I let a nervous laugh out before answering, " yeah euhm you see-...." Change the subject Valentina, change the subject. "-I'm tired and dirty, can I maybe shower somewhere?" I quickly asked turning towards grandma.
"Yeah, come on honey. Let's go." She said guiding me towards the exit of the room.
"principessa, You'll need to wear your dress again, but only for about 10 minutes. Just to get everything done and then say goodbye too the others, after that you can go back into the changing room and change into some comfy clothes that Elijah packed for you earlier okay."
"Okay" I said before my aunts, grandma and I walked back to the changing rooms.
When we reached, I got into a quick shower just washing my hair and body really fast.
When I was done with that, I put a towel around my hair before drying myself of and changing back into my dress.
I also clipped my gun on my thigh and made sure to have my knifes in my purse before I did my hair.
I was pretty much dry by now, so I just lightly brushed through it making my natural waves appear.
I didn't put any make up on or anything and just walked out.
Outside my brothers were waiting for me, "Hi" I muttered tired.
Allesandro wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his side.
"I promise maximum another 15 minutes and then we will go home." Sandro promised, giving me a kiss on the head.
I just gave him a sleepy nod before looking in my purse again to make sure I have everything.
My arms...shit.
I didn't put any foundation on my self harm scars.
No
No
No
I don't want our allies thinking that I can't handle anything and that I'm a weak girl.
"Sandro, I quickly need to do one more thing inside." I said.
How did I even forget this.
"Oh okay, what's wrong?"
I gesture to my self harm scars on my wrist.
He took of his jacket and put it around my shoulders, covering the scars and giving me warmed.
"Sandro, you'll be cold." I scolded, about to take it off.
"No, I'm kind of warm actually. But you, you are literally quivering from the cold, and it covers it at the same time, plus you won't have to wash it all off later on." He said.
I hesitated but agreed after a while.
Allesandro put his hand around me again before guiding us both back to the stage in the ballroom.
All eyes were already on us, including my families'.
Everyone of my family was standing before the stage with our allies except for Allesandro and dad who now stood beside the announcer.
As soon as everyone saw me, they started applauding.
When the applauding died down, I looked at the three people on stage.
"Valentina Hernandez, mafia princess of the American mafia do you accept your rol and being in the American mafia with Arsenio Hernandez as capo?"
"Yes"
Allesandro walked up to me with a knife and card with my name, rol ect. on it in hand.
"The initiation ritual, draw some blood with the knife before putting it on this card just like every member has done."
I did what Allesandro said, I took over the knife before wrapping my hand around it and slicing a big cut into my palm.
I let the blood drip onto the card before the knife was taken away from me by Allesandro.
"This blood symbolises your birth into our mafia family, we are one until dead. Now you may repeat what I say."
I only gave a swift nod.
"I Valentina Hernandez-"
"I Valentina Hernandez."
"-will serve for the American mafia, fight for it, live for it and die for it.-"
"will serve for the American mafia, fight for it, live for it and die for it."
"-1) I have a code of silence - I will never ran out any mafia member. Never divulge any mafia secrets, even if they were threatened by torture or death.
2) I have complete obedience to the boss - obey the boss's orders no matter what.
3) I will give my assistance - provide any necessary assistance to any other respected or befriended mafia faction.
4) I will avoid any contact with the authorities.
5) I will respect all woman, children and men the same
6) I will not kill any children unless the boss agrees on it and it is absolutely necessary.
7) I will be loyal to the members of the mafia. Not interfere with each other's interest, not be an informer...
8) I will be rational. I'll be a member of the team. Do not engage in battle if you can't win,.. the directive extends to personal life.
9) I will keep my eyes and ears open and mouth shut at all times. Don't sell anyone out.
10) I will have class and be independent."
I repeated everything he said and swore it.
Allesandro then set the blooded card on fire before passing it around and saying. "If you ever disobey the rules you will burn like your card, swear that if you ever disobey the rules you will burn like the card so will burn your soul, you will enter alive and get out dead."
"I swear that if I ever disobey the rules my flesh will burn like my card, so will my soul. I will have entered the mafia alive and come out dead." I spoke.
"Repeat after me, 'This blood means that we are now one family. I will live by gun and knife and die by gun and knife.' " Allesandro said.
Every member of the American mafia repeated what Allesandro and I said at the same time.
When the sentence ended the card was passed back too me.
The card burned itself further into my hand before I dropped it in the little chest that Allesandro said I should let it burn out in.
In our mafia's our members can stop working for us but then they need to get another ceremony to get out, but they always know it beforehand so it doesn't get mentioned in the ceremony.
Only when my card had entirely stopped burning, did everyone sheer and clap for me before the announcer called grandpa on stage.
Grandpa rushed on stage before he started talking in the microphone, he thanked everyone for coming and being allies and blah blah blah.
