Rose's POV

Five years ago Princess Vasilisa Dragomir and I had been best friends, closer than sisters, even. That was before she became queen and took off with my one and true love, Dimitri. She became queen after Tatiana was murdered, and I was accused of killing her because the killer used my stake. I was locked up for two years and eventually the case was dropped because there wasn't enough evidence to prove that I killed her. I didn't kill her and only a couple of people believed me. I know I didn't do it because I was on the verge of having sex with Adrian, Tatiana's great nephew. Someone had set me up and still hasn't been caught, even though nine other royals have been killed, not with anything of mine, though, luckily enough for me. My parents and a couple of friends had tried really hard to prove my innocence, but got nowhere.

A lot had happened between Dimitri and me that probably resulted in how we ended, like when he became Strigoi and used me as his blood whore when I went to Russia to kill him. He was only the second person to be changed back into a Dhampir since being, as Strigoi call it, awakened. He saw Lissa as his savior and practically gave her his life in return. He shrugged me off and refused to listen when I told him she wouldn't have been able to bring him back without me. All that was in the past.

As I mentioned, it had been five years since Lissa and I had spoken face-to-face. She often wonders how I am, though. Nothing can take away the bond we share, which allows me to see things from her perspective sometimes. She lives at Court with her Guardians and my beloved Dimitri, while I live with Mason in a quiet suburban area a thousand miles away from her. I was in the lounge room, leafing through the 'Moroi Mail', one of the few ways we can stay in touch with our own people, (beside the bond and the Moroi news channel, which is password protected in case of human visitors) when I saw something that made my blood run cold. Lissa was standing with Dimitri in the photo and the headline said, 'Dragomir Line to be continued'. I read through the article and gasped.

"What is it?" Mason asked, frowning.

"Lissa's pregnant," I whispered, not moving my eyes from the page. Mason got up from is place on the couch opposite me.

"What?" He peered over my shoulder at the paper.

"Are you sure?" he added. I nodded.

"'Queen Vasilisa Dragomir Belikov and King Dimitri Belikov are happy to announce that their first born child will be born later this year,'" I read to him. His jaw swung open.

"How could this happen?" I cried.

"Ah, well. It was bound to happen sooner or later," Mason shrugged. I threw a cushion at him.

"Ow!" he said, rubbing his arm, where the cushion hit.

"How could you say that?" I asked, boring my eyes (hopefully) into his forehead.

"I hate to admit it, Rose, but he chose Lissa over you," he told me sincerely. Not that I needed reminding. That was the first thing I thought about when I got up in the morning and the last thing when I went to sleep.

"I just wish he would come to his senses and come back to me," I told him. I would have to say, Mason has been really supportive since the whole Rose-Hathaway-Killed-the-Queen thing. A knock at the door jolted me out of my thoughts.

"I'll get it," Mason told me and headed to open the door.

"Hey, Mason, my man!" Christian's voice said cheerily. He probably hugged Mason, too. Ever since Lissa chose Dimitri over him, he has been talking weirdly and acting like he didn't really care.

"How is everybody this fine day?" he added, making his way into the lounge room.

"Pregnant," I said bitterly.

"Congratulations, Rose! You and Mason must be so happy!" he exclaimed, about to hug me.

"Not me, you idiot! Lissa!" I cried. His face hardened at the sound of Lissa's name.

"What do you mean, Lissa's pregnant?" he asked, clearly as shocked as I am. I handed him the paper.

"Read this," I answered. While his eyes skimmed through the paragraphs, my body went rigid.

Rose, I'm guessing you've heard about my pregnancy, but there's more to it, I swear. Is there any way we could meet up? She asked through the bond.

Mason and Christian noticed and looked worried.

"Rose, what is it?" Mason asked.

"Lissa," I could only whisper.

"What about Lissa?" Christian asked, looking ready to take on anything to get to her.

"She wants to meet up," I told them. Mason's eyes widened and Christian's jaw dropped. Christian may have pretended to be shocked, but he looked relieved that nothing was wrong with her.

"What are you going to do?" they asked. I shrugged.

"I guess I'm gonna have to go see her," I said, hoping that they would try to talk me out of it or stop me in any way. When they didn't, I sighed and got up.

"Let's go, then," I told them.

So now we were on the plane, on our way to go see Lissa and Dimitri. This trip is going to break my heart all over again, I thought. I was remembering the last time I saw them.

***Flashback***

I was in the Court's prison when Lissa and Dimitri when walked in, holding hands. The very sight of them make me sick to my stomach. They had confessed their so-called 'love' for each other a few days before and even thinking of Dimitri tore my heart apart.

"I hate seeing you in here, Rose," Lissa had told me. And the bond told me she meant it.

"You aren't doing very much to get me out of here," I reminder her icily. She looked hurt.

"Rose, there isn't much I can do and you know that," she told me, her tone sad.

I looked at the both of them, standing there, doing there best to looking happy. I sighed.

"I'm sorry I snapped, I'm just sick of looking the same, white walls. You know how long it's been since I've seen the stars, or heard a bird chirp?" I asked them. Dimitri kept that same, unfazed guardian stare, as if he didn't care at all, but Lissa was almost in tears.

"I don't," she admitted.

