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.
Nikolai gives it a few practice swings, "It's been a few years since I've used this punishment. But I do remember that was always a favorite of yours wasn't it Rosalie?"
Natalia watches the flashing pieces of metal in the ends of the leather almost hypnotized by the sight.
Nikolai remembers that she and Samantha are in the room and he pauses. "Do you and Samantha wish to retire before the punishment?"
Samantha had been following the bright metal flashes as well.
"No, I will stay." Natalia says smiling in anticipation.
Samantha actually licks her lips, "I wish to remain as well."
Nikolai smiles at them both before he continues. Without any further fanfare he flicks Mathew's bared back. The vampire screams out his pain. The metal had bitten deep and Nikolai pulls out the metal viciously. Blood immediately wells up and the wound start to close.
"Good, you've eaten recently, that means I'll be able to play longer." With those words nearly two dozen more flicks land on Mathew's back. By the time he's done the wounds aren't closing and Mathew's back looks like tenderized steak.
"Bring me a slave." Nikolai demands. Immediately a low level vampire leaves and returns with a vacant eyed human.
"Feed the vampire that is tied to the post." Nikolai demands.
The human doesn't do anything other than move to Mathew and absently takes a knife in her hand and slices her wrist and offers it to the vampire.
Mathew starts drinking in the blood desperately. Long before he's fully healed the girl is dead.
"Next punishment, Rosalie?" Nikolai demands.
Tears are pouring down her face and she fights desperately from saying the next words. "Skinning alive."
With those words Mathew passes out.
Nikolai goes over to her, "If you hadn't of betrayed me you would have made me proud. Until then you had."
"Yeah, so much that you admitted to having children." Rosalie says bitterly.
"I had always claimed my children. You and Sebastian even more than most of my others. Everyone knew that you were my favorite, even Sebastian knew."
"We were never acknowledged."
"I always acknowledged you! I went back for you when your lying, backstabbing, whoring, bitch of a mother betrayed me. I guess it runs in the genes after all." Nikolai says coldly angry at her words.
"I never betrayed you father." Sebastian says anguish in his words.
Nikolai looks at him and his expression softens. "No, you've never betrayed me. But then I've often believed that you took after me almost entirely."
"Tell me Sebastian, have you ever even thought to betray me or Ivan?"
"Never." Sebastian never even hesitates. Nikolai smiles even more gently.
"You're a good son. The best any could want." Nikolai gestures for Samantha to come forward.
Samantha doesn't hesitate and joins her lover. "Sebastian tells me that you are his mate. Do you feel this as well?"
"Yes, Nikolai."
"You will always belong to me, I created you as my child. You understand that?"
"Yes," Samantha says and leans in to kiss Nikolai.
Nikolai gives her another smile. Then turns his attention to his son. "You begged me to turn Samantha when she was shot. You claim that she is your mate. Yet there are things even I cannot dissolve between us."
"I know and understand father." Sebastian says hiding his thoughts behind a blank face.
"I will not keep mates from each other. The child she carries will be Natalia's and my child's body guard. You will be in charge of teaching the child his or her duties, do you understand?"
"Yes, father," Sebastian says bowing.
"She is still and will always be mine. If I require her she will be mine even if she is your mate." Nikolai wants to make sure that they both understand that.
"Yes," They both answer.
Nikolai looks to Natalia.
"They belong together," Natalia says and Nikolai nods.
"Go, Samantha. You are no longer my Mistress, but Sebastian's mate."
"Thank you Nikolai. I love you," Samantha gives him a kiss.