Today was Rose her 300th birthday. She was wearing a black dress and her hair was in a half up - half down up do. She looked at herself in the mirror as she looked at herself and smiled. ''Still as beautiful as the day you turned'' Her oldest sister spoke after entering Rose her bedroom.

''I know, best thing about being a vampire.. No wrinkles'' Rose said and the girls laughed. Sylvia, the oldest of the four Von Strong ' Princesses ', looked at her sister and smiled. ''You know what will happen today right?'' Sylvia said. ''I know and I know what I have to do.. Sit, be beautiful and smile'' Rose said. It wasn't in her nature to just 'be beautiful and smile' but she had too. Today was not only her 300th birthday, also a very important 'trade' would be made, this also was the reason for this very formal party. ''Will you be able to do this?'' Sylvia asked. ''Sister.. I am the only one left'' Rose said and it was true. Sylvia and Mona were married and both even expected their second and first child and Becky was engaged and to be wed soon. ''But..'' Sylvia said. ''No buts, I know my duty and I'll do what is asked for me. We have been in a long and useless fight the the pure bloods and if this will work to get peace, so we can focus on the hunters together. Then it must be done'' Rose said.

She took her blood red fake rose and placed it in her hair, then walked to the door and went down stairs. Everyone was there already, everyone except for the pure bloods. She just hit the ground with her left foot as the doors opened and a older man walked in, together with a young man who looked just like him and a few others. Probably family or important clan members. Rose looked at the younger man and kinda felt that she was already disliking this man. ''Welcome Vlad, It is great to see you.. Yet this time in a better situation than normal'' Marcus Von Strong said. ''Rose, darling, come here and greet our special guests.. It is your night'' his father said.

Rose walked to her father which stood in front of their neighbors and she made a reference. ''I want to welcome you and your family to our house Lord Tepes'' she said, her rose fell from her hair but when she wanted to take it from the floor, her father coughed and she got back up with a straight back. ''Today we have only the best blood for this party.. And we hope that you will enjoy your stay. It is a real honor to meet you'' she said. She looked at the ground, her rose laid right in front of the man she will have to wed and she knew she couldn't grab it from the ground.

The young man that is going to wed her, summons a bat to come and retrieve the rose and carefully place it back into your hair. His ice blue eyes cut the air around him like a razor although his features are far more fair than his father, there is no doubt that he shares the same mind and ambitions. There is, however, a far more civilized heir about him that commands respect and trust.

"The pleasure is mine Von Strong. Although I do smell bitten ones in our midst." He says as his nose folds into his face in a sort of disgust. "I would rather your clan breed purely. Am I correct... Sir Von Strong...?"

He looks at the father with those same icy eyes that again command everything that his position as hair to the Darcula clan maintains.

Rose closed her eyes when the bad returned her rose and she softly smiled. ''Thank you'' she whispered and then looked up at her fiance. She had to admit, he was a very handsome man but she was very much afraid that with that handsomeness, a lot of arrogance would come. Marcus looked at the young man and smiled. ''That is true.. My youngest daughter was born a human as she is born from a human mother'' he said. ''She let me turn her when she was eighteen years old'' he then said. The tone in his voice made Rose roll her eyes. ''I am sorry Sir Tepes, I am maybe not a pure blood but I am just as much vampire as you are.. I would now like to show you the way to the dining room so we can have a peaceful dinner'' she said, she had lost her temper, she knew. She also knew that she was in trouble, feeling the look of her father on her face.

Rose turned around and walked gracefully towards the Dining room. She was followed by her sisters who all gave her a stern look and she just smiled. At the table that she would share with her own family and the members of the Tepes family, she waited for the oldest ones. Her own father and the father of her fiance could sit, followed by the other important members. Eventually she sat down at the end of the table, she had always liked the spot as she was not in the center of everyone's attention. Vlad's father whispered something to hers and Marcus nodded. ''Rose honey, I would like you to trade your seat with your sisters, so you can sit next to our special guest'' he said. Rose wished for simply being absorbed by the ground but she got up, walked to the new chair and when her sister had got up too, she sat down next to her fiance. ''Good evening.. Sir'' she said and then looked into the room. Everyone looked at her and Vlad VII !!! She didn't like this.

He nods back at the half-pire but refocuses his gaze at the trappings of the room.

"I see that your family certainly take your Prussian heritage very dearly. That is something I can respect in a clan. That and your preservation of these artifacts is also impressive. Considering that Napoleon Bonaparte's march easily would have scattered such things or burned them as fuel for their fires." He says as if he was there himself. Of course he would have. He is over four hundred fifty years of age. There is no doubt that he would have seen his fair share of conflict.

