Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy.

Ch. 1 Strangers at a Masquerade Ball

I sighed and regarded myself in the mirror. How was I supposed to look beautiful for the masquerade ball if I didn't even know how to do my own hair?

"Lissa!" I yelled.

A heartbeat passed, and my best friend flounced into the room. "Rose, you can't go around screaming for me, even if you are the Mazur princess."

My family, the Mazurs, had originated from Turkey, but then, somewhere along the line, we'd moved to Russia. We were a Moroi royal clan – even though my mother was a dhampir, so I was also a dhampir. Of course, there was a little problem with us...

Lissa, my best friend, was a Moroi, and she was a Dragomir princess. Or, I should say, the Dragomir princess, since she was the only one left in her line. My father allowed her to live with us after her parents and brother had been killed in a horrible accident a few years ago.

"The masquerade's a few hours away," I grumbled, running a hand over my long dark hair. "And my maid isn't anywhere to be seen."

"Your father doesn't want you to be spoiled remember?" Liss asked, picking up a hairbrush and running it through my long dark hair. "Besides, if it is few hours away, you have plenty of time to get ready."

I smiled to myself, but then my happy thoughts went away as I recalled the reason for the ball. "And my father wants to name me as his successor…and announce my betrothal to Adrian Ivashkov."

"He is not exactly…a one woman man, if you know what I mean," Lissa said dryly. "All the rumors I've heard say that he loves women and drinking."

"Why can't my parents just let me marry for love?" I asked, feeling more melancholy than ever. "Look at them. They married for love! Most girls my age would be married off by now. I can't believe my father is making me marry now, after my eighteenth birthday. If they let me wed later, why can't they at least give me a choice?"

"So you can unite with a powerful Moroi family, and so you will have support against the Belikov family," Lissa said.

"I already pointed out to my father he married for love," I muttered, feeling angry. "And yet, he's insistent that I marry that Ivashkov lord, but our babies won't even be Moroi."

"He might not exactly be faithful…but he is pretty good-looking," Lissa offered as she rose and went to my wardrobe.

I perked up at this, and turned around. "Really? Have you met him before?"

Lissa nodded as she ran her hand over some of the beautiful gowns I had in my wardrobe. "Yes. At some of the royal banquets Queen Tatiana holds. He's tall, with dark brown hair and emerald green eyes."

I sighed. "That doesn't sound like my type at all. And all Moroi men are tall."

Lissa also sighed. "That's because you've never been in love, Rose. He's pretty good-looking, and I don't plan on getting married yet."

Since Lissa was the last in the Dragomir line, everyone was interested in who she would marry. The Dragomirs had once been a very powerful and prestigious family. She had more suitors than me. All of my suitors…I did not love any of them. I had wanted to wait and fall in love before I got married, but now I never would.

"But you're getting pressure from the other royal families," I pointed out as I stood and joined her. "They want you to marry, and you can only marry a Moroi who has enough Dragomir blood. No hope for you marrying a dhampir man."

Lissa shrugged. "They can pressure all they want, but in the end, I will choose. Being the last Dragomir isn't completely bad."

If only I could have that type of freedom, I thought bitterly, and slammed my hand against the wardrobe door.

"Let's find a gown that you can wear to impress all the young men at the ball tonight," Lissa said, seeming to sense my dark feelings. "You will make them all fawn over you and wish that you would be their betrothed."

"There's no point, when I'm being married in…I don't know how long, but soon," I complained.

"Yes, but maybe you can flirt with one or two of the young men like you usually do at these balls," Lissa said with a wink.

Dimitri POV

I walked down the streets of Moscow alone, the images of what had happened moments before dancing behind my eyes

Flashback

"We can't be together, Dimka," she whispered into my ear.

"But I like you, Natasha-"

"That's not enough," she interrupted, pulling away from me. "You need to love me enough to marry me."

"My mother would never let me! You know that I have to-"

"I'm from the Ozera family! Why can't you marry me? My family's every bit as powerful as yours, if not more powerful. Why?"

Because of what happened with your nephew's parents years ago, I thought but didn't say. I attempted reason.

"But I don't need to marry right away. Maybe if I could just keep it like this a while longer-"

"I've been waiting for the past seven years, Dimka! My relatives are all pressing for me to marry," she whispered, her blue eyes filling with tears. "I've waited for you for far too long. I can't wait any longer. I'm so tired of us being together only when we have time for secret meetings. And we can't go any further than what we already have done. Unless you swear that you will marry me soon, I can't do this anymore."

