[ content warning for smut ! sorry if it's not good or if you're not feeling it, just scroll past. she's a lengthy chapter with many an emotion. enjoy, and now we all anxiously wait for the finale ]

☾

DON'T CRY, PRINTSESSA.

[ season 1 — episode 9 ]

Dimitri was in his room alone, sitting on the ground and meditating while trying to ignore the thick collar around his neck with a tracking device attached to him. Whatever happened to ankle monitors? He figured the placement was part of the punishment. Though technically, he could take it off if he fiddled with it a little. It wouldn't matter given the Guardians stationed at every possible exit of the building. But they'd see the broken clasp, and his punishment would only be worse.

His time alone was interrupted by a quick knock at his door, which confused him, as they wouldn't be retrieving him for his tribunal for a few hours.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Mischa on the other side of it. He didn't want her involved at all in any of this business, but no doubt, Rose told her all about it once she was released. So, to avoid anyone thinking Mischa knew about Sasha, he quickly ushered her into his room.

"Rose told me what happened," Mischa said, hardly even looking at him or even around the room as she began to worry. "She told me she's the one that helped Sasha escape, but you covered for her."

"Sasha chose this. It's not on Rose," he said, shaking his head.

"Well, she didn't tell them anything at all," she told him.

"Good. She needs to keep it that way," he agreed.

Mischa nodded and turned back to face him, finally taking in his appearance. He was only wearing a pair of loose sweatpants, his chest fully bare. And she couldn't help but stare at it openly, getting a little distracted.

Seeing her reaction, Dimitri had to bite back a smirk as he walked past her and grabbed a hoodie off his bed to cover up. Once he was no longer in front of her, Mischa found her voice again. "What's going to happen to her? To Sasha? I tried to ask Alberta, but she wouldn't say."

"It's in the hands of HQ now. Nothing any of us can do, even a Moroi like you," Dimitri told her softly while zipping the hoodie up. "You weren't even meant to find out."

"You can't just keep lying to protect me," she said, shaking her head. Lying about his feelings for her was bad enough, but keeping Sasha's escape from her was almost as bad as she was forced to mourn yet another person.

"I know I've made mistakes — I know I've hurt you," he said, his throat feeling a bit tight. "And I'll never be able to earn your forgiveness for that. But I stand by my decision to keep Sasha from you. It's the only reason you weren't brought in for questioning like we were."

Mischa looked back at him, her eyes zeroing in on the collar around his neck. "And that? What is that?"

"The tracker? It's nothing," he said, shaking her worry off. "Just due process and proper safeguards. I'll be fine once all this blows over."

"From the stories I've heard, HQ doesn't let things blow over," she said, turning back to his wall so that he wouldn't see how truly worried for him she was.

"The Dominion needs all the Guardians it has right now. I'm not entirely without value."

For a moment, Mischa frowned, never wanting Dimitri to think of himself as a commodity or object to be used by the Dominion despite that being what he was in a lot of ways. She covered up the negative emotion though as she formed a small smile and she looked at him over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "If that was a brag, you need to step up your game, Cowboy," she said, letting out a giggle. "You're not that impressive."

"Keep telling yourself that, Printsessa," he joked, the Russian nickname slipping out for the first time in a long while.

To keep from looking back at him and admitting just how impressive she truly thought he was, Mischa took the time to finally look around his room. It was small, with warm lighting and several candles lit. There was a large bed, though the mattress didn't look nearly as thick as the ones given to Moroi — which was a given with how little respect Dhampir got. There was also lots of exercise equipment including some gymnastic rings and a wooden set of stall bars against the back wall. Since the stall bars weren't in use, he had a few things hanging from them like a towel and the material he'd wrap his fist with before training where he'd be hitting something.

Next to the bars was a thin bench with a stack of books on it. There were several unrecognizable titles on it, but they certainly didn't look like they came from the Academy library. Mischa tilted her head to study the spines better.

"Are all of these about—"

"Humans," he confirmed. "Biographies. My way of seeing the world."

Mischa felt warm inside, remembering their talk of freedom on that boat in the human world. Maybe one day, they could see it for themselves. But then she spotted a different book with a worn, bent spine that put a grin on her face. She picked it up, studying the large title in a tacky font and a picture of a horse and railroad on it.

"A western?" Mischa asked, looking at him teasingly.

Dimitri scoffed and moved forward. "Twilight," he reminded her, raising a judgmental eyebrow.

"Not embarrassed," she insisted, cracking open the book. The first word at the top of the page had her laughing. "Oh, Vlad, it actually says 'Yee-Haw!'"

Quickly, the book was snatched from her hand. Mischa pouted and looked up at Dimitri while trying to get it back. But he just held it high over his head. "That's enough of that," he told her, shaking his head in disapproval.

Mischa rolled her eyes but let him get rid of the book, which he walked over to his nightstand. She looked around a bit more, eyeing the little shrine he had set up next to the door. There were several little altarpieces and even a small mat for kneeling, a clear sign that he spent a lot of time there.

"I'm guessing you've been praying for freedom," she assumed, speaking softly.

"The last thing I prayed for—" Dimitri said, coming up behind her. Mischa tensed when she felt his breath on the back of her neck and his fingertips brush the skirt of the dress she was wearing. "—was you."

