The Rose Mafia

26

The illusion continues taking the watchers through several years of Nikolai's past. By the time the illusion ends there is absolute silence. Rosalie is at this time staring in horror at her father. She had never seen that part of her father before. None of them had except Ivan and Zarin.

Nikolai stands and returns to Rosalie, "You are very fortunate that your little plan didn't succeed. Had it done so and I found out you were behind it and I would have, your death would last years. It would be the most painful thing that I could devise. But at this time you did not succeed, although you caused me to break my word to my mate. That and your plot demand a strict punishment.

"Father?" Nikolai looks up to his father and demands.

"Her sentence is to watch as you kill her mate and to suffer for as long as you wish. You are to add whatever sufferings you wish to her as well. Effective immediately. Even as we speak the witches have moved in and captured Mathew." Ivan says, his voice only showing boredom, but he's furious at what happened this day.

"Zarin?" Nikolai demands.

"Yes, Master?" Zarin finds himself answering formally. Nikolai is letting his power out without any controls on it.

"Bring him here." Nikolai's voice is hard and cold.

"Yes, master." Once more Zarin does whatever he must and soon there stood chained and manacled before them another vampire.

"Ah, Mathew Greyson, welcome to your trial, or rather Rosalie's trial and your sentencing. On your knees before your prince." Mathew finds himself falling to his knees without anyone touching him. He fears the vampire standing before him more than anything he'd ever met before.

Nikolai leans down, "Before you make plans to destroy someone or something you should gather all the information you can. It minimizes damage. In this case you would have never touched on the idea of destroying me, because you are nothing."

Standing up straight he turns to Rosalie, "How should I kill your mate then?"

"No, please, Nikolai, I beg don't kill him." Rosalie gets on her knees and begs her father.

"Once I would have done just about anything for your Rosalie. How did you repay me? You betrayed me in the worst possible way you could with your MATE! But since you asked me, I won't kill him, at least not at first." Nikolai smiles and it's worse than what they had seen in his memory.

Only then does Rosalie realize that she played into his hands and she looks at her mate in terror. "I'm sorry, so, so sorry. Forgive me?"

Mathew looks at her confused having missed the court. "I forgive you. Can you ever forgive me for doing this to you?"

Nikolai starts laughing in a voice so dark and cruel that those in the room pull back from him. "Nice."

He stands Mathew up on his feet. "You are overly dressed for your punishment." Nikolai slants his look over to Sebastian and he goes over and rips Mathew's clothes off.

"Your choice, Rosalie. What will his first punishment be?" Nikolai demands of his daughter.

"I can't, father, don't make me choose." Rosalie says crying still on her knees.

"You are no daughter of mine. Now choose!" Nikolai demands smiling darkly.

"Cat'o nine." Rosalie says, the words once more pulled out of her mouth. 

Nikolai's face lights up. "Oh, yes, that one's lovely."

A pillory appears and Mathew, looking at Rosalie sick at her words, is pulled over to it and tied up.