Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update again. I've been busy with my uni's newspaper. Don't worry I'm planning on writing only another one or two chapters for this fic. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. Although I do admit it's been slow-paced.

UPDATE: Thanks to rainy for pointing out that I've mistaken Lissa for Jill halfway through. I was in a hurry to get this chapter posted that I didn't proofread. Sorry :(

ROYALS: CHAPTER FIVE

Adrian

All of a sudden someone was pushing me towards the direction of the palace. I shove him back; everything was blurry and yet at the same time I couldn't keep my focus away from the Strigoi and dhampir fighting a few feet away from me.

"Don't struggle, Adrian," said Dimitri as we make our way back to the palace's safety. "It's best if you get out of the way and let the Guardians handle this."

As soon as we reach the palace grounds, both of us ran towards the Guardians Headquarters. Dimitri quickly informed the rest of the Guardians of what has happened and they've armed themselves to follow Dimitri's lead to defend the broken ward.

I stopped Dimitri before he went back to the chaos in the garden. "Protect yourself. Go to Nathan," he says to me before leaving, "I will not let anything happen to Rose."

Sydney

Jill came barreling towards my room and almost took down the door. She was lucky I was only half-asleep when I heard someone banging on my door.

"What is it?" I ask her as I ushered her to sit on my bed.

She had that glassy, faraway look in her eyes that could only mean one thing. She was having a vision of Adrian.

"Jill, what's happening?" I ask again as I take hold of her hands. They're clammy and shaking.

All of a sudden Jill collapsed and I immediately called Eddie to meet me at the lobby of our dormitory. I also call our front desk and inform them that Jill needs medical assistance and should be driven home to our Uncle's home because that's where her medicine are.

In ten minutes, I met Eddie at the lobby and he was given permission to fetch Jill and carry her towards our car.

Within thirty minutes we've arrived at Clarence Donahue's. I immediately call Adrian on our love phone but my call goes to voicemail. The same happens to the next five calls I make.

I think and think and think. I can't call the Alchemists out of concern for Adrian, but maybe I can out of concern for Jill. I'm not entirely sure because one wrong move might mean destruction to Adrian.

Eddie sees the worry in my eyes and attempts to calm me down. He offers to call the Guardian's Headquarters for me but before I could agree to his offer my phone rings.

It's the Alchemists.

"Sydney, we need you to Jill to the safe place," says the voice on the phone. I do not recognize who's speaking which is odd.

"I already have," I reply, "what's going on?"

"The palace has been attacked by Strigoi. It has been placed on lockdown," the voice on the other end seems to rush his words, as if he has many things to do and he could not get off this phone call any faster. "The court's residents may or may not be evacuated. It's still under the discretion of Nathan Ivashkov. We'll kee you updated. Protect Princess Jill at all costs."

The line goes dead.

Eddie raises his eyebrows at me.

"The palace has been breached by Strigoi," I answer his unspoken question. "Get Angeline here now. And Trey too if he will come."

I look at Jill. She's still unconscious, no doubt exhausted by Spirit. I wonder what horrible things she must have seen.

Adrian

I go to my father's office in our house, in search of him and to ask what he's going to do for the safety of the court residents.

"Adrian, there you are," he says as he rearrange papers on his desk, as if it was just another normal night.

"What are we going to do?"

He stops reading and raises his eyebrows at me, "We?"

I say nothing. It has always been about him. And power.

"I've placed the palace on lockdown so it's a good thing you got out in time," he continues his reading. "As for the court, we're not evacuating but I've given permission to some families to fly out if they wanted to."

I grimace at his decision. "Some families" meant royal and other priveleged families. Moroi who are of no importance cannot and will not leave court.

"What about the servants locked inside the palace?"

"What about them?"

I force myself to keep calm and nonchalant. I need him to see my explanation, my motive in his kind of way. Otherwise more will be dead by sunrise.

"What if the Strigoi turned them? We'll have more to worry about."

"The Guardians can handle it. They've been trained for it their whole lives."

"Are you not even sending reinforcements? We've only a handful of Guardians left and they're greatly outnumbered."

"They're only a handful, that's the problem. What's not the problem is that they're one of the best. Now quit whining and do your duty," he looks at me directly, "Go and pacify the rest of the court. Reassure them that everything is alright."

I leave his office and do what I've them countless times in my life - obey my father.

Adrian

"Sir, we're on lockdown. No one is permitted to go outside or inside the palace."

After "pacifying" the court through announcement at the different monitors stationed strategically around the court, I went straight to the palace.

"I have permission from my father."

The Guardian hesitates. My father's name have always meant something to the Guardians.

"I'll escort you inside myself, sir," the guardian says as he opened the door and let me into the palace.

Sydney

Jill finally wakes up with a gasp and we offer her to feed but she only shakes her head. She turns to me with wide worried eyes.

"Sydney, he's inside the palace," said Jill with moist in her eyes. "He got out before they went on lockdown but he came back in."

Jill shook her head again and again. "I don't know why."

I don't either. I just know that Adrian is unreasonably stupid and unreasonably good and kind. He'd do anything to help those trapped inside.

I keep my composure. I have to be strength for all of us. But deep inside my heart is shattering, aching for Adrian to be safe.

Adrian

"You can go back to your station, officer," I order the Guardian who escorted me inside.

He shakes his head. "I can't leave you, sir, Not until I find another Guardian to protect you."

"Fine," I concede and we continue to search the palace for any survivors.

It has been eerily quiet so far. As if no one had been here for the past night. No one's in sight.

The Guardian is suddenly talking with the bluetooth connected to his ear.

"Copy." He turns to me, "This way, sir."

He led me to the palace library. I was just going to ask what we were doing at the library when he displaced a book on the farthest shelf which caused the shelf to slide and show a narrow opening. He directed me to follow him and as I approached, I see a set of narrow stairs that descends into nothing but darkness.