Despite her heart picking up speed, Mischa didn't turn to him quite yet. "Doesn't seem like an appropriate way to worship the Elements."

Slowly, Dimitri pushed Mischa's hair off her shoulder and lowered to brush his lips against the side of her neck. Her eyes fluttered shut at his touch, letting out a soft sigh. As he did, he also brushed his right hand down her arm until he found her own hand. For a moment, he traced the healing scars on the outside of it before intertwining their fingers.

"You are the Elements," Dimitri said lowly, his lips brushing her ear. Mischa held her breath, feeling the warmth of his body as he pressed up against her back. "It seems fit to worship you."

Mischa took in a breath and leaned back against him. "You... you can't just say things like that to me," she breathed out, trying to keep her thoughts clear. "Dimitri, you don't - don't even know who you are or what you want."

Dimitri turned her in his arms, needing to look at her for this. "I know I want you. And even though the future is uncertain and it certainly won't be easy, I don't want a future without you in it."

He carefully cupped Mischa's cheeks, bringing her closer to him. Dimitri needed Mischa close, especially when he had no clue if he'd get to hold her again, not with the trial coming up. But he couldn't tell her the truth — tell her that there was little hope for him to see freedom any time soon. He couldn't risk her doing something to interfere and get herself in trouble. Because if he knew one thing, it was that Mischa Dragomir loved to interfere.

"I will be in it," Mischa promised softly, her hands finding the fabric of his covered chest. "You're my Dhampir."

Though neither had said the real words yet, that was as much of an 'I love you' as the real thing. And they both knew that deep down as they stared at each other with that same love in their eyes.

"You're my Moroi," Dimitri whispered, pressing his forehead to hers and breathing a little deeper. "Don't forget that, no matter what happens."

Instead of responding, Mischa stood on her toes and kissed him then. Dimitri reacted instantly, kissing her back longingly, passionately — like it might be the last time he ever got to do it. His tongue slid into her mouth as if it belonged there. It did belong there, for all she cared.

Mischa's entire world was spinning, overwhelmed with Dimitri and his touch. With her fingers threaded in his hair, she managed to get her other hand between their bodies so that she could hook a finger around the zipper of his jacket and pull it down, pushing the hoodie off his body. Her touch skimmed his broad chest, exploring every contour of him as they were forced to part and breathe for half a second.

Dimitri took control of the kiss then. He was losing control of everything else in his life — his position, his freedom, his reasons for existing — but this, Mischa, was something he wouldn't lose again. One hand found the back of Mischa's neck, cradling her head with his fingers and pulling her into the kiss. His other arm snuck around her waist, pulling her tight against him.

It was rougher now, a kiss full of tongue and teeth that took Mischa's breath away. His touch grew rougher as he walked them backward until she was pinned between the stall bars and his body.

"Dimitri," she breathed out as he broke the kiss and began sucking on her neck. She leaned her head back against the bars, giving him even more access. He bit at her pulse point before running his tongue over her skin to soothe it. "Fuck me."

He pulled back sharply and looked at her with dark eyes, taking in her swollen lips and lust-filled gaze that was fixed on him. "What?"

Mischa knew him better than anyone. And she knew he was frustrated over everything in his life at the moment. He had lost control of so much, and there wasn't much she could actually do to help him other than to be there for him to take those frustrations out on.

It helped that the thought of him controlling her body gave her a thrill. Mischa wanted to wake with bruises in the shape of his fingers on her skin. She already knew he could make her moan, but now she was curious about whether he could make her cry and scream desperately.

"I think I recall a promise to not always be so gentle and nice with me," she muttered, her nails scraping his scalp as she pulled him closer. "So — can you fuck me or not?"

A low, rumbling sound echoed from his chest as Dimitri's eyes grew darker. He was back on her in a second, grabbing her wrists behind his head and pinning them above her, the bars digging into them. His other hand gripped her jaw, squeezing it enough to keep her lips parted as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, kissing her more forcefully now.

Despite her restrained hands, Mischa still shifted her hips forward, rubbing against one of his strong thighs. He quickly pulled back from the kiss while pushing her back against the bars even more. "Stay still," he ordered, lips brushing her cheek. "I can't very well worship you if you keep squirming."

Mischa let out an impatient huff, knowing she didn't have a chance of getting her hands free with his tight Guardian grip. But she still wanted to push him, and a sudden intrusive thought struck her when she felt the fabric of the material used to wrap his fists that was hanging over the bars brush her fingertips.

"I've always had trouble staying still," Mischa said. And then she found his thigh once again — it wasn't particularly challenging given that he was so closely pressed to her — and felt the fabric of her dress and his jeans against her core. "Maybe you could help me with that."

Dimitri raised an intrigued eyebrow before seemingly understanding what she was asking for. It was certainly something he could get on board with, already picturing Mischa with her hands tied above her, bare for only him to see, and it drove him crazy.

But before doing it, he cupped her face gently, a caring glint in his eyes as her arms dropped back down. "If you're uncomfortable — if I do anything you don't like — I want you to say a word so I know to stop then and there."

