This one kind of came out of nowhere. A little 'what if' if Rose had killed Tatiana.

Prompt - Lovers to Enemies

Dimitri POV

My hands were bound, not that it would have made much difference when I was surrounded by seven well-trained dhampirs. They weren't guardians but knew how to fight like the best of them. It hadn't taken them long to take me down and tie me up. I'd gone against waves of Strigoi and managed to come out on top; the difference now was that I wasn't trying to kill.

A sack that smelt of vegetables and dirt had covered my face, and I was brought to a building. Even with my eyes uncovered, I could tell little about where I was. Cool concrete bruised my knees from how long I sat in the middle of the barren room. One chair sat before me, and it was empty.

I knew whom it was for.

The longer I kneeled, the more impatient I became—the more I questioned my choices.

Numbness settled into the tips of my fingers, and I clenched and unclenched my hands to encourage the feeling back.

It was a tactic. They wanted me to wait until I lost my temper.

He was testing me.

I had lost the feeling in my legs and hands by the time I heard the click of shoes on the floor. Darkness shrouded the room, only the dim bulb above me allowed me enough light to see the dhampirs guarding me. The sound echoed against the stone floor, and confused me; it was only when he reached the edge of the light that I knew where he stood.

The yellow of his suit gave more light than the bulb did—a pain to look at with the headache that formed from the hits to my head. His men hadn't held back. Pale fingers rested on the back of the chair, decorated wood with a plush purple cushion—clearly a chair he used for humour and show.

While I knelt on the hard ground, he would be on a throne and passing judgement.

"I didn't expect to see you here," he voiced. Curiosity laced his words, and I knew I had to feed it.

I tilted my head back enough to meet his, hiding the wince from my aching muscles. I couldn't give anything away—not my weakness or my doubts until I got what I needed. "I'm here to see her."

Zmey threw his head back and laughed, the chuckle more sinister as it faded into the darkness around us. His thumbs were hooked in his pant pockets, a swagger as he rounded the chair to stand before me. "That's impossible. You know that."

My doubts grew stronger. What if I was wrong?

"I need to see Rose," I pushed, not willing to let go of the hope I held. It was all I had left.

"All of Court knows, Belikov," Zmey replied solemnly, lowering himself in the seat with a grim look. "It's time you accept that Rose is dead."

The words still felt like a knife through my heart. No matter how much time passed, the pain would never leave.

I gritted my teeth. "She isn't–"

"The Queen killer is dead." Zmey's glare darkened—a warning held in them. "You joined the ones that made sure of that."

He twisted the blade in my chest. I dropped my eyes, staring at the bloody and torn jeans I wore; I hadn't realised they had cut my leg when we fought. I felt numb to the pain of my injuries when the pain of betraying Rose was much worse.

"I was wrong."

Another bark of laughter. "Too late for empty words, Belikov," Zmey remarked, "You picked the Moroi and turned your back on her. Now you are here, stupidly offering yourself up. Why?"

I felt the weight of his stare heavily on me, the question hung in the air.

Why?

"Do you expect me to kill you? Do you think that would remove the mark of betrayal from your soul?"

My soul… What was left to save of it now? So much blood stained my hands, and I added Rose's to them the day I stood by Lissa's side.

"Why are you here, Dimitri?"

Slowly, I willed myself to look at him again; and face the consequences of my actions. "I've left the Moroi—I got out—for her."

A smirk played on his lips. "A bit late for that."

"I know she's alive," I tried again, "Tasha told me."

An emotion flicked across his face. Zmey shifted in the seat, hands grasping the armrests. "You trust the woman that sold Rose out?"

"Tasha told me everything. I know why Rose killed Tatiana."

It took months before Tasha told me the truth, then weeks before I knew what to do with it. Accepting the truth was difficult—it challenged everything I believed. Broke every promise and pledge I made.

I pleaded again. "I need to see Rose. I have to tell her about Liss–"

"Why the fuck would I care about her, comrade?"

My heart ceased to beat—That voice. I was rocked to the core and struggled to find my voice. Despite carrying the hope that she was alive, I was filled with doubts, but it was true.

Roza.

I couldn't see her, but knew she stood behind me; the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The muscles in my back tensed as if preparing for the knife she would bury in it. I wouldn't blame her.

Her footsteps were barely audible, it was only because of her body heat that I knew she stood inches away. "She betrayed me, just like you."

The venom in her tone made me wince. I looked at the ground again. I found my voice, but it was barely above a whisper, "I was wrong."

Fingers gripped my hair at the back of my head, forcing my head back up until I met blazing brown eyes. Before, I only saw love in her gaze, there was none now. "What was that?" Rose hissed.

"I was wrong," I repeated louder, letting my guilt and sorrow show. "I'm sorry, Roza."

Her lips pressed together, eyes pinching. Then her face became blank. "Why are you here?"

I rathered the anger in her eyes than the nothing that stared back at me. Rose was full of passion and fire, to see her void of any of it felt wrong. "Lissa needs your help."

Rose released my hair, marching away from me to stand beside her father, arms crossed over the black leather coat she wore. Her long hair was tied up, but her neck was covered by the high collar of her coat—hiding all proof that she was once a guardian. "Why would I help her? She stood back and let them sentence me to death."

My chest tightened at the memory of Rose's orders for execution. Lissa's face had been white, but she hadn't moved from her seat, and I didn't move either. We both sat there and watched them take her away.

There were rules and consequences. Everyone part of Court knew that, and Rose broke the balance when she killed Tatiana. Before I was turned Strigoi, I would have fought by her side, but after being restored, I couldn't risk breaking the balance.

Now, I knew it was always broken.

"She needs you," I insisted, "The Council has decided on their new Queen—it's Lissa."

Her blank stare faltered. "She wouldn't."

"She doesn't have a choice."

Rose took slow steps towards me, her shoes almost touching my knees before she crouched in front of me, tilting her head to the side. "I killed the Queen to help her—to help you. Why would I help her now? I'm the Queen killer, and I'm not scared to live up to that name again."

A chill moved through my body, down to my core. The Rose I knew would never have talked about her friend in such a way, I just had to reach that part of her again. "You were right, Rose. The Royal Court needs to fall."

She was surprised by my words.

"I want to break the hold over the dhampirs," I declared, "so does Lissa. But she needs your help to do it—I need your help." I took a breath, holding her eyes as I begged again, "I need your help, Roza."