"Tasha-"

"I'm sorry. I can't see you anymore."

With that, she turned her back on me and walked away…out of my life.

End of flashback

I clenched my fists, although I kept my face perfectly neutral as I headed towards home. How could she think I didn't like her? Of course, she had always been pressing me to marry her from the start of our relationship. I could not marry her.

I liked her very much. She was beautiful, intelligent, strong, but I didn't feel like I'd loved her. A secret part of me was actually glad that we'd ended the relationship. Because when I was with her…I just didn't feel like I loved her. As a friend, yes. But as for more than…no.

My mother had been pressing me to marry. Preferably an important Moroi princess, even if we would never have Moroi children. Tasha wasn't a princess…although she was "Lady Ozera." Technically speaking, there couldn't be more than one prince or princess in a royal family, but there were many that were still addressed as such.

I sighed as I entered the manor where I lived with my mother and sisters.

"Dimka, are you home?" I heard my mother call out.

"Yes, Mama," I replied as she stepped into the grand foyer. Time and responsibility had aged her, but she still looked very dignified.

She sighed. "My advisors have told me that the Mazur family is holding a masquerade ball, and they want you to infiltrate it."

I stared. "Infiltrate the Mazur manor? They all know how I look like. And why do they want me to spy on them?"

"I don't know, but Prince Mazur would never hold a ball of this type unless there was a good reason. I'm not very comfortable with the idea of letting you go off into the home of our enemy…"

"I will do what's necessary," I said stiffly. "Who gave the idea?"

Mama looked over her should uneasily before she turned around. "Your uncle Ivan."

I let out a slight hiss of annoyance before schooling my features into an expression of indifference. Of course. Only my uncle would suggest something so sneaky.

My uncle Ivan was my father's younger brother. After my father died when I was twelve, my uncle had stepped in to assist my mother, the Belikov dowager princess. I didn't trust his intentions from the start. If he married my mother, he would become prince and thus have a chance to become king when Queen Tatiana named her successor. For now, he was just Lord Belikov. Although my mother had not had a happy marriage with my father, she still did not want to remarry.

"I will attend, if that is what Lord Ivan would like," I said.

Mama smiled wanly at me. "It's a masquerade, so it will be hard to check your identities. Find out why the Mazurs are hosting a masquerade ball, and then report back in the morning. But Dimka, please be careful,"

I brushed my hand against her cheek. "Of course I'll be careful, Mama."

"Good. Then… I suppose you should get ready in your bedchamber. Take a different route when you enter and leave the Mazur manor."

"Of course," I said, and bowed.

Rose POV

"And now I present to you my daughter, Lady Rosemarie Mazur."

I descended the stairs down into the grand ballroom, keeping my face blank of emotion. I wasn't sure if I was actually succeeding, but the mask did make it harder to tell if I had any expressions.

Although I was technically the Mazur princess, I had always been addressed as "Lady Mazur." Until tonight. Tonight was the night that Father would name me as his successor and relinquish the title of the Mazur leader to me.

And when I married…I would become a lesser princess of the Ivashkov family, in addition to being the Mazur princess.

I walked across the grand ballroom, and the guests parted way for me. I stopped at the dais where my parents sat, and made a low curtsy. I could tell from the rustle of silks behind me that the other guests were curtsying or bowing to my parents.

"Rise," my father said, and we all rose. "And now, enjoy the celebrations!"

With that, all the guests started to mingle and chat. I stood on my tiptoes, but couldn't catch a glimpse of my future fiancée.

"He has not arrived yet," Lissa whispered, and I turned around to face her.

"Please do not tell me that he's…with some…" I couldn't finish my sentence.

Lissa shook her head. "I asked a servant the reason for his delay, and there is something about a road delay."

I groaned. "It will take forever! Carriages do not go particularly fast."

"Perhaps he will take a horse, and ride here," Lissa suggested.

I shook my head. "I doubt it."

Lissa turned her head and looked around. The men are looking at you, Rose. I let my hair fall down around my face so I could hide my features for a moment.

Lissa's family had died in a carriage accident a few years ago. We'd discovered last year that I too had died, but Lissa had brought me back from the dead with an unknown element – spirit. We now shared a bond that enabled me to read her thoughts and sometimes I could "be" in her head.

I looked up and returned the gazes boldly before I looked down again.

