Okay... so, first of all, Rose still isn't there in this story. And I apologize for that. Really, she surely is in the next. Pinkie promise. *chuckles*

And secondly, I apologize for the delay too. I didn't have time to write. This chapter is unedited and English isn't my first language, so sorry for any grammatical errors.

Dios! That's a lot of apologies!

Anyways, Belikov: Thanks for your review.

And, deliriumintheheavens y IrinaC: Did I make it that obvious this time?

And finally, disfrutas, amigos!

4

The Cafe

Standing by a car was Sydney Sage, the alchemist who helped me and Roza hide after our runaway a long time ago. I was confused as I couldn't see anyone else in the driveway. And it only added to my confusion when Mase shouted eagerly, a smile plastered across his face, "Tey-i-zey!" Both of the novices started running towards their aunt as she turned and looked at them lovingly, with a smile of her own. I guessed it meant aunt in Turkish.

"Ah! My babies. My goodness, Sally! You've grown. And look at you, Mase. Almost as tall as me!" She laughed while both the children enveloped her in a hug.

I didn't understand how a human could have dhampir niblings. Unless...a moroi had a child with a human! But that is against the law. Surely, it couldn't be what had happened, could it? Suddenly, I reminisced. Sage. Their surname. Sydney Sage. No. It shouldn't have been done.

She opened her eyes and looked over Sally's shoulder. It was the first time she registered I was standing there. Her eyes widened in recognition and something else, which I thought was dread. Or it could have been a trick of my mind. I mean, what reason did she have to be afraid of me? She looked at Mase and then back at me with the same expression. After being still for a few moments, as if she didn't believe the sight in front of her, her eyes narrowed in anger and distrust.

"Dimitri," she said, her upper lip curled in disdain. "I didn't expect to see you here."

I couldn't understand at first what I did to deserve her contempt. It struck me after some time that she was friends with Rose. But she couldn't have seen her or heard from her in years. Could she? Rose didn't mention anything to Queen Vasilisa, and she was her best friend. Could it be possible that Sydney knew anything of her whereabouts? She did work for her father, after all. And I'm not entirely sure that Abe Mazur doesn't have any idea where his daughter is. He would have searched every nook and corner if he didn't. That's how protective he is of his only daughter. But he just sent out a search party which reported back in barely two months. I think he knows exactly where she is, and Janine too, but they don't want anyone to find her for some reason unknown to me.

So Sydney basically hated my guts for, apparently, using Rose. Okay... I didn't really mind it if you ask me. I hated my guts too, so, it couldn't get any worse, really. Except, it did. Mase, hearing the tone in which his aunt (I still didn't know how!) addressed me, was confused. Now it was my turn to dread. Weird, I know, but I didn't want this kid to hate me.

So I tried replying to Sydney more cheerfully. "Sydney," I nodded. "Well, I work here now."

Sadly, it didn't work like it was supposed to.

"Yeah?" she asked. "Good for you. Moving on with life now, are we? I hope it doesn't end like the last time."

Damn. I really wasn't enjoying this conversation right now. But the expression on my face must have pleased Sydney, 'cause she smiled sweetly before continuing. "How lucky must your new student feel, huh? Having a mentor like you. How fortunate!"

It was a topic I didn't wanna talk about. Probably because the person being talked about was standing in front of me. I mentally cursed myself for agreeing to Alberta's request. Had I known who the said aunt was, or that she'd be in the mood to decapitate me then and there, I'd never have come.

"Actually, Mase here is my new student." I found it important to inform her.

She looked like I'd told her the world was about to come to end. "What?! No. It can't be happening. We spent all these years and now... Dammit!-"

Nothing she said made any sense to me. In fact, listening to her babble only made me all the more confused. At last, she, probably due to the growing awareness of the young witnesses of our strange conversation, decided it was time for them to go.

I watched them drive away. Sydney, of course, didn't spare me another glance, but Mase actually watched, though with a slightly confused expression, me until they took a turn.

It was two days after the start of the vacation, and I found myself guarding Queen Vasilisa and Lord Ozera as they went on a break from the court. There were other guardians with me too, she was the Queen after all, but they were in a separate car. The Queen had asked me to come with them personally. After the loss of her best friend, she stopped talking freely to anyone except Christian, Rose, and Andre, their children. Occasionally I too, but it was rare. Other than that, she was totally formal and queen-like. To keep herself from thinking about her, she burdened herself in work. I wasn't any better than her, but I couldn't help but feel guilty. If I hadn't left her, maybe she wouldn't have run away. And, of course, I was in-dept to Vasilisa forever. She was the one, after all, who freed me from that cursed undead state.

I knew Rose had something to do with it, but what exactly? I was never told. Rose was not the kind of person to sing her own praises, so she never even mentioned it. And I hadn't exactly asked, too.

It was early afternoon, and we had to stop for lunch soon. Fortunately, we came across a small town right then.

"Thank heavens! Finally. A town." Christian shouted from the backseat, where he was sitting with his wife.

Vasilisa looked out of the window. "Yeah. I thought I'd seen every town in Montana. But I'm not sure I've come here before."

"Please tell me there'll be food. God, I'm starving!" Christian whined with a frown on his face.

Vasilisa chuckled and gave him a peck on the lips. It was a little gesture. But it made me hyperaware of the hole in my chest. There was once a time when we were like that. Me and my Roza.

Vasilisa saw my discomfort, as always, and gave me a sad smile before asking, "Can you stop the car here, Dimitri? In front of that cafe. I don't think any of us can take any more."

It was a little place. But it looked... cozy. Somewhat homey. We were about to go out when Vasilisa said, "How about we tell the others to wait in the car for us?"

I was a little taken aback by the strange request. She was the Queen. She wasn't to go unprotected anywhere. "I don't think that a good idea, your Majesty."

She leveled me with a glare, and I realized that I'd just addressed her with her royal title. She hated it, so I gave her an apologetic look before she replied, "I'm not telling them to go leave us, am I? We'll be in the cafe. And besides, we won't be unprotected. You'll be with us, Dimitri. And if it helps, I have three rings charmed to make us look human."

She gave me an expectant look and it came to my senses that she'd already planned it. After all, she didn't carry the rings everywhere, did she?

Deciding that it was useless arguing with her, I relayed the message to the guardians in the other car before following the Queen and her husband inside.