Mischa nodded in understanding, thankful he was taking the time to establish some kind of safeword as they tried something new. "Stake," she told him after a moment, deciding on the weapon because, well, it was a weapon and also not a lot of syllables.

"Stake," he repeated, leaning in and kissing her softly. He could feel her gently beginning to rock against his thigh once again.

"What if my mouth's busy?" she couldn't help but ask.

And Dimitri's mind flooded with thoughts of her mouth full of him, looking up at him on her knees. "Snap your fingers," he decided. Then he gripped her waist a little tighter to keep her from grinding against him. "Now, I believe I said to stay still."

"And I believe I said I've never been too good at that," she said with a taunting smirk. She ran her hands down his chest, feeling the contours of his tight muscles, loving how his body contracted the closer she got to the waistband of his pants.

Dimitri grabbed her wrists and pulled her forward, putting a small gap between her and the bars. After shifting both of her hands into one of his, he slipped the other around to the back of her dress. He made quick work of the zipper, nearly breaking it with the force he used, letting the garment drop from her body.

He didn't even take the time to admire her before reaching up for the black material he'd wrapped his hands with countless times. Now, it wasn't meant for his knuckles but for her wrists. And as Dimitri raised Mischa's hands over her head and began expertly tying her to the stall bars, she simply leaned in and kissed along his collarbone.

That tracking collar had never been so damn inconvenient, as it was just wasted space that she didn't get to devour.

After giving the restraints a tight tug to make sure they were sturdy — he didn't want the knot to come undone and lead to her losing balance and hurting herself — Dimitri took a step back to admire his work. Mischa let out a whine, her head trying to follow as she lost the warmth of his body.

Dimitri thought she looked magnificent like this, practically on display for him in a pair of pink cotton underwear and a matching strapless bra. He watched her for a long time — well, it felt like a long time to Mischa as she could do nothing but eye his bare chest while rubbing her thighs together for any kind of friction.

"Dimitri," she whined after nearly a minute had passed. "Please, touch me."

A small smirk formed on his face as he finally stepped closer again. His touch was gentle at first but certainly not nice as he moved at an agonizingly slow pace, his hands trailing up her sides and to her back to unhook her bra, which he tossed to the side without a second thought.

He palmed one of her breasts, dragging the pad of his thumb across her nipple while diving down and seeking out the other with his mouth. Mischa let out a soft breath and arched into him, feeling his warm tongue swirl around her nipple. Then he nipped at it with his teeth while pinching the other, earning a sharp cry from her. He soon swapped sides, paying the same amount of attention until she was covered in red marks and wet skin everywhere his tongue reached.

Slowly and as he kissed back up to her collarbone and neck and jaw, Dimitri slid a hand down in between them, finding the fabric of her underwear. He lightly traced a line back and forth over the band before dipping down and applying more pressure, rubbing slow circles over her clit. Mischa began to moan at the friction his fingers and the fabric created, but the sound was muffled as his mouth sought out hers.

He continued to rub firm circles, the cotton getting drenched as he picked up speed and Mischa began shifting her hips forward. Then, growing tired of the barrier, Dimitri suddenly ripped the underwear down her legs, the sound of fabric tearing filling the room.

Mischa let out a hardly-offended noise, looking at the torn underwear at their feet. "And just what am I supposed to wear when I leave."

Dimitri grinned wickedly while finding her cunt once again, tracing her entrance at a far too leisurely pace. "Nothing," he told her before leaning in to claim the skin of her neck again. As he bit her collarbone, he also slid two fingers into her.

Mischa's head fell back as she let out a loud moan. Dimitri worked in and out of her quickly, not bothering with that tortuous pace from before. He slid his free arm around his hips and pulled her closer to meet each thrust of his fingers. She could do nothing but grip the bars above her head and cry out as he entered a third finger, stretching her out far more than her own fingers ever had.

Her eyes rolled back and her walls clenched around him. The orgasm was building inside of her like a tidal wave about to crash onto the shore. But then she was suddenly empty as Dimitri pulled his fingers from her quickly. Mischa cried out, her hips rushing forward for any kind of contact that never came.

She took in a deep breath and looked at him in disbelief. "Wh - why'd you stop?" she asked breathlessly.

Dimitri shrugged as if she'd asked him what his lazy weekend plans were. Then he brought his hand to his mouth and licked up some of the mess gathered along his three fingers. Misha watched his tongue each time it darted out of his mouth, her thoughts, which had been put on hold as he stopped fingering her, became hazy once more.

When Dimitri then pressed the tips of his index and middle fingers to her lips, she wasted no time in parting them and taking his fingers in her mouth. Mischa didn't dare break eye contact as she ran her tongue along the underside of them, making sure to reach every inch. And even as she pulled away, she lightly licked his fingertips as a sort of future promise to him.

All the while, Mischa rubbed her thighs together restlessly, feeling the cold wetness between them spreading even more. That feeling from before was long gone, but she was desperate for it to return.

Finally, Dimitri lowered to his knees before her. There was something so wrong and exhilarating about him kneeling before her when the very altar he knelt and prayed at every day was just a few feet away.

