A/N: Hey, me again! I feel very sad, I only got one review for the last one – where have my faithful reviewers gone? I missed you. And it's nearly Christmas (which makes me happy ) – show your Christmas spirit and review! Thank you so much for reading.

Melody shouldered her bag, once again lamenting how heavy it was, and made her way on to meet Lorkin from his class. If she was correct, he had just had an Alchemy lesson. Lucky thing; she'd just say through the most boring Warrior skills lesson she'd ever had. At least meeting Lorkin would mean he could carry her bag for her.

She walked along in quiet, dreamy contemplation. These last few weeks with Lorkin had been the best time of her life; okay, maybe her mother wouldn't approve if she knew that she stayed in Lorkin's room every night and woke up beside him in the morning, but it was the sort of relationship that she had always hoped for with Lorkin. She hoped Dorrien wouldn't realise that Lorkin was the reason that she had been late to his Healing class twice in the last week. But she had never felt happier, and even if it did interfere a little with her studies, she found that she didn't care anymore. She felt light and free, a feeling that, for some reason, she had never had before. Plus, she thoroughly enjoyed sending Lorkin mind images of the two of them the previous night over dinner with their families. His embarrassment was extremely amusing.

She was practically skipping by the time she reached the classroom. The door was pushed to and she could hear voices from inside, but she could not make out what they were saying. She hoped it was Lorkin in there and he would remember to wait for her.

She cautiously pushed open the door and peeped inside, thinking that it would be embarrassing if she was intruding in someone else's conversation. But no, that was Lorkin in there! She pushed the door open a little wider and made her way in with a smile, then froze on the threshold.

Lorkin was with Lepida, that awful blonde snake from Sabina's party who'd flirted with him for years.

And they were kissing.

Melody gasped, a sharp intake of breath, and tears sprung to her eyes. No. She couldn't be seeing this. No. It couldn't possibly be real!

She only stood there for a matter of seconds when her eyes connected with Lorkin's, which had been wide open throughout the kiss. She turned and fled from the room.

"What do you mean, you're leaving?" Aurelia looked at daughter in complete bemusement. Melody had announced her intention to leave the moment she set her foot in the room. She was breathing heavily as though she had been running, and tears were tumbling uncontrollably down her cheeks.

"I'm going to stay with Dad. I'm going to stay with him right now" Melody retorted tearfully, "I just came to say goodbye"

"But you have classes!" Dorrien protested, rising from his seat on the floor, where he had been playing with his children. Melody looked at him through bleary eyes.

"I quite honestly couldn't care less"

"But you got early entry!" Eden cut in, looking horrified; she was hoping for early entry into her studies too, "If you fall behind, you might lose that privilege"

"Eden and Dorrien are right, sweetheart!" Aurelia agreed, pulling Melody into a fierce hug, "And you mustn't go"

"I'm not going away forever" Melody briefly hugged her mother back, then shrugged away, "Just a few months or so"

"A few months!" Aurelia shrieked, "You can't leave for that long! What'll I do without you around?"

Eden looked offended by this and turned away with a huff, going back to Liliana. Melody looked at her mother and felt a squeezing in her chest. She didn't want to be without her mother for any longer than a day, even, but she couldn't stay. She thought Lorkin loved her. But he'd obviously liked Lepida all along. And she couldn't stay around to hear his explanations and watch the two of them together.

"I have to go, Mum" Melody mumbled, wiping her eyes, "I'm going to get my things and I'll come and say goodbye to you before I leave, okay?"

"Couldn't you leave it until the morning? Sleep on it?" Aurelia pleaded, looking at her daughter with wide brown eyes. Melody shook her head.

"No, I can't. I need to leave as soon as possible" just the thought of seeing Lorkin after what she had just witnessed made her stomach flip over and fresh tears begin to fall.

"Can't you at least tell me why you're going?" Aurelia cupped Melody's face in her hands and tried to wipe away the heavy flow of tears, "There must be something making you so upset"

"I just saw Lorkin kissing someone else" Melody whispered, so that only her mother could hear. Aurelia gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth.

"You're sure?"

"I know what Lorkin looks like, Mum" Melody replied sharply, but fell swiftly into her mother's arms and let Aurelia rock her as though she were a child. Her tears fell thick and fast onto Aurelia's shoulder.

"I understand" Aurelia murmured, "Oh, my darling, I understand all too well. You go if you have to. I'm sure we can sort out something about your classes. And it's not like your Dad won't be absolutely delighted to have you"

"I'm sorry, Mum, but I can't be here"

"I know, sweetheart, I understand, I do!" she kissed Melody roundly on both cheeks, "You go and pack your things. If Lorkin comes here looking for you, I'll tell him where to go"

Melody smiled feebly, "Good"

Melody turned up on Dannyl's doorstep in the early hours of the morning. The night before, while she had been packing her things, Lorkin had knocked repeatedly on the door and begged for her to come out for well over an hour. She had sobbed silently into her pillow and refused to reply, finally managing to sneak out after midnight.

"Mellie!" Dannyl cried, his face lighting up in a beaming smile as he flung his arms around his daughter, "I haven't seen you for so long! What are you doing here?"

"I had to get out of the guild for a while. Can I come and stay with you?"

"Of course you can! You can help edit my book!" Dannyl cried delightedly, "But wait..." he held her at arm's length and scrutinised her closely, "This is all a bit sudden. What about your lessons?"

"Mum's going to sort it" Melody mumbled, "I'm...I'm having a bit of a bad time, Daddy"

Dannyl's eyes suddenly darkened and he frowned, "What has that boy done to you?"

Melody's head snapped up, "You mean you know about me and Lorkin?"

"Of course I do. Oh, Mellie, if he's hurt you, I'll kill him" Dannyl swore, squeezing her in a fierce embrace.

"No, no, Daddy, I'm fine, honest" Melody held back more tears as she clung to her father, "I just needed to get away. And I missed you"

"Of course you did. I missed you, too" Dannyl smiled, and then leaned closer to her, "And to be honest, I'm glad you're here" he whispered. Melody looked quizzically at him.

"Why?"

Dannyl's smile fell, "Tayend and I have been having some...trouble, lately. He adores you, and it might help to have a mediator around"

"Oh, Daddy, I'm sorry" Melody looked anxiously at her father. Dannyl shook his head.

"Don't be" he said, smiling affectionately at her, "I think we both need each other at the moment"