"Our clan had the same trouble in Great Wars in the Twentieth century. Mostly with old Adolf's Third Reich. They were the most persistent. Horrible blood though... It was tainted with toxic ideals."

"Are you kidding me son?" his father, the sixth Vlad speaks up, "Theirs was the sweetest blood in eons. As a matter of fact, Marcus Von Strong, I wish to gift you with five barrels of Nazi blood for agreeing to this arrangement." He says patting the other father on the back as if they were friends.

Marcus smiled and nodded. ''I will gladly accept them, Thank you so much'' he said and looked at Rose. Rose smiled and nodded. ''I am very proud of who I am and where my family comes from'' she said. When he talked about Napoleon and the past wars she looked at him. ''Well, I believe that the past is the past.. And that we should focus on the future'' she said. Then the time came to start the dinner and Rose looked at her father. ''To you the honor of starting the dinner'' he said.

Rose swallowed and got her glass, she got up from her chair and raised her glass. ''I wanna welcome you all to our house.. Today we have one..'' she waited for a moment as her father coughed. ''Two special occasion's... One, is my birthday.. And the second one is that from today on I'll be officially engaged to Sir Vlad Tepes the seventh, in order to keep the peace between our clan's. All I can do is promise my clan with that I'll do everything that is needed to keep the peace as I think we spilled enough blood'' she said and then took the first sip of blood, followed by everyone.

Rose sat down and mumbled to herself: ''Even if everything means marrying mister arrogance''

The fiance whispers back to her, "It is actually being well learned." He then chooses his food and his blood, serving himself and his bride to be in a very respectable manner even though he was just insulted.

"So, Sir Von Strong, what do you think of this 'modern age' with all of it's 'computers' and 'automobiles'?" he says before taking his first bites of the venison that he was served.

Rose looked at him with narrowed eyes and then looked at her plate. When he had given the orders to fill her plate with the things he had chosen she didn't say a thing and once the maid moved on, she started to eat. She felt her oldest sister look at her but she didn't react on it.

Marcus sighed at his daughter's reaction after her short speech. This was going to be a disaster, but he had to keep his hopes up. He looked at the young Vlad and smiled. ''It is a weird time, sometimes I wish to go back in time but then again, maybe this new world gives new opportunity's. A few hundred years ago our clans were in a great war and look now, we are about to become one clan.. of course with separated houses'' he said. Rose choked on the bite she just had taken and took her glass, she drank from it and looked at her father when she had swallowed the peace that had gotten stuck in her throat. ''Father.. you said we would live in one house.. Separated houses, does that mean that after tonight I am going to the house of Lord and Sir Tepes?'' she asked. ''I said, my dear Rose, that it was a possibility but Lord Vlad and I discussed and knew it would be better to stay in our own houses.. So yes, you are going to move there'' her father said. Rose swallowed and then looked at her plate, not feeling really hungry anymore.

The groom senses her distress and thinks quickly. "Father?"

"Yes?" He asks, clearly not liking how he and his clan are being treated tonight.

"I am thinking that we might compromise..."

"What do you mean son?"

"I mean, what if I were to dwell here in exchange for one of Sir Von Strong's children to like in our territory." His father is clearly fuming at the thought and his sapphire eyes have now started to turn blood red. The dogs sens this and whimper as they run away to hide in case of conflict.

"Live here...? Son... You are the head of the family... Your child should be raised in our lands... Unaderstood?"

Rose swallowed and cleaned her mouth before she reacted and when she saw the red eyes she knew that she really had to apologize. ''My Lord.. I am sorry for what I said.. It's just that my family is very dear to me. Can I ask your permission to have my family visit me so now and then or.. That your son and I visit mine? I wouldn't want to miss them and.. Of course I will live in your lands and there raise a good child from your son and me'' she said and laid her hand on Vlad's hand.

''I hope that you both will accept my apology. I was very rude'' she said and then bend over a little to give Vlad a soft kiss on his cheek. ''It is just all so new.. I never met this... Wonderful man before and now he is my fiance'' she said. She really hoped that they would both accept her apology and that the peace would stay and not be ruined even before it was official.

His eyes quickly subsides. "That will be acceptable... Thank you for your humility. As you for you young one..."

"Father. With all due respect, perhaps we should embrace new things. I wish to stay here with my wife and her house. Besides, you can think of me as a governor of some sort. so I can make sure they don't... step out of line..."

Rose stayed quiet and looked at her husband, she knew that she had to find a way to get a new topic to talk about. She looked at everyone in the room and when she saw that everyone was finished she suddenly got up and raised her glass. ''I would like to make a special toast to my Husband and his Father.. And I hope that with our marriage, the peace will stay for ever'' she said.