You are just torturing them this way, Lissa added, and I put my hand in front of my lips to hide a smile.

I then turned around, and saw a young man, around the same age as me and Lissa, staring at her. He seemed to be hiding in the shadows. I noticed that he had dark black hair that just touched the edge of his shirt, and he had piercing ice blue eyes. He wore a red mask that only seemed to make his eyes even bluer.

"Liss, that boy's staring at you," I muttered out of the corner of my mouth.

Which one? There are too many of them, Lissa said.

"The one with the ice blue eyes."

Lissa turned slowly, making sure not to make eye contact with any of the young men. She raised her head, and the firelight seemed to be echoed in her pale golden hair.

I could tell she had locked eyes with the young man I had pointed out, because I could feel like her whole world had stopped. Her heart raced, and it felt like her cheeks were warm.

Who is he? she wondered, more to herself than me.

She smoothed her hands over the pale green silk dress she wore, which was a good match with her eyes. The ruffled skirt fell to the floor, and hugged her slim body very closely. A gold circlet adorned with emeralds sat on top of her blond hair, and she wore only a pearl choker around her neck. She wore a simple green mask decorated with gold glitter, but the firelight made it hard to discern her features.

His eyes followed every movement she made. I did not know who he was, but I could tell that he was smitten with her. And the feelings radiating from her through the bond…she had not felt this happy since before her family had died.

"You should introduce yourself to him," I whispered into her ear. "In the meantime…I suppose I will have to look for my missing fiancée."

Without waiting for a response, I swept away, the skirt of my red dress brushing lightly against the marble floor.

I knew that I looked very beautiful tonight. My long dark hair was held at the nape of my neck by several jeweled pins, and like Lissa, I wore a gold circlet. The circlet that marked my rank as princess. I wore a red empire waist dress with flowing sleeves and a daring low neckline that exposed my décolletage. I wore a red mask decorated with gold glitter, and red feathers.

One of my suitors, Jesse Zeklos, stepped out of the shadows. He was wearing a white mask decorated with gold. "Would you care to dance, Lady Mazur?" he asked with a wink.

"Of course," I answered, and he led me out onto the dance floor.

We danced several dances until Mason Ashford, one of my dhampir friends, cut in, and then some Voda and Ozera lords I had never met before.

When refreshments were announced, I was relieved. There was still no sign of my soon-to-be-fiancée, and I was glad. I did not feel particularly eager on meeting him and knowing that soon I would have to marry him. Just how soon, I was not particularly sure. But I did not have much time left.

"I made the acquaintance of that young man you pointed out to me," Lissa said breathlessly to me in an undertone as we sipped some punch. "His name is Christian. But he didn't give his last name."

Christian…why did that name sound familiar? I'd never met him before. Christian…those blue eyes…Suddenly it clicked.

I looked over at Lissa, and my heart sank. She seemed so happy. Should I tell her?

"What's wrong?" she asked, seeming to pick up on my dark mood.

I made the decision to tell her. She had the right to know. I bit my lip, and leaned forward. "His last name. It's Ozera."

"Christian…Ozera?" Knowledge flashed in Lissa's eyes, and she went paler than she was normally. "Oh, God…"

Christian's parents had chosen to turn Strigoi several years ago. Guardians had killed them, but his aunt had held them off to prevent them from taking Christian.

Suddenly, the doors leading into the grand foyer from the ballroom open and I saw some guardians fall in around a young Moroi man.

The herald banged his staff on the floor three times. "Lord Adrian Ivashkov."

Adrian walked in confidently, and I had to admit, he really was as good-looking as Lissa had described. A dark green mask with ribbons dangled from his hand.

Father strode out to greet the newcomer, but judging from the brief look that flashed in his dark eyes, he was not happy that my future fiancée was late. Mother trailed along at his side, her head held high.

Father spoke briefly to Adrian, and then, he walked over to me.

"Rosemarie Mazur," he said, bowing to me.

"Adrian Ivashkov," I said with a low curtsey. He lifted me, and kissed my hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, Rosemarie," he said with a wink.

"Call me Rose," I said. I hated my full name.

"Or can I call you…little dhampir?"

I shook my head. "Rose, please." I can tell we are just going to get along, I thought acerbically.

"Very well," Adrian said with a shrug. "How are you tonight?"

"Must we follow all the rules for conversation?" I demanded in exasperation. "Just because we are supposed to be engaged does not mean we must be so proper."

"Feisty," Adrian said with a chuckle. "I was late because of…well…a little accident."

