Ambrosine and Natasha were upstairs in Natasha's room, she had just come out of her bath and Ambrosine was rubbing her with some rich-smelling oils that had a wonderful smell to them. After Natasha opened her closet pulled out Octavian's mother's dress and placed it on the bed to wear for the ball. When Ambrosine saw it she fell on the bed in tears.
"I thought all her things burned including this," Octavian had explained to Natasha how the dress had been saved and she told Ambrosine. She couldn't believe Victoire knew all along what her mother had in hand and she saved part of her and Rowan for the boys. And she couldn't believe that Natasha would be humble enough to honor Octavian's mother and the Sire of the Delacroix clan by wearing her ceremonial ball gown.
Where had this girl been all her nephew's life? As she helped Natasha dress, she felt she was helping a daughter, and be it human or not dressing a daughter for a special event always made a mother or someone extremely joyful inside.
About a half-hour after she was dressed word was sent up that it was time for her to come down, the family was already seated and the guests were also in their chairs. This was you could say equivalent to a wedding as no one could see her or her dress until she entered the hall walking towards the ceremony table at the sound of a hymn picked by the groom as it was his blood.
As they neared the bottom of the staircase, before Ambrosine handled her off to Demetrius, Octavian's grandfather, she kissed her on the cheek telling her, "I love you my daughter, and will see you inside." And she passed her over to Demetrius.
"Come, granddaughter," said Demetrius as she slipped her arm under his, he kissed her soft cheek, "I swear if I were a couple of hundred years younger and not eternally married oh yeah and you weren't my grandson's mate, I would give you a chance." He smiled and winked at her.
When they got near the doors of the room they slowly opened and everyone automatically turned to look at her. In a whisper, Demetrius said, "Just breath dear."
She kept her head up looking straight ahead without looking around, just looking at the cup on the table. Everyone who looked at her and knew Victoire could not believe she looked somewhat like her as she stood there wearing the white gown with the red sash she had bought. She hadn't drunk Octavian's blood and she already looked of royal blood. Natasha thought just wait until they saw her in Victoire's ball gown, she wondered what would they say then.
But there was one person who wished she would disappear and that was Rebekah, she wanted all this. The adulation, the love from his family, compassion and caring for all, and most of all the title of princess of the Delacroix clan. She deserved it.
She wanted the riches of the Delacroix family and she wanted Octavian. She didn't love him but she knew she could find a way to manipulate him yes he was tough, but she was tougher. She would find a way to have him move far from his brothers and he would be at her mercy.
When Natasha reached the front, Demetrius kissed her on the cheek and placed one of her hands on either side of the cup facing down the table as she knelt in front of the cup. He left and Cassius came up.
"Natasha, whom you see knelt in front of the Delacroix grail which on this day contains Octavian Delacroix blood gave herself freely to him and has been bitten by him as she has been noted to be his mate. She will drink his blood to finish her being turned as it must be observed by us as he is a prince. His blood will mix with what is left of her human blood, and destroy it, making her completely of our world and his mate for eternity."
Rebekah was tired of Cassius and thought he was just a windbag. Wishing he would already die or someone would put them out of his misery.