him as I watched it sparkle in the candle light.

“that’s more like it” he said and kissed me. I smiled against the kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“so now can we go to bed? Jet lags a bitch” I smiled.

“yes lets go” he smiled back before blowing out the candles and leading me back down the stairs.

My sisters were saying congratulations in my head but I was way too focused on looking at my ring as we walked back to our room.

I may have been jet lagged that night but it was honestly the best night of my life, so far. There was a new atmosphere around the castle, and Matthew. Maybe it was because I was finally living here, maybe it was because we were engaged and officially able to start our lives, I didn’t know but from walking into that room and knowing it was where I would live for the next god knows how many years, to falling asleep and waking up continuously through the night just remembering he was right there next to me was amazing.

I woke around 7am, my body clock was a mess and I knew I needed more hours sleep, especially after the previous nights activities. I rolled over to find the large bed empty on Matthews side and frowned slightly. I must have fallen back asleep because I woke again at around 11 to kisses on the back of my neck. I smiled as I turned to see Matthew, fully dressed lying behind me above the covers.

“hey” I frowned.

“I wanted to be here when you woke up” he said kissing my forehead.

“where did you go?” I asked him.

“had an early court. Sorry I should have left a note. Did you wake?” he asked all concerned, it made me smile.

“its alright. I understand your job” I said reaching out to stroke the small stubble on his chin.

“I plan on cutting back the hours. Just right now we've had so many people come in and out. A lot want to meet you and your sister” he mentioned.

“did you tell everyone were getting married?” I asked.

“only the guard, not subjects” he said to me.

“do you have an Alice of the guard? Who is planning our wedding then?” I asked, he just laughed.

“you think Alice would let anyone take over her job? My grandmother would never forgive us if we let someone else do it” he smiled.

“I like that you call her your grandmother” I said softly.

“well she is, I may have stolen the chance for her to be my grandmother but ive always seen her as that. Rose too.”

“im glad” I said running my finger from his chin to his collar bone. He shivered under my touch. “I don’t want a huge wedding” I commented.

“me neither. Just family” he said with a nod. “but you still have to look like a queen” he winked. I gave him an eye roll.

“im sure Alice wouldn’t accept anything less” I smiled but the idea of my dress excited me. I couldn’t wait, id seen many weddings in our family by now, the dress was always a staple, reflecting the personality of the bride every time.

By the time Alice had flown over and began planning it, I had managed to work myself into a routine in my new home. I woke not long after Matthew left for morning court. I showered and Anelie and I would go out for a hunt. When I got back I did school work, I planned last year that I would work on a degree online whilst I was here, I wanted more than my high school diploma but hadn’t bothered in the states. Here I was definitely going to attend a college or online courses, just to keep boredom at bay whilst Matthew worked. I would then get Matthew for a few hours before he had more Volturi business to handle and during that time id either go for a walk, go see my mother, spend time with the few guard members ive learnt to call my friends or stay with my sister and Tony. Then Matthew would be finished and id spend the remainder of the night with him. Alice completely destroyed that routine the second she walked in the door. She had me doing wedding stuff at least four hours out of the day, which worked just fine when Matthew was working but

there wasn’t too much to plan, after all we were having it here in the castle, with just family and guard members but Alice always seemed to have something she wanted to talk about. I could tell being with the Volturi didn't bother Alice, especially with a party to plan. It was interesting though, observing Jasper being here. I knew he worked so hard to keep Zio out of here, I think he found Matthew very interesting though, I often found the two deep in conversation about tactics, business and leader stuff.

“Eddie is giving you away right?” Alice said as we scanned through the brochure for tuxedos for the men.

“I haven’t asked him yet but I hope so yes” I said to her. Her eyes glazed over for a second before she snapped back into reality.

“you know I just think I get better every time” she grinned to herself. I chuckled slightly.

“is he giving me away?” I asked.

“he is, of course. Looking like the very proud father he should be” she said rather wistfully. My heart skipped a beat thinking about my real father. It suddenly hit me how much I wished he was here right now. I loved Eddie, with all my heart. He had helped raised me, protected me, loved me but I had taken away that chance from my actual father. How different would things have been if Aleksander was the one to have raised me rather than my mother with the help of her best friends?

I didn’t know but I knew that I would definitely be thinking about him, my siblings and my step mother on the day I walked down the aisle.

By the time most of the Cullens arrived in Italy it was the day before the wedding. I hadn’t had a chance to talk to Eddie yet but I was happy that they had all made the effort to come. Even Renesmee and Jacob and their children.

The night before the wedding we had a bonfire in the gardens of the castle, the entire Cullen family together just talking and laughing. I made my way over to Eddie who was talking to my mother and sat next to him. He smiled down at my before continuing to talk to my mother. I lay my head on his bicep and he wrapped his arm around my waist to hug me. I looked across the bonfire to see Holly smiling at me.

Hes going to be so happy you know. Just ask. She said and I smiled back.

“Eddie” I whispered in a break of the conversation.

“hmm?” he asked looking down at me.

“can I ask you something?”

“what is it?” he asked, I gave him credit for not reading my mind, but then my connection was open with Holly so I suppose he couldn’t.

“well I just wanted to say how much I love you.” I said and he smiled instantly.

“I love you too Lidiya”

“will you give me away tomorrow?” I asked. His face lit up, I had never seen him so happy before.

“it would be my honour Lidiya.” he said and kissed my forehead. “I thought you’d have asked your mother” he smiled, my mother was sitting their with a huge grin on her face, her eyes watery from watching us.

“I know you didn’t have to help my mother raise me, but you did. You offered to take me home as your own daughter the day the hybrids tried to kill me and you’ve been everything ive needed for the past thirty years. You were my first choice and I mean I would have settled for mama…” I teased smiling at her. “but I just thought you were the perfect choice” I added. Eddie's smile hadn’t dropped from his face. He pulled me in tighter for a hug.

“you will always be my daughter Lidiya.” he whispered and I hugged him tighter. “thank you for thinking of me”

“stop crying mama” I smiled at Esther. She laughed.

“im not crying. I don’t cry” she said, blinking away the emotion.

“you will tomorrow” Eddie warned.

“no I wont.” she defended herself but she locked eye contact with me and winked.

Do you think papa is watching us? I asked.

Why do you ask that Lidy? She answered.

Ive been thinking about him lately. How much he should be here, how they all should.

Im sure they’ll be there. She said but I knew she was saying it to make me feel better. My mother could see them, or at least she could see Aleksander. I heard her talking once except no one was in the room. She spoke Bulgarian and she never speaks that in the house any more.

I will let you know if I see him. She corrected herself. But Im sure he be there if he could. I don’t know how it all works. It could be my imagination for all I know. She said with a small shrug.

The next day I had Alice make a small adjustment to my dress. I had my mother go back to my old house and get something of my fathers, Alice cut a shirt of his into a small heart and had it stitched onto the inside of my dress right above my heart. I walked down the aisle on the arm of Eddie with Aleksander on my heart as I married the man I was going to spend forever with. After the ceremony was complete I turned to see my mother had been crying, but silently. Tears were on her cheeks as she smiled at me, Eddie was holding her hand and Anelie her other.

I had spent so much of my childhood, scared, feeling alone and ridden with guilt and whilst I missed my father, step mother and siblings everyday I looked out to the rows of my family and the rows of my new family in the form of the Volturi guard, all smiling at me and I had never felt so loved in my life. I had a family, a huge family and I was starting a new family with the man I could now call my husband.

I would never forget the depression or guilt I felt as a child but at that very moment I could never feel happier.

That was until my children were born.