"A road accident?" I asked tartly. "You could have just ridden a horse the rest of the way."

"Ah, but my guardians would not let me. Too dangerous for an Ivashkov lord," Adrian said with a chuckle.

The Ivashkovs were one of the most prestigious royal Moroi families. Adrian was probably related somewhat directly to the current queen. When my father had told me of my betrothal a few weeks ago, it had caused somewhat of a scandal. A Moroi lord from the family of the reigning monarch marrying a dhampir princess?

That was the problem with my family – we wouldn't be able to produce any Moroi children. All children from a dhampir and Moroi union would be dhampir. Many of the Moroi wanted to keep their bloodlines "pure," and as such, tried to marry Moroi. Dhampirs couldn't have children together, but there were a few rare exceptions, none of which were from this century…

My family had actually been pure Moroi until Father met Mother and married her. I was now the start of a dhampir royal family. Very few dhampir royal families existed. They often began when a Moroi royal married a dhampir and had children.

Dimitri POV

I couldn't help but notice the dark-haired girl that was talking with a Moroi man near the door. Although it was hard to tell with the lighting and masks, she looked very beautiful. The red dress clung to she wore clung to her slim body, and exposed much of her décolletage. I could tell, even at this distance, that she was a dhampir. Like me.

As I watched, she removed her mask so that it rested in her long hair. I saw a flash of gold, and realized that she was wearing a gold circlet in her hair. So she was a dhampir princess. I wondered which dhampir royal family she came from.

I made my way towards her, but to my dismay, the music started, and soon the dhampir princess and Moroi man were dancing. Other partygoers blocked me from being able to get to them.

I felt a flash of disappointment…and I had to admit, I was a little jealous of the man who held her as they danced. I checked myself. You do not even know who she is, and yet you are jealous?

When the dance changed, I tapped the Moroi man on the shoulder, and asked the girl, "May I have this dance?"

"Certainly," she answered in a low, sultry voice. She lowered her eyes so that they were hidden for a moment before she looked into my eyes again.

We danced, and I held one of her hands, and rested my other arm around her waist. I felt warm all over where we touched, and I could tell from her shiver that she felt it too. My heart raced at our touch. What was happening to me?

"It is very warm tonight," I said, feeling a need to break the silence between us.

She rolled her eyes. "Please do not tell me that you are going to follow conventional rules of conversation too. I have had to speak properly all night already."

I laughed. "Fair enough. What is your name?"

"Rosemarie."

"That is a beautiful name. My name is Dimitri."

"Please don't call me by my full name," she said as I twirled her around in a circle. Her skirts spun out, and she looked like a blur of fire. "Please call me Rose. I do not know why my mother decided to give me the name Rosemarie."

"Because you are as beautiful as a rose?" I asked, gently brushing away a lock of her hair. It felt smooth as silk under my fingers.

She moved back a little, and I moved with her. "No one has ever said that to me," she said, her voice so soft I could barely hear her. "That I'm beautiful as a rose. People have said that I am beautiful, look pretty…but that is so they can attempt to win my heart."

"No one can just say that to you if they hope to marry you," I protested.

Rose closed her eyes for a moment, and then the dance ended. "I suppose…I should find my friends."

There was a deep-seated bitterness and loneliness in her voice. I wished that I could comfort her, and just hold her until she felt happy again. I shook off the thought.

"Maybe you can escape to a garden for a moment, and collect yourself?" I offered.

Rose closed her eyes and nodded as she pulled the mask back over her head. "Come with me."

Rose POV

We slipped past the dancing guests, and out past the staircase. We walked down a hallway. The floor under our feet was marble, and I noticed that there were artful watercolor paintings on one side of the wall. Windows lined the other side, and the curtains were drawn back to let the moonlight stream in.

"Isn't it dangerous, with the Strigoi threat growing?" Dimitri asked, keeping his voice low.

I shook my head as we stepped out onto an open terrace, and descended into one of the gardens. "My family has several wards, so we will be safe."

"On nights like these, I love coming here to get away from the crowds," I continued, tilting my head up as we stopped at a bench. "So quiet and beautiful here."

"It is," he agreed, taking my hand. I started, but he did not let go of me. "But the night sky or the flowers are not as beautiful as you are, Roza."

Roza. The Russian equivalent of my name.

I put a hand to my cheeks, feeling warm all over. "Do you really think that?"