He pulled her legs apart, keeping her from creating any kind of friction. At that agonizingly slow pace, he began kissing up the inside of her thighs, earning soft, pleading sighs from the girl tied up for him. Without much warning, he lifted her left leg over his shoulder and dove in, his mouth seeking out her core.

Mischa choked on a moan as he pressed his tongue flat to her entrance and dragged it upward to her clit, which he then latched onto. He worked tirelessly at her clit, swirling his tongue around it before sucking on it deftly.

She wanted nothing more than to reach down and tangle her fingers in his hair, pulling him even closer, but the restraints kept her hands in place. All she could do was tug uselessly against them while shifting her hips, grinding into his face. His mouth traveled lower, back to her opening as he began to fuck her with his mouth, his angular nose brushing her clit with each stroke of his tongue.

"Oh, god," she breathed out, her toes curling as that bundle of nerves and pleasure grew tighter and tighter. "Oh, yes — I'm - I'm gonna — Ah!"

It was worse the second time — horrible the second time. Dimitri had pulled away from her mere seconds before she'd reached an orgasm, and as the feeling washed away, it was almost painful as she looked down at him with glassy eyes.

"No, no, no," she whined, tugging at the restraints. "No, please, Dimitri. Please."

Dimitri didn't look particularly sympathetic as he scanned her writhing body. He grabbed the side of her face and pulled her into a kiss, spreading the taste of her as his tongue slipped inside. She kissed back passionately, craving him and some kind of release more than she craved anything else.

He was pressed up against her body, and she could feel his growing length straining against the joggers he still cruelly had on. But the contact was soon lost, earning yet another discontent whimper from her, as the last thing she wanted was space from him.

Mischa was starting to see flaws in this whole being-tied-up thing. They'd only done this once before and hadn't touched him nearly enough times in her life to suddenly be forced to stop.

Dimitri stood across from her, looking her right in the eyes as he hooked his thumbs over the waistband of both his pants and his boxers, pulling them down in one go and freeing his cock. Mischa's jaw went slack, remembering how heavy it felt to have in her mouth, her jaw straining almost painfully to fit it all. When he stroked himself a few times, she couldn't help but let out a pathetic noise, wishing it was her own hands touching him. She wanted to teasingly brush her thumb over the red tip that was leaking precum and watch as he let out a shuddering breath of anticipation.

But he wasn't going to let that happen — not yet at least. No, Dimitri came back once again and wasted no time in lifting her hips and lining himself up to enter her quickly. It wasn't like last time when he gently slid into her bit by bit until she was comfortable. This was fast and hard, and Mischa let out a mix between a scream and a moan, her head falling forward as she bit down on Dimitri's shoulder.

Dimitri sped up with each thrust, bottoming out each time and filling her to the brim. Her ankles were locked behind his back as he kept her off the ground while fucking her against the stall bars.

"Fuck," he grunted in her ear, feeling how tight she was around him.

Mischa was a mess, hardly able to get a coherent word out of her mouth that was spewing heavenly moans. It wasn't that she'd forgotten how this felt — she'd never let herself forget — but she missed it. She missed how he so clearly craved her too and handled her expertly. She certainly hadn't been ready to stop after just starting, and neither had he been.

Which is why it wasn't taking particularly long, as both had been waiting for this from the moment they left St. Ignatius.

But in her lust-filled haze, she'd already forgotten about that promise to be mean. Because when Dimitri felt his peak coming moments before hers, instead of continuing to thrust into her and finish it out for both of them, he swiftly pulled out. Mischa's cry was drowned out as he pumped himself only twice, reaching an orgasm of his own.

Mischa couldn't even fall in love with the feeling of his warm cum on her stomach as she was far too miserable. Tears spilled from her eyes as she writhed helplessly, trying to keep that built-up feeling from fading away again.

As terrible as it was of him, the sight of her in desperate tears and covered in his cum only got Dimitri all the more excited to keep going.

Though he was still breathing heavily, he was in front of her once again, gently cupping her cheek as if he wasn't torturing her. Mischa nuzzled into his touch, looking up at him with wide, cloudy eyes. He then dared to kiss those tears away like he wasn't the cause of them.

"Don't cry, Printsessa" Dimitri murmured, leaning down and nuzzling his nose against her neck.

"Please," she begged, feeling like she was going to die if he didn't let her finish. "Please, let me."

"Well, since you asked so sweetly." Then he reached up and untied her effortlessly, as if she hadn't been tugging tirelessly the whole time to free herself.

As soon as her arms dropped, Mischa was aware of the aching in her shoulders and how the blood rushed back to her fingers. But she didn't pay it any mind as she surged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. Dimitri's hands found her waist, and when she began applying pressure to his chest, he walked backward until his knees hit the end of his mattress.

He sat on the edge of the bed, and Mischa stood before him. Instead of crawling onto his lap, she surprised him and dropped to her knees while pushing his legs apart. Dimitri raised a pleased eyebrow and leaned back on his forearms, watching her carefully.

Mischa slid her hands slowly up his thick, muscular thighs, nearly moaning just from the feel of them. Then, while looking up at him through her long eyelashes, her hand found his cock. Dimitri let out a low groan as she wrapped around him, her fingertips not even managing to touch her thumb as she did so. She ran her hand back and forth several times, feeling him grow fully hard once more. Though she never took him fully into his mouth, she did lean in and run her tongue along the underside of it, letting out a content moan as she heard him draw in a sharp breath.