"A year, after then I stopped counting the months," I answered. Lissa shifted her feet uneasily and the atmosphere turned awkward. The next few moments were heavy, but were (gladly) interrupted when a few guardians walked in.

"What is it? We have an hour visit!" Lissa exclaimed, thinking they were there to ask her and Dimitri to leave.

"His Royal Majesty, King has been murdered, with Rose's stake. The Council has ordered Rose be released," the 'head' guardian, who I didn't know, informed us. Lissa let out a shriek of joy when he pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door. He held it open as I walked out what had been my home for the two years I had been held prisoner. The door closed with a metallic clang and Dimitri looked at the guardian.

"How did the killer get a hold of the stake the second time?" he asked, and I noticed with a pang that he didn't even say my name. The guard shrugged.

"Beats me," he answered.

"Who cares, anyway? Rose is a free woman again!" Lissa exclaimed. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't as free as she made out. Well, maybe physically, but that was never the problem. I was hurt. No, more than hurt, I was broken and I had no idea if I could ever be fixed.

"Hey Rose, let's go get something to eat? I'm sure you're sick of the same meal by now?" she suggested. How could she think I was okay with her being with Dimitri? Was she trying to rub more salt into my very raw wounds? I shook my head.

"Lissa, I can't. Not now, not ever," I told her. She looked confused.

"You can't what? I'm kinda having trouble understanding you," she told me.

"Oh, you are, are you? Well let me clarify it for you. I can't stand you being with Dimitri. And if you think I'm okay with it, then you are sorely mistaken!" I yelled at her. She looked as if she's just been slapped in the face.

"Rose -" she started.

"Don't even try to explain or justify anything. I can't or won't be able it handle it. I just need to get away before I end up breaking something," I said, trying really hard to stay calm. I took her silence as my chance to walk away, and believe me, it took everything I had to keep going. I walked to the front gates and walked out, not looking or turning back. My heart would've shattered all over again if I saw her face.

*** End of Flashback***

I shuddered at the thought of how I left things with Lissa and Dimitri. I couldn't help thinking the last bit bitterly. It should and always be Rose and Dimitri, Comrade and Roza. "Lissa and Dimitri" sounded so bad. I couldn't believe that he chose her over me. I knew he still loved me because of the way he acted when The Council's 'top' guards came to arrest me for Tatiana's death. He literally fought them off. I sighed. Mason looked at me. I shrugged. How was I supposed to know how 'okay' felt any more.

"I dunno. How am I supposed to face her after how I left things?" I replied.

"It's been five years, Rose. If she cares about you as much as you think she does then would have gotten in contact with you earlier," he told me. I wasn't mad at him for saying what he did because he had a point. Why didn't she call or something?

"You're right," I told him.

"Yeah, I know that," he smiled. God, I loved his smile. I wish I could love him instead of Dimitri. Things would be whole lot less confusing. Was I betraying Dimitri by thinking this? I hate to admit it, but I doubt if he really cares, anyway. He has clearly moved on so why couldn't I? Christian turned to me then.

"The flight's over now. Are you ready to see them?" he asked me. I shook my head. I didn't know if I'd ever be ready.

"Better now than never, right?" I asked, getting my bag. Mason tapped me on the shoulder.

"Do you want me to take your bag?" he wondered. I shrugged. How was I supposed to know if I wanted him to. I didn't know about a lot of things. I had been shrugging a lot lately. I handed my bag to him anyway.

"You don't have to hold it if you don't want to," I said. He just smiled as we headed up the aisle and off the plane. The sun was up, so the Moroi were probably asleep.

Lissa, I'm at the airport, I told her through the bond. If she was awake, she would be able to hear me. We could talk both ways now, thanks to many late nights practising during my not so short stay in prison.

I'm coming to get you! Came the hasty reply. Why wasn't she asleep? Would she bring Dimitri? I really didn't want to see him. Not after all the pain he put me through.

Come by yourself, I begged her, hoping she'd know what I mean. We made our way into the airport and Christian brought us drinks. I played with the straw as we made out way to the front doors. I turned to Mason.

"Are you getting sick of carrying my bag yet?" He shook his head.

"I got it," he smiled again. Any sane girl would melt if he smiled at the. I was too broken to consider any future with him. He tried to keep his distance, but I could tell he still had feelings for me.

The sunlight was bright, but bearable. Dhampirs were use to and got a lot then Moroi. Anyway, Lissa and a few guardians, minus Dimitri showed up a while later. She understood after all. Her face brightened when she saw me.

"Rose!" she shrieked and hurried over to hug me. I jumped back before she could touch me. Her face mirrored her heart; really sad and confused.

"Rose -" she started, but understood halfway through protesting. She understood how I felt, alright. She had been dumped before, too. Christian had dumped her when she got drunk and kissed her ex-boyfriend, Aaron. They had gotten back together but they had split up for good when she chose Dimitri over him.

"Rose, if I could go back -" she started. I put my hand up to silence her.

"I really don't want to hear your excuses. I just want to know why you called me here, but not now. I want a proper meal and a nap," I told her. She nodded.

"Let's go. I'll arrange your meal when we get home," she answered. We all piled into the SUV and made our way to Court. I got part of my demand. I fell asleep during the drive, leaning on Mason's chest.