"Yes," he whispered, removing his mask. He leaned over and then undid my mask, letting it fall into my lap.

I looked up at him, feeling my heartbeat in crease even more. I could feel a tingle of anticipation in the air – but for what?

He then leaned forward, and gently pressed his lips against mine.

It felt like fire was coursing through me, and I felt tingly all over. I could feel the kiss all the way to my toes. I put my arms around him and kissed him back. It felt like electricity was crackling in the air around us.

I had never been kissed before. I had flirted with some of the young men at balls before, and we would vanish into the gardens, but they would only kiss my hands or my cheeks. This was my very first kiss, and I was thoroughly enjoying it.

Dimitri, I thought as we kept kissing and kissing. I just wanted to forget the whole world, and keep kissing him.

"We should probably go," I whispered, forcing myself to pull away from Dimitri. "We will be missed by the others."

Dimitri nodded, and then we walked back into the manor and into the ballroom.

The crowd quickly separated us, and I wondered if we would ever meet again. I made my way towards the dais where my parents sat as fast as I could.

Father stood, and the herald hit his staff on the floor several times to get everyone's attention. My heart sank. I knew what was coming.

"I would like to thank you all for coming to the ball tonight," he began, looking around at us all. Oh no. "I would like to announce that I am naming my successor. I am stepping down as the Mazur prince, and I relinquish the duty of leading the Mazur family to my daughter. Lady Rosemarie Mazur, please step forward."

I walked up the dais, aware of everyone's eyes on me, and knelt gracefully before my father.

He removed the golden circlet I wore and replaced it with a beautiful simple tiara decorated with rubies. I rose to my feet, allowing my skirts to flow down to the floor.

"Princess Rosemarie Mazur, first of her name," Father announced as I floated down the dais.

There was a pause, and then everyone was applauding. It was very rare that someone would be made princess shortly after their eighteenth birthday. Lissa was an exception, being the last Dragomir.

"I would also like to make another announcement," Father announced as the applause died down. Disappointment and fear swooped through me at his words. I saw Adrian, standing close to the dais. "Now that my daughter is the Mazur princess and of age, she must marry. I would like to announce the betrothal of Princess Rosemarie to Lord Adrian Ivashkov, although this is an informal celebration."

I just wanted to run from the room and retreat to my room. Adrian stepped towards me, and I noticed he was holding a small velvet black box in his hand.

"Princess Rosemarie Mazur," he asked as he got down on one knee and opened the box. It held a simple diamond ring with a gold band. My engagement ring. "Would you do the honor of marrying me and becoming my wife?"

A million thoughts raced through my mind, none of which I could say. I desperately wanted to scream, "No! I won't marry you! I love someone else!"

But I could never do that. I had no choice in who I was to marry.

Swallowing back my tears and angry words, I smiled. "Yes. I will marry you."

The applause was even more thunderous than it had been when I had been crowned princess. Adrian slid the ring onto my finger, and stepped back. The diamond caught the light from the candles and chandeliers glowing around us.

People swarmed forward to offer their congratulations, and I sighed to myself. Tonight would be a very long night.

It was long past midnight when the ball finally ended. I was very relieved to escape to my room.

It was not long after I had changed out of my beautiful gown and into my nightgown before there was a knock on the door. It's me, Lissa said.

I opened the door for her, and she came in. She was also in a nightgown. "You are now an engaged woman," she said.

I sighed as I sat down on the bed. "Trust me, it is not as thrilling as it sounds."

There was a moment of silence, and I could feel Lissa's concern for me radiating to me. I shook my head. "I don't particularly want to talk about it tonight."

Lissa hesitated, but nodded. Curiosity replaced her concern. "Where did you go before your father named you as his successor?"

I paused. "I…met a stranger. We went out into the gardens to get fresh air, and then…he gave me my first kiss."

Lissa gasped. "Oh, my God! Who was it?"

"He did not give his last name," I said with a sigh. "Which is a shame. I know that he is dhampir, like me. Maybe if he was from one of the royal families…"

"What is his name?"

"Dimitri."

Absolute shock showed on her face, and I could feel it through the bond. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Oh, I don't know how to tell you this.

"Just tell me, Liss," I pleaded.

Lissa bit her lip and looked down at the floor for a moment. She looked back up and into my eyes.

"His last name is Belikov. He is Prince Dimitri Belikov."

Author's note: So how is this? First time I've tried writing about Rose and Dimitri where they aren't actually guardians...review please :)