As she kitten-licked the tip of his cock, Dimitri's hips came off the mattress the slightest bit before he settled down. "Fucking hell, Printsessa," he muttered before following up with something inappropriate in Russian that certainly wasn't in the book she'd picked up.

Pleased with herself and ready to feel better, Mischa got up off her knees and moved onto his lap. She pressed her core to his thigh for a moment before grabbing his shoulders and getting ready to brace herself. Dimitri's hands found her hips as he helped guide her onto his cock, both letting out sounds of pleasure as he entered her.

Then Mischa rolled her hips as a test, her eyes fluttering shut at the new angle. She did it again and again, moving up and back down on his cock. Dimitri met her each time, thrusting up into her while watching her chest bounce. It wasn't long before he was taking control once again even if she was staying on top as he was pulling her hips into his at a faster pace that she couldn't quite achieve on her own given that she didn't have all that Guardian speed.

When she, anxious to finally finish, reached down in between them to rub her clit, Dimitri nearly came then and there at the sight of her touching herself while his cock slid in and out of her.

She got lost in the overwhelming feelings and the fire that was raging inside of her, only grounded by the low groans and moans that left his lips. It felt like he was reaching every impossibly deep crevice inside of her.

"Don't stop," Mischa begged, almost choking on the words as she screwed her eyes shut. "Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop."

And Dimitri didn't stop. Mischa's begging was cut off with a sharp cry as finally, a powerful orgasm hit her. Her head found his shoulder and she bit down hard to keep from screaming loud enough to be heard in the hallway. For a moment, her vision went out, and all she could sense was him still cumming inside of her as he finished as well and the sound of his pulse thrumming in her ears.

They sat there for a moment, catching their breath in each other's arms. It took several moments for Mischa to come down from her high. As more seconds passed, the sound of Dimitri's blood pumping got even louder as she realized she was still biting down on his shoulder. Mischa pulled back quickly before her fangs could come out on instinct, and Dimitri didn't notice as he was too busy pulling out of her.

Mischa pressed their foreheads together, closing her eyes in contentment as she felt him tracing random shapes on her hips. Finally, they fell back against the bed, laying down as he drew her into his chest, not quite ready to let go yet.

"I missed you," she whispered before softly kissing his lips.

"You shouldn't have," Dimitri said in just as soft a tone. For once, he wasn't coming at it from a morality point, not a sworn duty point. "Not after the way I treated you."

Mischa carefully pushed a stray strand of hair off his forehead before tracing her fingertip from the end of his eyebrow to his cheekbone and then lips. "I know what you did, Dimitri, I remember," she said sadly. "And I won't forgive you for something like that a second time, even if you have a good reason. You're only allowed to leave me if it's something you want — not because you think you're doing right by the Dominion."

Dimitri took her hand at her mouth and kissed her fingertips. "I'll never want to leave you," he declared. The Dominion may have wanted them separate, but he couldn't live apart from her either. She was the one thing he knew he wanted for certain. "Never again."

☾

Mischa was reluctant to leave Dimitri's apartment, but it was necessary, as his trial was coming up soon, and they couldn't risk anyone finding her there with him. She looked a little less put together than when she'd arrived, which was a given considering the Guardians had community showers. Not wanting for her to be spotted, Dimitri could only help clean her up with the washcloths in his room and the sink.

But it wasn't evident that Mischa had just been fucked in her Guardian's room, which was all that mattered. Though she did nervously smooth back her ponytail as she stepped out onto the street. She also readjusted her dress, keeping it pulled down.

Despite his earlier claims, Mischa was wearing underwear — Dimitri's underwear. After half a sentence about the wind blowing her dress around as she walked back to her dorm, he was practically shoving a pair of boxers in her hand to wear underneath her dress since he'd so rudely ripped hers.

There weren't many people outside. After the riots started up, more Guardians began patrolling the streets, harshly nipping any potential political conflict in the bud. It wouldn't last though, especially when the Council and Queen were due to make a statement about their next ruler. It would be bad no matter who was chosen, and the unrest would last for months if not years.

But Mischa did recognize one person by her curly red hair, who was watching with a sad expression as Mia walked off in the opposite direction. As she turned, Meredith spotted Mischa as well, raising a questioning eyebrow while nodding her head to the Guardian apartments she'd just come out of. Mischa only smiled sheepishly without answering verbally.

"Right," was all Meredith said, dragging out the word. She knew quite well who she was visiting. "You heading back?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah," she said, nodding and clearing her throat, hoping Meredith wouldn't question her more. The two fell into step next to each other, and Mischa looked back in the direction Mia went. "How's she doing? I haven't seen her for a few hours."

Meredith held back a sarcastic comment about how she didn't figure Mischa hadn't seen anyone for a few hours. "She's just going through it. I want to be there for her but I don't really know how."

"Like you said, just be there when she needs you," Mischa told her softly. "And she'll come to you when she does, whether to talk or cry or just have you hold her."

"You're right," she muttered. Then she sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I told her how I felt."