''Now.. for the rest of the evening, we have a lot of things planned... Starting with the official ceremony for me and my husband to be married.. If both gentleman would excuse me, I would like to change as I have a special dress for that occasion'' she said and then left the table, her sisters went along with her and they all disappeared trough a special hallway. Marcus looked at his guests. ''The ceremony will take place in the room next door.. I would like you all to go there, the bride will join us in ten minutes'' he spoke.

Rose got into her room and locked the door. ''You are crazy! You almost insulted to most powerful vampire of us all'' Sylvia said. Becky got Rose her dress. Rose undressed herself and the stepped into the new dress. ''I know.. But.. I tried to save it and I really hope it has worked'' she said. ''I hope so too.. If your fiancee refuses to drink from your blood, so you both are connected.. This whole happening is going down and there will be a great war coming'' Mona said. ''I know! Geez.. I never asked for this but accept it as good as possible.. And all of you can only complain.. Sorry okay?'' she said. Becky zipped the dress and they redid her hair. ''Your ready'' they said then. Rose took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. ''Okay.. all or nothing'' she said and then walked down the stairs. She saw Vlad waiting for her and she suddenly felt really nervous.

He stands at the end of the hall with his sword, tucked away in his scabbard and in his formal Transylvanian armor and attire. His prized eagle sits on his shoulder. He looks the son of the most powerful vampire in the world. But his mannerisms are far different.

Rose walked up to him, slowly so she wouldn't stand on her skirt and once she stood in front of him and smiled. ''All or nothing I guess'' she whispered to him as she laid her hand in his and together they turned around, ready to walk into the ceremony room. Suddenly a cat came running towards Rose and sat down next to her. ''Oh, Silver.. Welcome back honey'' she said. ''Come with us'' she said to the Big Maine Coon. Silver walked up in front of them, just like his lady he wore a blood red rose around his neck.

The moment Silver entered the room, and Rose looked up at Vlad for one last time before they started to walk down to the middle of the room, everyone got up from their chairs. Rose looked at everyone and then waited for Vlad to start walking.

He starts striding with her up the isle, keeping his eyes straight ahead the entire time. His hand is actually warmer than what she had expected but there is an even greater shock of him being gentile with her. Her sisters' husbands have all been fairly rough to them. But this iteration to the Tepes House was unusually gentle. He reaches the end of the hall with her and then face each other.

Rose felt his hand and looked at it when she felt it to be warmer. She then faced forward again, and when they reached the end of the hall, she looked at him. He is so quiet.. Why is that? she thought to herself. She then looked at the ceremony master which started to talk.

Rose looked at the man as he did his speech about marriage and the holy bond between a man and women after they promised to care for each other until death parts them again. She then looked up at Vlad, was she really going to do this? Did she have too? Yes she did, she had no choice, but she was planning on making herself very happy.

Then the moment came for them to say that they would agree to everything the man just had said.

Young Mistress Rosalinda, will you have this man to be your husband; to live together with him in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto him for the rest of your immortal life?

Rose looked at Vlad and nodded. ''Yes, I do'' she answered.

Then the ceremony master turned to Vlad.

Young Lord Vlad Tepes the seventh, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her for the rest of your immortal life?

He nods, "I do." His voice is unnaturally soft from the way that she has heard him before.

''Then now, I ask of the Bride and Groom to both give me their right wrist'' The ceremony master said and when they both had done so, he cut their wrists in one straight line. ''Groom, please kiss your bride'' he said. Rose looked at Vlad and waited for him to kiss her, knowing that once he did, their wrists would be placed against each other so as a symbol their blood would be mixed.

He smiles and leans in, kissing her deeply, allowing his fangs to scrape against hers. His hand intertwines with hers and their blood mix as one.

Rose had not thought he would kiss her so deeply but she turned her head a tiny bit to the side so their noses would not get in the way and she laid down her fingers too. She closed her eyes and after a while she stopped the kiss and looked at him. When she turned her lightly blushing face to the side, she saw everybody stand up and clap.

Her sisters clapped hard and smiled gladly, she knew that they were happy as this would mean that their children could grow up in peace. She looked at Vlad again and whispered: ''I have the perfect idea to make your father happy.. What if we stay here, until I carry a child and then move to your house.. That way I can spend a little more time with my family and your father will be content that his grandchild will be raised in his house'' she said. She had done a step forward and stood close to Vlad.

"That should satisfy him... Good... Your wisdom is far more than I expected..." He says in a tone to where even though what he said would be insulting, it wasn't. It was more kind than anything else. This was certainly strange. How could one be so rigid as a stone spire, be kind as a child?

He leads her past everyone and into the ballroom where everyone follows to the wedding cake. The groom then draws his sword and offers it to his bride to help him cut their cake.