But dad didn't listen to what his father said, no instead he rushed towards me and grabbed my bleeding hand.
He put a handkerchief on it pressing hard to stop the bleeding making me hiss.
"Why did you cut so much and deep, you could've just pricked into your finger you know." He said worry clear in his voice.
"I don't know, I didn't know I could. Sorry" I apologised.
"Don't apologise, you didn't know, it's okay." He said as everyone started exiting the ballroom and went to their hotels by cars, limousines,..
"Can we go home now" I yawned.
He chuckled before saying yes and telling me to get changed into my comfy clothes that Elijah had packed.
I nodded and made my way over to the dressing rooms once again.
I finished changing my clothes when there was a knock on the door.
I let....Oliver and Maxim in while putting my gown, heels ect. in the bag that dad had brought inhere.
Oliver took my stuff except for my purse before already walking out.
"Ready?" Maxim asked.
"Yeah"
"Let's go get you home huh"
I just gave him a tired nod before we made our way to the limousines.
I said goodbye to the rest of the family and thanking them for their congratulations on me now being an actual mafia princess.
I got inside the limousine with my brothers, dad and Killian, before heading home.
"Val, let me see your hand" Elijah commanded after sitting down for about 10 minutes.
I got up but stumbled, losing me balance, knees wobbling, by what?...Still an effect from the last test, maybe all the test combined that it took a lot of my energy, not having eaten anything for about 8 hours since it's now around 2 am and the last thing I ate was a little at the ball a few hours before the test, or maybe just from this blood loss or the driving or everything combined.
But what I do know is that as soon as my knees gave a little out by feeling this sudden wave off...weakness, Elijah quickly grabbed ahold of me while like the others who reached for me were to far away.
It took me around 30 seconds at least before I even got any sense back of reality.
"Val, hey honey. Focus on one point, you're going to pass out like this." Elijah said as he held me by both my arms.
But my knees kept wobbling while my vision focused and unfocused.
A pained whimper escaped my mouth, I haven't felt like this in a long time.
Elijah sat me down on his seat and kneeled before me.
Dad made the driver stop, trying to see if this could make any difference.
"Sorelina, focus on one point. My nose..look at my nose, try to focus on it." He said.
I did what he said and found my way back to reality, but the dizziness stayed however.
"I'm okay" I said after a while, breathlessly.
"I just- I...I don't know"
Elijah started examining the wound, "When did you last eat?" He asked.
"A few hours before the test, around 6 pm, normal dinner time."
"What exactly did you feel just now?"
"I don't really know. I just..I felt like-..like I couldn't even carry my weight anymore and this wave of painful dizziness made it even worse. I couldn't really focus my eyes, just focussing and un-focussing. I felt so weak- I haven't felt that weak since.." They knew what I didn't voice already, you could see it on their faces.
"It's probably the combination of not having eaten in about-" looking at his watch. "-8 hours and doing the test. The test was emotionally and physically challenging making it even harder and then this blood loss and not sleeping like normally. Your body just needs rest right now, it should be over when you wake up this morning okay, but if it doesn't tell me. Now for your hand, the cut isn't deep so it doesn't require stitching, the bleeding has also stopped. I'll just bandage it up and try to minimise doing things with that hand so it'll heal faster."
"Okay, thank you Lijah" I said before yawning again.
"You're welcome, now get some rest Neonata" He said giving me a kiss on the head.
Instead of me returning to my seat, Elijah used my seat as now his own and got comfortable.
I tried to get into a comfortable position but just couldn't get in one and fall asleep even though I'm so tired.
Blake who was sitting next to me noticed and picked me up before making me lie down in a comfortable position.
I was cuddled in Blake's chest but most of my legs remained in my seat.
'Thank you" I yawned out.
"Go to sleep Angelo, I love you" He said giving me a kiss on the head and then.....yes, you guessed it, gave me the comforting circles on my back.
"I love you too Blake,...I also love you guys dad, Allesandro, Elijah, Lorenzo, Antonio, xander, Xavier. Goodnight, I love you guys" I said a little louder.
A few chuckles were heard, "I love you too principessa" Dad said before the rest followed in the order like I said.
"Goodnight" I repeated before they did too and then let darkness consume me.
Hey everyone,
So this initiation ritual is actually a real thing. I did some research instead of just coming up with something this time and found out that in the real life mafias, this a real ritual.
Instead of using a card though, back in the old days they used pictures of saints. Swearing that their flesh and souls would burn like the saint's if they would break a rule.
I just wanted to give you guys this little piece of information. Now we are all a little smarter. Also some of the rules that I also have in the American mafia in this book were real in the mafias around 1900.
Well I hope you guys liked this little history lesson and thank you for reading, I'll see you in the next chapter.
Xxx the author.