"What?"

"I told her how I really liked her just now. It's the absolute worst time — I mean, am I fucking stupid? Today of all days?" she asked, scoffing. "But it just came pouring out like word vomit. I couldn't go another second without her knowing."

"You're not stupid," Mischa said as they neared the Academy, heading straight for the Novice training grounds, where Meredith needed to be. "And everything will work out once this business with her family blows over."

"So, if I hypothetically asked her to meet me at the Cistern in a few hours, would it be stupid or not to bring her flowers?" she asked, scratching the back of her neck.

"Mia loves flowers," she assured her. "At the very least, it'd make her smile to know you picked some for her. I can even grow her favorites if you'd like."

"Thanks, Mish."

The two girls made it back before Meredith's training, thankfully. While walking through the grounds, they came across Mason and intercepted him, noticing he wasn't ready for class.

"You better get changed," Meredith said with a smile. "We've got fight training in..." But then she trailed off, realizing that Mason was dressed in everyday clothes with a full backpack over his shoulder. "If you're doing what I think you're doing, you're insane."

"Doing what?" Mischa asked cluelessly.

Mason sighed. "I know I should have told you—"

"I don't care that you didn't tell me," Meredith interrupted. "I care about my best friend getting thrown in the dungeons for going AWOL. Or worse, getting killed by some rando Strigoi in the human world."

"We'll be okay—"

"We?" Mischa asked loudly. "Human world? Wait, Mason, are you running?"

After a moment, Mason nodded stiffly, avoiding eye contact with her. "Yeah. Rose and I are getting out of here. She asked me to go with her. We're together now — officially."

"Rose... Rose is leaving?" she asked, her chest feeling tight. "Now?"

"In just a little bit. But not before she told you and Lissa goodbye," he said softly.

"You both are so stupid," Meredith spat, believing they'd be dead before the end of the week. "What, like you're gonna survive on fucking love or some shit? You're lying to yourselves if you really think this is the best plan. Besides, you need to face the truth. Rose will come running back the first time Lissa needs her. It won't matter what kind of plans you made, and you know that's the truth."

"Right, like you're so truthful," Mason said, rolling his eyes. He couldn't help but get defensive when his happiness with Rose was being questioned. "If you think that I'm buying all this family leave time, I'm not. I don't know what you do when you go or where you go, but I know it's not hanging out with your mom at a commune."

Mischa eyed Meredith subtly, knowing that the girl did take off from school a lot. But it wasn't any of her business, so she didn't much care. Evidently, though, based on the shocked expression on Meredith's face, it was something she didn't want anyone to know about.

"Oh, you think you're the only one who notices things?" Mason asked, raising an eyebrow.

Meredith swallowed thickly and moved past her emotions for the moment. "I'm not saying you're not being truthful. But I'm allowed to worry about my best friend and call him out when I think he's doing something that will get him killed."

Mason sighed and rubbed his face tiredly before staring her down. "We're going, Mer, and you can't stop us." Then he stormed off without giving her a chance to get in another argument.

"Fuck," Meredith muttered in frustration, knowing this was the last thing they needed with Guardian numbers already dropping.

"I have to... I have to find Rose," Mischa whispered, biting the inside of her cheek. "And Lissa. Oh, god, this is gonna change everything."

☾

Mischa searched the Dhampir dormitories first but came up empty-handed. The next place to try was the Moroi dorms, where she was hopefully with Lissa. So, she booked it and let out a relieved sigh when she spotted the Novice in the hallway just outside their door.

Like Mason, Rose was dressed in civilian clothes and was even wearing a green shirt that Lissa picked out for her at that human store. She was leaning over a side table in the hallway and scribbling a note down, though there were several crumpled pieces of paper around her, meaning it wasn't her first draft.

Before even speaking, Mischa bent down to pick up one of the papers off the floor. When Rose heard the paper uncrumpling, she looked up quickly. "Mish—"

"Dear Lissa and Mischa," she read, unable to hide the hurt in her voice. She narrowed her eyes at Rose. "You were gonna leave a goddamn note?"

Rose sighed and set the pen down. "Look, it's just that I can't even imagine saying goodbye..."

When Rose trailed off, it wasn't because she wanted to. It was because she was being forcefully pulled into the unfamiliar headspace that belonged to Lissa. As she felt her panic, she also saw through her eyes that she was with Victor and in trouble.

"Rose," Mischa said warily, realizing that something was wrong.

"Oh, Lissa," she breathed out, regaining her senses.

Rose didn't even spare Mischa a second look before she took off running, and Mischa was one step behind her. Though she didn't know what it was, she knew it wasn't good, as Rose only got pulled into Lissa's head when she was feeling a powerful emotion. She followed her all the way back off Academy grounds and to the city. Mischa wanted to question why they were headed to Victor's office but couldn't quite catch her breath enough. Besides, Rose wasn't going to slow down and answer her.

In Victor's office, it was evident that Lissa was in trouble. She'd made the mistake of telling him about her Spirit use, and he was demanding she heal him. James, his Guardian, was keeping Lissa from leaving the room, and she was moments away from compelling him.

"James, if you don't get out of my way, I'm gonna—"

"You're gonna what?" he interrupted tauntingly.

"This!" Rose shouted as they finally arrived. She lunged at James, but he got the upper hand and grabbed her wrist, twisting her around.

"Rose!" Lissa cried out, her eyes wide. Then Mischa finally rounded the corner as James kept Rose's hands pinned behind her back.

"Dang it, Rose!" Victor exclaimed, knowing her interference would only make things worse. "You could stop this. You could stop this right now, Lissa."

Before Mischa could raise her hands and help free Rose or attack Victor, Lissa whirled around and shouted at him. "Fine, fine. You want my power?" She grabbed his hands suddenly. "Take it! Take it all!"

"No!" Mischa shouted, remembering Mia's warning.

But it was too late as Lissa began to heal him. An overwhelming golden glow spread between them, even escaping Victor's mouth and eyes as the both of them screamed in pain. It was more than Lissa had ever done.

The spectacle was at least a good distraction as Rose threw her head back against James' face before ripping her arms free. She spun quickly and hit him in the gut. As he hunched over, she then kicked him in the head, knocking him out on the ground, unconscious.

Mischa rushed to her sister's side just as the healing magic stopped. Victor passed out instantly, dropping like a fly. Before Lissa could fall over, Mischa reached her and softened her fall, resting her head in her lap once they were down. Rose ran over as well and put a hand to Lissa's face, trying to rouse her.

The two girls looked at each other then, knowing they couldn't stay here in case Victor or James woke up.

"Don't look at me," Mischa said, shrugging. "I'm not gonna carry her back."

☾

It was twenty minutes before Lissa woke up, and both Rose and Mischa were anxious messes for each of those minutes, worried that something horrible happened from Lissa using so much magic at once. They'd brought her back to the dorms and laid her on a couch, silently waiting for any sign of life.

Finally, Lissa slowly began to wake, sitting up and looking around. Both girls let out relieved sighs when it seemed she was alright for the most part.

"There she is," Rose said with a small smile. They watched as Lissa looked at the empty air, seeming a little out of it still as she remembered what happened. Then she smirked, which was the last thing they expected. "You look pretty cocky for someone who just gave him exactly what he wanted."

"No. All I gave him was time," Lissa said, speaking a little slower than she normally would. "Once his guilt kicks in — and it will eventually — that's no favor."

"But are you gonna be—"

Mischa was cut off when Lissa looked at them — more specifically Rose — and gasped. "Wait, Rose," she said. It seemed she was more looking at the air around her rather than at Rose herself. "The Darkness, I can see it. All this time, I wasn't passing it to you. I was taking your light through our bond."

Rose looked at her arms, unable to see what Lissa was. "I don't know which version sounds worse, but how?"

"Magic doesn't fill me with Darkness. It depletes my light. Spirit needs light," she realized. Then she perked up a little. "Hey, Rose, maybe if I could give myself some time to fully recover, you know, to build back my own light, because I won't take yours anymore."

With a frown, Rose knew it was time to tell the truth. "Well, actually, you won't have to worry about that now. I'm leaving."

"Leaving?" Lissa asked as if it was an unfamiliar word. "Where?"

"Out into the world," she said, shrugging. "Like you and I always planned."

"But if I can learn to control this, then you don't have to go."

She shook her head. "That's not why I'm going. For so long, all I thought of was being your Guardian, and that was enough. But now, after everything, I need to figure out who I am outside of all of that... and outside of you," Rose said. Then she smiled sadly at them. "And given you just came riding to my rescue, it looks like you can take care of yourself now. So can Novice Mischa."

Despite the tears in her eyes, Lissa still managed to joke. "We can't have you corner the whole hero market," she said, making them all laugh. But then the two best friends shared a long, meaningful look. "Rose."

There wasn't a way to put how they were both feeling into words, so the bond certainly came in handy for that. "I know."

After a moment, Lissa wiped her nose and then eyed Rose questioningly. "So, um, just you? Or..."

"Oh," Mischa said with a teasing grin. "She's going with Mason."

As Mischa sang his name playfully, Rose scoffed and shoved her to the side a bit. But even Lissa was shooting her a particular look. "Both of you, stop it. He's a good guy."

"He is," Mischa agreed. "And I'm glad things are working out for you — that it's more than just fooling around now."

"And it's your life, Rose. Whatever makes you happy," Lissa told her. Then she managed a smile. "But don't get too comfortable, okay? I have big plans for this Dominion. When my sister and I are done with this place, you're gonna wanna come back. Just wait."

After that, Lissa hugged Rose tightly. It went on for a moment longer, just the two of them, before they moved in sync and pulled Mischa into the hug as well, practically suffocating her as all three of them cried quietly.

"This isn't goodbye," Lissa whispered.

"No," Rose agreed, clenching her eyes shut. "It's just 'see you later'."

"God, this place is gonna bite without you," Mischa said, leaning her head on Rose's shoulder.

Once they finished hugging and pulled away, Rose wiped her eyes before looking at Mischa oddly. "Hey, Mish?"

"Yeah?" she asked, tilting her head.

"What the hell is this?" she asked. Rose moved quickly and snatched her hands up, showing off the red marks around her wrists. Mischa's cheeks heated up, nearly matching the shade as she remembered how they got there. And because she blushed, the overprotective Dhampir realized they weren't there because someone restrained her against her will.

"Oh my god!" Rose said, beginning to laugh. "Ew!"

"What?" Lissa asked cluelessly. She looked at her sister's wrist. "What did this?"

"Of course, Comrade's into fucking bondage of all things," she went on, snorting.

Lissa's eyes went wide as she looked at an embarrassed Mischa. "You and Dimitri had sex?"

"Again," Rose muttered under her breath, which Lissa clearly heard.

Mischa was suddenly grabbed by the shoulders and pulled closer to her sister. "Rose isn't leaving until you tell - me - everything."

☾

It was odd, getting dressed up in a lavish ball gown just to walk to the castle, especially when there was no event to attend. But Lissa wanted them to look their best as they went to see the Queen. It was also odd going to the castle without Rose, who was now on the road with Mason in a stolen car.

But they couldn't think about their fleeing friend, at least not until the Queen heard Lissa out. Mischa was simply there to present them as a united front. After all, if she was going to accept Lissa, she'd have to accept Mischa as well — Elemental sins and all.

There was no one else with them in the Queen's sitting room, who was on the sofa below them. Lissa stood a step in front of Mischa, speaking clearly and confidently, no longer held back by the anxiety that was constantly weighing her down when this all began.

"After Andre and our parents died, you believed in me before even I did," Lissa said. "Since then, this Dominion has been on a wild ride, Your Majesty, leaving no candidate untarnished and our people as divided as ever. I know I need to get our quorum back, to marry, and to learn, and all of that will take time. But I have a proposal for you if you're willing to hear it."

A smile made its way onto the Queen's thin lips, and for the first time in a long time, she was actually quite hopeful for the future of the Dominion. And Lissa was just proving why she'd chosen her initially to begin with. The Queen looked between the two young girls and nodded, knowing everything was going to change in the next few minutes.

☾

Dimitri sat in his cell as stiff as a board, staring at the wall. Sasha Tanner was in the one next to him, neither feeling particularly talkative. What was there to say when they'd both been tried as guilty of treason and were waiting for the Queen herself to decide if they'd get to live or die? And even if they did live, it would take an impossible miracle or desperate measures for either to be released from the dungeons and allowed back to their positions as Guardians.

As he sat alone with his thoughts, they drifted to Mischa as they so often did. As soon as the words left Croft's mouth at the trial, he knew then and there that he'd never see her again. Visitors weren't permitted in these situations, meaning that he wouldn't even get to say goodbye to her. She might not even be told until after the fact if he was executed. That alone was worse than any other sentence they could give him.

It was almost as if the universe knew he was thinking of her and needed to see her. No, she wasn't there in person. But even the monitoring station had a screen hanging over the controls that kept the cells locked. It only turned on for official announcements that broadcasted to all the Dominion, making sure Guardians on duty wouldn't miss imperative information no matter where they were stationed.

Slowly, Dimitri rose from his cot and walked closer to the clear, unbreakable wall of his cell, getting as close to the screen as possible. Mischa was there — the Queen and Lissa too, though he didn't much care about them. She looked beautiful, he thought, and happy. For whatever reason that was about to be revealed, she was wearing a nice green ball gown. The color was familiar enough given that he'd seen it when looking at his eyes in the mirror.

But Mischa also had a dainty, golden tiara sitting on her head that he hadn't seen since she lost her quorum and title as a princess. Lissa was wearing one as well, though it was made of silver and a little larger.

Both girls were standing behind the Queen with Lissa on her right and Mischa on her left. Dimitri focused intently, wondering, along with the rest of the Dominion, what was happening all of the sudden.

"Once again, I hereby declare Princess Vasilissa Dragomir heir to the throne," the Queen announced. "But not for today. For today, I'm not going anywhere. I declare the Trials moot. It is time we put this whole ugly business, this whole ugly era, behind us. As such, I shall be keeping the crown until Vasilisa is ready to rule, and Princess Mischa Dragomir shall be at her side as her Elemental Advisor. Such is my decree."

The screen cut to black a second later, meaning the Queen ended the announcement and would not be answering any questions. A small, soft smile made its way onto Dimitri's face as he processed the new information.

"Princess," he muttered, knowing how much she valued that title.

Mischa would be alright, he knew. Maybe she wouldn't have him in her life as they planned, and that would certainly hurt. But she had her sister and she had Rose, as well as a long line of Guardians and Novices who would protect her when he couldn't.

Dimitri shut his eyes and pressed his forehead to the cool glass, picturing her as she was on that screen. Smiling, strong, regal. "Printsessa," Dimitri whispered to himself as softly as a prayer.

His moment alone with his thoughts was harshly interrupted by a sound that sent fear coursing through his veins. He tore his eyes open to see a red warning light flashing, and his ears echoed with the sound of the alarm they never used, which wasn't fully covering the sound of screams from outside. An alarm that meant multiple Strigoi had breached the wards and made it into the province. An alarm that was ringing not just in the dungeon, but throughout the whole province.

They were under attack.

Mischa was out there.

And Dimitri was helplessly trapped in a goddamn cell.